Communication method, system and related device

Abstract

Provided are a communication method, system and related device, in the method, a terminal can perform reverse calculation of an uplink channel based on a first downlink CSI to obtain channel state information of the uplink channel, i.e., a first uplink CSI. In the application, measurement of the uplink channel is realized without a method of interacting an uplink reference signal between the terminal and the network device, but reverse calculation is performed on the uplink channel based on the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel of the terminal, measurement of the uplink channel is realized, and the first uplink CSI is obtained, so that signaling interaction can be reduced, and user experience is improved. And the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel can also be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method, system, and related devices. Background Art

[0002] The transmission quality of a network is closely related to the channel quality. Channel measurement can be performed before transmitting information on a channel to determine the channel quality. For the channel between a network device and a terminal, the network device can send downlink information to the terminal through this channel, and the terminal can send uplink information to the network device through this channel. The channel used to carry downlink information can be used as a downlink channel, and the channel used to carry uplink information can be used as an uplink channel.

[0003] Currently, the network device can send a reference signal to the terminal. The terminal measures the downlink channel according to the reference signal to obtain the channel state information (CSI) of the downlink channel, and feeds it back to the network device. Similarly, the terminal can send a reference signal to the network device, and the network device measures the uplink channel according to this reference signal to obtain the uplink CSI. Currently, the signaling overhead for the network device to determine the downlink CSI and uplink CSI is large. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, system, and related devices. The terminal measures the downlink channel to obtain the downlink CSI, and can obtain the uplink CSI by performing reciprocity compensation on the downlink CSI for the radio frequency channels. The terminal can report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI to the network device, achieving the purpose of saving signaling overhead.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a communication device. The communication device can be a terminal, or can also be a component (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.) configured in the terminal, or can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. For the convenience of understanding and description hereinafter, the method will be described by taking the terminal as an example.

[0006] Exemplarily, the method includes: the terminal receives a first reference signal and sends first uplink channel state information, where the first uplink channel state information is obtained by performing reciprocity compensation on a first downlink channel state information for radio frequency channels, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

[0007] Among them, the first reference signal is a downlink reference signal, and the downlink reference signal comes from a network device. Exemplarily, the first reference signal may be sent by the network device to the terminal, or the first reference signal is broadcast by the network device. The first downlink reference signal is used for the measurement of the downlink channel between the network device and the terminal. In this application, when the terminal receives the first reference signal, it can measure the downlink channel to obtain the downlink channel state information (CSI). In this application, for the convenience of distinction and description, the downlink CSI obtained by the terminal based on the first reference signal can be used as the first downlink CSI. In other words, the first downlink CSI is obtained based on the first reference signal.

[0008] After the terminal obtains the first downlink CSI, it can perform radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on the first downlink CSI to obtain the first uplink CSI. Among them, the radio frequency channel is the radio frequency channel of the terminal. The terminal may include at least two antennas, and each antenna may correspond to a radio frequency channel. The radio frequency channel corresponding to each antenna can be understood as the radio frequency channel connected to the antenna. For example, when the antenna receives the first reference signal, it can be transmitted to this radio frequency channel for processing, and this radio frequency channel can send signals through this antenna. It can be said that the antenna corresponds to this radio frequency channel.

[0009] In this application, when the terminal performs radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on the first downlink CSI, it can be understood as: the terminal performs compensation processing on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel of the terminal, or in other words, the terminal performs reverse calculation (or reciprocity compensation, or reverse compensation) on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of this radio frequency channel. In a possible scenario, the first downlink CSI may be in matrix form, and the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel may also be in matrix form. When the terminal performs radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on the first downlink CSI, it can be understood as: the terminal calculates the first downlink CSI and the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel, or in other words, the terminal calculates two matrices.

[0010] The reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel may include: the difference information between the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal. Among them, the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal can be understood as: the radio frequency channels in the terminal that receive the first reference signal. Exemplarily, for example, the terminal includes antenna 1 and antenna 2, and both antenna 1 and antenna 2 receive the first reference signal. The radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal may include: the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 1 and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 2.

[0011] In some embodiments, the difference information between radio frequency (RF) channels may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between RF channels. It should be understood that an RF channel may include a transmit channel and a receive channel. In a possible scenario, the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between RF channels may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the transmit channels corresponding to each antenna, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the receive channels corresponding to each antenna of the terminal. It should be understood that the transmit channels corresponding to each antenna can be understood as: the transmit channels in the RF channels corresponding to each antenna. The receive channels corresponding to each antenna can be understood as: the receive channels in the RF channels corresponding to each antenna.

[0012] Among them, the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between RF channels can be understood as: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the RF channels of other antennas and the RF channel of a reference antenna.

[0013] Exemplarily, taking a terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example, and taking antenna 1 as the reference signal, the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between RF channels can be understood as: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the RF channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the RF channel corresponding to antenna 1. The time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the transmit channels corresponding to each antenna may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the transmit channel corresponding to antenna 1 and the transmit channel corresponding to antenna 2. The time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the receive channels corresponding to each antenna may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the receive channel corresponding to antenna 1 and the receive channel corresponding to antenna 2.

[0014] Exemplarily, taking a terminal including antenna 1, antenna 2, and antenna 3 as an example, the reference antenna may be antenna 1 or antenna 2 or antenna 3. Taking the reference antenna as antenna 1, the reciprocity calibration result of the RF channels may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the RF channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the RF channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the RF channel corresponding to antenna 3 and the RF channel corresponding to antenna 1. Specifically, the reciprocity calibration result of the RF channels may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the receive channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the receive channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the receive channel corresponding to antenna 3 and the receive channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the transmit channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the transmit channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the transmit channel corresponding to antenna 3 and the transmit channel corresponding to antenna 1.

[0015] In some embodiments, since the first uplink CSI is calculated from the first downlink CSI and the difference information between radio frequency channels, the difference information between radio frequency channels may include: the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between radio frequency channels. Therefore, it can be said that there is an association relationship between the first uplink channel state information and the difference information between the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal, and the difference information includes the time delay difference and / or the phase difference.

[0016] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal performs reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channels, which can enable the uplink and downlink channels between the network device and the terminal to have reciprocity. In this way, based on the first downlink CSI, the terminal can perform reverse calculation on the uplink channel to obtain the channel state information of the uplink channel, that is, the first uplink CSI. In the present application, instead of measuring the uplink channel by means of the terminal interacting with the network device for the uplink reference signal, the uplink channel is measured by performing reverse calculation on the uplink channel based on the reciprocity calibration result of the terminal's radio frequency channels, so as to obtain the first uplink CSI, which can reduce signaling interaction and improve the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel.

[0017] In addition, when there are multiple terminals interacting with the network device, the network device does not need to pre-allocate resources for each terminal to send uplink reference signals, or the terminals do not need to send uplink reference signals to the network device in a round-robin manner, which can save channel air interface resources.

[0018] In the embodiments of the present application, after obtaining the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI, the terminal can send the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI to the network device. In this way, the network device can obtain the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI without measuring the uplink channel based on the uplink reference signal from the terminal, and the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel is high. It can also be said that the terminal carries the first uplink CSI when sending the first downlink CSI to the network device.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, the first downlink channel state information (CSI) and the first uplink channel state information (CSI) are carried in the same message. Exemplarily, currently in the WLAN system, after the terminal measures the downlink channel based on the first reference signal, the first downlink CSI can be encapsulated in a compressed beamforming report. In the embodiments of the present application, after obtaining the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI, the terminal can encapsulate the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI in the compressed beamforming report, and the terminal can send the compressed beamforming report to the network device.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI can be carried in different messages. Exemplarily, the terminal can first send the first downlink CSI to the network device and then send the first uplink CSI to the network device. For example, when the terminal calculates the first downlink CSI, it can first send the first downlink CSI to the network device, and when the terminal calculates the first uplink CSI by inversely calculating the first downlink CSI, the terminal can send the first uplink CSI to the network device. Alternatively, after obtaining the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI, the terminal can first send the first downlink CSI to the network device and then send the first uplink CSI to the network device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. In a WLAN system, the terminal can carry the first downlink CSI in a compressed beamforming report and send the compressed beamforming report to the network device. After sending the compressed beamforming report, the terminal can then send a message carrying the first uplink CSI to the network device.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first reference signal to the terminal, the network device can also send the first information to the terminal, or the network device can broadcast the first information. Correspondingly, the terminal can receive the first information. The first information is used to indicate reporting downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0022] It should be understood that in the current communication protocol, the network device can send indication information to the terminal, and the indication information is used to indicate the terminal to report downlink channel state information. In this example, the terminal can measure the downlink channel, obtain only the downlink CSI and report the downlink CSI to the network device, and will not report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI to the network device.

[0023] Alternatively, the network device can send indication information to the terminal, and the indication information is used to indicate the terminal to send an uplink reference signal. In this example, the terminal can send an uplink reference signal to the network device, and the network device measures the uplink channel to obtain only the uplink CSI. Among them, the terminal does not need to report the uplink CSI either.

[0024] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device can send the first information, and correspondingly, the terminal receives the first information. In other words, the network device can indicate the terminal to report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI. In this way, after obtaining the first downlink CSI based on the first reference signal, the terminal can perform reciprocity compensation on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of the terminal's radio frequency channels to obtain the first uplink CSI. The terminal can obtain the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI. In this way, signaling interaction can be reduced, and the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel can also be improved.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the terminal may send second information, which is used to indicate the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information. Correspondingly, the network device may receive the second information, and the network device may determine, based on the second information, that the terminal has the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information. When the network device determines that the terminal has the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information, the network device may send first information to the terminal, instructing the terminal to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0026] In a possible scenario, in a WLAN system, the second information may be carried in an association request. Alternatively, information indicating the ability to report CSI and uplink CSI may be carried in the association request, and the association request may be regarded as the second information. In some embodiments, the terminal may also send the second information to the network device after associating with the network device.

[0027] In a possible scenario, in an LTE system, the terminal may send the second information to the network device during the process of establishing a connection with the network device. For example, based on the current LTE protocol regulations, in some embodiments, the terminal may carry the second information when reporting its own capability information to the network device. Alternatively, the terminal may send the second information to the network device after establishing a connection with the network device.

[0028] The above examples introduce the method by which the terminal can perform reciprocity compensation of the radio frequency channel on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel to obtain the first uplink CSI. The following introduces the method for the terminal to obtain the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel:

[0029] First, the terminal supports self-calibration, that is, the terminal itself can perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel to obtain the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels of the terminal.

[0030] Among them, the terminal traverses each antenna that receives the first reference signal. The terminal may send a first signal through the transmission channel corresponding to one antenna that receives the first reference signal, and receive the first signal through the transmission channels corresponding to the remaining antennas that receive the first reference signal. After the terminal traverses each antenna that receives the first reference signal, the terminal may determine the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels of the terminal according to the sent first signal and the received first signal.

