Communication method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and device, relates to the field of communication, and can more accurately select an IRS weight which enables the transmission rate of a user to be maximum. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring channel state information (CSI) corresponding to a first downlink reference signal resource, and sending the CSI. Wherein the CSI comprises a first parameter related to M eigenvalues of a first channel, the first channel is obtained by measuring a downlink reference signal received from a first downlink reference signal resource, the M eigenvalues are the first M eigenvalues after the eigenvalues of the first channel are arranged in a descending order, and M is equal to an indication value of a rank indicator (RI).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] An intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is an array composed of multiple passive reflective elements with adjustable weights. It can be deployed between network devices and terminal devices to directionally reflect signals sent by network devices, thereby enhancing channel coverage and increasing channel rank in areas with weak coverage, thus assisting communication between network devices and terminal devices.

[0003] As a low-cost network device, the IRS consists only of a passive antenna array and a terminal module for receiving control signaling from macro stations. The IRS weights need to be switched according to the network device's instructions. Prior to this, the network device needs to perform beam management (BM) on the IRS to find the optimal beam pointing to the terminal devices. However, how to accurately select the IRS weights that maximize the user's transmission rate during beam management is a crucial area for further research. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can more accurately select the IRS weights that maximize the user's transmission rate.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal device, or a component or module of the terminal device, or a circuit, processor, or chip (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip) responsible for communication functions in the terminal device. It can also be implemented by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device. This application does not limit this application; it is applied to scenarios where the terminal device communicates with a network device via a reflection device. The following description uses the application of this method to a terminal device as an example. The method includes: acquiring channel state information (CSI) corresponding to a first downlink reference signal resource, wherein the CSI includes a first parameter related to M characteristic values ​​of the first channel, the first channel being measured from the downlink reference signal received from the first downlink reference signal resource, and the M characteristic values ​​being the first M characteristic values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, where M equals the indication value of the rank indicator RI. Transmitting the CSI.

[0007] Based on this communication method, in scenarios where a terminal device communicates with a network device via a reflection device, since one downlink reference signal resource corresponds to the weight of one reflection device, the terminal device carries a first parameter in the CSI corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource, such as the first downlink reference signal resource, which is related to the M characteristic values ​​of the first channel measured by transmitting downlink reference signals on the first downlink reference signal resource. The M characteristic values ​​correspond to the M transport streams indicated by the RI, and the characteristics of the currently measured channel available transport streams can be fed back. This allows the network device to know that the signal uses the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource to achieve channel rank enhancement. Furthermore, the network device can select the weight of the reflection device that achieves better channel rank enhancement and larger data transmission based on the first parameter in the CSI corresponding to different downlink reference signal resources, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0008] In one possible design, a first indication information is received, which indicates the parameter type in the reported CSI. Obtaining the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource may include: obtaining the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal based on the first indication information. Therefore, the terminal device can send the feedback CSI containing parameters of a specified type to the network device based on the first indication information sent by the network device.

[0009] In one possible design, the first parameter can be used to determine the weight of the reflecting device that maximizes the data transmission rate. This weight is used by the reflecting device to reflect the downlink reference signal sent by the network device to the terminal device, and the weight corresponds one-to-one with the downlink reference signal resources. Thus, the first parameter can provide feedback on the channel transmission status when a reflecting device reflects a signal, allowing the network device to select the weight of the reflecting device that results in better channel rank enhancement and faster data transmission based on the first parameter.

[0010] In one possible design, the first channel can be either the channel corresponding to the sub-band or the channel corresponding to the broadband. That is, in the embodiments of this application, the first parameter in the feedback CSI can be calculated at the sub-band granularity or at the broadband granularity.

[0011] In one possible design, the first parameter may include N feature values ​​out of M feature values. The N feature values ​​are the top N feature values ​​from the M feature values ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Thus, one feature value corresponds to one transmission stream. The terminal device can feed back the N worst feature values ​​from the M feature values ​​as the first parameter to the network device. This allows the network device to know the transmission status of the N transmission streams with poor rank enhancement when the signal is rank-enhanced using the weights of the reflection devices corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resources. This allows the network device to select the weights of the reflection devices that result in better channel rank enhancement and higher data transmission.

