Communication method, communication device, medium and program product

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method, communication equipment, a computer readable storage medium and a computer program product. In the communication method, a network device configures a first bandwidth supported by a first antenna array plane and a second bandwidth supported by a second antenna array plane, so that the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth have an overlapping part. In addition, the network device schedules the terminal device based on the overlapping portion. In this way, the user experience of the terminal device can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, a communication device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Compared with the fourth generation of mobile communications (4G), the fifth generation of mobile communications (5G) has put forward more stringent requirements for various network performance indicators, such as increased bandwidth requirements, increased capacity, wider coverage requirements, ultra-high reliability and ultra-low latency, etc. For example, Thailand currently has a bandwidth requirement of 1.2GHz. However, considering the limited capabilities of antenna components, there are still some problems to be solved in terms of the increased bandwidth requirements. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a communication device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product.

[0004] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The method comprises: configuring, at a network device, a first bandwidth supported by a first antenna array and a second bandwidth supported by a second antenna array, so that the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth have an overlapping portion; and scheduling a terminal device based on the overlapping portion. In this way, the antenna array gain can be improved, thereby improving the user experience of the terminal device.

[0005] In some embodiments, the method further includes sending an instruction to the terminal device to change the carrier of the terminal device to the overlapping portion based on determining that the carrier of the terminal device is in the first non-overlapping portion of the first bandwidth or the second non-overlapping portion of the second bandwidth. Thus, the terminal device can effectively implement the change of the carrier, so that the overlapping portion can be used for service transmission.

[0006] In some embodiments, the method further comprises allocating power to the overlapping portion, and not allocating power to the first non-overlapping portion and the second non-overlapping portion, thereby effectively concentrating power on the overlapping portion.

[0007] In some embodiments, the indication is sent to the terminal device based on at least one of the following: a load level of a sector associated with the first antenna array face and the second antenna array face is less than a first threshold load level; or a coverage level of the terminal device is less than a threshold coverage level. Thus, the user experience can be effectively improved in light load scenarios and weak coverage terminal devices.

[0008] In some embodiments, the coverage level is determined based on at least one of the following: a reference signal received power of a carrier of the terminal device; or an average reference signal received power of multiple carriers of the terminal device after carrier aggregation. Thus, effective determination of a terminal device with weak coverage can be achieved.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes: allocating power to the overlapping portion, the first non-overlapping portion, and the second non-overlapping portion based on determining that the load level of the sector associated with the first antenna array face and the second antenna array face is greater than the second threshold load level. In this way, the entire bandwidth portion can be used to serve the terminal device in the case of high load, thereby improving user experience.

[0010] In some embodiments, the power spectrum densities of the overlapping portion, the first non-overlapping portion, and the second non-overlapping portion are the same. Thus, the user experience at the terminal device can be guaranteed.

[0011] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes at least one of the following: a terminal device with a coverage level lower than a threshold coverage level; or a terminal device with a service priority higher than a priority threshold. Thus, the user experience of the specific target terminal device can be effectively improved.

[0012] In some embodiments, the carrier of the terminal device includes at least one of a primary component carrier and a secondary component carrier. Thus, it is possible to effectively improve the user experience based on the change of the primary component carrier and / or the secondary component carrier.

[0013] In some embodiments, the bandwidth of the overlapping portion is greater than a bandwidth threshold, thereby achieving a larger overlapping bandwidth, thereby more efficiently serving the terminal device.

[0014] In some embodiments, at least one of the following is supported: the first bandwidth is 1 GHz; the second bandwidth is 1 GHz; or the overlapping portion is 800 MHz. Thus, support for the current bandwidth configuration can be achieved.

[0015] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor, the terminal device executes any method according to the first aspect and its implementation.

[0016] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by an electronic device, the electronic device executes any method according to the first aspect and its implementation manner.

[0017] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, wherein the computer program product includes instructions, and when the instructions are executed by an electronic device, the electronic device performs any method according to the first aspect and its implementation manner.

[0018] It should be understood that the contents described in the summary of the invention are not intended to limit the key or important features of the present disclosure, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown.