[0031] Exemplarily, taking the terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example, both antenna 1 and antenna 2 receive a first reference signal, that is, the first reference signal corresponds to antenna 1 and antenna 2, or rather, the first reference signal corresponds to the radio frequency channel of antenna 1 and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 2. In this example, the terminal sends a first signal through the transmission channel of antenna 1, and the terminal receives the first signal through the reception channel of antenna 2. The terminal sends a second signal through the transmission channel of antenna 2, and the terminal receives the second signal through the reception channel of antenna 1. The terminal can determine the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels of the terminal based on the sent first signal, the received first signal, the sent second signal, and the received second signal.

[0032] Among them, the first signal sent by the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1 is received by the reception channel corresponding to antenna 2 after spatial transmission, thereby completing the measurement of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1 and the reception channel corresponding to antenna 2, and obtaining the time delay and phase of the reception channel corresponding to antenna 2, as well as the time delay and phase of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1. Similarly, the second signal sent by the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 is received by the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1 after spatial transmission, thereby completing the measurement of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1, and obtaining the time delay and phase of the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1, as well as the time delay and phase of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2. The terminal can perform a difference operation on the time delay and phase of the reception channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the time delay and phase of the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1 to obtain the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the reception channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1, as well as the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1.

[0033] Second, the terminal does not support self-calibration, that is, the terminal itself does not have the ability to perform reciprocal calibration on the radio frequency channels. In this example, the terminal and the network device can interact with reference signals to achieve reciprocal calibration of the radio frequency channels of the terminal.

[0034] Among them, the terminal can actively initiate a reciprocal calibration request for the radio frequency channels to the network device. For example, the terminal can send a second reference signal to the network device. The second reference signal is an uplink reference signal. After receiving the second reference signal, the network device can measure the uplink channel to obtain the second uplink channel state information and send the second uplink channel state information to the terminal. It can be said that the second uplink channel state information is obtained based on the second reference signal.

[0035] In addition, in response to receiving the second reference signal, the network device can send a third reference signal to the terminal. The third reference signal is a downlink reference signal. The terminal can measure the downlink channel based on this third reference signal to obtain the second downlink channel state information.

[0036] In this way, the terminal can obtain the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information. The terminal can determine the time delay difference and / or the phase difference according to the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information. It can also be said that the terminal performs reciprocal calibration on the radio frequency channels of the terminal according to the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information to obtain the time delay difference and / or the phase difference. For specific details, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions in the following embodiments. Figure 10 in the relevant descriptions.

[0037] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. A communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a communication device. The communication device can be a network device, or can also be a component (such as a chip, a chip system, a processor, etc.) configured in the network device. Or, it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device.

[0038] It should be understood that the method provided in the second aspect corresponds to the first aspect. For the description of the same or corresponding content, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions in the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Exemplarily, the network device can send a first reference signal and receive first uplink channel state information. The first uplink channel state information is obtained by performing radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on the first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

[0040] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the network device receives the first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information and the first uplink channel state information are carried in the same message.

[0041] In a possible implementation manner, before sending the first reference signal, the method further includes: the network device sends a first piece of information, and the first piece of information is used to indicate reporting downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0042] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the network device receives a second piece of information, and the second piece of information is used to indicate the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner, there is an association relationship between the difference information between the first uplink channel state information and the radio frequency channel corresponding to the first reference signal, and the difference information includes a time delay difference and / or a phase difference.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device receives a second reference signal and sends second uplink channel state information, where the second uplink channel state information is obtained based on the second reference signal. Moreover, the network device may send a third reference signal, where the third reference signal is used to determine second downlink channel state information, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference are obtained based on the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information.

[0045] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including modules or units for implementing the methods in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. Each module or unit can implement corresponding functions by executing a computer program.

[0046] Exemplarily, the communication device in the third aspect is a terminal or a component configured in a terminal, such as a chip, a chip system, a processor, etc.

[0047] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor, where the processor is used to execute the communication methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0048] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and when the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory, the methods described in the above aspects can be implemented.

[0049] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, where the communication interface is used for the device to communicate with other communication devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0050] Exemplarily, the communication device provided in the fourth aspect is a chip or a chip system.

[0051] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor and a communication interface, where the communication interface is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor uses logic circuits or executes code instructions to implement the communication methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0052] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and when the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory, the methods described in the above first aspect can be implemented.

[0053] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store instructions and data. When the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory, the communication method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect can be implemented.

[0054] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, which is used for the device to communicate with other communication devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface can be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0055] Exemplarily, the communication device in the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect is a terminal.

[0056] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including modules or units for implementing the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. Each module or unit can implement the corresponding function by executing a computer program.

[0057] Exemplarily, the communication device in the third aspect is a terminal, or a component configured in a terminal, such as a chip, a chip system, a processor, etc.

[0058] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor, which is used to execute the communication method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0059] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor. When the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory, the methods described in the above aspects can be implemented.

[0060] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, which is used for the device to communicate with other communication devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface can be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0061] Exemplarily, the communication device provided in the eighth aspect is a chip or a chip system.

[0062] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor implements the communication method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect through logic circuits or by executing code instructions. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0063] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and when the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory, the method described in the second aspect above can be implemented.

[0064] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor and a memory. The memory is used for storing instructions and data. When the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory, the communication method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect can be implemented.

[0065] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface for the device to communicate with other communication devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0066] Exemplarily, the communication device in the ninth aspect or the tenth aspect is a network device.

[0067] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, including a computer program, which when running on a computer, enables the computer to implement the method in the first or second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first or second aspect.

[0068] In a twelfth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (which may also be referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it enables the computer to execute the method in the first or second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first or second aspect.

[0069] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned terminal and network device.

[0070] The technical solutions of the third to thirteenth aspects of the present application correspond to those of the first and second aspects of the present application. The beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation manners are similar and will not be elaborated herein. Description of the Drawings

[0071] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in this application;

[0072] Figure 2 A communication schematic diagram of a network device and a terminal applicable to the communication method provided in this application;

[0073] Figure 3A Schematic diagram of the measurement process of the downlink channel in the LTE system;

[0074] Figure 3B A schematic diagram of a network device allocating resources;

[0075] Figure 4 Measurement timing diagram of the downlink channel in the WLAN system;

[0076] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the channel between the network device and the terminal provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 7 A timing diagram of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 8 Another schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart of the terminal performing reciprocity calibration on the RF channels provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 10 Another schematic flowchart of the terminal performing reciprocity calibration on the RF channels provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the linear relationship between the phase difference and frequency between the RF channels of the terminal;

[0083] Figure 12 Another timing diagram of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 13 A schematic structural diagram of the measurement device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0085] Figure 14 Another schematic structural diagram of the measurement device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0086] Figure 15 A schematic structural diagram of the terminal provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 16 It is a schematic structural diagram of the network device provided by the embodiment of the present application. Specific embodiments

[0088] Next, the technical solution provided by the present application will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0089] To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained:

[0090] First, in the present application, indication includes explicit indication (also known as direct indication) and implicit indication (also known as indirect indication). Among them, explicitly indicating information A means including the information A; implicitly indicating information A means indicating information A through the correspondence between information A and information B and directly indicating information B. The correspondence between information A and information B can be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured; or, it can also mean indicating information A through information B and a preset rule.

[0091] Second, in the present application, information C is used for the determination of information D, which includes both the case where information D is determined only based on information C and the case where it is determined based on information C and other information. In addition, for the case where information C is used for the determination of information D, there can also be an indirect determination situation. For example, information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C.

[0092] Third, in the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Among them, A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects, but does not exclude the case where it represents a "and" relationship between the front and rear associated objects. The specific meaning represented can be understood in combination with the context. "At least one (item)" or its similar expression refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item (item) or plural items (items). For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Among them, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0093] Fourth, in the present application, the use of prefix words such as "first" and "second" is only for facilitating the differential description of different things belonging to the same name category, and does not restrict the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first information" and "second information" are just different information, and there is no time sequence relationship, size relationship, or priority relationship between them.

[0094] Fifth, the terms "send" and "receive" in this application indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to a terminal" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal, which may include directly sending via the air interface, or indirectly sending by other units or modules via the air interface. "Receiving information from a network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which may include directly receiving from the network device via the air interface, or indirectly receiving from the network device via the air interface through other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0095] In other words, sending and receiving can be carried out between devices, for example, between a terminal and a network device; or can be carried out within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, trace or interface.

[0096] Sixth, in the embodiments of this application, "when", "if" and "in case" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, not limited to time, and do not require the device to have a judgment action when implemented, nor does it mean there are other limitations.

[0097] Seventh, in this application, words such as "example", "exemplarily", "for example" or "such as" are used to give examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "example", "exemplarily", "for example" or "such as" in this application should not be construed as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Exactly speaking, using words such as "example", "exemplarily", "for example" or "such as" aims to present relevant concepts in a specific way.

[0098] Eighth, this application describes the communication method provided herein by taking the downlink channel measurement as an example, but this should not limit the applicable scenarios of this solution. In the uplink channel measurement, after the network device obtains the uplink channel state information (CSI), it can also perform radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on the network device, perform reverse calculation on the uplink CSI to obtain the downlink CSI, so as to reduce signaling overhead. Based on the same concept, those skilled in the art can make simple transformations on the basis of the embodiments herein to obtain the uplink CSI and the downlink CSI. For the sake of brevity, this is not elaborated herein.

[0099] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application can be applicable to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, they support the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11a / b / g standards, 802.11n standards, 802.11ac standards, 802.11ax standards, the IEEE 802.11ax next-generation Wi-Fi protocol, such as 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Extremely High Throughput (EHT), 802.11ad, 802.11ay or 802.11bf, and again, such as the 802.11be next-generation, Wi-Fi 8, etc. It can also be applied to wireless personal area network systems based on Ultra Wide Band (UWB), such as the 802.15 series of standards, and can also be applied to sensing systems, such as the 802.11bf series of standards, and can also be applied to 802.11bn standards or Ultra-High Reliability (UHR) standards. Among them, the 802.11n standard is called the High Throughput (HT) standard, the 802.11ac standard is called the Very High Throughput (VHT) standard, the 802.11ax standard is called the High Efficient (HE) standard, and the 802.11be standard is called the Extremely High Throughput (EHT) standard. Among them, 802.11bf includes two major categories of standards: low frequency (for example, sub7GHz) and high frequency (for example, 60GHz). The implementation of sub7GHz mainly relies on standards such as 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be and the next-generation, etc. The implementation of 60GHz mainly relies on standards such as 802.11ad, 802.11ay and the next-generation, etc. Among them, 802.11ad can also be called the Directional Multi-Gigabit (DMG) standard, and 802.11ay can also be called the Enhanced Directional Multi-Gigabit (EDMG) standard.