[0012] In one possible design, if the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset of each of the N characteristic values ​​on the sub-band.

[0013] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) of the transport stream corresponding to N of the M characteristic values. The N characteristic values ​​are the top N values ​​from the M characteristic values ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Thus, one characteristic value corresponds to one transport stream. The terminal device can feed back the CQIs corresponding to the N worst characteristic values ​​from the M characteristic values ​​as the first parameter to the network device. This allows the network device to know the transmission status of the N transport streams with poor rank enhancement when the signal is rank-enhanced using the weights of the reflection devices corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resources. This allows the network device to select the weights of the reflection devices that result in better rank enhancement and higher data transmission.

[0014] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the CQI corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​on the subband.

[0015] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) corresponding to N characteristic values ​​out of M characteristic values. The N characteristic values ​​are the top N characteristic values ​​from the M characteristic values ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Thus, one characteristic value corresponds to one transport stream. The terminal device can use the SIR corresponding to the N worst characteristic values ​​out of the M characteristic values ​​to inform the network device about the transmission status of the N transport streams with poor rank enhancement when the signal is rank-enhanced using the weights of the reflection devices corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resources. This allows the network device to select the weights of the reflection devices that result in better channel rank enhancement and higher data transmission.

[0016] In one possible design scheme, when the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio corresponding to each of the N eigenvalues ​​on the subband.

[0017] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​out of the M eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue among the M eigenvalues. The N eigenvalues ​​are the top N eigenvalues ​​from the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Thus, the terminal device can feed back the ratios of the N worse eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue as the first parameter to the network device. This allows the network device to understand the transmission difference between the worst and best transport streams among the M transport streams indicated by RI when channel rank enhancement is performed using the weights of the reflection devices corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resources. This allows the network device to select the weights of the reflection devices that result in better channel rank enhancement and greater data transmission.

[0018] In one possible design, when the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset on the sub-band corresponding to the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue.

[0019] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the exponential value of the entropy of the M eigenvalues. Thus, the terminal device can feed back the exponential value of the entropy of the M eigenvalues ​​corresponding to the M transport streams indicated by the feedback RI as the first parameter to the network device. This allows the network device to understand the transmission differences among the M transport streams indicated by RI when channel rank is increased using the weights of the reflection devices corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resources. Consequently, the network device can select the weights of the reflection devices that result in better channel rank increase and greater data transmission.

[0020] In one possible design, the exponent value can range from [0, M].

[0021] In one possible design, the quantization precision of the exponent values ​​corresponding to different values ​​of M can be the same. That is, the quantization precision needs to remain consistent when feeding back different exponent values ​​of M.

[0022] In one possible design, when the first channel corresponds to a sub-band, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are all within a preset range, then the CSI can include the number of consecutive sub-bands, the total number of frequency domain resources contained in the multiple consecutive sub-bands, and any one of the multiple index values ​​corresponding to the multiple consecutive sub-bands. Therefore, when the index values ​​corresponding to the M characteristic values ​​of the channels corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are basically consistent, the terminal device can uniformly feed back a single index value for the channels corresponding to multiple sub-bands, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0023] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the exponential value on the subband.

[0024] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be applied to the network side, such as network devices, or components within network devices (e.g., processors, circuits, chips, or chip systems of the network device). It can also be implemented by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device. This method is applied to scenarios where a terminal device communicates with a network device via a reflection device. The method includes: receiving a CSI corresponding to a first downlink reference signal resource. The CSI includes a first parameter related to M characteristic values ​​of a first channel. The first channel is measured from a downlink reference signal received from the first downlink reference signal resource. The M characteristic values ​​are the first M characteristic values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, where M equals the indicator value of the RI (Reference Indicator). The weight of the reflection device that maximizes the data transmission rate is determined based on the CSI.