[0020] Figure 1B A system logic block diagram of a network device associated with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 1C Another system logic block diagram of a network device associated with other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a method implemented at a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 3A Example power allocations according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0024] Figure 3B Another example power distribution according to further embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram of an example communication device that may be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] The same or similar reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to designate the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein, which are instead provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "including" and similar terms should be understood as open inclusion, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0029] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented according to any appropriate communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G) and future communication protocols (e.g., sixth generation (6G)), wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future.

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are applied to communication systems that follow any appropriate communication protocols, such as: General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Datarate for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Time Division-Synchronization Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, Time Division Duplex (TDD), fifth generation (5G) system (e.g., New Radio (NR)) and future communication systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G) system), etc.

[0031] For the purpose of illustration, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with the 5G communication system in 3GPP as the background. However, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the communication system, but can be applied to any communication system with similar problems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN), wired communication system, or other communication systems developed in the future.

[0032] The term "terminal device" or "terminal" used in this disclosure refers to any terminal device that can communicate with network devices or with each other by wire or wirelessly. Terminal devices may sometimes be referred to as customer premises equipment (CPE) or user equipment (UE). Terminal devices may be any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal or portable terminal. Terminal devices may be various wireless communication devices with wireless communication functions. With the rise of Internet of Things (IOT) technology, more and more devices that did not previously have communication functions, such as but not limited to household appliances, vehicles, tools and equipment, service equipment and service facilities, have begun to obtain wireless communication functions by configuring wireless communication units, so that they can access wireless communication networks and accept remote control. Such devices have wireless communication functions because they are configured with wireless communication units, and therefore also fall into the category of wireless communication devices.As an example, the terminal device may include a mobile cellular phone, a cordless phone, a mobile terminal (MT), a mobile station, a mobile device, a wireless terminal, a handheld device, a client, a subscription station, a portable subscription station, an Internet node, a communicator, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a personal communication system device, a personal navigation device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless data card, a wireless modem (Modulator demodulator, Modem), a positioning device, a radio broadcast receiver, an e-book device, a gaming device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a vehicle-mounted device, an aircraft, a mobile Internet device (MID), a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, etc.), a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a smart city, etc. A wireless terminal in a city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a terminal device in a 5G network, or any terminal device in an evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), other devices that can be used for communication, or any combination of the above. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0033] The term "network equipment" used in this disclosure refers to a device that can be deployed in a wireless access network to provide wireless communication functions for mobile terminals, for example, it can be a radio access network (RAN) network device. Access network equipment may include various types of base stations. The base station is used to provide wireless access services for terminal devices. Specifically, each base station corresponds to a service coverage area, and the terminal equipment entering the area can communicate with the base station through wireless signals to receive the wireless access service provided by the base station. There may be overlaps between the service coverage areas of the base stations, and the terminal equipment in the overlapping area can receive wireless signals from multiple base stations, so that multiple base stations can provide services for the terminal equipment at the same time. Depending on the size of the service coverage area provided, the access network equipment may include a macro base station providing a macrocell, a micro base station for providing a microcell, a micro base station for providing a microcell, and a micro-micro base station for providing a femtocell. In addition, access network equipment may also include various forms of relay stations, access points, remote radio units (RRU), radio heads (RH), remote radio heads (RRH), etc. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of access network equipment may be different, such as evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB) in the Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, NodeB (NB) in the 3G network, gNodeB (gNB) or NR NodeB (NR NB) in the 5G network, and so on. For example, the RAN network nodes may include a gNB, a transmission reception point (TRP), an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home evolved NodeB (e.g., home NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a base band unit (BBU), or a wireless fidelity (Wifi) access point (AP), etc.In a network structure, the access network equipment may include a centralized unit (CU) node, or a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device including a CU node and a DU node. The RAN device including the CU node and the DU node splits the protocol layer of the gNB in ​​the NR system. The functions of some protocol layers are centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers are distributed in the DU, and the DU is centrally controlled by the CU. Furthermore, the centralized unit CU can also be divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP). Among them, the CU-CP is responsible for the control plane function, mainly including RRC and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) corresponding to the control plane, namely PDCP-C. PDCP-C is mainly responsible for encryption and decryption, integrity protection, data transmission, etc. of the control plane data. CU-UP is used to control the user plane function, mainly including the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and the PDCP corresponding to the user plane, namely PDCP-U. The main function of SDAP is to process the data of the core network and map the flow to the bearer. The main functions of PDCP-U are encryption and decryption of the data plane, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, data transmission, etc. Among them, CU-CP and CU-UP are connected through the E1 interface. CU-CP represents that the gNB is connected to the core network through the NG interface, and is connected to the DU through the F1 interface control plane, namely F1-C. CU-UP is connected to the DU through the F1 interface user plane, namely F1-U. Alternatively, PDCP-C can also be implemented in CU-UP. For the convenience of description, in the subsequent embodiments of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned devices that provide wireless communication functions for mobile terminals are collectively referred to as network devices, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are no longer specifically limited.

