Array grouping based communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a communication device based on array grouping, the method comprising: receiving a first signal from a first communication device through M groups of analog weights, at least two groups of the M groups of analog weights being different, M being an integer greater than or equal to 2; performing channel estimation according to the first signal to obtain M channel estimation results, the M channel estimation results corresponding to the M groups of analog weights one by one; and performing signal receiving or transmitting processing using a target analog weight based on the M channel estimation results, the target analog weight being obtained based on the M groups of analog weights. In the embodiments of the application, the first signal from the first communication device is received through the M groups of analog weights, compared with receiving the signal from the first communication device through each group of analog weights in the M groups of analog weights in sequence, the speed of analog beam scanning can be accelerated, the resource overhead of scanning can be saved, and the uplink and downlink capacity of a cell of a mobile communication network can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method and communication device based on array grouping. Background Technology

[0002] As a key technology in 5G, massive multi-input multi-output (M-MIMO) antennas can further improve system capacity by utilizing more spatial degrees of freedom. With the growth in the number of users and the improvement in cell capacity and data rates, M-MIMO has a wide range of applications. However, as the number of antennas increases, traditional all-digital beamforming systems require each antenna element to be allocated a radio frequency (RF) chain, which leads to higher power consumption and increased baseband processing complexity.

[0003] Hybrid beamforming (HBF) is an effective method to reduce baseband processing complexity and power consumption. HBF is a two-stage beamforming technique: on the one hand, the base station uses phase shifters to change the antenna's downtilt angle to achieve the first stage of dynamic analog beamforming, which reduces baseband processing complexity through spatial dimensionality reduction; on the other hand, the second stage of digital beamforming is achieved through baseband processing, thereby achieving the goals of multi-user scheduling and inter-user interference suppression.

[0004] HBF technology relies on analog beamforming (or analog weighting) technology. Current analog beamforming schemes suffer from high scanning overhead, therefore, there is a need to research analog beamforming schemes with lower scanning overhead. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application discloses a communication method and communication device based on array grouping.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method based on array grouping. This method can be executed by a second communication device, or by a component of the second communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second communication device. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a first communication device through M sets of simulation rights, wherein at least two sets of simulation rights in the M sets of simulation rights are different, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; performing channel estimation based on the received first signal to obtain M channel estimation results, wherein the M channel estimation results correspond one-to-one with the M sets of simulation rights; and performing signal reception or transmission processing using a target simulation right based on the M sets of simulation rights, wherein the target simulation right is obtained based on the M sets of simulation rights.

[0007] In this embodiment of the application, receiving the first signal from the first communication device through M sets of simulation rights can speed up the simulation beam scanning speed, save scanning resource overhead, and improve the cell uplink and downlink capacity of the mobile communication network compared to receiving the signal from the first communication device through each of the M sets of simulation rights sequentially.

[0008] In one possible implementation, receiving the first signal from the first communication device via M sets of simulation rights includes: receiving the first signal from the first communication device within K scan cycles via the M sets of simulation rights, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than M. For example, K is 1.

[0009] In this implementation, the first signal from the first communication device is received through M sets of simulation rights within K scanning cycles. Compared with receiving the signal from the first communication device through each of the M sets of simulation rights sequentially, this can speed up the analog beam scanning and save scanning resource overhead.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the above M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. The phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while the phase shifters between different groups are controlled independently.

[0011] In this implementation, M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. Phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while phase shifters between different groups are controlled independently. By independently controlling the phase shifters between different groups, the simulation weights corresponding to each group of phase shifters can be configured independently.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the above M groups of analog weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. The phases of each phase shifter within the same group are the same, while the phases of phase shifters between different groups are different.

[0013] In this implementation, the analog weights corresponding to phase shifters in different groups can be different, while the analog weights corresponding to phase shifters in the same group can be the same.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned M sets of analog weights correspond to (M1*M2) sets of antennas, which are any of the following: the horizontal dimension includes continuous M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes continuous M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 sets of antennas; M1 and M2 are both integers greater than or equal to 1, and (M1*M2) is greater than or equal to M.

[0015] In this implementation, M sets of analog weights correspond to (M1*M2) sets of antennas. The signal received by each set of antennas in the (M1*M2) sets is approximately the same as the signal received by all antennas, ensuring that the signal received by each set of antennas can be used for channel estimation.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the target simulation weights are one of the M sets of simulation weights mentioned above.

[0017] In this implementation, the target simulation weight is one of the M sets of simulation weights, and a better set of simulation weights can be quickly determined from the M sets of simulation weights as the target simulation weight.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation weights are a set in a weight codebook, and the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights are contained in this weight codebook.

[0019] In this implementation, the target simulation weight is a set of weight codebooks. Compared with selecting the simulation weight used for current signal reception or transmission processing from the above M sets of simulation weights, a more suitable simulation weight can be obtained for current signal reception or transmission processing, which can improve beam detection accuracy.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation right is not included in the weight codebook. For example, in the array-based packet communication method provided in the first aspect, when applied to a terminal device, the target simulation right not being included in the weight codebook means that the target simulation right is not included in the weight codebook configured in the terminal device. As another example, in the array-based packet communication method provided in the first aspect, when applied to an access network device, the target simulation right not being included in the weight codebook means that the target simulation right is not included in the weight codebook configured in the access network device.

[0021] In this implementation, the target analog weight is not included in the weight codebook. The target analog weight can be understood as an analog weight that is more suitable for the current signal reception or transmission processing than any analog weight in the weight codebook. Therefore, it can improve the accuracy of beam detection and enhance the quantization accuracy of the analog weight.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned M channel estimation results are channel estimation results assuming that the aforementioned first signal has not passed through the phase shifters corresponding to the aforementioned M sets of analog weights. Optionally, the target analog weights are included in the weight codebook. Alternatively, the target analog weights are not included in the weight codebook.

[0023] In this implementation, the M channel estimation results are the channel estimation results assuming that the first signal has not passed through the phase shifters corresponding to the M sets of simulation weights; based on the M channel estimation results, the target simulation weights are used for signal reception or transmission processing; this can improve the accuracy of beam detection.

[0024] In one possible implementation, processing signal reception or transmission using target simulation weights based on the aforementioned M channel estimation results includes: determining M phase shifter-level channel response matrices based on the M channel estimation results, wherein each of the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices corresponds one-to-one with the M channel estimation results, and one of the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices is a corresponding channel response matrix of one of the M groups of phase shifters; determining whether to process signal reception or transmission using target simulation weights based on the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices; and processing signal reception or transmission using the target simulation weights. Each phase shifter-level channel response matrix can be understood as the channel response matrix of that group of phase shifters before simulation weighting.

[0025] In this implementation, the target analog weight is determined for signal reception or transmission processing based on the channel response matrix of M phase shifters, which can improve the accuracy of beam detection.

[0026] In one possible implementation, determining the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing based on M phase shifter-level channel response matrices includes: determining the quality evaluation index corresponding to each analog weight in the weight codebook based on the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices, wherein the quality evaluation index corresponding to any analog weight in the weight codebook is used to measure the quality of signal reception or transmission processing using that arbitrary analog weight, and the weight codebook includes the target analog weight; and determining the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing based on the quality evaluation index of each analog weight in the weight codebook.

[0027] In this implementation, the target analog weight is determined for signal reception or transmission processing based on the evaluation index of the merits of each analog weight in the weight codebook; this allows for the accurate and rapid determination of the target analog weight that is more suitable for the current signal reception or transmission processing.

[0028] In one possible implementation, determining the target simulation weight for signal reception or transmission based on the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices includes: obtaining a first channel response matrix based on the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices; performing matrix decomposition on the first channel response matrix; and constructing the target simulation weight based on the obtained eigenvectors.

[0029] In this implementation, the first channel response matrix is ​​decomposed, and the target simulation weights are constructed based on the obtained eigenvectors. It is evident that the target simulation weights are not limited to existing weight codebooks but are calculated. Obtaining the simulation weights to be used in this way can improve the accuracy of beam detection and enhance the quantization accuracy of the simulation weights.

[0030] In one possible implementation, determining the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices based on the aforementioned M channel estimation results includes: obtaining a second channel response matrix, which includes a channel response matrix of a third channel response matrix with a first simulation weight and a channel response matrix of the third channel response matrix with a second simulation weight, wherein the first simulation weight and the second simulation weight are contained in M ​​sets of simulation weights; and obtaining a third channel response based on the second channel response matrix and the simulation weight matrix, wherein the simulation weight matrix is ​​obtained based on two or more sets of simulation weights, and the third channel response matrix is ​​contained in the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices.

