Communication methods, storage media, terminals and network devices

Abstract

This disclosure provides a communication method, storage medium, terminal, and network device, relating to the field of communication technology. The communication method first receives indication information sent by a network device based on state switching time information of a reconfigurable smart surface device; second, in response to the indication information, it sends reference information to the network device, enabling the network device to estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information; it can promptly send reference information characterizing channel state changes to the network device based on the indication information; thus, it can timely estimate and update the channel state, reducing the impact on subsequent data transmission and other operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, storage medium, terminal and network device. Background Technology

[0002] A repeater is an instrument added in the middle when homogeneous network segments with the same interface and media access control protocol are interconnected. It can amplify and retransmit transmitted signals, thus avoiding signal attenuation caused by excessively long network cable lines and effectively improving transmission reliability.

[0003] Reconfigurable Intelligence Surface (RIS) is an artificial electromagnetic surface structure with programmable electromagnetic properties. It consists of a large number of carefully designed electromagnetic units arranged in a specific pattern. Through control circuits, the electromagnetic properties of these units can be dynamically adjusted to achieve intelligent reconfiguration of wireless signal propagation characteristics in three-dimensional space, thus overcoming the limitations of passive adaptation to traditional wireless environments. As a fundamental innovative technology, intelligent metasurfaces offer advantages such as low cost, low power consumption, and ease of deployment.

[0004] After deploying relay devices (such as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) devices) in the system, the wireless propagation environment between terminals within the coverage area of ​​network devices (such as base stations) will change, thereby affecting subsequent data transmission and other operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a communication method, storage medium, terminal, and network device, which can reduce the impact of reconfigurable smart surface devices on communication to a certain extent.

[0006] In a first aspect, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a communication method applied to a terminal, comprising:

[0007] Receive indication information sent by network devices based on the state switching time information of reconfigurable smart surface devices;

[0008] In response to the indication information, reference information is sent to the network device, enabling the network device to estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information.

[0009] In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, in response to the indication information, reference information is sent to the network device, including:

[0010] In response to the indicated information, determine the current area;

[0011] Based on the current location, the reference information is sent to the network device.

[0012] In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the indication information includes first indication sub-information; determining the current area in response to the indication information includes:

[0013] Based on the first indication sub-information, determine the current location;

[0014] Obtain the correspondence between each reflected beam and the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device;

[0015] Based on the correspondence and the current location, the current area is determined; wherein, the area includes a first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, or a second area covered by the network device outside the first area.

[0016] In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the indication information includes second indication sub-information; the step of sending the reference information to the network device based on the current location includes:

[0017] When the terminal is in the first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, it sends the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information.

[0018] In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, sending the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information includes:

[0019] Based on the second indication sub-information, determine the time domain location for sending the reference information;

[0020] The reference information is sent to the network device at the time domain location.

[0021] Secondly, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a communication method applied to a network device, comprising:

[0022] Obtain state switching time information of reconfigurable smart surface devices;

[0023] Based on the state switching time information, an instruction message is sent to the terminal;

[0024] Receive reference information sent by the terminal;

[0025] Based on the reference information, the channel state between the network device and the terminal is estimated.

[0026] In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the state switching time information includes the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device; sending indication information to the terminal based on the state switching time information includes:

[0027] Based on the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device, the reflection beam switching time of the reconfigurable smart surface device is determined;

[0028] Within a second preset time period from the time of the reflection beam switching, the instruction information is sent to the terminal.

[0029] Thirdly, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method described in the first or second aspect.

[0030] Fourthly, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a terminal device, including: a first processor; a first memory for storing executable instructions of the first processor; wherein the first processor is configured to execute the communication method of the first aspect by executing the executable instructions.

[0031] Fifthly, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a network device, including: a second processor; and a second memory for storing executable instructions of the second processor; wherein the second processor is configured to execute the communication method of the second aspect by executing the executable instructions.