[0034] As mentioned above, Thailand currently has a bandwidth demand of 1.2 GHz. However, antenna components, such as radio on chip (RoC), have limited capabilities. For example, RoC may only have 800 MHz or 1 GHz capabilities. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of large bandwidth, it is proposed to use array splicing. For example, when the RoC capability is limited (for example, only 800 MHz bandwidth can be provided), in order to support the 1.2 GHz large bandwidth demand, a solution uses two antenna arrays to splice up and down to achieve 1.2G bandwidth. For the convenience of description, this solution is referred to as the "splicing solution" below. For example, in the splicing solution, the RoC corresponding to the upper antenna array can be configured with f0+300 MHz as the center frequency and a bandwidth of 600 MHz, and the RoC corresponding to the lower antenna array can be configured with f0-300 MHz as the center frequency and a bandwidth of 600 MHz, where f0 is the center frequency of the 1.2G bandwidth, so that the upper and lower antenna arrays and RoC together support 1.2 GHz system bandwidth. However, for users, this implementation loses 3dB of equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP). From the perspective of the subcarrier, only half of the array is seen, so the antenna array gain loses 3dB. Therefore, an improved bandwidth provision method is needed to improve the user experience while providing the target system bandwidth, for example, to make the EIRP of weak coverage users intact.

[0035] In view of the above, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method. In the method, a network device configures a first bandwidth supported by a first antenna array and a second bandwidth supported by a second antenna array, so that the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth have an overlapping portion. In addition, the network device schedules a terminal device based on the overlapping portion.

[0036] In this way, by overlapping the bandwidths supported by the antenna arrays, the antenna array gain can be improved, and by scheduling the terminal devices using the bandwidths of the overlapping parts, the user experience of the terminal devices can be improved.

[0037] The present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The specific operation methods, functional descriptions, etc. in the method embodiments can also be applied to the device embodiments or system embodiments.

[0038] Figure 1A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 in which an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1AAs shown, the system 100 may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The terminal device 120 may have a wireless transceiver function, which can communicate with one or more network devices of one or more communication systems (such as wireless communication) and receive network services provided by the network devices, where the network devices include but are not limited to the network device 110 shown in the figure. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may communicate directly with the network device 110. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may communicate with the network device 110 via other devices. The network device 110 and the user device 120 may have multiple transmitting antennas and receiving antennas.

[0039] In the system 100, once the connection is established, the network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can transmit data and control information to each other. The link from the network device to the terminal device 120 is called the downlink (DL), and the link from the terminal device 120 to the network device is called the uplink (UL). In the DL, the network device is a transmission (TX) device (or transmitter), and the terminal device 120 is a reception (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the terminal device 120 is a TX device (or transmitter), and the network device is a RX device (or receiver).

[0040] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may configure the bandwidth supported by the two antenna arrays to overlap. The network device 110 may schedule the terminal device 120 based on the overlapping portion. For example, when the carrier of the terminal device 120 is initially accessed to the non-overlapping portion, the network device 110 may send an instruction to the terminal device 120 to change the carrier of the terminal device 120 to the overlapping portion.

[0041] It should be understood that in Figure 1A The number of terminals and network devices shown in the figure is only for example. There may be more or fewer terminals and network devices, and the present disclosure does not impose any limitation on this.

[0042] In addition, it should be understood that the communication system 100 can be applicable to various scenarios. For example, the application scenarios of the communication system 100 include but are not limited to existing communication systems such as 5G and NR communication systems or future evolved communication systems. In addition, it should also be understood that the above communication can follow any appropriate communication technology and corresponding communication standards.