[0031] In this implementation, the third channel response (a phase shifter-level channel response matrix) is obtained based on the second channel response matrix and the analog weight matrix; then, the analog weights are determined using the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the array-based grouping communication method provided in the first aspect is applied to a terminal device or a device in the terminal device, wherein the first signal is a downlink signal (e.g., a pilot signal) and the first communication device is an access network device.

[0033] In this implementation, the terminal device can perform beam scanning more quickly.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the array-based grouping communication method provided in the first aspect is applied to an access network device or a device in the access network device, wherein the first signal is an uplink signal (e.g., a pilot signal) and the first communication device is a terminal device.

[0035] In this implementation, access network devices can achieve beam scanning more quickly.

[0036] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that has the function of implementing the behavior described in the first aspect of the method embodiment. The communication device can be a communication equipment (e.g., a mobile phone, base station, laptop computer, etc.), a component of a communication equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication equipment. The function of the communication device can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software, the hardware or software including one or more modules or units corresponding to the above functions. In one possible implementation, the communication device includes an interface module and a processing module, wherein: the interface module is used to receive a first signal from a first communication device through M sets of simulation rights, at least two sets of simulation rights in the M sets of simulation rights being different, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 2; the processing module is used to perform channel estimation based on the first signal received by the interface module to obtain M channel estimation results, the M channel estimation results corresponding one-to-one with the M sets of simulation rights; the processing module is further used to control the interface module to perform signal reception or transmission processing using a target simulation right based on the M sets of simulation rights.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the interface module is specifically used to receive a first signal from the first communication device within K scan cycles using the aforementioned M sets of simulation rights, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than M.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the above M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. The phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while the phase shifters between different groups are controlled independently.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the above M groups of analog weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. The phases of each phase shifter within the same group are the same, while the phases of phase shifters between different groups are different.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned M sets of analog weights correspond to (M1*M2) sets of antennas, which are any of the following: the horizontal dimension includes continuous M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes continuous M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 sets of antennas; M1 and M2 are both integers greater than or equal to 1, and (M1*M2) is greater than or equal to M.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation weights are one of the M sets of simulation weights.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation weights are a set in a weight codebook, and the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights are contained in this weight codebook.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation weights are not included in the weight codebook.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the above M channel estimation results are channel estimation results assuming that the first signal has not passed through the phase shifters corresponding to the above M sets of analog weights.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the processing module is specifically configured to determine M phase shifter-level channel response matrices based on the aforementioned M channel estimation results, wherein each of the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices corresponds one-to-one with the M channel estimation results, and one of the channel response matrices at the M phase shifter levels is a corresponding channel response matrix of one of the M groups of phase shifters; determine whether to use the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing based on the M phase shifter-level channel response matrices; and use the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the processing module is specifically used to determine the quality evaluation index corresponding to each analog weight in the weight codebook based on the aforementioned M phase shifter level channel response matrices. The quality evaluation index corresponding to any analog weight in the weight codebook is used to measure the quality of signal reception or transmission processing using the arbitrary analog weight. The weight codebook includes the aforementioned target analog weight. Based on the quality evaluation index of each analog weight in the weight codebook, the module determines whether to use the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the processing module is specifically used to obtain a first channel response matrix based on the aforementioned M phase shifter-level channel response rectangles; perform matrix decomposition on the first channel response matrix; and construct target simulation weights based on the obtained eigenvectors.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the processing module is specifically used to obtain a second channel response matrix, which includes a channel response matrix of a third channel response matrix with a first simulation weight and a channel response matrix of the third channel response matrix with a second simulation weight, wherein the first simulation weight and the second simulation weight are contained in M ​​sets of simulation weights; and a third channel response is obtained based on the second channel response matrix and the simulation weight matrix, wherein the simulation weight matrix is ​​obtained based on two or more sets of simulation weights, and the third channel response matrix is ​​contained in the aforementioned M phase shifter-level channel response matrices.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the communication device provided by the second aspect is a terminal device or a device in a terminal device, and the aforementioned first signal is a downlink signal.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the communication device provided by the second aspect is an access network device or a device within an access network device, and the aforementioned first signal is an uplink signal.

[0051] For the technical effects of the various possible implementations of the second aspect, please refer to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect or the various possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0052] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device including a processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0053] In this embodiment of the application, during the execution of the above method, the process of sending information (or signals) can be understood as a process of outputting information based on processor instructions. When outputting information, the processor sends the information to the transceiver for transmission. After being output by the processor, the information may require further processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives input information, the transceiver receives the information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the information, it may require further processing before being input into the processor.

[0054] Unless otherwise specified, or unless their actual function or internal logic in the relevant description is contradicted, the sending and / or receiving operations involved by the processor can generally be understood as processor instruction output.

[0055] In implementation, the processor described above can be a processor specifically designed to execute these methods, or it can be a processor that executes computer instructions stored in memory to execute these methods, such as a general-purpose processor. For example, the processor can also be used to execute a program stored in memory, which, when executed, causes the communication device to perform the methods as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the memory is located outside the aforementioned communication device. In another possible implementation, the memory is located inside the aforementioned communication device.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the processor and memory may be integrated into a single device; that is, the processor and memory may be integrated together.

[0058] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver for receiving or transmitting signals, etc.

[0059] Fourthly, this application provides another communication device, which includes a processing circuit and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being used to acquire or output data; the processing circuit being used to execute the corresponding method as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0060] Fifthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0061] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0062] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application or the background art will be described below.

[0063] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an HBF architecture is provided for this application;

[0064] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a simulated beam scanning provided in this application;

[0065] Figure 3 An example of a wireless communication system provided in this application embodiment;

[0066] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a signal processing flow provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C , Figure 6D A schematic diagram illustrating an example of antenna grouping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 7C A schematic diagram illustrating an example of antenna grouping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C , Figure 8D A schematic diagram illustrating an example of antenna grouping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 9 An interactive flowchart of a communication method based on array grouping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on array grouping provided in this application embodiment;

[0073] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on array grouping provided in this application embodiment;

[0074] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on array grouping provided in this application embodiment;

[0075] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of another communication device 140 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 150 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0078] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used only to distinguish different objects and not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0079] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0080] The terminology used in the following embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to include the plural expressions as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the listed items. For example, “A and / or B” can mean: the presence of only A, the presence of only B, and the presence of both A and B, where A and B can be singular or plural. The term “multiple” as used in this application means two or more.

[0081] The following section first introduces the terminology and technical features involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0082] HBF technology:

[0083] HBF technology is a technique that can reduce the complexity and power consumption of baseband processing. HBF technology employs a two-layer architecture of analog and digital layers. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an HBF architecture provided for this application. Figure 1 As shown, the HBF architecture includes both analog and digital layers. Digital BF represents the digital architecture, where the baseband processor's signals are beamformed by the digital portion through the baseband port. Figure 1 The digital beamforming shown is then processed by the analog shifter (also known as analog weighting / analog beamforming) through the intermediate frequency channel to complete the analog beamforming. Figure 1 (Simulated type assignment shown).

[0084] HBF technology relies on a simulated weighting (or simulated beamforming) process, which requires multiple simulated weight scans (or simulated beam scans). Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a simulated beam scanning method provided in this application. Figure 2 As shown, the base station uses a set of analog weights to receive uplink signals (e.g., probe pilot signals) at each of K consecutive time points (i.e., time points T1 to TK). Figure 2 The beam above each moment represents the signal received by the base station at that moment. Multiple beams on the base station side represent uplink signals received at different times using different analog weights. When the base station uses... Figure 2When performing simulated beam scanning as shown, the base station obtains estimates of K channel responses from the base station to the terminal device through channel estimation at K consecutive time points. Each channel response corresponds to a set of simulation weights. Then, based on the estimates of the K channel responses, the optimal simulation weights are used for receiving (or transmitting) uplink or downlink data. In other words, the base station can only determine the simulation weights to use for receiving (or transmitting) uplink or downlink data after performing multiple simulated beam scans.

[0085] Simulated weighting, simulated weighting, simulated weight scan:

[0086] Simulated weights: These represent the weight matrix in the simulated weighting process, constructed from the phases corresponding to the shifters. Generally, the types of simulated weights are limited; the network side pre-stores all combinations of simulated weights (i.e., the weight codebook), and only one type of simulated weight can be used at each time step.