[0025] In one possible design, the method described in the second aspect may further include: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the parameter type in the reported CSI.

[0026] In one possible design, the first parameter can be used to determine the weight of the reflecting device that maximizes the data transmission rate. The weight is used to reflect the downlink reference signal sent by the network device to the terminal device, and the weight corresponds one-to-one with the downlink reference signal resource.

[0027] In one possible design, the first channel can be either the channel corresponding to the sub-band or the channel corresponding to the broadband.

[0028] In one possible design, the first parameter may include N eigenvalues ​​out of M eigenvalues. The N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​of the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0029] In one possible design, if the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset of each of the N characteristic values ​​on the sub-band.

[0030] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the channel quality indicator (CQI) of the transport stream corresponding to N of the M feature values, where the N feature values ​​are the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0031] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the CQI corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​on the subband.

[0032] In one possible design scheme, the first parameter may include the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) corresponding to N of the M eigenvalues, where the N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order from the M eigenvalues, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0033] In one possible design scheme, when the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio corresponding to each of the N eigenvalues ​​on the subband.

[0034] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​out of the M eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue among the M eigenvalues, where the N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​of the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0035] In one possible design, when the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset on the sub-band corresponding to the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue.

[0036] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the exponential value of the entropy of the M eigenvalues.

[0037] In one possible design, the exponent value can range from [0, M].

[0038] In one possible design, the quantization precision of the exponent values ​​corresponding to different values ​​of M can be the same.

[0039] In one possible design scheme, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are all within a preset range when the first channel is the channel corresponding to a sub-band, then CSI can include the number of multiple consecutive sub-bands, the total number of frequency domain resources contained in multiple consecutive sub-bands, and any one of the multiple index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands.

[0040] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the exponential value on the subband.

[0041] The technical effects of the method described in the second aspect can be found in the relevant description of the technical effects of the method described in the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0042] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. This communication device can be a terminal device as described in the first aspect, or a device comprising the terminal device, or a device included in the terminal device, such as a chip. The communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for implementing the methods described in the first aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0043] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a processing module and a communication module. The processing module is used to acquire Channel State Information (CSI) corresponding to a first downlink reference signal resource. The CSI includes a first parameter related to M characteristic values ​​of a first channel, where the first channel is measured from the downlink reference signal received from the first downlink reference signal resource. The M characteristic values ​​are the first M characteristic values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, where M equals the indication value of the rank indicator RI. The communication module is used to transmit the CSI.

[0044] In one possible design, a communication module is used to receive first indication information, which indicates the parameter type in the reported CSI. A processing module is used to obtain the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource, and may include: a processing module used to obtain the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal based on the first indication information.

[0045] In one possible design, the first parameter can be used to determine the weight of the reflecting device that maximizes the data transmission rate. The weight is used to reflect the downlink reference signal sent by the network device to the terminal device, and the weight corresponds one-to-one with the downlink reference signal resource.

[0046] In one possible design, the first channel can be either the channel corresponding to the sub-band or the channel corresponding to the broadband.

[0047] In one possible design, the first parameter may include N eigenvalues ​​out of M eigenvalues. The N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​of the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0048] In one possible design, if the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset of each of the N characteristic values ​​on the sub-band.

[0049] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the channel quality indicator (CQI) of the transport stream corresponding to N of the M feature values, where the N feature values ​​are the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0050] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the CQI corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​on the subband.

[0051] In one possible design scheme, the first parameter may include the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) corresponding to N of the M eigenvalues, where the N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order from the M eigenvalues, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0052] In one possible design scheme, when the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio corresponding to each of the N eigenvalues ​​on the subband.

[0053] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​out of the M eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue among the M eigenvalues, where the N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​of the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0054] In one possible design, when the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset on the sub-band corresponding to the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue.

[0055] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the exponential value of the entropy of the M eigenvalues.

[0056] In one possible design, the exponent value can range from [0, M].

[0057] In one possible design, the quantization precision of the exponent values ​​corresponding to different values ​​of M can be the same.