[0043] Figure 1B 1 shows a system logic block diagram of a network device associated with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1A Describe. Figure 1BAs shown, the network device 110 includes a baseband unit (BBU) 131 and an active antenna unit (AAU) 133. A variety of communication-related algorithms are implemented in the BBU. The AAU 133 can adopt a low-level baseband (BBL) + RoC + package antenna (AIP) architecture, combining Figure 1C AAU 133 can also adopt RoC+AIP architecture.

[0044] Figure 1C Another system logic block diagram of a network device associated with other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1C As shown, the network device 110 includes a BBU 141, a BBL 143, RoCs 145 and 147, and antenna arrays 149 and 151 (also referred to as first antenna array 149 and second antenna array 151). Antenna arrays 149 and 151 correspond to first antenna array 149 and second antenna array 151, respectively.

[0045] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method 200 implemented at a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In a possible implementation, the method 200 may be implemented by Figure 1A The method 200 is implemented by the network device 110 in the communication system 100 shown in FIG. In other possible implementations, the method 200 may also be implemented by other communication devices independent of the communication system 100. For the convenience of discussion without any limitation, the following will be combined with Figure 1A Method 200 is described.

[0046] In block 210, the network device 110 configures a first bandwidth supported by the first antenna array and a second bandwidth supported by the second antenna array so that the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth have an overlapping portion. The bandwidth portion of the first bandwidth other than the overlapping portion may be referred to as a first non-overlapping portion, and the bandwidth portion of the second bandwidth other than the overlapping portion may be referred to as a second non-overlapping portion. The bandwidth of the overlapping portion may be greater than a bandwidth threshold. For example, the first antenna array and the second antenna array may be configured so that the bandwidths they support have the largest overlapping area.

[0047] As an example, the first bandwidth supported by the first antenna array surface may be 1 GHz, the second bandwidth supported by the second antenna array surface may be 1 GHz, and the overlapping portion may be 800 MHz. For example, considering that the chip of the terminal device 120 can support a capacity of 800 MHz, the above-mentioned target overlapping portion may be considered to be 800 MHz. In this case, the network device 110 (e.g., the BBU of the network device 110) may configure the center frequency of the RoC corresponding to the first antenna array surface to f0+100 MHz, and configure the center frequency of the RoC corresponding to the second antenna array surface to f0-100 MHz. Alternatively or additionally, the above-mentioned frequency configuration method is also only an example. According to the specific implementation, any other configuration method may be adopted to ensure that the bandwidth supported by the first antenna array surface and the second antenna array surface has the largest overlapping portion, for example, the overlapping portion is 800 MHz. It should be understood that in the following discussion, this bandwidth configuration will be used as an example, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other words, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicable to any other bandwidth configuration.

[0048] Figure 3A 1 shows an example power allocation according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. PSD represents the power spectral density of the splicing scheme, which can be measured by the power allocated to each subcarrier, G represents the array gain of the splicing scheme, that is, the antenna gain corresponding to half of the array, and it is assumed that the capability supported by the terminal device 120 is 800MHz bandwidth. For example, the configuration method of the center frequency and bandwidth of the RoC corresponding to the first and second antenna arrays can be adopted. Figure 3A As shown, in some embodiments, the network device 110 may allocate power to the overlapping part (i.e., the overlapping 800M bandwidth) but not to the first non-overlapping part (i.e., the edge 200M bandwidth corresponding to the first antenna array surface) and the second non-overlapping part (i.e., the edge 200M bandwidth corresponding to the second antenna array surface). For example, the network device 110 may converge the power that can be used for the non-overlapping part to the overlapping part through power convergence. Thus, only the overlapping part can be used to schedule the terminal device 120. Compared to a splicing scheme in which two antenna array surfaces each provide a 600MHz bandwidth, the power spectral density of the overlapping part supported by a single antenna array surface in the first antenna array surface or the second antenna array surface is reduced by 1.25dB and the antenna array gain remains unchanged. Compared to the splicing scheme, the power spectral density perceived at the terminal device 120 is increased by 1.75dB and the antenna array gain is increased by 3dB. In addition, it should be understood that Figure 3AThe use of n transceivers (TRXs) for the first non-overlapping portion and the second non-overlapping portion, respectively, and the use of n TRXs for the overlapping portion corresponding to a single antenna array face are only examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. According to actual needs, different numbers of TRXs may be used for the non-overlapping portion and the overlapping portion. For example, n TRXs may be used for the first non-overlapping portion and the second non-overlapping portion, respectively, and n / 2 TRXs may be used for the overlapping portion corresponding to a single antenna array face.