[0100] Although the embodiments of the present application mainly illustrate by taking the deployment of a WLAN network, especially a network applying the IEEE 802.11 system standard as an example, those skilled in the art can easily understand that all aspects involved in the embodiments of the present application can be extended to other networks adopting various standards or protocols. For example, high performance radio local area network (HIPERLAN), wireless wide area network (WWAN), wireless personal area network (WPAN), or other networks known now or developed in the future. Therefore, regardless of the coverage range and wireless access protocol used, all aspects provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0101] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to various communication systems, such as: WLAN communication systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), sixth generation (6G) systems, internet of things (IoT) networks or vehicle to x (V2X), etc.

[0102] The above-mentioned communication systems applicable to the present application are only examples, and the communication systems applicable to the present application are not limited thereto. This is uniformly stated here and will not be repeated hereinafter. Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided by the present application. Figure 1 It shows a schematic diagram of a possible and non-limiting system architecture. As Figure 1 shown, the communication system includes: a network device and a terminal. It should be understood that Figure 1 in this, taking the network device as an access point (AP) in a WLAN system as an example, Figure 1Taking the terminal as a station (STA) in the WLAN system as an example. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of network devices and terminals included in the communication system. Exemplarily, Figure 1 Taking 2 APs and 3 STAs as an example.

[0103] The terminal can access the communication network through the network device. The terminal can be connected to the network device wirelessly. The terminal can be in a fixed position or movable. Other network devices may also be included in this communication system, such as core network devices, wireless relay devices, and wireless backhaul devices, which are not drawn Figure 1 in the figure.

[0104] In some embodiments, the network device is an access device through which the terminal accesses the communication system wirelessly. For example, the network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access point (AP) in a WiFi system, etc.

[0105] The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), etc. Exemplarily, for example, the terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, 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 wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc.

[0106] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal and the network device may be hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware or software functions running on general hardware. For example, they may be virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform), or entities including dedicated or general hardware devices and software functions. The present application does not limit the specific forms of the terminal and the network device.

[0107] It should be understood that Figure 1 in the WLAN system is taken as an example for illustration. Among them, the network device may be an AP, and the terminal may be an STA. In some embodiments, the STA may be a non-access point station (none access point station, non-APSTA), simply referred to as a non-AP station or STA. Specifically, the solution of the present application is applicable to data communication between an AP and one or more non-AP stations (for example, Figure 1 the data communication between AP1 and non-AP STA1, non-AP STA2 in ), and is also applicable to data communication between APs (for example, Figure 1 the data communication between AP1 and AP2 in ), and data communication between non-AP STAs (for example, Figure 1 the data communication between non-AP STA2 and non-AP STA3 in ).

[0108] Among them, the access point may be a node for a terminal (such as a mobile phone) to enter a wired (or wireless) network, mainly deployed indoors in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of dozens of meters to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. The access point is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network, and its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet.

[0109] Specifically, the access point may be a terminal or a network device with a Wi-Fi chip. The network device may be a server, a router, a switch, a bridge, a computer, a mobile phone, a relay station, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network device in a 5G network, a network device in a 6G network, or a network device in a public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The access point may be a device supporting the Wi-Fi standard. For example, the access point may also support one or more standards of the IEEE 802.11 series such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11bn, 802.11bf.

[0110] The non-AP station can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, a wireless communication terminal, etc., and can also be referred to as a user, a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile device, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The non-AP station can be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a wearable device, a terminal in a 5G network, a terminal in a 6G network, or a terminal in a public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The non-AP station can be a device supporting the WLAN standard. For example, the non-AP station can support one or more standards of the IEEE 802.11 series such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11bf, etc.

[0111] For example, the non-AP station can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a set-top box, a smart TV, a smart wearable device, a vehicle-mounted communication device, a computer, an Internet of Things (IoT) node, a sensor, a smart home, such as a smart camera, a smart remote control, a smart water meter and electricity meter, and sensors in a smart city, etc.

[0112] The above-mentioned AP or non-AP station can include a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, a processor, etc. Among them, the transmitter and the receiver are respectively used for sending and receiving packet structures, the memory is used for storing signaling information and storing preset values agreed in advance, etc., and the processor is used for parsing signaling information, processing related data, etc.

[0113] To better understand the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly explain the terms involved in the present application.

[0114] 1. Channel reciprocity: Within a relatively short period of time (the coherence time of signal propagation), it can be considered that the channel fading experienced by the transmission of the uplink channel and the downlink channel is the same. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application focus on discussing the reciprocity of the radio frequency channels (or links) in the device. It should be understood that the uplink and downlink channels in the following embodiments refer to the uplink channel and the downlink channel.

[0115] 2. Reciprocity Calibration: In the embodiments of the present application, it refers to calibrating the downlink channel (such as the receiving channel in the radio frequency channel of the terminal) and the uplink channel (such as the transmitting channel in the radio frequency channel of the terminal) to obtain the difference information between the downlink channel and the uplink channel when receiving and transmitting signals. In some embodiments, the difference information may include a time delay difference and / or a phase difference. In some embodiments, the difference information between the downlink channel and the uplink channel when receiving and transmitting signals may be referred to as the reciprocity calibration result.

[0116] 3. Reciprocity Compensation: In the embodiments of the present application, it refers to processing the downlink CSI based on the reciprocity calibration result to obtain the uplink CSI, or reciprocally compensating (or inversely calculating) the uplink CSI based on the reciprocity calibration result to obtain the downlink CSI.

[0117] 4. Reference Signal (RS): It can be used for channel measurement, channel estimation, etc.

[0118] According to the protocols of LTE or NR, downlink reference signals may include, for example: synchronization signal block (SSB), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)-demodulation reference signal (PDCCH-DMRS), physical downlink share channel (PDSCH)-demodulation reference signal (PDSCH-DMRS), PTRS, channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS), cell reference signal (CRS) in LTE, time / frequency domain tracking reference signal (TRS) in NR, downlink positioning signal (positioning RS), etc. Uplink reference signals may include, for example: sounding reference signal (SRS), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)-demodulation reference signal (PUCCH-DMRS), physical uplink share channel (PUSCH)-demodulation reference signal (PUSCH-DMRS), phase noise tracking reference signal (PTRS), uplink positioning signal (uplink positioning RS), and so on.

[0119] According to the protocol of WLAN, the reference signal may be, for example, a null data packet announcement (NDP) frame.

[0120] 5. Reference signal configuration: The reference signal configuration may include two parts: reference signal resource configuration and reporting configuration. The following takes the RS configuration as an example for introduction.

[0121] Among them, the reporting configuration can be used to configure parameters related to CSI reporting, such as "ReportConfigId", "reportConfigType", "reportQuantity", etc. "ReportConfigId" can be used to indicate the reported information. "reportConfigType" is used to configure the reporting type, which can be specifically divided into: periodic reporting, semi-persistent reporting, and aperiodic reporting. "reportQuantity" can be used to configure the reported information, such as including: precoding matrix indicator (PMI), rank indicator (RI), layer indicator (LI), channel quality indicator (CQI), reference signal reception power (RSRP), reference signal reception quality (RSRQ), signal to noise ratio (SNR), signal to interference-noise ratio (SINR), etc. Different information can be reported through different configurations.

[0122] Among them, the reference signal resource configuration can be used to configure information related to RS resources, such as "CSI-ResourceConfigId", and the RS resources for measurement.

[0123] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are applicable to various communication scenarios, but are particularly applicable to the multi-in-multi-out (MIMO) scenario. In the multi-in-multi-out (MIMO) scenario, both the network device and the terminal use two or more antennas for information transmission, forming an antenna system with multiple channels between the transmitter and the receiver. By independently transmitting information on different antennas, the utilization rate of the channel can be improved.

[0124] Here, in combination with Figure 2 , a MIMO communication system is briefly introduced to facilitate the understanding of the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application.

[0125] Taking the example that the network device includes 2 antennas and the terminal includes 2 antennas, the network device and the terminal constitute a 2×2 MIMO communication system. In the 2×2 MIMO communication system, the space can be layered, and different information can be sent in different layers. This layering method can be called spatial multiplexing. After spatial multiplexing, MIMO can be divided into SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO. Among them, SU-MIMO represents the layers used by a single user, and MU-MIMO represents the allocation of layers to different users for use.

[0126] Referring to Figure 2 , taking the example that the 2 antennas in the network device are antenna 1 and antenna 2 respectively, and the two antennas in the terminal are antenna 1 and antenna 2 respectively, in the 2×2 MIMO communication system, 4 spatial streams can be included. The 4 spatial streams are respectively: spatial stream 1 from antenna 1 of the network device to antenna 1 of the terminal, spatial stream 2 from antenna 1 of the network device to antenna 2 of the terminal, spatial stream 3 from antenna 2 of the network device to antenna 1 of the terminal, and spatial stream 4 from antenna 2 of the network device to antenna 2 of the terminal.

[0127] In some embodiments, a spatial stream can be regarded as a sub-channel of the channel between the network device and the terminal. Exemplarily, referring to Figure 2 , the channel between the network device and the terminal can be divided into 4 sub-channels, and each spatial stream can be used as a sub-channel. For example, the channel between the network device and the terminal can be divided into 4 sub-channels, which are sub-channel 1 (the channel between antenna 1 of the network device and antenna 1 of the terminal), sub-channel 2 (the channel between antenna 1 of the network device and antenna 2 of the terminal), sub-channel 3 (the channel between antenna 2 of the network device and antenna 1 of the terminal), and sub-channel 4 (the channel between antenna 2 of the network device and antenna 2 of the terminal).

[0128] For example, the network device sends signal X1 through antenna 1 and signal X2 through antenna 2. Due to the influence of the downlink channel, the signal received by the terminal through antenna 1 is Y1, and the signal received by the terminal through antenna 2 is Y2. Then the downlink channel information can be determined by the signals X1, X2 sent by the sending end (network device) and the signals Y1, Y2 received by the receiving end (terminal). For example, the downlink transmission matrix reflecting the downlink channel information can be called the H matrix, and the H matrix can satisfy the following formula 1, for example:

[0129]

[0130] Among them, h in the H matrix 11 , h 12 , h 21 , and h 22 respectively represent the channel information of each sub-channel of the 2×2 MIMO transmission. For example, h11 is the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 1, h 12 is the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 2, h 21 is the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 3, h 22 is the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 4.