[0058] In one possible design scheme, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are all within a preset range when the first channel is the channel corresponding to a sub-band, then CSI can include the number of multiple consecutive sub-bands, the total number of frequency domain resources contained in multiple consecutive sub-bands, and any one of the multiple index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands.

[0059] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the exponential value on the subband.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module. The transmitting module implements the transmitting function of the communication device described in the third aspect, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of the communication device described in the third aspect.

[0061] In one possible design, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a storage module storing programs or instructions. When the processing module executes the program or instructions, the communication device described in the third aspect can perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0062] Fourthly, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. This communication device may be a network device as described in the second aspect, or a device comprising the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip. The communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for implementing the methods described in the second aspect. These modules, units, or means may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0063] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a processing module and a communication module. The communication module receives the CSI corresponding to a first downlink reference signal resource. The CSI includes a first parameter related to M characteristic values ​​of a first channel, where the first channel is measured from the downlink reference signal received from the first downlink reference signal resource. The M characteristic values ​​are the first M characteristic values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, where M equals the indicator value of the RI (Reference Indicator). The processing module determines the weights of the reflecting devices that maximize the data transmission rate based on the CSI.

[0064] In one possible design, the communication module is also used to send first indication information, which indicates the parameter type in the reported CSI.

[0065] In one possible design, the first parameter can be used to determine the weight of the reflecting device that maximizes the data transmission rate. The weight is used to reflect the downlink reference signal sent by the network device to the terminal device, and the weight corresponds one-to-one with the downlink reference signal resource.

[0066] In one possible design, the first channel can be either the channel corresponding to the sub-band or the channel corresponding to the broadband.

[0067] In one possible design, the first parameter may include N eigenvalues ​​out of M eigenvalues. The N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​of the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0068] In one possible design, if the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset of each of the N characteristic values ​​on the sub-band.

[0069] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the channel quality indicator (CQI) of the transport stream corresponding to N of the M feature values, where the N feature values ​​are the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0070] In one possible design, when the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may further include the offset of the CQI corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​on the subband.

[0071] In one possible design scheme, the first parameter may include the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) corresponding to N of the M eigenvalues, where the N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order from the M eigenvalues, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0072] In one possible design scheme, when the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio corresponding to each of the N eigenvalues ​​on the subband.

[0073] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​out of the M eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue among the M eigenvalues, where the N eigenvalues ​​are the first N eigenvalues ​​of the M eigenvalues ​​arranged in ascending order, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0074] In one possible design, when the first channel is a channel corresponding to broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset on the sub-band corresponding to the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue.

[0075] In one possible design, the first parameter may include the exponential value of the entropy of the M eigenvalues.

[0076] In one possible design, the exponent value can range from [0, M].

[0077] In one possible design, the quantization precision of the exponent values ​​corresponding to different values ​​of M can be the same.

[0078] In one possible design scheme, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are all within a preset range when the first channel is the channel corresponding to a sub-band, then CSI can include the number of multiple consecutive sub-bands, the total number of frequency domain resources contained in multiple consecutive sub-bands, and any one of the multiple index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands.

[0079] In one possible design, if the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter may also include the offset of the exponential value on the subband.

[0080] In one possible design, the communication module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module. The transmitting module implements the transmitting function of the communication device described in the fourth aspect, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of the communication device described in the fourth aspect.

[0081] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a storage module storing programs or instructions. When the processing module executes the program or instructions, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can perform the method described in the second aspect.

[0082] Fifthly, a communication device is provided (e.g., the communication device may be a chip or a chip system). The communication device includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in the first aspect above.

[0083] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data. A processor is coupled to the memory and is used to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0084] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fifth aspect and other communication devices.

[0085] In one possible design, the processor can be integrated with the memory.

[0086] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0087] A sixth aspect provides a communication device including a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured 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 being configured to implement the method as described in the first or second aspect via logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0088] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. This communication device can be a terminal device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the terminal device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, or something compatible with the terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device can be a network device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the network device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, or something compatible with the network device.