[0032] The technical solution disclosed herein has the following beneficial effects:

[0033] The aforementioned communication method applied to the terminal involves the following steps: First, the network device acquires the state transition time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device. Second, the network device sends indication information to the terminal based on the state transition time information. Third, the terminal receives the indication information sent by the network device based on the state transition time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device. Next, in response to the indication information, the terminal sends reference information to the network device. Then, the network device receives the reference information sent by the terminal. Finally, the network device estimates the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information. In this way, the network device can send indication information to the terminal based on the state transition time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device and receive reference information representing changes in the channel state sent by the terminal, enabling timely channel estimation and updates, and reducing the impact on subsequent data transmission.

[0034] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This illustrates the wireless propagation environment after a relay device is deployed between network devices and terminals in this exemplary embodiment;

[0037] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the network architecture of a communication method in an application scenario according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0039] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0040] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0041] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0042] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0043] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0044] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a communication method in this exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0045] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the structure of a communication device according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0046] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the structure of a communication device according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0047] Figure 12 This diagram illustrates the structure of a terminal in this exemplary embodiment.

[0048] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a network device in this exemplary embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0049] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a full understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced with one or more specific details omitted, or other methods, components, apparatus, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known technical solutions are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0050] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0051] The flowchart shown in the attached diagram is merely an illustrative example and does not necessarily include all steps. For example, some steps may be broken down, while others may be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual execution order may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0052] After deploying Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) devices in the system, the on / off state switching and reflected beam switching of the RIS devices will affect the wireless propagation environment between network devices (such as base stations (BS)) and user equipment (UE) within the target coverage area of ​​the RIS devices. Therefore, if the channel state information cannot be updated in a timely manner when the RIS devices switch on / off and reflected beam switching, it will affect subsequent data transmission and other operations.

[0053] Please see Figure 1 ,like Figure 1 As shown in the diagram above, when only network devices (such as base stations) are present, the communication path between the terminal and the network devices is illustrated by the dashed lines; Figure 1As shown in the diagram below, when network devices and relay devices are present, at the first moment, the uplink reference signal is transmitted, and the network device obtains the channel state information at that moment. At the second moment, the reconfigurable smart surface device activates reflection beam 1. At this time, the wireless propagation environment between the network device and the terminals within the coverage area of ​​reflection beam 1 has changed significantly, that is, an additional reflection path has been added: network device-reconfigurable smart surface device-terminal (as shown by the dashed line). At the third moment, downlink data is transmitted to the terminals within the coverage area of ​​reflection beam 1. However, at this time, the network device processes the data based on the channel state information obtained at the first moment, and does not use the latest channel state information after the reconfigurable smart surface device activates reflection beam 1. Therefore, this will affect subsequent data transmission and other operations.

[0054] In view of the above problems, this disclosure provides a communication method. The application environment of the communication method provided by this disclosure is briefly described below:

[0055] Please see Figure 2 This disclosure provides a network architecture 100 for an application scenario of the communication method. The network architecture 100 includes at least: a network device 101, a reconfigurable smart surface device 102, and a terminal 103. The network device 101 communicates with the terminal 103 within the coverage area of ​​the reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device 102 through the reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device 102. The network device 101 also communicates directly with the terminal 103 within its coverage area but outside the coverage area of ​​the reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device 102. The network device 101 may be a base station.

[0056] The following example illustrates the application of this communication method to the aforementioned terminal device 103. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 The communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps 301 and 302:

[0057] Step 301: Receive the instruction information sent by the network device based on the state switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0058] Among them, network equipment can be devices such as base stations that can communicate with terminals; reconfigurable smart surface devices can be understood as relay devices between network equipment and terminals.

[0059] The state switching time information can include the correspondence between the state switching information and time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device; for example: the state switching information is that the reconfigurable smart surface device switches from the off state to the on state, and the corresponding time information is AM 8:00; the state switching information is that the reconfigurable smart surface device switches from beam 1 to beam 2, and the corresponding time information is PM 3:00.