[0131] Currently in the LTE system, in order to improve the utilization rate of channel resources, the channel between the network device and the terminal can be divided into multiple sub-channels or sub-bands. Here, the sub-channel is taken as an example for illustration. The frequencies of different sub-channels are different. To ensure the communication quality between the network device and the terminal, the network device can perform frequency selection, that is, determine on which sub-channel to send downlink information (signaling and / or data) to the terminal. Referring to Figure 3A , the network device may send a reference signal to the terminal. The terminal measures (or estimates) the downlink channel based on the received reference signal, obtains the CSI of the downlink channel, and feeds it back to the network device. Among them, the CSI of the downlink channel may include the CSI of each downlink sub-channel. The network device can perform frequency selection based on the CSI of each downlink sub-channel, and determine configurations such as the resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and precoding of the downlink channel for scheduling the terminal.

[0132] In some embodiments, the CSI of the downlink channel may be abbreviated as downlink channel state information (downlink CSI), and the CSI of the uplink channel may be abbreviated as uplink channel state information (uplink CSI).

[0133] As various types of terminals continue to penetrate into daily life, more and more mobile applications have put forward higher requirements for the communication quality of the network. With the popularization of applications such as wireless office, video conferencing, short videos, AR, and VR, users not only have high requirements for the communication quality of the downlink channel (such as download speed, video loading speed, etc.), but also put forward higher requirements for the communication quality of the uplink channel (such as uploading of multimedia resources, etc.).

[0134] To ensure the communication quality of the uplink channel, currently, the uplink channel can be measured. Based on the relevant protocols of LTE, the network device can allocate resources for the terminal to send reference signals, and the terminal can send reference signals to the network device on this resource. After receiving the reference signal, the network device can measure the uplink channel to obtain the uplink CSI. In some embodiments, the network device can communicate with multiple terminals simultaneously, and since the resources for each terminal to send reference signals are not shared, the network device needs to allocate resources for each terminal. To improve the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel, referring to Figure 3B, the network device can allocate resources for multiple terminals in the frequency domain, and the terminals can send reference signals to the network device on the corresponding resources. It should be understood that Figure 3B takes multiple terminals including UE1, UE2, and UE3 as an example in

[0135] In some embodiments, to facilitate the distinction between the reference signals sent by the network device to the terminals and the reference signals sent by the terminals to the network device, the reference signals sent by the network device to the terminals can be used as downlink reference signals, and the reference signals sent by the terminals to the network device can be used as uplink reference signals.

[0136] Currently in the LTE system, when measuring the uplink channel, the terminal needs to send an uplink reference signal to the network device, and the network device measures the uplink channel based on the reference signal to obtain the uplink CSI. The signaling overhead is large and the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel is low.

[0137] Currently in the WLAN system, the downlink channel can also be measured. Based on the relevant WLAN protocols, referring to Figure 4 , the measurement of the downlink channel can include the following steps 1-step 4. Among them, the relevant WLAN protocols include but are not limited to: such as IEEE802.11 protocol, IEEE 802.11 protocol, IEEE 802.15 protocol, or IEEE 802.11, etc.

[0138] Step 1, the AP broadcasts a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame (or message).

[0139] In the WLAN system, the AP can be regarded as the network device, and the station device (STA) can be regarded as the terminal.

[0140] Currently, the AP can broadcast the NDPA frame on the full-band resources. The NDPA frame is used to indicate the STAs participating in the channel measurement this time, and the information that the STAs need to report, etc.

[0141] In some embodiments, the format of the NDPA frame can refer to Table 1-1 and Table 1-2:

[0142] Table 1-1

[0143]

[0144] Table 1-2

[0145]

[0146] The first four fields in Table 1-1 are the frame headers of the NDPA frame. Frame Control indicates the protocol version and frame type of the NDPA frame. Duration represents a time period, which is used to indicate the total transmission time of the NDPA frame, the NDP frame, and the subsequent channel information feedback from the terminal to the network device. If the NDPA frame carries only one STA information (info), then RA (receiver address) represents the media access control (MAC) address of the terminal that needs to feedback channel information. If the NDPA frame contains multiple STA infos, then RA is set to the broadcast address. TA (transmitter address) represents the address of the network device that sends the NDPA frame. Sounding Dialog Token represents the index of this NDPA frame determined by the network device. STA Info represents the information of the STA participating in the channel measurement this time, and STAInfo1 to STA InfoN represent the information of multiple STAs participating in the channel measurement this time. FCS represents the frame check sequence.

[0147] In Table 1-2, AID 11 represents the terminal association identity identifier that needs to feedback channel information. Partial BWInfo represents the first 26-tone RU to the last 26-tone RU that needs to feedback channel information. Among them, PartialBW Info can include RU start and RU end. Among them, RU start represents the first 26-tone RU that needs to feedback channel information, and RU end represents the last 26-tone RU that needs to feedback channel information. Feedback TypeAnd Ng indicates the channel information that the STA needs to feedback. The channel information can include, for example, but is not limited to: channel quality indication (CQI), multi-user compressed V matrix (MUCV), and single-user compressed V matrix (SU CV), etc. In some embodiments, MUCV and SU CV can be understood as a kind of PMI. Disambiguation is used to help the terminal identify an NDPA frame of a HE. Codebook Size and Feedback Type And Ng together characterize the quantization bit width of the channel information feedback. Nc represents the number of streams, which can be understood as the number of spatial streams through which the MIMO communication system can transmit information.

[0148] Step 2: After a short inter frame space (SIFS), the AP broadcasts an NDP frame.

[0149] The NDP frame is used for channel measurement. In some embodiments, the NDP frame can be used as a reference signal.

[0150] Wherein, after receiving the NDP frame, the STA can use the NDP frame to measure the downlink channel and obtain the downlink CSI.

[0151] Step 3: After SIFS, the AP broadcasts a Trigger frame.

[0152] The Trigger frame is used to instruct the STA to report channel state information.

[0153] In some embodiments, the Trigger frame may include information such as the length of the physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) and the modulation coding scheme (MCS).

[0154] Step 4: The STA reports the downlink CSI to the AP.

[0155] In a WLAN system, the AP does not allocate frequency domain resources to the STA, but broadcasts NDPA frames, NDP frames, and Trigger frames on all frequency band resources. Therefore, STAs accessing the AP can receive NDPA frames, NDP frames, and Trigger frames. Exemplarily, referring to Figure 4 , STA1 and STA2 receive NDPA frames, NDP frames, and Trigger frames. After SIFS after receiving the Trigger frame, STA1 can report the downlink CSI-1 to the AP, and STA2 can report the downlink CSI-2 to the AP.

[0156] In some embodiments, the downlink CSI can be carried in a compressed beamforming report. Exemplarily, STA1 can report a compressed beamforming report 1 to the AP, and the compressed beamforming report 1 includes the downlink CSI-1. Similarly, STA2 can report a compressed beamforming report 2 to the AP, and the compressed beamforming report 2 includes the downlink CSI-2.

[0157] Currently, the relevant protocols of WLAN do not disclose the communication method for the uplink channel.

[0158] In a possible scenario, the STA can perform round-robin reporting of uplink reference signals to achieve uplink channel measurement. Exemplarily, for example, the AP can broadcast a Trigger frame, which is used to instruct the STA to send an NDP frame (which can be regarded as an uplink reference signal), and the NDP frame is used for the AP to measure the uplink channel. Among them, in response to the Trigger frame, the STA can send the NDP frame to the AP on the entire frequency band. After receiving the NDP frame, the AP can measure the uplink channel to obtain the uplink CSI. It should be understood that when there are multiple STAs accessing the AP, in response to the Trigger frame, these multiple STAs can send the NDP frame to the AP at different times, that is, the STAs can perform round-robin reporting of uplink reference signals, which is convenient for the AP to measure the uplink channel based on the uplink reference signals.

[0159] In a possible scenario, in a WLAN system, a communication method for the uplink channel similar to that of an LTE system can be used. Exemplarily, the AP can pre-allocate resources for multiple STAs to send NDP frames on frequency domain resources and broadcast a Trigger frame. In response to receiving the Trigger frame, these multiple STAs can send the NDP frames to the AP on the corresponding frequency domain resources. In this way, the AP can measure the uplink channel based on the NDP frames from the STAs to obtain the uplink CSI.

[0160] Currently, the communication method for the uplink channel is not disclosed in the WLAN system. In a possible implementation, when measuring the uplink channel, it is necessary for the STAs to perform round-robin reporting of uplink reference signals to the AP, and the AP measures the uplink channel based on the uplink reference signals to obtain the uplink CSI. This results in large signaling overhead, affects the utilization efficiency of the air interface channel resources, and has low measurement efficiency for the uplink channel.

[0161] Currently, for the network device to send downlink reference signals to the terminal, the transmission of the downlink reference signal includes two parts: spatial transmission and radio frequency transmission. In some embodiments, the channel between the network device and the terminal can be divided into: a spatial channel and a radio frequency channel. Among them, the channel for spatial transmission can be called the spatial channel, and the channel for radio frequency transmission can be called the radio frequency channel.

[0162] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the channel between the network device and the terminal provided by the embodiments of the present application. Refer to Figure 5, taking sub-channel 1 between antenna 1 of the network device and antenna 1 of the terminal as an example, the network device transmits a downlink reference signal through antenna 1 of the network device. After the downlink reference signal is transmitted through space, it is received by antenna 1 of the terminal. After antenna 1 receives the downlink reference signal, it will pass through the processing of the radio frequency channel of antenna 1 of the terminal and reach the processor of the terminal (such as the baseband processor). The processor of the terminal can measure the downlink channel based on the downlink reference signal to obtain the downlink CSI.

[0163] Referring to Figure 5 , the radio frequency channel of antenna 1 of the terminal includes a receiving channel and a transmitting channel. The receiving channel can receive the downlink reference signal from the network device, and the transmitting channel can send the uplink information to the network device. In some embodiments, the receiving channel may include, but is not limited to: an amplifier, a filter, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a baseband processor, etc. The transmitting channel may include, but is not limited to: a baseband processor, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a filter, and an amplifier, etc. After antenna 1 of the terminal receives the downlink reference signal, it can amplify, filter, and perform analog-to-digital conversion on the downlink reference signal through the components in the receiving channel, and the baseband processor calculates the downlink CSI. For the signal transmitted by the terminal, it can be subjected to digital-to-analog conversion, filtering, and amplification processing through the components in the transmitting channel and then transmitted through the antenna.

[0164] In summary, during the space transmission process, the downlink reference signal is not processed by devices, etc. Therefore, during the space transmission process, the uplink and downlink channels in the coherent time space channel are reciprocal. However, during the radio frequency transmission process, the receiving channel and the transmitting channel will perform different processing on the signal. Therefore, there are differences in delay and / or phase in the transmission of the signal in the receiving channel and the transmitting channel. In order to enable the uplink and downlink channels in the radio frequency channel to be reciprocal, the terminal can perform reciprocal calibration on the radio frequency channel to ensure that the uplink and downlink channels in the radio frequency channel are reciprocal.