[0089] It is understood that when the communication device provided by any of the fifth to seventh aspects is a chip, the aforementioned sending action / function can be understood as an output, and the aforementioned receiving action / function can be understood as an input.

[0090] Eighthly, a communication chip is provided, wherein instructions are stored that, when the chip is operated on a communication device, cause the method described in the first or second aspect to be implemented.

[0091] A ninth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in the first or second aspect.

[0092] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product including instructions is provided, comprising computer program code, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0093] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal device for implementing the method described in the first aspect above, and a network device for implementing the method described in the second aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0094] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an IRS system;

[0095] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an IRS;

[0096] Figure 3This application provides a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system.

[0097] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0098] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0099] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0100] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches may also be used.

[0101] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems, such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems, etc.

[0102] For ease of understanding, the relevant technologies, terms, communication systems and applicable network elements involved in the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0103] 1. IRS

[0104] When network devices provide services to terminal devices, blind spots exist within the network's coverage area, such as indoor spaces and street corners. Terminal devices in these blind spots cannot obtain stable network performance. While increasing the network's transmission power or adding smaller base stations can improve coverage in these blind spots, this increases operational costs and the number of devices required. Therefore, deploying IRS (Internet Reception Streaming System) in these blind spots to reflect the signals transmitted by network devices in a directional manner, thereby improving network coverage and facilitating communication between network devices and terminal devices, is a low-cost and highly feasible solution.

[0105] An IRS (Inverter Relay) is a large-scale antenna array composed of numerous reconfigurable passive elements (such as passive reflector elements). Each element can independently induce a phase shift in the incident signal, thereby collaboratively altering the propagation of the reflected signal. Compared to amplify-and-forward (AF) relays, which amplify and regenerate signals to assist source-to-destination transmission, IRS does not use a transmit module; it merely reflects the received signal passively, thus consuming no transmit power. Furthermore, IRS is primarily used to improve the performance of existing communication links, rather than transmitting its own information through reflection. In backscatter communication, the direct path signal is considered interference and generally needs to be suppressed or eliminated at the receiver. However, in IRS-enhanced communication, both the direct path and reflected path signals carry the same useful information, allowing for coherent superposition at the receiver to maximize the total received power.

[0106] As a passive full-duplex device, the IRS (Intelligent Resonance Surface) not only has extremely low power consumption but also boasts exceptionally high spectral efficiency in full-duplex mode, and it is free from self-interference, with no information interference during reflection. Since the IRS does not require information processing during reception or transmission, it can improve transmission efficiency. Compared to other active smart surfaces, it offers advantages such as low cost, low power consumption, and flexible installation, making it of significant research value for future applications in emergency communications and military communications.

[0107] Compared to traditional communication methods, communication using an IRS offers several advantages. Firstly, unlike traditional repeaters, IRS does not use a transmitter module; it simply reflects the received signal using a passive array, thus eliminating additional power consumption. Secondly, active repeaters typically operate in half-duplex mode, resulting in lower spectral efficiency compared to IRS operating in full-duplex mode. While some implementations can operate in full-duplex mode, this leads to significant self-interference, requiring complex interference cancellation techniques. Unlike traditional backscatter communication, which communicates with the receiver by reflecting signals sent from the reader, IRS enhances the performance of existing communication links without transmitting any of its own information. Therefore, communication using an IRS does not introduce additional interference. In IRS-enhanced communication, both the direct path signal and the reflected path signal carry the same useful information and can be summed at the receiver to maximize the total received power.

[0108] Currently, research on IRS-assisted wireless communication systems in the field of wireless communication technology is in its initial stage. The core of this research is to use IRS with reconfigurable reflection characteristics to cover the ground, buildings, drones, etc., and to maximize the received signal gain and reduce interference by adjusting the reflection method.