[0060] The instruction information can be custom information or information obtained by improving existing information; the instruction information can be a single message or include multiple sub-messages; if the instruction information includes multiple sub-messages, all of the sub-messages can be sent simultaneously.

[0061] The instruction information can be sent within a certain period of time during the state switching time of the adjacent reconfigurable smart surface device, or it can be sent at a fixed time before the state switching time. It is acceptable to send it before the state switching time; there is no limitation here.

[0062] Step 302: In response to the indication information, send reference information to the network device, so that the network device estimates the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information.

[0063] The reference information is used to characterize whether the terminal is within the beam coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device. In this way, after receiving the reference information, the network device can estimate the channel state between the terminal and the network device located within the beam coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device in advance, so as to update the channel state in a timely manner without affecting subsequent data transmission.

[0064] Reference information can be custom information or information obtained by improving existing information; reference information can be sent within a preset time period or at a fixed time, there is no limitation here.

[0065] The communication method provided in this disclosure first receives indication information sent by a network device based on the state switching time information of a reconfigurable smart surface device; secondly, in response to the indication information, reference information is sent to the network device, enabling the network device to estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information; it can promptly send reference information representing changes in the channel state to the network device based on the indication information; thus, it can promptly estimate and update the channel state, reducing the impact on subsequent data transmission and other operations.

[0066] Please see Figure 4 In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, step 302, in response to the indication information, sends reference information to the network device, including the following steps 401 and 402:

[0067] Step 401: In response to the instruction information, determine the current area.

[0068] The instruction information can be used to instruct the terminal on how to provide information feedback, or to instruct the terminal to determine its current location.

[0069] The instruction message can be understood as a signal that the terminal executes the procedure of "determining the current area", or it can be understood as an instruction signal that directly instructs the terminal to execute the procedure of "determining the current area". That is, when the terminal receives the instruction message, it means that the terminal can determine the current area.

[0070] The terminal determines its current location because the wireless propagation environment between terminals within the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device changes after the device begins operating; therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the terminal is currently within the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0071] The current location can be understood as the coverage area of ​​the wireless network where the terminal is located; for example, the terminal is within the coverage area of ​​a reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0072] Step 402: Based on the current location, send the reference information to the network device.

[0073] There is a correspondence between the region and the reference information. Thus, after determining the current region, the reference information corresponding to the current region can be sent according to the correspondence. For example, if the terminal is within the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device, it corresponds to the reference information. Therefore, when it is determined that the terminal is within the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device, the corresponding reference information will be sent to the network device.

[0074] based on Figure 4 The method allows the terminal to determine its current location after receiving the instruction information, and then send reference information corresponding to the current location to the network device.

[0075] Please see Figure 5 In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the indication information includes first indication sub-information; step 401 above, in response to the indication information, determines the current area, including the following steps 501-503:

[0076] Step 501: Determine the current location based on the first indication sub-information.

[0077] The first indication sub-information can be custom information or information obtained by improving existing information. The first indication sub-information can indicate the preconditions for the terminal to send reference information (e.g., sending reference information when the state switching time is close), or the time for the terminal to send reference information (e.g., a preset duration after the state switching time), or the time for the terminal to execute the area determination procedure.

[0078] When the first instruction sub-information instructs the terminal to send reference information, or instructs the terminal to send reference information at a specific time, the terminal needs to identify the first instruction sub-information before initiating the region determination procedure. When the first instruction sub-information instructs the terminal to execute the region determination procedure, the terminal directly initiates the region determination procedure without needing to identify the first instruction sub-information.

[0079] Step 502: Obtain the correspondence between each reflected beam and the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0080] The correspondence between the reflected beam and the coverage area can be stored in the reconfigurable smart surface device or in the network device; there is no limitation here.