[0087] Simulated weighting: This refers to the process of loading simulated weights, describing the simulated processing of a signal through a shifter, which is equivalent to multiplying it by a weight matrix.

[0088] Simulated weight scanning: This describes the process by which the network uses different simulated weights at different times, and is called the "scanning" behavior of simulated weights.

[0089] As described above, using the simulated beam scanning method increases the time required to complete the scanning of all simulated weights by a factor of K, where K represents the number of simulated beams that need to be scanned, effectively consuming more time resources. Furthermore, due to the movement of terminal devices and environmental fluctuations, the channel experiences aging, thus increasing the consumption of time resources and causing a decrease in real-time channel tracking capability, leading to performance degradation. In addition, HBF technology relies on simulated weighting, and the limitations in the accuracy and number of simulated weights further hinder the widespread application of HBF technology. It should be understood that using a simulated beam scanning scheme with lower scanning overhead can reduce time overhead and avoid performance degradation. Therefore, it is necessary to research simulated beam scanning schemes with lower scanning overhead. The array-based grouping communication method provided in this application can accelerate the speed of simulated beam scanning, save scanning resource overhead, and improve the uplink and downlink capacity of mobile communication networks. Furthermore, the array-based grouping communication method of this application can also overcome, to some extent, the limitations in the accuracy and number of simulated weights.

[0090] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, introduces the communication system to which the array grouping communication method provided in this application is applicable.

[0091] Figure 3 An example of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 3As shown, the communication system includes: one or more terminal devices. Figure 3 Taking only two terminal devices as an example, and one or more access network devices (such as base stations) that can provide communication services to the terminal devices, Figure 3 This example uses only one access network device. In some embodiments, the wireless communication system can consist of cells, each containing one or more access network devices that provide communication services to multiple terminals. The wireless communication system can also perform point-to-point communication, such as communication between multiple terminals.

[0092] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. A terminal can communicate with one or more core network (CN) devices (or core equipment) via access network equipment (or access devices) in a radio access network (RAN). Terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and they can also be deployed in the air (e.g., on airplanes, balloons, and satellites). In this application embodiment, the terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device or user equipment (UE), which can be a mobile phone, mobile station (MS), tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical care, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, subscriber unit, cellular phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, machine type communication (MTC) terminal, etc. The terminal may include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication functions. Optionally, the terminal can be a handset with wireless communication capabilities, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, or a terminal in the Internet of Things or the Internet of Vehicles, or any form of terminal in 5G and communication systems that evolve after 5G. This application does not limit this.

[0093] Access network equipment can be any device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can communicate with terminals, such as a radio access network (RAN) node that connects a terminal to a wireless network. Examples of RAN nodes currently include: macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells), relay stations, access points, gNBs, transmission reception points (TRPs), evolved Node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved Node Bs, or home Node Bs, HNBs), base band units (BBUs), WiFi access points (APs), and integrated access and backhaul (IABs).

[0094] The following describes a communication apparatus that can implement the array grouping communication method provided in this application, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0095] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the communication device includes: a baseband unit (BBU), a remote radio unit (RRU), and an antenna module. The RRU can be replaced by an RF unit. The antenna module can be referred to as an antenna feed module or an antenna array. The BBU can be a baseband processor. The analog phase shifter in the RRU can group and control the antenna array (i.e., implement group control of the antenna array), as described in detail below. The RRU and antenna module together are referred to as an active antenna unit (AAU). It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of this application may also have more than... Figure 4 This application does not limit the number of other components or modules. The software implementation of the communication device provided in this application can be, but is not limited to, implementation on AAU, RRU, and BBU. The main functions of each module are described below:

[0096] Antenna module: A component in a wireless communication device used to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves, used to convert analog signals into spatial electromagnetic waves or receive spatial electromagnetic waves and convert them into analog signals.

[0097] AAU: Active Antenna Processing Unit, which integrates the functions of both RRU and antenna module.

[0098] RRU: Performs the conversion of intermediate frequency signals to radio frequency signals and is connected to the antenna module through a feeder.

[0099] BBU: Performs digital processing on baseband signals, including digital beamforming, coding and modulation, and other signal processing procedures.

[0100] In one possible implementation, Figure 4 The communication devices in this context are access network equipment, such as base stations. For the downlink channel, the data signal stream is transmitted from the BBU to the RRU, and then to the antenna module to transmit the air interface signal. For the uplink channel, the data signal stream is received from the antenna module, transmitted through the RRU module to the BBU module for processing.

[0101] In one possible implementation, Figure 4 The communication device in this context is a terminal device, such as a mobile phone. For the uplink channel, the data signal stream is transmitted from the BBU to the RRU, and then to the antenna module to transmit the air interface signal. For the downlink channel, the data signal stream is received from the antenna module, transmitted through the RRU module to the BBU module for processing.

[0102] Figure 4 The structure of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application is described. The array-based communication method provided in this application is mainly applied to signal processing flows that require fast and accurate implementation of analog beam scanning. An example of a signal processing flow to which the array-based communication method provided in this application is applicable is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0103] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a signal processing flow provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5As shown, dashed box 501 illustrates the sounding pilot branch, and dashed box 502 illustrates the service data branch. The sounding pilot branch can be understood as the access network device performing an analog weighting process and a channel estimation process based on pilot signals (e.g., sounding reference signal, SRS) from the terminal equipment. The purpose of the access network device performing the sounding pilot branch is to determine the analog weights to be used for signal transmission or reception processing through the analog weighting and channel estimation processes; that is, the design process for implementing analog weights. In this application, analog weights and analog weight values ​​are the same concept. The sounding pilot branch includes the following processes: the access network device receives pilot signals from the terminal equipment through antennas; different analog weights are applied to the antenna signals received by different groups of antennas to obtain multiple sets of analog weighted signals, wherein a phase shifter implements antenna grouping control; the analog weighted signals are converted into digital signals through AD sampling, and channel estimation (which can be called channel sounding) is performed. The service data branch can be understood as the access network device implementing an analog weighting process based on the analog weights determined by the sounding pilot branch, thereby realizing signal transmission or reception. The purpose of service data branching by access network equipment is to transmit or receive signals. One possible processing procedure for service data branching (corresponding to the signal reception process) is as follows: The access network equipment receives data signals (carrying service data) from terminal equipment via an antenna; it applies analog weights determined by the probe pilot branch (analog weighting process) to the received data signal, that is, applies the determined analog weights to the phase corresponding to the phase shifter; it converts the analog-weighted signal into a digital signal through AD sampling and performs digital weighting. Another possible processing procedure for service data branching (corresponding to the signal transmission process) is as follows: The access network equipment generates a data signal based on the service data to be transmitted; it performs digital weighting on the data signal; it converts the digitally weighted signal into an analog signal through DA sampling; it applies analog weights determined by the probe pilot branch (analog weighting process) to the analog signal, that is, applies the determined analog weights to the phase corresponding to the phase shifter; and it transmits the analog-weighted signal via an antenna.

[0104] Figure 5 Taking an access network device as an example, an example of a signal processing flow applicable to the array-based packet communication method provided in this application is described. It should be understood that the terminal device can perform similar... Figure 5 The signal processing flow in the process will not be elaborated here.

[0105] The main inventive point of this application lies in achieving simultaneous signal reception through multiple groups of analog weights by grouping antennas. For example, the antennas in the communication device are divided into multiple groups, with antennas in different groups corresponding to different analog weights, while antennas in the same group correspond to the same analog weights. The communication device can simultaneously receive signals through multiple groups of analog weights (each group of analog weights corresponds to one or more groups of antennas). Therefore, the communication device can receive signals through multiple different groups of analog weights during a single analog beam scan. See also... Figure 2 Currently, the analog beam scanning method uses a set of analog weights to receive signals at each of K consecutive time points (i.e., time points T1 to TK); each time point can be understood as one analog beam scanning cycle or one analog beam scanning process. The array-grouping-based communication method provided in this application can achieve the technical effect of receiving signals through K different sets of analog weights within one analog beam scanning cycle or one analog beam scanning process, thus accelerating the analog beam scanning speed. The following describes some possible antenna grouping methods provided by the embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0106] In this application, the communication device uses phase shifters corresponding to each antenna to group antennas, with each group of antennas corresponding to a set of phase shifters. Optionally, the phase shifters corresponding to antennas within the same group have the same phase, while the phase shifters corresponding to antennas in different groups have different phases. Alternatively, antennas within the same group are controlled by the same phase shifter (with the same phase), while antennas in different groups are controlled by different phase shifters (with different phases). In one possible implementation, the communication device uses M sets of analog weights that correspond one-to-one with M sets of phase shifters. Phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while phase shifters between different groups are controlled independently. In another possible implementation, the communication device uses M sets of analog weights that correspond one-to-one with M sets of phase shifters. Phase shifters within the same group have the same phase, while phase shifters between different groups have different phases. It should be noted that the analog weights corresponding to each set of phase shifters can be pre-configured (or fixedly stored), and can also be updated to different analog weights.