[0165] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, which can enable the uplink and downlink channels between the terminal and the network device to be reciprocal by means of the reciprocal calibration of the radio frequency channel of the terminal. In this way, after the terminal measures the downlink channel to obtain the downlink CSI, based on the reciprocity of the uplink and downlink channels, the terminal can use the reciprocal calibration result of the radio frequency channel of the terminal to perform reverse calculation on the downlink CSI to complete the measurement of the uplink channel and obtain the uplink CSI.

[0166] In this application, since there is no need to adopt the method of the terminal sending an uplink reference signal to the network device, and the network device completes the measurement of the uplink channel to obtain the uplink CSI, but the uplink CSI is obtained by reverse calculation based on the downlink CSI, the signaling overhead can be reduced and the radio resources can be saved. In addition, since the uplink CSI is calculated from the downlink CSI, the terminal can also report the uplink CSI when reporting the downlink CSI, without measuring the downlink channel and the uplink channel sequentially, which can improve the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel.

[0167] Next, the communication method provided by this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0168] Figure 6 It is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 This method is described by taking the interaction between the network device and the terminal as an example, and should not constitute any limitation to this application. Figure 6 The network device in can also be replaced by components configured in the network device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or, logical modules or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. The terminal can be replaced by components configured in the terminal (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or, logical modules or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0169] Referring to Figure 6 , the communication method provided by an embodiment of this application may include:

[0170] S601, the network device sends a first reference signal.

[0171] For example, the first reference signal is a downlink reference signal.

[0172] In the LTE system, the network device can send a first reference signal to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first reference signal. In the WLAN system, the network device can broadcast the first reference signal (such as an NDP frame), and the terminal (STA) that has accessed the network device (such as an AP) can receive the first reference signal.

[0173] In some embodiments, the network device may send a first reference signal to the terminal periodically or aperiodically. Scenarios of sending the first reference signal to the terminal aperiodically include, for example: when the position change of the terminal exceeds a threshold, the network device may send the first reference signal to the terminal to instruct the terminal to re-measure the downlink channel. Or, when the downlink CSI indicating the network quality of the downlink channel is less than a threshold, the network device may send the first reference signal to the terminal to instruct the terminal to re-measure the downlink channel. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the scenarios of sending the first reference signal to the terminal aperiodically. In the following embodiments, an example in which the network device sends the first reference signal to the terminal periodically is used for illustration.

[0174] S602, the terminal sends first uplink channel state information to the network device. The first uplink channel state information is obtained by performing radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

[0175] As previously mentioned, the downlink reference signal is used for the terminal to measure the downlink channel to obtain the downlink CSI. In the embodiments of the present application, in response to receiving the first reference signal, the terminal may measure the downlink channel to obtain the downlink CSI. The embodiments of the present application do not elaborate on this process, and reference may be made to the descriptions in relevant protocols. In some embodiments, the downlink CSI obtained from the first reference signal may be referred to as the first downlink CSI. In other words, the first downlink CSI is obtained based on the first reference signal, or the first downlink CSI is obtained by measuring the downlink channel based on the first reference signal.

[0176] As previously mentioned, in order to ensure the reciprocity of the uplink and downlink channels between the terminal and the network device, the terminal may perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channels of the terminal to obtain the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels. In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal may perform reciprocity compensation on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result to obtain the first uplink CSI. It can also be said that the terminal performs reverse calculation on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result to obtain the first uplink CSI. It can also be said that the terminal performs reverse calculation of the reciprocity of the uplink channel according to the reciprocity calibration result to obtain the first uplink CSI.

[0177] In some embodiments, the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels may include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to each antenna. Refer to Figure 5For an antenna of a terminal, one antenna corresponds to one radio frequency (RF) channel. The RF channel corresponding to the antenna refers to the RF channel connected to the antenna. For example, the signal received by the antenna can be transmitted to the RF channel for processing, and the signal sent by the RF channel can be transmitted by the antenna. An RF channel includes a receiving channel and a transmitting channel. In other words, one antenna corresponds to a set of transceiver channels, and the transceiver channels include a receiving channel and a transmitting channel.

[0178] In some embodiments, the reciprocity calibration of the RF channels by the terminal can be understood as: the terminal performs reciprocity calibration on the RF channels corresponding to each antenna. Correspondingly, the reciprocity calibration results of the RF channels can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the RF channels corresponding to each antenna. Among them, the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the RF channels corresponding to each antenna can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmitting channels corresponding to each antenna, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channels corresponding to each antenna. Taking the terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example, the reciprocity calibration results of the RF channels can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal and the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 2, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal and the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2.

[0179] Among them, the antenna numbers (such as antenna 1, antenna 2) in the above embodiments can be regarded as the antenna indexes defined in the standard protocol. The antennas (such as antenna 1 and antenna 2) involved in the reciprocity calibration results of the RF channels can be used to receive signals and send signals. In this application, the number of transmitting antennas of the terminal is equal to the number of spatial streams, and the number of receiving antennas can be equal to the actual number of receiving channels. The transmitting antenna can send signals, and the receiving antenna can send signals.

[0180] The time delay difference and / or phase difference between the RF channels defined in the embodiments of this application can actually be regarded as the time delay difference and / or phase difference relative to the RF channel corresponding to the reference antenna (such as antenna 1). Exemplarily, taking the terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example, the reference antenna can be antenna 1 or antenna 2. Taking the reference antenna as antenna 1 as an example, the reciprocity calibration results of the RF channels can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the RF channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the RF channel corresponding to antenna 1. Specifically, the reciprocity calibration results of the RF channels can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1.

[0181] Exemplarily, taking the terminal including antenna 1, antenna 2, and antenna 3 as an example, the reference antenna can be antenna 1 or antenna 2 or antenna 3. Taking the reference antenna as antenna 1 as an example, the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 3 and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 1. Specifically, the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel can include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1, the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 3 and the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1, the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 3 and the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1.

[0182] It should be understood that in the following embodiments, taking the terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example for illustration, the solutions in the present application are also applicable when the terminal includes more antennas. Among them, those skilled in the art can, based on the same concept, make simple transformations on the basis of the embodiments in this article and use the solutions in the present application, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0183] Exemplarily, taking the terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example, the reciprocity calibration result A of the radio frequency channel can be as shown in Formula 2 below:

[0184] A = ((θ r,2 + 2πfτ r,2 ) - (θ r,1 + 2πfτ r,1 )) - ((θ t,2 + 2πfτ t,2 ) - (θ t,1 + 2πfτ t,1 )) Formula 2

[0185] Wherein, θ r,2 represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal, θ r,1 represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal, θ t,2 represents the initial phase value of the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal, θ t,1 represents the initial phase value of the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal, τ r,2 represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal, τ r,1 represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal, τ t,2 represents the time delay of the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal, τ t,1 represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal.

[0186] Taking the reference antenna as antenna 1 as an example, when the terminal includes more antennas, formula 2 can be referred to, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to other antennas and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 1 can also be obtained accordingly.

[0187] It should be understood that θ and φ in this application are only used to represent the corresponding parameters and do not limit the application to the terminal or network device. The meanings of θ and φ can be determined with reference to the description below the formula.

[0188] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 7 , after the terminal establishes a connection with the network device, the terminal can periodically perform reciprocal calibration on the radio frequency channels of the terminal. The reciprocal calibration result of the radio frequency channels can be stable for about dozens of minutes. Taking the network device periodically sending the first reference signal to the terminal as an example, this period is usually on the order of 10 ms. Therefore, the measurement period of the downlink channel is much smaller than the period of the reciprocal calibration of the radio frequency channels. That is to say, after the terminal performs reciprocal calibration on the radio frequency channels once, the terminal can perform at least one detection of the downlink channel, that is, the network device can periodically send the first reference signal to the terminal at least once. Among them, in response to each first reference signal, the terminal can perform a measurement on the downlink channel to obtain a first downlink CSI. In addition, for the first downlink CSI, the terminal can perform reverse calculation on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocal calibration result of the radio frequency channels of this time to obtain a first uplink CSI.

[0189] The following describes the process of the terminal performing reverse calculation on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocal calibration result of the radio frequency channels to obtain the first uplink CSI:

[0190] Taking a 2×2 MIMO communication system as an example, the first downlink CSI can be expressed in matrix form as shown in the following formula 3:

[0191]

[0192] Among them, τ d,sync represents the synchronization time delay of the downlink channel between the network device and the terminal, and d represents the downlink channel. φ r,1 represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal, and φ r,2 represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal. represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal, represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal. θ t,1 represents the initial phase value of the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the network device, and θ t,2 represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the network device. Represents the time delay of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the network device. Represents the time delay of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the network device. h 11 (f) represents the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 1. h 12 (f) represents the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 2. h 21 (f) represents the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 3. h 22 (f) represents the channel transmission coefficient of sub-channel 4.

[0193] It should be noted that due to the transpose processing in the mathematical expression of the uplink channel and the downlink channel, in Formula 3, there are changes in the positions of the diagonal elements.

[0194] Similarly, the uplink CSI can also be represented in matrix form as shown in the following formula 4:

[0195]

[0196] Among them, τ u,sync Represents the synchronization time delay of the uplink channel between the network device and the terminal, and u represents the uplink channel. θ r,1 Represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the network device, and θ r,2 Represents the initial phase value of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the network device. Represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the network device. Represents the time delay of the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the network device. φ t,1 Represents the initial phase value of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal, and φ t,2 Represents the initial phase value of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal. Represents the time delay of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal. Represents the time delay of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 of the terminal.