[0081] The correspondence between each reflected beam and the coverage area can be obtained by the network device pre-dividing the area; that is, the overall coverage area is divided into the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device and the area covered by the base station but not covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device; in some embodiments, the coverage range of each reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device can be determined based on the location information of the reconfigurable smart surface device (e.g., height, tilt angle, etc.) and the information of each reflected beam (e.g., direction, width, etc.), thereby obtaining the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device; then, the overall coverage area is divided into the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device and the area covered by the base station but not covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0082] Step 503: Based on the correspondence and the current location, determine the current area.

[0083] The region includes a first region covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, or a second region covered by the network device outside the first region.

[0084] Correspondingly, based on the current area, the above-mentioned 402 sends the reference information to the network device, including the following steps:

[0085] When the terminal is in the first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, it sends the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information.

[0086] In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the communication method further includes the following steps:

[0087] When the terminal is in a second area covered by the network device outside the first area, it sends preset information to the network device; wherein the preset information is different from the reference information.

[0088] based on Figure 5The method allows the terminal to determine its location based on the first indication sub-information, and when it is in the first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, it sends reference information to the network device; thus, the network device can know that the terminal is currently in the first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0089] Please see Figure 6 In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the above-mentioned sending of the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information includes the following steps 601 and 602:

[0090] Step 601: Based on the second indicator sub-information, determine the time domain location for sending the reference information.

[0091] The second indication sub-information is used to indicate the time domain position of the terminal sending the reference information, that is, to indicate the time when the terminal sends the reference information; for example, the reference information is sent within X uplink time slots after the state switching time.

[0092] Step 602: Send the reference information to the network device at the time domain location.

[0093] For example, if the status switching time is 7:00, 8:00, 18:00, and 19:00 every day, then the reference information will be sent within X uplink time slots starting from 7:00, 8:00, 18:00, and 19:00 every day.

[0094] based on Figure 6 The method can determine the time to send reference information based on the second indication sub-information, and then send reference information to the network device within that time so that the network device can be informed of the change in channel state in a timely manner.

[0095] The following example uses the network device 101 as the executing entity to illustrate how this communication method is applied to the network device 101. Please refer to... Figure 7 The communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps 701 to 704:

[0096] Step 701: Obtain the state switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0097] The state switching time information can be stored in the reconfigurable smart surface device or stored locally, without limitation. In some embodiments, there is a backhaul link between the network device and the reconfigurable smart surface device for information transmission; the reconfigurable smart surface device can integrate a clock synchronization module, an information storage module, and a control module; wherein, the clock synchronization module is used to realize time synchronization between the reconfigurable smart surface device and the network device; the information storage module is used to write and store the working time periods of each reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device, and the reconfigurable smart surface device is turned off outside the working time periods of each reflected beam, as shown in Table 1; the control module is used to read and control the reconfigurable smart surface device to realize the opening, closing, and switching of each reflected beam according to the time information in the clock synchronization module and the working time periods of each reflected beam in the information storage module.

[0098] Step 702: Send instruction information to the terminal based on the state switching time information.

[0099] The indication information can be sent within a preset time period from the start time of the working time period of each reflection beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device, or it can be sent at a fixed time before the start time of the working time period of each reflection beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device; there is no limitation here. In this way, when the channel state changes, the terminal can promptly feed back reference information based on the indication information.

[0100] Step 703: Receive reference information sent by the terminal.

[0101] Step 704: Based on the reference information, estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal.

[0102] Channel estimation is mainly divided into non-blind channel estimation and blind channel estimation. Non-blind channel estimation requires the use of pilot sequences known to both the base station and the receiver, and uses different time-frequency domain interpolation techniques to estimate the channel response on subcarriers between pilots or symbols. Currently, the main non-blind channel estimation methods include least squares (LS) channel estimation, minimum mean square error (MMSE) channel estimation, DFT-based channel estimation, and decision feedback-based channel estimation. Blind channel estimation, on the other hand, does not require known pilot sequences and mainly includes maximum expectation-based channel estimation and subspace-based channel estimation techniques. The channel estimation in step 704 can use any of the above-mentioned channel estimation methods, and there is no limitation here.