[0107] A multi-antenna architecture in a communication device can be described as (Ver*Hor), i.e., a two-dimensional antenna configuration of vertical array * horizontal array. Ver is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and Hor is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Generally, the number of horizontal antennas (i.e., horizontal dimension) represents the number of columns in the two-dimensional antenna diagram, and the number of vertical antennas (i.e., vertical dimension) represents the number of rows in the two-dimensional antenna diagram. It is important to note that the number of antennas refers to the number of antennas processed in the baseband, not the number of antennas at the shifter level. For multi-polarization scenarios, multiple polarization antennas can be contained at each vertical or horizontal position.

[0108] In the array-based grouping communication method provided in this application, the communication device receives a first signal from a first communication device through M sets of analog rights. These M sets of analog rights correspond to (M1*M2) sets of antennas, where each (M1*M2) set of antennas can be one of the following: a horizontal dimension comprising continuous M1 sets of antennas and a vertical dimension comprising continuous M2 sets of antennas; a horizontal dimension comprising continuous M1 sets of antennas and a vertical dimension comprising interleaved M2 sets of antennas; a horizontal dimension comprising interleaved M1 sets of antennas and a vertical dimension comprising continuous M2 sets of antennas; or a horizontal dimension comprising interleaved M1 sets of antennas and a vertical dimension comprising interleaved M2 sets of antennas. M1 and M2 are both integers greater than or equal to 1, and (M1*M2) is greater than or equal to M. For example, the communication device is an access network device, the first communication device is a terminal device, and the first signal is an uplink signal. As another example, the communication device is a terminal device, the first communication device is an access network device, and the first signal is a downlink signal. One set of analog rights can correspond to one set of antennas or multiple sets of antennas. That is, multiple sets of antennas can correspond to the same set of analog rights. It should be noted that the horizontal dimension includes the definition of a continuous M1 group of antennas: for antennas numbered from 1 to Hor, Group 1 The second group follows the same pattern. The horizontal dimension includes the definition of interleaved M1 group antennas as follows: for antennas numbered from 1 to Hor, <1, 1+M1, 1+2M1…> is the first group, <2, 2+M1, 2+2M1…> is the second group, and so on. It should be understood that for the vertical dimension including continuous M2 group antennas, the specific description of the grouping scheme is the same as for the horizontal dimension, only the numbering is changed to Ver; for the vertical dimension including interleaved M2 group antennas, the specific description of the grouping scheme is the same as for the horizontal dimension, only the numbering is changed to Ver.

[0109] In the embodiments of this application, the number of groups, including but not limited to, is as follows: M = 16: M1 = 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, M2 = 16, 8, 4, 2, 1; M = 8: M1 = 1, 2, 4, 8, M2 = 8, 4, 2, 1; M = 4: M1 = 1, 2, 4, M2 = 4, 2, 1; M = 2: M1 = 1, 2, M2 = 2, 1. M1 will not exceed the number of Hor, and M2 will not exceed the number of Ver. In this application, M1 and M2 are not limited to even numbers, and at least one of M1 and M2 is an integer greater than 1. For example, M1 is 3, M2 is 8, and M is 24. Another example is M1 is 4, M2 is 7, and M is 28. Yet another example is M1 is 1, M2 is 2, and M is 2.

[0110] The location of the shifter dimension can be either the vertical dimension or the horizontal dimension. Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C , Figure 6DThis is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of antenna grouping provided in an embodiment of this application. Figures 6A to 6D In the diagram, 601 to 608 represent 8 phase shifters, and each "×" represents an antenna (for phase shifters). Antennas with the same background pattern belong to the same group of antennas. The phase shifters are in the vertical dimension, and the number of phase shifters is 8. The number of baseband processing modules is 4. The horizontal dimension includes 8 antennas (i.e., horizontal dimensions ①②③④⑤⑥⑦⑧), and the vertical dimension (baseband channel processing dimension) includes 4 antennas (i.e., vertical dimensions ①②③④). Figure 6A This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes a continuous set of M1 antennas, and the vertical dimension includes a continuous set of M2 antennas. For example... Figure 6A As shown, the antenna consists of two consecutive groups (M1=2) in the horizontal dimension and two consecutive groups (M2=2) in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,3,4> is the first group and <5,6,7,8> is the second group; in the vertical dimension, <1,2> ​​is the first group and <3,4> is the second group. Figure 6B This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 antenna groups, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 antenna groups. For example... Figure 6B As shown, the antenna includes two interleaved (M1=2) antenna groups in the horizontal dimension and two consecutive (M2=2) antenna groups in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,3,5,7> is the first group and <2,4,6,8> is the second group; in the vertical dimension, <1,2> ​​is the first group and <3,4> is the second group. Figure 6C This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes a continuous group of M1 antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved groups of M2 antennas. For example... Figure 6C As shown, the antenna consists of two consecutive (M1=2) antenna groups in the horizontal dimension and two interleaved (M2=2) antenna groups in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,3,4> is the first group and <5,6,7,8> is the second group; in the vertical dimension, <1,3> is the first group and <2,4> is the second group. Figure 6D This illustrates a scenario where the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 antenna groups, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 antenna groups. For example... Figure 6D As shown, the antenna comprises two interleaved groups (M1=2) in the horizontal dimension and two interleaved groups (M2=2) in the vertical dimension. For the horizontal dimension, <1,3,5,7> is the first group and <2,4,6,8> is the second group; for the vertical dimension, <1,3> is the first group and <2,4> is the second group. In one possible implementation, antennas within the same group use the same analog weights, while antennas in different groups use different analog weights. Figure 6A Taking the four antenna groups as an example, any two antenna groups use different analog weights. That is to say, Figure 6AThe four antenna groups can correspond to four different sets of simulation weights, meaning each antenna group corresponds to one set of simulation weights. In this application, a set of simulation weights may include one simulation weight, or it may include two or more simulation weights; this application does not limit this. In one possible implementation, antennas in the same group use the same simulation weight, and antennas in different groups use the same or different simulation weights. Figure 6A Taking the four antenna groups as an example, these four antenna groups are antenna group 1, antenna group 2, antenna group 3, and antenna group 4. Antenna group 1 is the first group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions; antenna group 2 is the second group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions; antenna group 3 is the first group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions; and antenna group 4 corresponds to the same set of simulation weights, as do antenna groups 2 and 3. In other words... Figure 6A The four antenna groups correspond to two sets of simulated weights. Figure 6D Taking the four antenna groups as an example, these four antenna groups are antenna group 5, antenna group 6, antenna group 7, and antenna group 8. Antenna group 5 is the first group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions; antenna group 6 is the second group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions; antenna group 7 is the first group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions; and antenna group 8 is the second group in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. Antenna groups 5 and 8 correspond to the same set of simulation weights, and antenna groups 6 and 7 correspond to the same set of simulation weights. In other words... Figure 6A The four antenna groups correspond to two sets of analog weights. The above only illustrates a partial example of multiple antenna groups using the same analog weights, not all examples. It should be understood that in different application scenarios, multiple antenna groups can be configured to use the same analog weights as needed.