[0197] Since And the common part of the initial phase value does not affect the reverse calculation of the channel state information. For the convenience of expression here, first simplify H DL To obtain As shown in the following formula 5:

[0198]

[0199] According to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel, perform reciprocity compensation processing on To obtain the first uplink CSI, which is expressed as Specifically, it can refer to the following formula 6:

[0200]

[0201] Among them, U θ represents the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the network device, and U φ represents the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal. Since in this application, the terminal measures the downlink to obtain the first downlink CSI, and based on the first downlink CSI, the terminal calculates the first uplink CSI in reverse, only the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal is required, without considering the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the network device. Therefore, in this application, the terminal can, according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal, perform reciprocity compensation processing to obtain the first uplink CSI, which is expressed as shown in Equation 7 below:

[0202]

[0203] Based on Equation 7, it can be obtained that there is a correlation relationship between the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first uplink and the first reference signal. Among them, the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal can be understood as the radio frequency channels in the terminal that receive the first reference signal. For example, if the terminal includes Antenna 1 and Antenna 2, and both Antenna 1 and Antenna 2 receive the first reference signal, then the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal can include the radio frequency channel of Antenna 1 and the radio frequency channel of Antenna 2 of the terminal. in Equation 7 represents the phase difference and time delay difference between the receiving channel of Antenna 2 and the receiving channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal, where φ r,2 -φ r,1 represents the phase difference between the receiving channel of Antenna 2 and the receiving channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal, represents the time delay difference between the receiving channel of Antenna 2 and the receiving channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal. in Equation 7 represents the phase difference and time delay difference between the transmitting channel of Antenna 2 and the transmitting channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal, where φ t,2 -φ t,1 represents the phase difference between the transmitting channel of Antenna 2 and the transmitting channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal, represents the time delay difference between the transmitting channel of Antenna 2 and the transmitting channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal.

[0204] It should be understood that in Equation 7, taking the reciprocity calibration result U φ of the radio frequency channels of the terminal as an example, it includes: the phase difference and time delay difference between the receiving channel of Antenna 2 and the receiving channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal, and the phase difference and time delay difference between the transmitting channel of Antenna 2 and the transmitting channel of Antenna 1 of the terminal. In some embodiments, U φIt may include the phase difference and / or time delay difference between the receiving channel of antenna 2 of the terminal and the receiving channel of antenna 1, and the phase difference and / or time delay difference between the transmitting channel of antenna 2 and the transmitting channel of antenna 1.

[0205] In other words, there is a correlation between the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the first uplink CSI and the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal. Among them, the time delay difference and / or phase difference between radio frequency channels may include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channels of the terminal. That is to say, there is a correlation between the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the first uplink CSI and the receiving channels corresponding to the first reference signal. The receiving channels corresponding to the first reference signal can be understood as the receiving channels in the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal. Exemplarily, for example, the terminal includes antenna 1 and antenna 2, and both antenna 1 and antenna 2 receive the first reference signal. Then the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal may include the radio frequency channel of antenna 1 and the radio frequency channel of antenna 2 of the terminal. The receiving channels corresponding to the first reference signal include the receiving channels in the radio frequency channel of antenna 1 and the receiving channels in the radio frequency channel of antenna 2. The transmitting channels corresponding to the first reference signal include the transmitting channels in the radio frequency channel of antenna 1 and the transmitting channels in the radio frequency channel of antenna 2.

[0206] In the embodiments of the present application, after obtaining the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI, the terminal may report the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI to the network device.

[0207] Exemplarily, the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI may be carried in one message. In a WLAN system, for example, the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI may be carried in a compressed beamforming report. In some embodiments, the STA may encapsulate the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI in the compressed beamforming report. Among them, the first uplink CSI and the first downlink CSI may be written on the resources where the first downlink CSI is located, or the first uplink CSI may also be written on the reserved resources.

[0208] Exemplarily, the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI may be carried in different messages. Exemplarily, the terminal may first send the first downlink CSI to the network device and then send the first uplink CSI to the network device. For example, when the terminal calculates the first downlink CSI, it may first send the first downlink CSI to the network device, and when the terminal calculates the first uplink CSI by inversely calculating the first downlink CSI, the terminal may send the first uplink CSI to the network device. Alternatively, after obtaining the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI, the terminal may first send the first downlink CSI to the network device and then send the first uplink CSI to the network device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. Taking the example of an STA reporting the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI to an AP in a WLAN system, the STA may carry the first downlink CSI in a compressed beamforming report and send the compressed beamforming report to the network device. After sending the compressed beamforming report, the STA may then send a message (or information) carrying the first uplink CSI to the network device.

[0209] It should be understood that Figure 6 shows the steps for the terminal to report the first downlink CSI and the first uplink CSI to the network device.

[0210] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device sends a first reference signal to the terminal. The terminal may measure the downlink channel based on the first reference signal to obtain the first downlink CSI. The terminal may inversely calculate (or reciprocity compensate) the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal to obtain the first uplink CSI. The embodiments of the present application do not need to implement the measurement of the uplink channel through signaling interaction. Instead, based on the reciprocity of the channel, the uplink CSI is obtained by inversely calculating the downlink CSI, which can reduce signaling overhead, save air interface resources, and improve the measurement efficiency of the uplink channel.

[0211] Figure 6 In the shown embodiments, the terminal has the ability to report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI. The terminal having the ability to report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI can be understood as: when the terminal reports the downlink CSI, it carries the report of the uplink CSI, or the terminal may obtain the uplink CSI according to the downlink CSI and the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal, and the terminal may carry the report of the uplink CSI when reporting the downlink CSI.

[0212] In some embodiments, the terminal may report to the network device that the terminal has the ability to report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI. For example, the terminal may send a second piece of information to the network device, and the second piece of information is used to indicate that the terminal has the ability to report the downlink CSI and the uplink CSI.

[0213] In a WLAN system, the process of a terminal accessing a network device (AP) can include three steps, which are: scanning, authentication, and association. In some embodiments, the terminal can send second information to the network device during the association step.

[0214] Current WLAN-related protocols stipulate that during the association process, the terminal can send an association request to the network device, and the association request can include various parameters of the terminal itself and various parameters selected according to the service configuration. Exemplarily, the association request can include the rates and channels supported by the terminal, as well as the selected access authentication and encryption algorithms, etc. In the embodiments of the present application, the second information can be carried in the association request. Or, information indicating the ability to report CSI and uplink CSI can be carried in the association request, and this association request can be regarded as the second information.

[0215] In some embodiments, the terminal can also send the second information to the network device after the association step.

[0216] Similarly, in an LTE system, the terminal can send the second information to the network device during the process of establishing a connection with the network device. For example, based on the current LTE protocol regulations, in some embodiments, the terminal can carry the second information when reporting its own capability information to the network device. Or, the terminal can send the second information to the network device after establishing a connection with the network device.

[0217] In the embodiments of the present application, during the process of the terminal establishing a connection with the network device, or after the terminal accesses the network device, since the terminal can report its own capability information to the network device, the network device can determine whether the terminal has the ability to report downlink CSI and uplink CSI based on the capability information on the terminal. Among them, when the terminal does not have the ability to report downlink CSI and uplink CSI, the network device can use the communication method of the uplink channel in the existing protocol to obtain the uplink CSI. When the terminal has the ability to report downlink CSI and uplink CSI, the network device and the terminal can obtain the downlink CSI and uplink CSI according to the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0218] In some embodiments, the second information is also used to indicate whether the terminal supports reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel. Thus, the network device can determine whether the terminal supports reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel according to the second information. Among them, when the terminal supports reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel, without the participation of the network device, the terminal can complete the reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel, and reference can be made to Figure 9 the embodiments. When the terminal does not support reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel, the terminal needs to interact with the network device to implement the reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel between terminals, and reference can be made to Figure 10 the embodiments.

[0219] Whether in an LTE system or a WLAN system, when a network device instructs a terminal to perform downlink channel measurement, it can indicate the information to be reported by the terminal. For example, in an LTE system, the network device can perform reporting configuration so that the terminal can determine parameters related to CSI reporting based on the reporting configuration. Among them, the reporting configuration can be configured in the first reference signal. In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal has the ability to report downlink CSI and uplink CSI, and the network device can configure parameters related to CSI reporting in the reporting configuration, and the parameters related to CSI reporting are used to indicate uplink CSI and downlink CSI. In this way, the terminal can determine that this downlink channel measurement needs to report uplink CSI and downlink CSI according to the reporting configuration.

[0220] For example, in a WLAN system, the network device can send an NDPA frame to the terminal, and the NDPA frame is used to indicate the information that the terminal needs to report. In some embodiments, the NDPA frame can be regarded as the first information, and the first information is used to indicate reporting downlink CSI and uplink CSI. Exemplarily, the feedback type indication bit in the NDPA frame can be used to indicate reporting downlink CSI and uplink CSI.

[0221] Taking the WLAN system as an example below, the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application will be introduced. Refer to Figure 8 , the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application may include:

[0222] S801, the AP broadcasts an NDPA frame.

[0223] S802, after SIFS, the AP broadcasts an NDP frame.

[0224] S803, after SIFS, the AP broadcasts a Trigger frame.

[0225] S804, the STA reports downlink CSI and uplink CSI to the AP.

[0226] Among them, the STA can determine that this downlink channel measurement needs to report uplink CSI and downlink CSI based on the NDPA frame, and the STA can measure the downlink channel based on the NDP frame to obtain downlink CSI. The STA can perform reverse calculation on the downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel of the terminal to obtain uplink CSI, which can refer to the description in S602. Accordingly, the STA can report downlink CSI and uplink CSI to the AP.

[0227] As introduced in the above embodiments, the method for the terminal to perform reverse calculation on the downlink CSI to obtain the uplink CSI based on the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel. In some embodiments, the terminal can support self-calibration, that is, the terminal itself can perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel to obtain the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels of the terminal. Among them, taking the terminal including antenna 1 and antenna 2 as an example, the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channels of antenna 1 and the receiving channels of antenna 2.

[0228] Taking the terminal including 2 antennas as an example, the 2 antennas are antenna 1 and antenna 2 respectively. Referring to Figure 9 , the terminal can perform the following steps to perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel:

[0229] S901, the terminal sends a first signal through the transmitting channel of antenna 1.

[0230] S902, the terminal receives the first signal through the receiving channel of antenna 2.

[0231] S903, the terminal sends a second signal through the transmitting channel of antenna 2.

[0232] S904, the terminal receives the second signal through the receiving channel of antenna 1.

[0233] There is no distinction in the order between S901 - S902 and S903 - S904, and the two can be executed simultaneously.

[0234] S905, the terminal determines the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels of the terminal according to the first signal sent, the first signal received, the second signal sent, and the second signal received.

[0235] Among them, the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels include: the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the receiving channels of antenna 1 and the receiving channels of antenna 2, and the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the transmitting channels of antenna 1 and the transmitting channels of antenna 2.