[0103] The communication method provided in this embodiment first obtains the state switching time information of a reconfigurable smart surface device; second, sends indication information to a terminal based on the state switching time information; third, receives reference information sent by the terminal; and finally, estimates the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information. This method enables the sending of indication information to the terminal based on the state switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device, and the receiving of reference information from the terminal representing changes in the channel state. Thus, timely channel estimation and updates are possible, reducing the impact on subsequent data transmission.

[0104] Please see Figure 8 In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the state switching time information includes the time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device switching between the on and off states; step 702 above sends indication information to the terminal based on the state switching time information, including the following steps 801 and 802:

[0105] Step 801: Based on the time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device switching between the two states of on and off, determine the on or off time of the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0106] The "on" state of the reconfigurable smart surface device means that one of the reflected beams of the reconfigurable smart surface device starts working; the "off" state of the reconfigurable smart surface device means that all reflected beams of the reconfigurable smart surface device stop working.

[0107] Step 802: Within a first preset time interval from the opening or closing time, send the instruction information to the terminal.

[0108] The on / off time of the reconfigurable smart surface device can be determined based on the start or end time of each reflected beam's working period.

[0109] The first preset duration can be determined based on historical experience; in some embodiments, the instruction information can also be sent at a fixed time before the on or off time of the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0110] based on Figure 8 The method allows network devices to send instruction information to terminals before the reconfigurable smart surface device is turned on or off, so as to obtain reference information representing changes in channel state in a timely manner.

[0111] Please see Figure 9 In an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the state switching time information includes the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device; step 702 above sends indication information to the terminal based on the state switching time information, including the following steps 901 and 902:

[0112] Step 901: Based on the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device, determine the reflection beam switching time of the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0113] The switching time information of the reflected beams of the reconfigurable smart surface device can be determined based on the start or end time of the working period of each reflected beam. The switching time information can be a correspondence between the switching information and the switching time between different beams; for example, the switching information between different beams is: reflected beam 1 switches to reflected beam 2, and the corresponding switching time is AM9:00.

[0114] Step 902: Within a second preset time period from the time of the reflection beam switching, send the instruction information to the terminal.

[0115] The second preset duration can be determined based on historical experience; in some embodiments, the indication information can also be sent at a fixed time before the switching time of the reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0116] based on Figure 9 The method allows network devices to send indication information to terminals before the reflected beams of reconfigurable smart surface devices switch, so as to obtain reference information characterizing changes in channel state in a timely manner.

[0117] Please see Figure 10 In order to implement the above communication method, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a communication device 1000, which is applied to a terminal. Figure 10 A schematic architecture diagram of a communication device 1000 is shown. The communication device 1000 includes: an instruction information receiving module 1001 and a reference information transmitting module 1002, wherein:

[0118] The instruction information receiving module 1001 is used to receive instruction information sent by the network device based on the state switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device;

[0119] The reference information sending module 1002 is used to send reference information to the network device in response to the indication information, so that the network device can estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information.

[0120] In an optional embodiment, the reference information sending module 1002 is configured to, in response to the indication information, determine the current area; and, based on the current area, send the reference information to the network device.

[0121] In an optional embodiment, the indication information includes first indication sub-information; the reference information sending module 1002 is used to determine the current location based on the first indication sub-information; obtain the correspondence between each reflected beam of the reconfigurable smart surface device and the coverage area; and determine the current area based on the correspondence and the current location; wherein the area includes a first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, or a second area covered by the network device outside the first area.

[0122] In an optional embodiment, the indication information includes second indication sub-information; the reference information sending module 1002 is used to send the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information when the terminal is in a first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device.

[0123] In an optional embodiment, the reference information sending module 1002 is configured to determine the time domain location for sending the reference information based on the second indication sub-information; and send the reference information to the network device at the time domain location.