[0111] Figure 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 7C This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of antenna grouping provided in an embodiment of this application. Figures 7A to 7C In the diagram, 701 to 708 represent 8 phase shifters, and each "×" represents one antenna (for a phase shifter). Antennas with the same background pattern belong to the same group. The phase shifters are located in the vertical dimension, with a total of 8 phase shifters. The baseband processing module has 4 modules. The horizontal dimension includes 12 antennas (i.e., ①②③④⑤⑥⑦⑧⑨⑩ in the horizontal dimension). The vertical dimension (baseband channel processing dimension) includes 4 antennas (i.e., ①②③④ in the vertical dimension). Figure 7A This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes a continuous set of M1 antennas, and the vertical dimension includes a continuous set of M2 antennas. For example... Figure 7AAs shown, the antenna consists of 3 consecutive groups (M1=3) in the horizontal dimension and 2 consecutive groups (M2=2) in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,3,4> is the first group, <5,6,7,8> is the second group, and <9,10,11,12> is the third group; in the vertical dimension, <1,2> ​​is the first group and <3,4> is the second group. Figure 7B This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 antenna groups, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 antenna groups. For example... Figure 7B As shown, the antenna includes 3 interleaved (M1=3) antenna groups in the horizontal dimension and 2 consecutive (M2=2) antenna groups in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,4,7,10> is the first group, <2,5,8,11> is the second group, and <3,6,9,12> is the third group; in the vertical dimension, <1,2> ​​is the first group and <3,4> is the second group. Figure 7C This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 antenna groups, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 antenna groups. For example... Figure 7C As shown, the antenna includes 3 interleaved (M1=3) antenna groups in the horizontal dimension and 2 consecutive (M2=2) antenna groups in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,7,8> is the first group, <3,4,9,10> is the second group, and <5,6,11,12> is the third group; in the vertical dimension, <1,2> ​​is the first group and <3,4> is the second group.

[0112] Figure 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C , Figure 8D This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of antenna grouping provided in an embodiment of this application. Figures 8A to 8D In the diagram, 801 to 808 represent 8 phase shifters, and each "×" represents an antenna (for phase shifters). Antennas with the same background pattern belong to the same group of antennas. The phase shifters are in the vertical dimension, and the number of phase shifters is 12. The number of baseband processing modules is 6. The horizontal dimension includes 8 antennas (i.e., horizontal dimensions ①②③④⑤⑥⑦⑧), and the vertical dimension (baseband channel processing dimension) includes 6 antennas (i.e., vertical dimensions ①②③④⑤⑥). Figure 8A This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes a continuous set of M1 antennas, and the vertical dimension includes a continuous set of M2 antennas. For example... Figure 8A As shown, the antenna consists of 2 consecutive groups (M1=2) in the horizontal dimension and 3 consecutive groups (M2=3) in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,3,4> is the first group and <5,6,7,8> is the second group; in the vertical dimension, <1,2> ​​is the first group, <3,4> is the second group, and <5,6> is the third group. Figure 8BThis illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes a continuous group of M1 antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved groups of M2 antennas. For example... Figure 8B As shown, the antenna consists of two consecutive antenna groups (M1=2) in the horizontal dimension and three interleaved antenna groups (M2=3) in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,3,4> is the first group and <5,6,7,8> is the second group; in the vertical dimension, <1,4> is the first group, <2,5> is the second group, and <3,6> is the third group. Figure 8C This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 antenna groups, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 antenna groups. For example... Figure 8C As shown, the antenna includes 3 interleaved antennas (M1=3) in the horizontal dimension and 2 continuously interleaved antennas (M2=2) in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,2,7,8> is the first group, <3,4,9,10> is the second group, and <5,6,11,12> is the third group; in the vertical dimension, <1,3> is the first group and <2,4> is the second group. Figure 8D This illustrates a case where the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 antenna groups, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 antenna groups. For example... Figure 8D As shown, the antenna includes 3 interleaved antenna groups (M1=3) in the horizontal dimension and 2 continuously interleaved antenna groups (M2=2) in the vertical dimension. In the horizontal dimension, <1,4,7,11> is the first group, <2,5,8,11> is the second group, and <3,6,9,12> is the third group; in the vertical dimension, <1,3> is the first group and <2,4> is the second group.

[0113] Figures 6A to 6D , Figures 7A to 7C as well as Figures 8A to 8D This application provides only some examples of possible antenna grouping scenarios, not all examples. In this application, "multiple groups of antennas in a horizontal or vertical dimension" means that each group of antennas is located in a continuous area. See [reference needed]. Figure 6A , Figure 6C , Figure 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 7C , Figure 8A , Figure 8B In this application, "multiple sets of antennas" in the horizontal or vertical dimension refers to one or more sets of antennas located in two or more different regions, see reference [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6B , Figure 6D , Figure 7B , Figure 7C , Figure 8B , Figure 8C , Figure 8DIt should be understood that this application does not limit the number of antennas in the horizontal dimension or the number of antennas in the vertical dimension, nor does it limit the specific form of any dimension including continuous or interleaved multiple antenna groups. When the horizontal or vertical dimension includes interleaved multiple antenna groups, especially when both the horizontal and vertical dimensions include interleaved multiple antenna groups, the signal received by each antenna group can be regarded as a downsampled version of the signal received by the entire antenna array. Therefore, the signal reception of each antenna group is almost the same as the signal reception of the entire antenna array. It should be understood that the fewer the antenna groups (i.e., the number of antenna groups) in the entire antenna array, the closer the signal reception of each antenna group is to the signal reception of the entire antenna array; the more antenna groups (i.e., the number of antenna groups) in the entire antenna array, the greater the difference between the signal reception of each antenna group and the signal reception of the entire antenna array, and the higher the scanning efficiency of the simulated beam. Therefore, in practical applications, the grouping request of the antenna array can be configured according to actual needs to meet the requirements of different scenarios. Compared with interleaved multiple antenna groups, continuous multiple antenna groups in a certain dimension have a larger difference between the signal reception of each antenna group and the signal reception of the entire antenna array, and the hardware circuit is simpler. Grouping multiple antennas in any dimension is suitable for applications with lower accuracy requirements.

[0114] The preceding sections introduced some possible examples of antenna grouping. The following section, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes the array-based grouping communication method provided in this application.

[0115] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the interaction of a communication method based on array grouping, provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, the method includes:

[0116] 901. The second communication device receives the first signal from the first communication device through the M group of analog rights.

[0117] Accordingly, the first communication device sends a first signal to the second communication device. The second communication device can be... Figure 4 The communication device in the middle, and can perform Figure 5 The signal processing flow in the process.

[0118] At least two of the aforementioned M groups of simulation rights are different, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. For example, any two groups of simulation rights in the aforementioned M groups are different. In this application, each group of simulation rights includes one or more simulation rights. Two groups of simulation rights are different if the simulation rights included in the two groups are not completely identical. In other words, if the simulation rights included in the two groups are completely identical, then the two groups of simulation rights are identical. For example, if the first group of simulation rights and the second group of simulation rights each include only one simulation right, and if the simulation rights included in the first group of simulation rights and the second group of simulation rights are identical, then the first group of simulation rights and the second group of simulation rights are identical; otherwise, the first group of simulation rights and the second group of simulation rights are different. For example, the first set of simulation weights includes simulation weight 1 and simulation weight 2, and the second set of simulation weights includes simulation weight 3 and simulation weight 4. If simulation weight 1 is the same as one of simulation weight 3 and simulation weight 4, and simulation weight 2 is the same as the other of simulation weight 3 and simulation weight 4, then the first set of simulation weights and the second set of simulation weights are the same; otherwise, the first set of simulation weights and the second set of simulation weights are different. For example, the above M sets of simulation weights correspond to (M1*M2) sets of antennas, where the (M1*M2) sets of antennas are any of the following: the horizontal dimension includes continuous M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes continuous M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes continuous M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 sets of antennas; the horizontal dimension includes interleaved M1 sets of antennas, and the vertical dimension includes interleaved M2 sets of antennas; M1 and M2 are both integers greater than or equal to 1, and (M1*M2) is greater than or equal to M. The (M1*M2) sets of antennas corresponding to the M sets of simulation weights can be... Figures 6A to 6D , Figures 7A to 7C ,or Figures 8A to 8D Any of the above, or other antenna grouping methods, are not limited in this application. Optionally, (M1*M2) equals M, and any two antennas in the (M1*M2) group corresponding to the M group of simulation weights have different simulation weights. Optionally, (M1*M2) is greater than M, and at least two antennas in the (M1*M2) group corresponding to the M group of simulation weights have the same simulation weight.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. Phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while phase shifters in different groups are controlled independently. In this implementation, the simulation weights corresponding to each group of phase shifters can be configured independently by independently controlling the phase shifters in different groups.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned M groups of analog weights correspond one-to-one with M groups of phase shifters. Phase shifters within the same group have the same phase, while phase shifters in different groups have different phases. This implementation allows for different analog weights for phase shifters in different groups, while phase shifters within the same group have the same analog weight.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is a terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone), the first communication device is an access network device (e.g., a base station), and the first signal is a downlink signal. For example, the first downlink signal can be a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a demodulation reference signal (DRS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), etc.

[0122] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is an access network device (e.g., a base station), the first communication device is a terminal device (e.g., a base station), and the first signal is an uplink signal. For example, the first downlink signal is a sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0123] 902. The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first signal and obtains M channel estimation results.