[0236] The process of the terminal performing reciprocity self-calibration on the radio frequency channel can be achieved through the self-transceiving method. Among them, the first signal sent by the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1 is transmitted through space and received by the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2, thus completing the measurement of the transmitting channel corresponding to antenna 1 and the receiving channel corresponding to antenna 2. From the first signal sent by the terminal and the first signal received, the following information B can be obtained, as shown in Equation 8:

[0237] B = (θ r,2 + 2πfτ r,2 ) + (θ t,1 + 2πfτ t,1 ) Equation 8

[0238] Among them, the second signal transmitted by the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 is received by the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1 after spatial transmission, thereby completing the measurement of the transmission channel corresponding to antenna 2 and the reception channel corresponding to antenna 1. From the second signal transmitted by the terminal and the second signal received, the following information C can be obtained, as shown in Equation 9:

[0239] C = (θ r,1 + 2πfτ r,1 ) + (θ t,2 + 2πfτ t,2 ) Equation 9

[0240] According to the above Equation 8 and Equation 9, the terminal can obtain the reciprocity calibration result A of the radio frequency channel, as shown in the following Equation 10:

[0241] A = B - C Equation 10

[0242] In some embodiments, the terminal does not support self-calibration and cannot perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel by itself. In this example, the terminal and the network device can exchange reference signals to achieve reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel by the terminal. Referring to Figure 10 , this process may include:

[0243] S1001, the terminal sends a second reference signal to the network device.

[0244] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal can actively initiate a reciprocity calibration request to the network device. Among them, the terminal can send a second reference signal to the network device.

[0245] The second reference signal is an uplink reference signal. In some embodiments, for example, the uplink reference signal can be, for example, a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)-demodulation reference signal (PUCCH-DMRS), a physical uplink share channel (PUSCH)-demodulation reference signal (PUSCH-DMRS), a phase noise tracking reference signal (PTRS), an uplink positioning signal (uplink positioning RS), etc. In some embodiments, for example, the uplink reference signal can be an NDP frame.

[0246] S1002, the network device sends a second uplink CSI to the terminal, and the second uplink CSI is obtained based on a second reference signal.

[0247] After receiving the second reference signal, the network device can measure the uplink channel to obtain the CSI of the uplink channel. The CSI of the uplink channel can be referred to as the second uplink CSI. For the specific communication method, reference can be made to the relevant description of the terminal obtaining the first downlink CSI based on the first reference signal, or to the relevant provisions in existing protocols.

[0248] S1003, the network device sends a third reference signal to the terminal.

[0249] S1004, the terminal measures the downlink channel based on the third reference signal to obtain a second downlink CSI.

[0250] It should be understood that there is no distinction in the order between S1002 and S1003 - S1004, and they can be executed simultaneously.

[0251] For S1004, reference can be made to the relevant description of the terminal obtaining the second downlink CSI based on the third reference signal, or to the relevant provisions in existing protocols.

[0252] S1005, the terminal obtains the time delay difference and / or phase difference between the radio frequency channels of the terminal according to the second downlink CSI and the second uplink CSI.

[0253] Taking the terminal including 2 antennas as an example, each antenna corresponds to a radio frequency channel, and the radio frequency channel can include a receiving channel and a transmitting channel. Taking the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 2 as an example, the reciprocity calibration process of the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 1 of the terminal and the radio frequency channel corresponding to antenna 2 is described as follows:

[0254] Step 1, calculate the phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to each antenna of the terminal. The phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to each antenna includes: the phase difference between the transmitting channel of antenna 2 and the transmitting channel of antenna 1, and the phase difference between the receiving channel of antenna 2 and the receiving channel of antenna 1.

[0255] Among them, the phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to each antenna of the terminal can be expressed as shown in formula 11 below:

[0256]

[0257] Among them, represents the transmitting channel of antenna 1 of the terminal, and the propagation channel h 11 forms the phase information together with the receiving antenna 1 of the network device, represents the receiving channel of antenna 1 of the terminal, and the propagation channel h 11The phase value jointly formed with the transmitting antenna 1 of the network device Indicates the transmission channel of antenna 2 of the terminal, propagation channel h 21 The initial phase value jointly formed with the receiving antenna 1 of the network device Indicates the receiving channel of antenna 2 of the terminal, propagation channel h 21 The initial phase value jointly formed with the transmitting antenna 1 of the network device Indicates the phase difference between the transmission channels of antenna 2 and antenna 1 of the terminal Indicates the phase difference between the receiving channels of antenna 2 and antenna 1 of the terminal

[0258] Since h ij (f) has uplink-downlink reciprocity, formula 11 can be simplified to formula 12 as follows:

[0259]

[0260] When one end (such as the terminal) has complete uplink-downlink CSI, the reciprocity calibration of the RF channels can be achieved. For a broadband system, the feedback of CSI across the entire band will inevitably introduce information feedback overhead. Considering that the reciprocity calibration coefficient of the transceiver channels has a linear relationship with the carrier f, the reciprocity calibration coefficients on some carriers can be obtained by linear interpolation from the coefficients on another part.

[0261] The phase difference between RF channels has a linear relationship with frequency. Through linear fitting, the phase difference between the RF channels of the terminal and frequency can be obtained as Figure 11 shown below:

[0262] Referring to Figure 11 , Figure 11 the ordinate (y-axis) in is the phase difference between the uplink RF channel and the downlink RF channel, and a phase difference between the uplink and downlink RF channels can be calculated for each pair of uplink and downlink sub-channels Figure 11 the abscissa (x-axis) in is the frequency of the sub-channel Figure 11 shows the phases of h 11 , h 21 , h 12 , h 22 It should be understood that Figure 11 in takes as an example for illustration

[0263] Considering that formula 11 can be transformed into the following formula 13:

[0264]

[0265] Therefore, in order to assist the peer device in performing reciprocity calibration of the RF channels, the network device only needs to feedback the phase differences on some of the carriers in

[0266] . Based on the phase differences on these carriers, the terminal can recover the channel reciprocity calibration coefficients located on these carriers. The terminal can complete the calculation of the channel reciprocity calibration coefficients on all carriers according to the method of linear interpolation. Among them, the interval of the feedback carriers extracted can be fed back in the granularity of Ng. Figure 11 Combining the above formula with

[0267] (θ r,2 -θ r,1 )-(θ t,2 -θ t,1 ) = b21 - b11 = b22 - b12 Formula 14

[0268] (τ r,2 -τ r,1 )-(τ t,2 -τ t,1 ) = k21 - k11 = k22 - k12 Formula 15

[0269] Among them, referring to Figure 11 , the slope of the linear fitting result of the phase difference between the corresponding RF channels of h 11 and frequency is expressed as k11, and the intersection point with the y-axis is b11. Similarly, the slope of the linear fitting result of the phase difference between the corresponding RF channels of h 12 and frequency is expressed as k12, and the intersection point with the y-axis is b12. The slope of the linear fitting result of the phase difference between the corresponding RF channels of h 21 and frequency is expressed as k21, and the intersection point with the y-axis is b21. And the slope of the linear fitting result of the phase difference between the corresponding RF channels of h 22 and frequency is expressed as k22, and the intersection point with the y-axis is b22.

[0270] Therefore, combining Figure 11 , the terminal can achieve reciprocity calibration of the RF channels of the terminal, and can obtain the phase difference between the RF channels of the terminal, as shown in Formula 14, and obtain the time delay difference between the RF channels of the terminal, as shown in Formula 15. Furthermore, the terminal can perform reverse calculation on the first downlink CSI according to the phase difference and / or time delay difference to obtain the first uplink CSI.

[0271] In the embodiments of the present application, a terminal supporting self - calibration can implement the reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel by itself. For a terminal that does not support self - calibration, it can interact with the network device to obtain reference signals, and combine the second uplink CSI and the second downlink CSI to implement the reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel. After the terminal performs the reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel, it can execute the steps in the communication method provided in the above - mentioned embodiments.

[0272] Referring to Figure 12 , in an example where the terminal and the network device interact with reference signals to implement the reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel, the terminal can periodically send a reciprocity calibration request to the network device. The terminal and the network device interact with reference signals so that the terminal can combine the second uplink CSI and the second downlink CSI to implement the reciprocity calibration of the radio frequency channel. After the terminal performs the reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel, the terminal can perform at least one detection of the downlink channel, that is, the network device can periodically send at least one first reference signal to the terminal. Among them, in response to each first reference signal, the terminal can perform a measurement on the downlink channel to obtain a first downlink CSI. In addition, for the first downlink CSI, the terminal can perform reverse calculation on the first downlink CSI according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel at this time to obtain a first uplink CSI. The terminal can reach the first uplink CSI based on the first CSI and the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channel, which can refer to the description in S602.

[0273] The above - mentioned communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Next, the device provided in the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0274] Figures 13 to 16 FIG. is a schematic block diagram of a possible communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or the network device in the above - mentioned method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above - mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be the terminal or the network device in the above - mentioned method embodiments, or a component (such as a chip, a chip system, a processor, etc.) configured in the terminal or the network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing part or all of the functions of the terminal or the network device.

[0275] A communication device provided in the present application is as Figure 13 shown. The communication device 1300 includes a transceiver unit 1310 and a processing unit 1320.

[0276] A possible design is that the communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiments shown in the above - mentioned Figure 6 , Figure 9 , and Figure 10 .

[0277] Among them, the transceiver unit 1310 is used to receive a first reference signal and send first uplink channel state information, where the first uplink channel state information is obtained by performing radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation on first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

[0278] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further used to send the first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information and the first uplink channel state information are carried in the same message.

[0279] Optionally, the processing unit 1320 is used to perform radio frequency channel reciprocity compensation (or inverse calculation) on the first downlink channel state information according to the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal to obtain the first uplink channel state information.

[0280] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further used to receive a first piece of information, where the first piece of information is used to indicate reporting downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0281] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further used to send a second piece of information, where the second piece of information is used to indicate the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0282] Optionally, there is an association relationship between the difference information between the first uplink channel state information and the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal, and the difference information includes a time delay difference and / or a phase difference.

[0283] Optionally, the reciprocity calibration result of the radio frequency channels of the terminal includes the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal.

[0284] Optionally, the processing unit 1320 is used to perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channels to obtain the time delay difference and / or the phase difference.

[0285] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further used to send a second reference signal and receive second uplink channel state information, where the second uplink channel state information is obtained based on the second reference signal.

[0286] The transceiver unit 1310 is further used to receive a third reference signal. The processing unit 1320 is further used to determine the time delay difference and / or the phase difference according to the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information, where the second downlink channel state information is obtained based on the third reference signal.

[0287] Among them, the transceiver unit 1310 can perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal according to the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information to determine the time delay difference and / or the phase difference.

[0288] For a more detailed description of the above transceiver unit 1310 and processing unit 1320, reference can be directly made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and details are not repeated here.

[0289] Another possible design is that the communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the network device in the method embodiments shown in the above Figure 6 and and Figure 10 method embodiments.

[0290] The transceiver unit 1310 is configured to send a first reference signal and receive first uplink channel state information, where the first uplink channel state information is obtained by compensating for radio frequency channel reciprocity of the first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

[0291] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further configured to receive the first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information and the first uplink channel state information are carried in the same message.