[0124] Please see Figure 11 In order to implement the above communication method, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a communication device 1100, which is applied to a network device. Figure 11 A schematic architecture diagram of a communication device 1100 is shown. The communication device 1100 includes: a time information acquisition module 1101, an indication information transmission module 1102, a reference information receiving module 1103, and an information processing module 1104, wherein:

[0125] Time information acquisition module 1101 is used to acquire state switching time information of reconfigurable smart surface device;

[0126] Indication information sending module 1102 is used to send indication information to the terminal based on the state switching time information;

[0127] Reference information receiving module 1103 is used to receive reference information sent by the terminal;

[0128] Information processing module 1104 is used to estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information.

[0129] In an optional embodiment, the state switching time information includes the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device. The indication information sending module 1102 is used to determine the reflection beam switching time of the reconfigurable smart surface device based on the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device; and send the indication information to the terminal within a second preset time period away from the reflection beam switching time.

[0130] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium that can be implemented as a program product including program code, which, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. In one embodiment, the program product can be implemented as a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) including program code and can run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, the readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0131] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0132] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0133] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0134] Program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In embodiments of this disclosure, the program code stored in a computer-readable storage medium, when executed, can implement any of the steps in the communication methods described above.

[0135] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device. This electronic device may be the terminal 103 described above. Generally, the electronic device may include a first processor and a first memory, the first memory being used to store executable instructions of the first processor, the first processor being configured to execute the communication method described above by executing the executable instructions.

[0136] The following is based on Figure 12 Taking the mobile terminal 1200 as an example, the construction of this electronic device will be described by way of example. Those skilled in the art will understand that, apart from components specifically designed for mobile purposes, Figure 12 The structure can also be applied to fixed types of equipment.

[0137] like Figure 12 As shown, the mobile terminal 1200 may specifically include: a first processor 1201, a first memory 1202, a first bus 1203, a first mobile communication module 1204, an antenna 1, a first wireless communication module 1205, an antenna 2, a first display screen 1206, a first camera module 1207, a first audio module 1208, a first power module 1209, and a first sensor module 1210.

[0138] The first processor 1201 may include one or more processing units, such as an AP (Application Processor), a modem processor, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ISP (Image Signal Processor), a controller, an encoder, a decoder, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a baseband processor, and / or an NPU (Neural-Network Processing Unit).

[0139] The first processor 1201 can be connected to the first memory 1202 or other components via the first bus 1203.

[0140] The first memory 1202 can be used to store computer executable program code, which includes instructions. The first processor 1201 executes various functional applications and data processing of the mobile terminal 1200 by running the instructions stored in the first memory 1202. The first memory 1202 can also store application data, such as images, videos, and other files.

[0141] The communication function of the mobile terminal 1200 can be implemented through a first mobile communication module 1204, antenna 1, a first wireless communication module 1205, antenna 2, a modem processor, and a baseband processor. Antenna 1 and antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. The first mobile communication module 1204 can provide 3G, 4G, 5G, and other mobile communication solutions for use on the mobile terminal 1200. The first wireless communication module 1205 can provide wireless communication solutions such as wireless local area network, Bluetooth, and near-field communication for use on the mobile terminal 1200.

[0142] The first display screen 1206 is used to implement display functions, such as displaying user interfaces, images, and videos. The first camera module 1207 is used to implement shooting functions, such as capturing images and videos. The first audio module 1208 is used to implement audio functions, such as playing audio and capturing voice. The power module 1209 is used to implement power management functions, such as charging the battery, supplying power to the device, and monitoring battery status. The sensor module 1210 may include one or more sensors to implement corresponding sensing and detection functions. For example, the sensor module 1210 may include an inertial sensor, which is used to detect the motion posture of the mobile terminal 1200 and output inertial sensing data.