[0124] The M channel estimation results mentioned above correspond one-to-one with the M sets of simulation weights mentioned above. The M sets of simulation weights include the first set of simulation weights, the second set of simulation weights, ..., the m-th set of simulation weights, ..., the M-th set of simulation weights. The m-th set of simulation weights in these M sets of simulation weights can be represented by W. m Let m be an integer greater than 0, and m is less than or equal to M. The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first signal to obtain M channel estimation results. This can be achieved by the second communication device receiving the signal from the first communication device through each of the M sets of simulation weights, and then performing channel estimation to obtain M channel estimation results. In one possible implementation, the second communication device uses each set of simulation weights W... m Receive the first signal from the first communication device, and according to the weights W of each group of analog devices m Channel estimation is performed on the received signal. The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the m-th set of analog weights W. m The channel estimation result obtained by performing channel estimation on the received signal can be used as follows: The above M channel estimation results can include... In this application, the channel estimation (or channel detection) methods include, but are not limited to, least squares (LS) estimation and minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation. Taking LS channel estimation as an example, the channel estimation process utilizes the received signal multiplied by the conjugate of the pilot signal to obtain the channel response matrix, i.e., the channel estimation result.

[0125] 903. The first communication device uses target simulation weights to process signals for reception or transmission based on the M channel estimation results.

[0126] The aforementioned target simulation weights are derived from the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights. See also... Figure 5 Steps 901 and 902 correspond to Figure 5 The probe pilot branch in the middle, step 903 corresponds to Figure 5 The business data branch in the process. It should be understood that the second communication device executes... Figure 9 The method flow first determines the target analog weight to be used for signal reception or transmission processing, and then uses the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing. Steps 901 and 902 are the analog beam scanning process (or analog weighting process). By executing steps 901 and 902, the second communication device can quickly achieve analog beam scanning, reducing time overhead. The target analog weight can be the analog weight determined by the second communication device that is suitable for the current signal reception or transmission processing. Using the target analog weight for signal reception or transmission processing can ensure the accuracy of analog beam scanning, and even the quantization accuracy of the analog weight.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation weights are one of the M sets of simulation weights.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned target simulation weights are a set in a weight codebook, and the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights are contained within the aforementioned weight codebook.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the above M channel estimation results are channel estimation results assuming that the above first signal has not passed through the phase shifters corresponding to the above M sets of analog weights.

[0130] In this embodiment of the application, receiving the first signal from the first communication device through M sets of simulation rights can speed up the simulation beam scanning speed, save scanning resource overhead, and improve the cell uplink and downlink capacity of the mobile communication network compared to receiving the signal from the first communication device through each of the M sets of simulation rights sequentially.

[0131] Figure 10 This is an interactive flowchart of another array-based grouping communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10The method interaction flow in the middle is Figure 9 One possible implementation of the described method. In this implementation, the second communication device selects (determines) the analog right to be used for signal reception or transmission processing from M groups of analog rights. This allows for rapid determination of the analog right to be used with minimal computation. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the method includes:

[0132] 1001. The second communication device receives the first signal from the first communication device through the M group of analog rights.

[0133] Accordingly, the first communication device sends a first signal to the second communication device. Step 1001 can be referred to step 901.

[0134] 1002. The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first signal and obtains M channel estimation results.

[0135] Step 1002 can be referred to step 902. One possible implementation of step 1002 is as follows: Each of the M sets of simulation weights mentioned above receives a first signal from the first communication device, and performs channel estimation based on the signal received through each set of simulation weights to obtain M channel estimation results. The M sets of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with the M channel estimation results. That is, one set of simulation weights corresponds to one channel estimation result. The second communication device, based on the signal received through the m-th set of simulation weights W... m The channel estimation result obtained by performing channel estimation on the received signal can be used as follows: express.

[0136] 1003. The second communication device ranks the M sets of simulation weights corresponding to the M channel estimation results according to their merits.

[0137] Step 1003 can be understood as: identifying the merits of the simulated weights based on each group of channel estimation results. The schemes for identifying the merits of the simulated weights include, but are not limited to, sorting them from largest to smallest according to the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and from largest to smallest according to the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). The calculation methods for RSRP include, but are not limited to, calculating... The power (modulus squared), SINR calculation includes, but is not limited to, the ratio of RSRP and noise power. The index k is ultimately used to identify the optimal (e.g., the best) simulation weights. opt In this application, the superior simulation weight among the M simulation weights refers to any one of the F simulation weights ranked first in order of superiority, where F is an integer less than M. Optionally, F is 1, which results in higher accuracy of the simulated beam scanning.

[0138] 1004. The second communication device uses the target simulation right to process signals for reception or transmission based on the ranking of the M groups of simulation rights.

[0139] The ranking of the M groups of simulation weights is obtained by the second communication device performing step 1002. The target simulation weight can be a better simulation weight among the M groups of simulation weights, such as the optimal simulation weight.

[0140] The second communication device, based on the m-th group of simulation rights W m The channel estimation result obtained by performing channel estimation on the received signal can be used as follows: The above M channel estimation results can include... In one possible implementation, after obtaining M channel estimation results, the second communication device can determine the index of the optimal simulation weights using the following formula:

[0141] or

[0142] Among them, f x Representing functional relationships, including but not limited to:

[0143]

[0144] Where C can represent a positive decimal, a negative decimal, or a channel parameter such as noise power, and s includes, but is not limited to, integers such as 2, -2, 1, and -1. It should be understood that when C is a positive number, When C is negative The ranking of each set of simulation weights can be determined by formulas (1) and (2), and then the target simulation weight (e.g., the optimal simulation weight) can be used for signal reception or transmission.

[0145] Taking RSRP sorting as an example, the second communication device uses the following formula to determine the index of the optimal simulation weight:

[0146]

[0147] Where m takes values ​​from 1 to M.

[0148] Step 1104 can be understood as follows: Based on the identification of the superiority or inferiority of the simulation rights, the second communication device adopts the superior target simulation rights for receiving / transmitting data in the uplink or downlink service data channel at the next moment.

[0149] In this embodiment, the second communication device performs signal reception or transmission processing by ranking the M groups of simulation rights according to their merits and demerits, and can quickly determine the simulation right to be used with less computation.

[0150] Figure 11 This is an interactive flowchart of another array-based grouping communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 The method interaction flow in the middle is Figure 9 One possible implementation of the described method is as follows: In this implementation, the second communication device selects (determines) the analog weight to be used for signal reception or transmission processing from a weight codebook. Compared to selecting the analog weight to be used for the current signal reception or transmission processing from the aforementioned M sets of analog weights, this method yields an analog weight that is more suitable for the current signal reception or transmission processing, thereby improving beam detection accuracy. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the method includes:

[0151] 1101. The second communication device receives the first signal from the first communication device through the M group of analog rights.

[0152] Accordingly, the first communication device sends a first signal to the second communication device. Step 1101 can be referred to step 901.

[0153] 1102. The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first signal and obtains M channel estimation results.

[0154] The above M channel estimation results assume that the first signal has not passed through the phase shifters corresponding to the above M sets of analog weights. Each of the M sets of analog weights corresponds one-to-one with one of the M sets of phase shifters. The above M channel estimation results may include H1, H2, ..., H... m H M Where H1 represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the first phase shifter in the M groups of phase shifters, H m This represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the m-th term shifter in the M groups of phase shifters, and so on. For example, H1 represents the channel response matrix of the phase shifter stage corresponding to the 1-th term shifter in the M groups of phase shifters, H... m This represents the channel response matrix of the m-th phase shifter in the M-group phase shifters, and so on. In this example, step 1102 can be understood as: based on the channel estimation results of each group of simulation weights, realizing channel reconstruction at the phase shifter level, that is, obtaining H1, H2, ..., H... m H M .

[0155] The following section describes channel estimation based on the first signal to obtain H. m For example, we will introduce one possible implementation of step 1102.

[0156] The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first signal to obtain H. m Examples are as follows:

[0157] 1) The second communication device estimates H based on its angular position information. m and H k Phase difference α between k,m .