[0292] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further configured to send first information, where the first information is used to indicate reporting of downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0293] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further configured to receive second information, where the second information is used to indicate the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

[0294] Optionally, there is an association relationship between the difference information between the first uplink channel state information and the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal, and the difference information includes a time delay difference and / or a phase difference.

[0295] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 is further configured to receive a second reference signal and send second uplink channel state information, where the second uplink channel state information is obtained based on the second reference signal. Among them, the processing unit 1320 is configured to measure the uplink channel according to the second reference signal to obtain the second uplink channel state information.

[0296] The transceiver unit 1310 is further configured to send a third reference signal, where the third reference signal is used to determine the second downlink channel state information, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference are obtained based on the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information. In other words, the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information are used for the terminal to perform reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal to obtain the time delay difference and / or the phase difference between the radio frequency channels corresponding to the first reference signal.

[0297] For a more detailed description of the above-mentioned transceiver unit 1310 and processing unit 1320, reference can be directly made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and details are not repeated here.

[0298] It should be noted that the transceiver unit can also be referred to as a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver, or transceiver device, etc. The processing unit can also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing module, or processing device, etc. Optionally, the transceiver unit is used to perform the sending operation and receiving operation on the terminal or network device side in the above method. The devices used to implement the receiving function in the communication module can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the devices used to implement the sending function in the communication module can be regarded as the sending unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a sending unit.

[0299] It should also be noted that in a possible design, the foregoing transceiver unit and / or processing unit can be implemented through a virtual module. For example, the processing unit can be implemented through a software functional unit or a virtual device, and the transceiver unit can be implemented through a software function or a virtual device. In another possible design, the processing unit or transceiver unit can also be implemented through a physical device. For example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, which performs input operations (corresponding to the foregoing receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to the foregoing sending operations); the processing unit is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0300] The division of units in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative, and is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. In addition, in each example of the embodiments of the present application, each functional module can be integrated in one processor, can also exist separately physically, or two or more modules can be integrated in one module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules.

[0301] Another communication device provided by the present application is as Figure 14 shown. The communication device 1400 includes a processor 1410. The processor 1410 can be used to execute computer programs or instructions in the memory to implement the steps executed by the terminal or the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0302] Optionally, the device 1400 further includes a communication interface 1420. The processor 1410 and the communication interface 1420 are coupled to each other. It can be understood that the communication interface 1420 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0303] Optionally, the communication device 1400 may further include a memory 1430, which is used to store instructions executed by the processor 1410, or input data required for the processor 1410 to run the instructions, or data generated after the processor 1410 runs the instructions.

[0304] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the method in the above embodiments, the processor 1410 is used to execute the functions of the above processing unit, and the communication interface 1420 is used to execute the functions of the above receiving unit and / or sending unit. Whether the communication interface 1420 is used for sending or receiving specifically depends on whether the communication device 1400 executes a sending action or a receiving action in the implemented solution.

[0305] When the above communication device 1400 is a chip applied to a terminal, the chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The chip of the terminal receives signals from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and the signals may be sent by a network device to the terminal; or, the chip of the terminal sends signals to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and the signals may be sent by the terminal to the network device.

[0306] When the above communication device 1400 is a chip applied to a network device, the chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the network device receives signals from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the network device, and the signals may be sent by a terminal to the network device; or, the chip of the network device sends signals to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the network device, and the signals may be sent by the network device to the terminal.

[0307] It can be understood that when the communication device 1400 is a terminal or a network device, the communication interface 1420 may be a transceiver, which may specifically include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is used to send signals, and the receiver is used to receive signals. When the communication device 1400 is a chip applied to a terminal or a network device, the communication interface 1420 may be an input / output circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other types of communication interfaces. Among them, the input circuit in the input / output circuit can be used for receiving, and the output interface can be used for sending.

[0308] It should be understood that Figure 14 In the shown communication device 1400, the processor 1410 may correspond to the processing unit 1110 in the above communication device 1100, and the communication interface 1420 may correspond to the transceiver unit 1140 in the above communication device 1100.

[0309] It should also be understood that the coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units or modules, which can be in electrical, mechanical or other forms for information interaction between devices, units or modules. The processor 1410 may cooperate with the memory 1430. In the embodiments of the present application, the specific connection medium between the processor 1410, the communication interface 1420 and the memory 1430 is not limited.

[0310] Optionally, the processor 1410, the communication interface 1420 and the memory 1430 are interconnected with each other through a bus. The bus may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0311] Figure 15 It is a schematic structural diagram of the terminal provided by the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 15 shown, the terminal 1500 can execute the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. As shown in the figure, the terminal 1500 includes a processor 1501 and a transceiver 1502. Optionally, the terminal 1500 further includes a memory 1503. Among them, the processor 1501, the transceiver 1502 and the memory 1503 can communicate with each other through an internal connection path to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 1503 is used to store a computer program, and the processor 1501 is used to call and run the computer program from the memory 1503 to control the transceiver 1502 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the terminal 1500 may further include an antenna 1504 for transmitting the uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 1502 through a wireless signal.

[0312] The above-mentioned processor 1501 and the memory 1503 can be integrated into a processing device. The processor 1501 is used to execute the program code stored in the memory 1503 to implement the above functions. Specifically, in implementation, the memory 1503 may also be integrated in the processor 1501 or independent of the processor 1501. The processor 1501 may correspond to Figure 11 the processing unit in or Figure 12 the processor in.

[0313] The above-mentioned transceiver 1502 may correspond to Figure 11 the transceiver unit in or Figure 12corresponds to the communication interface in it, and can also be referred to as a transceiver unit. The transceiver 1502 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). Among them, the receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0314] It should be understood that Figure 15 the terminal 1500 shown can implement each process related to the terminal in the above method embodiments. The operations and / or functions of each module in the terminal 1500 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, the detailed description is appropriately omitted here.

[0315] The above processor 1501 can be used to execute the actions implemented inside the terminal described in the previous method embodiments, and the transceiver 1502 can be used to execute the actions of the terminal sending to or receiving from the network device described in the previous method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description in the previous method embodiments, and details are not described here again.

[0316] Optionally, the above terminal 1500 may further include a power supply 1505 for supplying power to various devices or circuits in the terminal. In the embodiments of the present application, a rectifier may be connected between the power supply 1505 and the antenna 1504. After the electromagnetic wave signal is received by the antenna 1504 and converted into an alternating current signal, it can be further converted into a direct current signal by the rectifier and then output to the power supply 1505.

[0317] In addition, in order to make the functions of the terminal more complete, the terminal 1500 may further include one or more of an input unit 1506, a display unit 1507, an audio circuit 1508, a camera 1509, and a sensor 1510, etc. The audio circuit may further include a speaker 1508a, a microphone 1508b, etc.

[0318] Figure 16 It is a schematic structural diagram of the network device provided by the embodiments of the present application. Figure 16 The network device 1600 shown can execute the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. As shown in the figure, the base station 1600 may include one or more of the following: one or more antennas 1610, at least one processor 1611, and at least one memory 1612.

[0319] The processor 1611 can be used to execute the steps executed by the network device in the above method embodiments to implement the communication method of the embodiments of the present application.

[0320] It should be understood that Figure 16The network device 1600 shown can implement each process related to the network device in the above method embodiments. The operations and / or functions of each module in the network device 1600 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, the detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0321] It can be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0322] The memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include but not be limited to these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0323] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned network device and terminal.

[0324] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program (which can also be referred to as code or instruction). When the computer program is run, it causes the computer to execute the method executed by the terminal or the method executed by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0325] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program (which can also be referred to as code or instruction). When the computer program is run, it causes the computer to execute the method executed by the terminal or the method executed by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0326] The terms "unit", "module", etc. used in this specification can be used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution.

[0327] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or in a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods for each specific application to implement the described functions, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present application. In several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices, equipment, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the unit is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed couplings or direct couplings or communication connections to each other can be through some interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections of the devices or units can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0328] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separated. The component displayed as a unit may or may not be a physical unit, that is, it can be located in one place, or it can be distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0329] In addition, in each embodiment of the present application, each functional unit may be integrated into one processing unit, may exist physically alone for each unit, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0330] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wire (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more integrated available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (for example, a solid-state disk (SSD)), etc.

[0331] If this function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of this technical solution, may be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods in the embodiments of the present application. The foregoing storage medium includes: various media such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

[0332] As described above, it is only the specific implementation manner of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims described above.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, applied to a terminal, the method includes: receiving a first reference signal; sending first uplink channel state information, where the first uplink channel state information is obtained by compensating for radio frequency channel reciprocity of first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the method further includes: sending the first downlink channel state information, where the first downlink channel state information and the first uplink channel state information are carried in the same message.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, before receiving the first reference signal, it further includes: receiving a first piece of information, where the first piece of information is used to indicate reporting downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that, the method further includes: sending a second piece of information, where the second piece of information is used to indicate the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that, there is an association relationship between the difference information between the first uplink channel state information and the radio frequency channel corresponding to the first reference signal, and the difference information includes a time delay difference and / or a phase difference.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, the method further includes: performing reciprocity calibration on the radio frequency channel to obtain the time delay difference and / or the phase difference.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, the method further includes: sending a second reference signal; receiving second uplink channel state information, where the second uplink channel state information is obtained based on the second reference signal; receiving a third reference signal; determining the time delay difference and / or the phase difference according to the second uplink channel state information and second downlink channel state information, where the second downlink channel state information is obtained based on the third reference signal.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, applied to a network device, the method includes: sending a first reference signal; receiving first uplink channel state information, where the first uplink channel state information is obtained by compensating for radio frequency channel reciprocity of first downlink channel state information, and the first downlink channel state information is obtained based on the first reference signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, the method further includes: receiving the first downlink channel state information, where the first downlink channel state information and the first uplink channel state information are carried in the same message.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, before sending the first reference signal, it further includes: sending a first piece of information, where the first piece of information is used to indicate reporting downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 - 10, characterized in that, the method further includes: Receive second information, where the second information is used to indicate the ability to report downlink channel state information and uplink channel state information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, wherein, there is an association relationship between the difference information between the first uplink channel state information and the radio frequency channel corresponding to the first reference signal, and the difference information includes a time delay difference and / or a phase difference.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, the method further includes: receiving a second reference signal; sending second uplink channel state information, where the second uplink channel state information is obtained based on the second reference signal; sending a third reference signal, where the third reference signal is used to determine second downlink channel state information, and the time delay difference and / or the phase difference are obtained based on the second uplink channel state information and the second downlink channel state information.

14. A communication device, wherein, it includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-7 through logic circuits or by executing code instructions, or is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 8-13.

15. A communication system, wherein, it includes a communication device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1-7, and a communication device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 8-13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, wherein, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1-7 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 8-13 is executed.

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