[0143] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device. This electronic device may be the network device 101 described above. Generally, the electronic device may include a second processor and a second memory, the second memory being used to store executable instructions of the second processor, the second processor being configured to perform the aforementioned communication method by executing the executable instructions.

[0144] The following is based on Figure 13 Taking network device 1300 as an example, the structure of the electronic device will be described by way of example.

[0145] like Figure 13 As shown, the network device 1300 is presented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the network device 1300 may include, but are not limited to: at least one second processing unit 1310, at least one second storage unit 1320, at least one second I / O interface 1340, and a second bus 1330 connecting different system components (including the second storage unit 1320 and the second processing unit 1310).

[0146] The second storage unit stores program code, which can be executed by the second processing unit 1310 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, the second processing unit 1310 can perform, as follows: Figure 2 The methods and steps shown are as follows.

[0147] The second storage unit 1320 may include a volatile second storage unit, such as a random access second storage unit (RAM) 1321 and / or a cache second storage unit 1322, and may further include a read-only second storage unit (ROM) 1323.

[0148] The second storage unit 1320 may also include a program / second utility 1324 having a set (at least one) of second program modules 1325, such second program modules 1325 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0149] The second bus 1330 may include a data bus, an address bus, and a control bus.

[0150] Network device 1300 can also communicate with one or more external devices 2000 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.) via the second I / O interface 1340. Network device 1300 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via communication module 1350. As shown, the second communication module 1350 communicates with other modules of network device 1300 via the second bus 1330. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with network device 1300, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant second processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0151] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the program code stored in the terminal device is executed, any step of the communication method described above can be implemented.

[0152] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0153] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be embodied in entirely hardware implementations, entirely software implementations (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or implementations combining hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

[0154] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is defined only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a terminal, characterized in that, include: The system receives an indication message sent by a network device based on the state switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device, wherein the state switching time information includes the correspondence between the state switching information of the reconfigurable smart surface device and the time information, and the indication message is sent before the state switching time. In response to the indication information, reference information is sent to the network device, enabling the network device to estimate the channel state between the network device and the terminal based on the reference information.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of sending reference information to the network device in response to the indication information includes: In response to the indicated information, determine the current area; Based on the current location, the reference information is sent to the network device.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The indication information includes first indication sub-information; the step of determining the current area in response to the indication information includes: Based on the first indication sub-information, determine the current location; Obtain the correspondence between each reflected beam and the coverage area of ​​the reconfigurable smart surface device; Based on the correspondence and the current location, the current area is determined; wherein, the area includes a first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, or a second area covered by the network device outside the first area.

4. The communication method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The indication information includes second indication sub-information; the step of sending the reference information to the network device based on the current location includes: When the terminal is in the first area covered by the reconfigurable smart surface device, it sends the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Sending the reference information to the network device based on the second indication sub-information includes: Based on the second indication sub-information, determine the time domain location for sending the reference information; The reference information is sent to the network device at the time domain location.

6. A communication method applied to a network device, characterized in that, include: Obtain the state switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device, wherein the state switching time information includes the correspondence between the state switching information and time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device; Based on the state switching time information, an indication message is sent to the terminal, wherein the indication message is sent before the state switching time; Receive reference information sent by the terminal in response to the indication information; Based on the reference information, the channel state between the network device and the terminal is estimated.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The state switching time information includes the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device; the step of sending indication information to the terminal based on the state switching time information includes: Based on the reflection beam switching time information of the reconfigurable smart surface device, the reflection beam switching time of the reconfigurable smart surface device is determined; Within a second preset time period from the time of the reflection beam switching, the instruction information is sent to the terminal.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A terminal, characterized in that, include: First processor; A first memory is used to store the executable instructions of the first processor; The first processor is configured to execute the method of any one of claims 1 to 5 by executing the executable instructions.

10. A network device, characterized in that, include: Second processor; The second memory is used to store the executable instructions of the second processor; The second processor is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 6 and 7 by executing the executable instructions.

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