[0109] For example, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an IRS-assisted wireless communication system (which can be simply referred to as an IRS system) provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, when a network device sends a wireless signal to a terminal device, part of the wireless signal can be directly transmitted to the terminal device, while part of the wireless signal is transmitted to the terminal device after being reflected by the IRS. In other words, the wireless signal is transmitted to the terminal device through the following three channels: the channel from the network device directly to the terminal device (i.e., the direct transmission channel H). d The channels from network devices to the IRS (i.e., segmented channels G) and from the IRS to terminal devices (i.e., segmented channels H) r ), where segmented channel G and segmented channel H r Used to construct a reflection channel.

[0110] Based on this, the downlink equivalent channel H in a certain frequency unit during downlink transmission of wireless signals can be expressed as: H = H d +H r ΦG, where, N R N T N IThese represent the number of receiving antennas of the terminal device, the number of transmitting antennas of the network device, and the number of array elements of the IRS, respectively. Φ is the weight used by the IRS to reflect wireless signals, representing the optimal beam pointing towards the terminal device. The network device can find the optimal beam Φ (e.g., beam 2) pointing towards the terminal device through beam management and assign Φ to the IRS for reflection. H r ΦG is the reflection channel between the network device, IRS, and terminal device.

[0111] Therefore, the wireless signal obtained after transmission through the aforementioned downlink equivalent channel can be expressed as: Y = H d w+H r ΦGw. Among them, N L denoted as the number of transport streams, and w as the downlink precoding matrix, or the weights of the network device.

[0112] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated IRS communication, on the one hand, if the line-of-sight (LOS) transmission path (direct transmission channel) from the network device to the terminal device is blocked, the signal sent by the network device can only reach the terminal device through the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) transmission path when the IRS is not deployed. The received signal strength at the terminal device is weak. However, after the IRS is deployed, the network device can reasonably adjust the weight of the IRS and build a stronger path (reflection channel) on the network device-IRS-terminal device path, thereby achieving enhancement in areas with weak coverage.

[0113] On the other hand, when there is a direct LOS transmission path between the network device and the terminal device but the channel condition number is large, the network device can adjust the weights of the IRS to achieve overall channel rank enhancement between the network device and the terminal device. Meanwhile, due to the passive nature of the array elements in the IRS, the power consumption and manufacturing cost of the IRS are extremely low.

[0114] The working principle of IRS is as follows: Figure 2 As shown in (a), the IRS includes a control unit and a reflective array. The control unit receives control information from network devices, and the reflective array performs directional reflection of uplink and downlink signals. During uplink and downlink data transmission, as... Figure 2As shown in (b), the network device sends the weight information of the IRS and the effective time slot of the weights to the IRS in advance through control signaling, such as downlink control information (DCI). Therefore, when transmitting corresponding uplink and downlink data, the IRS switches the corresponding beam in the corresponding time slot according to the network device's instructions, thereby reflecting the network device's signal in the desired direction. For example, beams (weights) #0, #1, and #3 are used in different downlink time slots to reflect downlink data sent by the network device through the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to user equipment (UE) 0, UE1, and UE3, respectively. Beam (weights) #2 is used in one uplink time slot to reflect uplink data sent by the network device through the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) to UE2.

[0115] In this embodiment of the application, the weights of the IRS can also be called beam weights, reflection weights, beams, etc., and can also be understood as the precoding matrix used by the IRS, without limitation.

[0116] 2. Channel Rank Increasing

[0117] Channel rank enhancement means adjusting the weights of the IRS appropriately to make H... d +H r The entire channel ΦG is decomposed by singular value decomposition (SVD) and then combined with H. d Compared to H after SVD decomposition, the singular values ​​are smaller. d There has been a noticeable improvement.

[0118] 3. Beam Management of the IRS

[0119] As a low-cost network device, the IRS consists only of a passive antenna array and a terminal module for receiving control signaling from macro stations. It needs to switch beams according to instructions from network devices (such as base stations) to improve coverage and enhance channel rank. Before this, beam management of the IRS must be performed. The specific process of beam management is as follows: The network device points its beam to the IRS and notifies the IRS to use different weights (beams) on multiple reference signal ports. The reference signals include channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signal, and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB). Then, the terminal device measures the reference signal received power (RSRP), channel quality indicator (CQI), and rank indicator (RI) of the reference signal ports. Typically, reference signal ports with RSRP greater than a certain threshold are selected to report their CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) and related measurement information. The network device can obtain the impact of the IRS switching different beams on the signal quality received by the terminal device, and thus select the beam that greatly improves the signal quality received by the terminal device for subsequent communication.