[0158] H m H represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the m-th phase shifter in the M-group phase shifters. k This represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the k-th phase shifter in the M groups of phase shifters, where m and k are both integers greater than 0 and less than M. Angular position information may include the zenith angle of arrival (ZoA) and / or angle of arrival (AoA) corresponding to the second communication device. Predicted H m and H k The phase difference between the signals can be obtained using classic methods of direction of arrival (DoA) estimation, such as multiple signal classification (MUSIC). DoA refers to the direction of arrival of a spatial signal (the angle at which each signal arrives at the reference element of the array, often simply called the direction of arrival). The basic principle of the MUSIC algorithm is to perform eigenvalue decomposition on the covariance matrix of the array output data to obtain a signal subspace corresponding to the signal component and a noise subspace orthogonal to the signal component. Then, the orthogonality of the two subspaces is used to estimate the incident direction of the signal. It should be understood that the second communication device can predict the phase difference between any two channel estimation results based on its angular position information. m and H k The relationship between them can be expressed by the following formula:

[0159] H m =H k α k,m (4);

[0160] Where, α k,m H represents m and H k The phase difference between them.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the second communication device can obtain the channel response matrix after analog weighting by performing step 1102. (A channel estimation result), where the simulated weighting process can be described by the following formula:

[0162]

[0163] Among them, W k Represents (N) BB×N PS ) dimension of analog weights / analog beams, W k This represents the k-th simulation weight in the M groups of simulation weights mentioned above. N represents BB The dimensional baseband processing level channel response matrix, This represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the k-th simulation weight among the M sets of simulation weights mentioned above. In other words, Let N represent the channel response matrix corresponding to the k-th simulation weight in the above M sets of simulation weights. BB N represents the spatial / antenna / beam domain dimension of baseband processing. PS The terminator represents the spatial / antenna / beam domain dimension processed by the phase shifter. In this application, " / " indicates "or".

[0164] Combining formulas (4) and (5) above, we can obtain the channel model relationship:

[0165]

[0166] Will Defined as a new variable, representing H m (That is, the channel response matrix of the phase shifter stage corresponding to the m-th term shifter) is processed by W k The channel matrix of (the kth simulation weight) (the coefficients of this channel matrix can be estimated by solving).

[0167] 2) The second communication device, based on the estimated H m and H k Phase difference α between k,m Estimate H m After simulation, weights W1, W2…W M Channel response matrix

[0168] W1 represents the first set of simulation weights in the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights, and W2 represents the second set of simulation weights in the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights. M This represents the Mth simulation weight in the aforementioned M groups of simulation weights. H represents m The channel response matrix after simulation weight W1 H represents m The channel response matrix after simulation weight W2 H represents m After simulation weight W M The channel response matrix. The second communication device will and α k,m Substituting into formula (6), we can calculate the result. It should be understood that the second communication device can estimate H in a similar manner. mAfter simulation, weights W1, W2…W M Channel response matrix

[0169] 3) The second communication device according to The channel response obtained after simulation weighting is

[0170] 4) The second communication device is based on H M ′ and simulation weight matrix W M H m .

[0171] Simulation weight matrix W M = [W1; W2…W M ], W M It is of dimension (M*N) BB )×N PS The matrix H. M ′、W M and H m The corresponding matrix model of the channel response satisfies the following formula:

[0172] H M ′=W M ×H m (7);

[0173] The second communication device, according to H M ′ and simulation weight matrix W M H m The methods include, but are not limited to, LS estimation and MMSE estimation. Taking the LS estimation method as an example, the second communication device, based on H... M ′ and simulation weight matrix W M H was calculated m One possible formula is as follows:

[0174] H m =(W M +D) -1 H M ′ (8);

[0175] Where D represents the loading matrix, including but not limited to identity matrices, diagonal matrices, etc. Formula (8) can be replaced with... Similarly, the second communication device can obtain H through a process similar to... m In this way, we obtain H1, H2, ..., H M H m This can be viewed as the channel response matrix of the reconstructed m-th group of phase shifters. It should be understood that the second communication device can reconstruct the channel response matrix of each group of phase shifters in a similar manner.

[0176] 1103. The second communication device uses the target simulation weight in the weight codebook to process signals for reception or transmission based on the M channel estimation results.

[0177] The aforementioned target simulation weights are obtained based on the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights. The aforementioned target simulation weights are a set of simulation weights in the weight codebook, and the aforementioned M sets of simulation weights are contained within the aforementioned weight codebook.

[0178] Step 1103 can be understood as follows: The second communication device, based on the M channel estimation results, uses the optimal target analog weight from the weight codebook for signal reception or transmission processing. For example, the second communication device calculates the optimal analog weight index k in the weight codebook based on the M channel estimation results. oot The optimal simulation weight (i.e., the target simulation weight) is used for receiving / transmitting data in the uplink or downlink service data channel at the next time step. The method for indexing the optimal simulation weight in the weight codebook of the second communication device includes, but is not limited to, using H... m With each simulation weight W k The combinations are used to detect the maximum RSRP, SINR, or correlation as metrics for optimal simulation weights. H is then used... m With each simulated weight W in the weight codebook k Combining them, we can obtain The second communication device calculates the optimal simulated weight index k in the weight codebook based on the M channel estimation results. opt The following formula can be used:

[0179] or

[0180] Where f x Representing functional relationships, including but not limited to:

[0181]

[0182] Where C can represent a positive or negative decimal, or channel parameters such as noise power, the range of the summation term includes, but is not limited to, part or all of the index range from 1 to M, and s includes, but is not limited to, integers such as 2, -2, 1, and -1.

[0183] In one possible implementation, the second communication device determines the index of the optimal simulation weights using the following formula:

[0184]

[0185] Among them, W k These are the simulated weights in the weight codebook. The second communication device utilizes H... m With each simulated weight W in the weight codebook k Combining them, we can obtain

[0186] In this embodiment of the application, the second communication device selects (determines) the analog weight to be used for signal reception or transmission processing from the weight codebook. Compared with selecting the analog weight to be used for signal reception or transmission processing from the above M groups of analog weights, the analog weight to be used for signal reception or transmission processing is more suitable for the current signal reception or transmission processing, which can improve the beam detection accuracy.

[0187] Figure 12 This is an interactive flowchart of another array-based grouping communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 12 The method interaction flow in the middle is Figure 9 One possible implementation of the described method is as follows: In this implementation, the second communication device calculates the analog weights to be used for signal reception or transmission processing, rather than selecting analog weights from an existing weight codebook or set of analog weights. This results in analog weights that are more suitable for the current signal reception or transmission processing (i.e., more refined analog weights), improving beam detection accuracy and quantization accuracy of the analog weights. Figure 12 As shown, the method includes:

[0188] 1201. The second communication device receives the first signal from the first communication device through the M group of analog rights.

[0189] Accordingly, the first communication device sends a first signal to the second communication device. Step 1101 can be referred to step 901.

[0190] 1202. The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first signal and obtains M channel estimation results.

[0191] Step 1202 can be found in step 1102. The M channel estimation results may include H1, H2, ..., H m H M Where H1 represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the first phase shifter in the M groups of phase shifters, H m This represents the channel estimation result corresponding to the m-th phase shifter in the M-group phase shifters, and so on.

[0192] 1203. The second communication device calculates the target simulation weight based on the M channel estimation results.

[0193] The second communication device calculates the target simulation weights based on the estimation results of M channels as follows:

[0194] 1) The second communication device performs inter-group merging based on the M channel estimation results to obtain the channel response matrix H. ps Among them, H ps =[H1,H2,…HM ].

[0195] 2) The second communication device is based on H ps Perform matrix decomposition and construct target simulation weights based on the obtained eigenvectors.

[0196] The second communication device, according to H ps The possible implementations of matrix factorization are as follows: The second communication device uses the following formula to factor H ps Perform singular value decomposition (SVD):

[0197]

[0198] Among them, H ps The number of rows is equal to the number N of the shifters in the second communication device. moni The second communication device can be configured with H according to the number of shifters it employs. ps OK.

[0199] The second communication device, according to H ps The possible implementations of matrix factorization are as follows: The second communication device uses the following formula to factor H ps Perform eigenvalue decomposition:

[0200]

[0201] Among them, H ps The number of rows is equal to the number of shifters in the second communication device.

[0202] 3) The second communication device takes the first feature vector of u to form N. moni *1 vector u opt Concatenate them as follows to form (N) BB *N ps ) target simulation weight W opt :

[0203]

[0204] W opt This represents the calculated target simulation weight. The accuracy of the target simulation weight is higher than that of the simulation weight in the weight codebook. In other words, the second communication device can calculate a more accurate target simulation weight based on the M channel estimation results. Using the target simulation weight for signal reception or transmission processing can improve the quantization accuracy of the phase shifter and improve the uplink coverage performance of the system.