[0049] Figure 3B FIG. 2 shows another example power allocation according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. Similarly, the configuration method of the center frequency and bandwidth of the RoC corresponding to the first and second antenna arrays can be adopted. Figure 3B As shown, in some embodiments, the network device 110 can allocate power to the overlapping part (i.e., the overlapping 800M bandwidth), the first non-overlapping part, and the second non-overlapping part. Therefore, the overlapping part, the first non-overlapping part (i.e., the edge 200M bandwidth corresponding to the first antenna array surface), and the second non-overlapping part (i.e., the edge 200M bandwidth corresponding to the second antenna array surface) can all be used to schedule the terminal device 120. Compared with the splicing scheme, the power spectral density and antenna array gain at the first non-overlapping part and the second non-overlapping part remain unchanged, and the power spectral density of the overlapping part supported by a single antenna array surface in the first antenna array surface or the second antenna array surface is reduced by 3dB and the antenna array gain remains unchanged. Compared with the splicing scheme, the power spectral density perceived at the terminal device 120 remains unchanged, but the antenna array gain is improved by 3dB. Since the antenna array gain of the overlapping part is higher than that of the non-overlapping part, scheduling the terminal device 120 based on the non-overlapping part can provide better service. In addition, it should be understood that Figure 3B The use of n TRXs for the first non-overlapping portion and the second non-overlapping portion, respectively, and the use of n TRXs for the overlapping portion corresponding to a single antenna array face are shown as examples only, and the present invention is not limited thereto. According to actual needs, different numbers of TRXs may be used for the non-overlapping portion and the overlapping portion. For example, n TRXs may be used for the first non-overlapping portion and the second non-overlapping portion, respectively, and n / 2 TRXs may be used for the overlapping portion corresponding to a single antenna array face.

[0050] In some embodiments, if it is determined that the carrier of the terminal device 120 is in the first non-overlapping portion of the first bandwidth or the second non-overlapping portion of the second bandwidth, the network device 110 may send an instruction to the terminal device 120 to change the carrier of the terminal device to the overlapping portion. For example, the carrier may be at least one of a primary component carrier (PCC) and a secondary component carrier (SCC) of the terminal device 120.

[0051] Then, refer back Figure 2, at block 220, the network device 110 schedules the terminal device 120 based on the overlapping portion. The following will be discussed separately in combination with three application scenarios.

[0052] Light load scenario

[0053] The relevant antenna array can be configured as described above. The network device 110 (e.g., the BBU of the network device 110) can determine whether it is a light load scenario by determining the load level (i.e., the load condition) of the sectors associated with the first antenna array plane and the second antenna array plane. If the load level is less than the first threshold load level (e.g., the load level < x%, where x is the low load threshold), the network device 110 can determine that it is in a light load scenario. In this scenario, the Figure 3A shown power allocation method can be adopted, that is, through power aggregation, the power for the non-overlapping portions of 200 MHz on both sides can be aggregated to the overlapping portion. The network device 110 can configure the terminal device 120 to preferentially camp on the overlapping portion. For example, if the terminal device 120 (e.g., the PCC and / or SCC of the terminal device 120) accesses the non-overlapping portion (i.e., Figure 3A the 200 MHz at the edge shown in), the network device 110 can send the above indication to the terminal device 120 to achieve changing its carrier to the overlapping portion. Subsequently, the network device 110 can perform service scheduling and control on the terminal device 120. In this scenario, compared with the stitching scheme, the user experience of the terminal device 120 can be improved by about 40% (i.e., 4.75 dB).