[0205] 1204. The second communication device uses target simulation to process signals for reception or transmission.

[0206] In this embodiment, by grouping the antenna array into M groups, analog beam measurement and optimization are completed in one step, saving the resource overhead of analog beam scanning and improving the uplink and downlink capacity of the mobile communication network. Furthermore, since the second communication device can calculate more accurate target analog weights based on the M channel estimation results, using target analog weights for signal reception or transmission processing can improve the quantization accuracy of the phase shifter and enhance the uplink and downlink coverage performance of the system.

[0207] The structure of a communication device that can implement the array-based grouping communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0208] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1300 can correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the first communication device in the various method embodiments described above. The communication device may include a processing module 1310 and an interface module 1320. Optionally, it may also include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. The processing module 1310 and the interface module 1320 can be coupled to the storage unit. For example, the processing module 1310 can read the instructions (code or program) and / or data from the storage unit to implement the corresponding method. The aforementioned units can be set independently, or partially or completely integrated. For example, the interface module 1320 may include a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module can be a transmitter, and the receiving module can be a receiver. The entity corresponding to the interface module 1320 can be a transceiver, a communication interface, or an antenna module. Optionally, the communication device 1300 may also include a BBU, an RRU, and an antenna module, see reference [link to documentation]. Figure 4 .

[0209] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1300 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the second communication device in the above method embodiments. For example, the communication device 1300 can be the second communication device, or it can be a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) applied in the second communication device. The interface module 1320 can, for example, be used to perform... Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 In the embodiments, all receiving or sending operations performed by the second communication device, for example... Figure 9 Step 901 in the illustrated embodiment, Figure 10 Step 1001 in the illustrated embodiment, Figure 11 Step 1101 in the illustrated embodiment, Figure 12 Step 1201 in the illustrated embodiment, and / or other processes used to support the techniques described herein. Processing module 1310 is used to execute... Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 In the embodiments, all operations performed by the second communication device except for the send and receive operations, such as Figure 9 Steps 902 and 903 in the illustrated embodiment are shown. Figure 10 Steps 1002, 1003, and 1004 in the illustrated embodiment are shown. Figure 11 Steps 1102 and 1103 in the illustrated embodiment are shown. Figure 12 Steps 1202, 1203, and 1204 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0210] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 140 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 14 The communication device mentioned above can be the second communication device.

[0211] like Figure 14 As shown, the communication device 140 includes at least one processor 1410 and a transceiver 1420.

[0212] In other embodiments of this application, the processor 1410 and transceiver 1420 can be used to perform functions or operations performed by the second communication device. For example, the processor 1410 can perform one or more of the following operations: Figure 9 Steps 902 and 903 in the illustrated embodiment are shown. Figure 10 Steps 1002, 1003, and 1004 in the illustrated embodiment are shown. Figure 11 Steps 1102 and 1103 in the illustrated embodiment are shown. Figure 12 Steps 1202, 1203, and 1204 in the illustrated embodiment. Transceiver 1420 may perform one or more of the following operations, for example: Figure 9 Step 901 in the illustrated embodiment, Figure 10 Step 1001 in the illustrated embodiment, Figure 11 Step 1101 in the illustrated embodiment, Figure 12 Step 1201 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0213] Transceiver 1420 is used to communicate with other devices / appliances via a transmission medium. Processor 1410 uses transceiver 1420 to send and receive data and / or signaling, and to implement the methods in the above-described method embodiments. Processor 1410 can implement the functions of processing module 1310, and transceiver 1420 can implement the functions of interface module 1320.

[0214] Optionally, the communication device 140 may further include at least one memory 1430 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 1430 is coupled to the processor 1410. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1410 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1430. The processor 1410 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1430. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

[0215] Optionally, the communication device 140 may also include a BBU, an RRU, and an antenna module. The antenna module may be deployed on the transceiver.

[0216] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the transceiver 1420, processor 1410, and memory 1430. This application embodiment... Figure 14 The memory 1430, processor 1410, and transceiver 1420 are connected via a bus 1440, and the bus is in... Figure 14 The connections between other components are shown in thick lines only and are not intended to be limiting. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 14 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0217] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0218] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 150 provided in an embodiment of this application. (See attached diagram.) Figure 15 As shown, Figure 15 The communication device shown includes logic circuit 1501 and interface 1502. Figure 13 The processing module 1310 can be implemented using logic circuit 1501. Figure 13The interface module 1320 can be implemented using interface 1502. The logic circuit 1501 can be a chip, processing circuit, integrated circuit, or system-on-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 1502 can be a communication interface, input / output interface, etc. In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment.

[0219] In some embodiments of this application, the logic circuit and interface can be used to perform the functions or operations performed by the second communication device described above.

[0220] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods of the above embodiments.

[0221] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes instructions or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the communication method in the above embodiments to be executed.

[0222] This application also provides a communication system, including the first communication device and the second communication device described above.

[0223] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of protection of the above claims.

Claims

1. A communication method based on array grouping, characterized in that, include: A first signal is received from a first communication device through M sets of analog rights, wherein at least two sets of analog rights in the M sets of analog rights are different, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; Channel estimation is performed based on the first signal to obtain M channel estimation results. The M channel estimation results correspond one-to-one with the M sets of simulation weights. The M channel estimation results are channel estimation results assuming that the first signal has not passed through the phase shifter corresponding to the M sets of simulation weights. Based on the M channel estimation results, a target simulation weight is used for signal reception or transmission processing. The target simulation weight is obtained based on the M sets of simulation weights, or the target simulation weight is obtained based on the M channel estimation results.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with the M groups of phase shifters. The phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while the phase shifters between different groups are controlled independently.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with the M groups of phase shifters. Each phase shifter in the same group has the same phase, while the phase shifters in different groups have different phases.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The M groups of simulation weights correspond to (M1) M2) group antennas, wherein (M1) The M2 antenna group can be any of the following: a horizontal dimension consisting of continuous M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of continuous M2 antenna groups; a horizontal dimension consisting of continuous M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of interleaved M2 antenna groups; a horizontal dimension consisting of interleaved M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of continuous M2 antenna groups; a horizontal dimension consisting of interleaved M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of interleaved M2 antenna groups; where M1 and M2 are both integers greater than or equal to 1, (M1...) M2) is greater than or equal to M.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The target simulation weight is one of the M sets of simulation weights.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The target simulation weights are a set in the weight codebook, and the M sets of simulation weights are contained in the weight codebook.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device or a device in the terminal device, wherein the first signal is a downlink signal and the first communication device is an access network device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method is applied to an access network device or a device within the access network device, wherein the first signal is an uplink signal and the first communication device is a terminal device.

9. A communication device, characterized in that, include: An interface module is used to receive a first signal from a first communication device through M sets of analog rights, wherein at least two sets of analog rights in the M sets of analog rights are different, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; The processing module is used to perform channel estimation based on the first signal to obtain M channel estimation results. The M channel estimation results correspond one-to-one with the M sets of simulation weights. The M channel estimation results are channel estimation results assuming that the first signal has not passed through the phase shifters corresponding to the M sets of simulation weights. The processing module is used to control the interface module to perform signal reception or transmission processing using target simulation weights based on the M channel estimation results. The target simulation weights are obtained based on the M sets of simulation weights, or the target simulation weights are obtained based on the M channel estimation results.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with the M groups of phase shifters. The phase shifters within the same group are controlled synchronously, while the phase shifters between different groups are controlled independently.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The M groups of simulation weights correspond one-to-one with the M groups of phase shifters. Each phase shifter in the same group has the same phase, while the phase shifters in different groups have different phases.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The M groups of simulation weights correspond to (M1) M2) group antennas, wherein (M1) The M2 antenna group can be any of the following: a horizontal dimension consisting of continuous M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of continuous M2 antenna groups; a horizontal dimension consisting of continuous M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of interleaved M2 antenna groups; a horizontal dimension consisting of interleaved M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of continuous M2 antenna groups; a horizontal dimension consisting of interleaved M1 antenna groups and a vertical dimension consisting of interleaved M2 antenna groups; where M1 and M2 are both integers greater than or equal to 1, (M1...) M2) is greater than or equal to M.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, The target simulation weight is one of the M sets of simulation weights.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, The target simulation weights are a set in the weight codebook, and the M sets of simulation weights are contained in the weight codebook.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The communication device is a terminal device or a device within a terminal device, and the first signal is a downlink signal.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The communication device is an access network device or a device within an access network device, and the first signal is an uplink signal.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program, which includes program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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