[0054] Weak coverage user scenario

[0055] The relevant antenna array can be configured as described above. The network device 110 (e.g., the BBU of the network device 110) can determine whether it is a weak coverage user scenario by determining the coverage level of the terminal device 120. For example, if the coverage level of the terminal device 120 is lower than the threshold coverage level, the network device 110 can determine that it is in a weak coverage user scenario. For example, if the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the carrier (e.g., PCC) of the terminal device 120 is lower than the first power threshold, it can be determined that the terminal device 120 is in weak network coverage. As another example, if the average RSRP of multiple carriers (e.g., all carriers) of the terminal device 120 after carrier aggregation (CA) is lower than the second power threshold, it can be determined that the terminal device 120 is in weak network coverage. In this scenario, the Figure 3AThe power allocation method shown in FIG. 1 is to allocate power to the non-overlapping portion of 200 MHz on both sides (i.e., the power for the non-overlapping portion of 200 MHz on both sides can be aggregated to the overlapping portion by power aggregation). The network device 110 can configure the terminal device 120 to preferentially reside in the overlapping portion. For example, if the terminal device 120 (e.g., the PCC and / or SCC of the terminal device 120) accesses the non-overlapping portion (i.e., Figure 3B ), the network device 110 may send the above instruction to the terminal device 120 to change its carrier to the overlapping part. Then, the network device 110 may perform service scheduling and control on the terminal device 120. In this scenario, compared with the splicing solution, the user experience of the terminal device 120 in weak coverage can be effectively improved.

[0056] Medium and heavy load scenarios

[0057] The relevant antenna array can be configured as described above. The network device 110 (for example, the BBU of the network device 110) can determine whether it is a medium-to-heavy load scenario by determining the load level (i.e., load condition) of the sector associated with the first antenna array face and the second antenna array face. If the load level is greater than the second threshold load level (for example, the load level>y%, where y is the medium-to-heavy load threshold), the network device 110 can determine that it is in a medium-to-heavy load scenario. For example, the first threshold level and the second threshold level can be the same or different levels. In this scenario, it can be adopted Figure 3B 1 and 12. The power allocation method shown in FIG. 1 (i.e., allocating power to the non-overlapping portion, the first overlapping portion, and the second overlapping portion). Since the overlapping portion has a larger antenna array gain, the network device 110 can configure the terminal device 120 to preferentially reside in the overlapping portion. For example, if the terminal device 120 accesses the first non-overlapping portion or the second non-overlapping portion (i.e. Figure 3B ), the network device 110 may send the above-mentioned indication to the terminal device 120 to change its carrier to the overlapping part. In this scenario, the terminal device 120 may be a terminal device with a coverage level lower than a threshold coverage level (i.e., a weak coverage terminal device), and / or may be a terminal device with a service priority higher than a priority threshold (e.g., a very important (VIP) terminal device). Other types of terminal devices may not make carrier changes. Then, the network device 110 may perform service scheduling and control on the terminal device 120. In this scenario, compared with the splicing solution, the user experience of the terminal device 120 can be improved by approximately 20% (i.e., 3dB).

[0058] In this way, by making full use of the bandwidth capability of the RoC to maximize the overlapping portion of the bandwidth supported by the first antenna array and the second antenna array for scheduling the terminal device, EIRP losslessness on the overlapping bandwidth can be achieved. Figure 3A The allocation method based on power aggregation shown can achieve better coverage performance.

[0059] Figure 4 4 is a schematic block diagram of an example communication device 400 that can be used to implement an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 400 can be implemented as or include Figure 1A As shown in the figure, the device 400 includes one or more processors 410, one or more memories 420 coupled to the processors 410, and a communication module 440 coupled to the processors 410.

[0060] The communication module 440 may be used for two-way communication. The communication module 440 may have at least one communication interface for communication. The communication interface may include any interface necessary for communication with other devices.

[0061] Processor 410 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), or one or more of a controller-based multi-core controller architecture. Device 400 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0062] The memory 420 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: read-only memory (ROM) 424, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: random access memory (RAM) 422, or other volatile memories that do not persist during the duration of a power outage.

[0063] Computer program 430 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by associated processor 410. Program 430 may be stored in ROM 424. Processor 410 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 430 into RAM 422.

[0064] The embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented with the help of program 430, so that the device 400 can execute the Figures 1A to 4 Any process discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0065] The program 430 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 400 (such as in the memory 420) or other storage device accessible by the device 400. The program 430 may be loaded from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 422 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0066] In some embodiments, the communication module 440 in the device 400 may be implemented as a transmitter and a receiver (or a transceiver). In addition, the device 400 may further include one or more of a scheduler, a controller, and a radio frequency / antenna, which will not be elaborated in detail in this disclosure.

[0067] For example, Figure 4 The device 400 may be implemented as an electronic device, or may be implemented as a chip or a chip system in an electronic device, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0068] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a chip, which may include an input interface, an output interface and a processing circuit. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the input interface and the output interface may complete the interaction of signaling or data, and the processing circuit may complete the generation and processing of signaling or data information.

[0069] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a chip system, including a processor, for supporting a computing device to implement the functions involved in any of the above embodiments. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data, and when the processor runs the program instructions, the device on which the chip system is installed implements the method involved in any of the above embodiments. Exemplarily, the chip system may be composed of one or more chips, and may also include chips and other discrete devices.

[0070] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a processor for coupling with a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions. When the processor executes the instructions, the processor executes the methods and functions involved in any of the above embodiments.

[0071] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product including instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the methods and functions involved in any of the above embodiments.

[0072] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored. When a processor executes the instructions, the processor executes the methods and functions involved in any of the above embodiments.

[0073] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be performed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented as, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0074] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a real or virtual processor of the target to perform the process / method as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functions of program modules can be combined or divided between program modules as needed. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0075] The computer program code for realizing the method of the present disclosure can be written in one or more programming languages. These computer program codes can be provided to the processor of general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that the program code, when being executed by computer or other programmable data processing device, causes the function / operation specified in flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed completely on computer, partly on computer, as independent software package, partly on computer and partly on remote computer or completely on remote computer or server.

[0076] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any appropriate carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, and the like. Examples of signals may include electrical, optical, radio, acoustic or other forms of propagation signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, and the like.

[0077] A computer readable medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program for or related to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination thereof. More detailed examples of computer readable storage media include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0078] In addition, although the operation of the method of the present disclosure is described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in this particular order, or that all the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. On the contrary, the steps depicted in the flow chart can change the order of execution. Additionally or alternatively, some steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be combined into one step for execution, and / or one step can be decomposed into multiple steps for execution. It should also be noted that the features and functions of two or more devices according to the present disclosure can be embodied in one device. Conversely, the features and functions of a device described above can be further divided into being embodied by multiple devices.

[0079] The above descriptions of various implementations of the present disclosure are exemplary, non-exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The selection of terms used herein is intended to explain the principles of the implementations, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising: At the network device, configuring a first bandwidth supported by a first antenna face and a second bandwidth supported by a second antenna face so that the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth have an overlapping portion; and Terminal devices are scheduled based on the overlapping portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on determining that the carrier of the terminal device is in a first non-overlapping portion of the first bandwidth or a second non-overlapping portion of the second bandwidth, an indication is sent to the terminal device to change the carrier of the terminal device to the overlapping portion.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Power is allocated to the overlapping portion, while power is not allocated to the first non-overlapping portion and the second non-overlapping portion.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the indication is sent to the terminal device based on at least one of the following: a load level of a sector associated with the first antenna face and the second antenna face is less than a first threshold load level; or The coverage level of the terminal device is below a threshold coverage level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the coverage level is determined based on at least one of: A reference signal received power of a carrier of the terminal device; or The average reference signal received power of multiple carriers aggregated by the terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Power is allocated to the overlapping portion, the first non-overlapping portion, and the second non-overlapping portion based on determining that a load level of a sector associated with the first antenna face and the second antenna face is greater than a second threshold load level. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein power spectral densities of the overlapping portion, the first non-overlapping portion, and the second non-overlapping portion are the same.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the terminal device comprises at least one of the following: Terminal devices with coverage levels below the threshold coverage level; or Terminal devices with services having a service priority higher than the priority threshold.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2-8, wherein the carrier of the terminal device comprises at least one of a primary component carrier and a secondary component carrier.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein a bandwidth of the overlapping portion is greater than a bandwidth threshold.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one of the following: The first bandwidth is 1 GHz; The second bandwidth is 1 GHz; or The overlapping portion is 800 MHz.

12. A communication device comprising: A processor, and a memory storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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