[0120] One beam management method involves terminal devices repeatedly transmitting sounding reference signals (SRS), allowing network devices to obtain equivalent channels under multiple IRS weights. The optimal IRS weight is then selected based on these equivalent channels. However, this method, by transmitting SRS multiple times, leads to excessive SRS resource overhead and prolongs the overall network SRS period, resulting in degraded network performance. For example, when a terminal device measures N (N is an integer greater than 1) IRS weights using uplink SRS, its SRS resource overhead is N times that of a system without IRS deployment.

[0121] Another beam management method involves network devices adjusting their own weights to point towards the IRS and sending multiple channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS). Then, based on the RSRP measured by the terminal device using CSI-RS under different IRS weights, the beam with the highest reference signal received power (RSRP) is selected to serve the terminal device. In this case, the terminal device feeds back a CSI containing both CRI and RSRP. However, RSRP typically represents the maximum characteristic value of the channel divided by the channel energy. A maximum RSRP only indicates that the IRS weights can significantly improve the channel energy, but it cannot directly indicate the maximum transmission rate under those IRS weights. Therefore, the selected IRS weights are not accurate enough.

[0122] To address the aforementioned beam management problem, this application provides a communication method that adds information related to the channel's characteristic values ​​to the CSI, enabling network devices to select the IRS weight with the highest transmission rate.

[0123] For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the communication system includes network equipment, reflective equipment, and terminal equipment. The network equipment, reflective equipment, and terminal equipment can communicate directly or indirectly with each other.

[0124] In this embodiment of the application, when there are obstructions or low-rank channels in the transmission path between the network device and the terminal device, the network device can transmit signals (data signals or control signals) to the terminal device through a reflection device. The network device transmits the signal to the terminal device to the reflection device, and then the reflection device reflects the received signal back to the terminal device. Alternatively, the terminal device transmits the signal to the network device to the reflection device, and then the reflection device reflects the received signal back to the network device.

[0125] The aforementioned network equipment, also known as radio access network (RAN) nodes, access network equipment, RAN entities, or access nodes, is located on the network side of the aforementioned communication system. It assists terminal devices in achieving wireless access and is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, or a chip or chip system that can be installed in the device. This network equipment includes, but is not limited to: base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), access points (APs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), next-generation base stations in 6G mobile communication systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in Wi-Fi systems. Network equipment can be macro base stations, micro base stations or indoor stations, relay nodes or donor nodes, open radio access networks (ORANs), or radio controllers in centralized radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, network equipment in V2X technology can be roadside units (RSUs). All or part of the functions of the network device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device.

[0126] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active AAUs, or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0127] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0128] The form of the network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that supports the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the first network device.

[0129] Reflecting devices can act as relay stations between network devices and terminal devices, assisting communication between them and achieving coverage enhancement or channel rank improvement. For example, reflecting devices can be used to directionally reflect signals sent from network devices to terminal devices, thereby changing the quality of signals received by the terminal devices and reducing dead zones in network coverage. Alternatively, reflecting devices can be used to directionally reflect signals sent from terminal devices to network devices.

[0130] The reflection device can be a terminal device or a network device with signal reflection capabilities. In one possible implementation, the reflection device can be an IRS (Inductively Coupled Reflector), composed of a large number of low-cost passive reflection units. This IRS, through appropriate phase modulation (i.e., setting the phase shift value of each reflection unit on the IRS, resulting in a channel phase shift h after passing through one reflection unit), changes the channel phase. The phase shift values ​​set for the reflector (a set of beamforming codes corresponds to a set of phase shift values) can change the quality of the received signal at the receiver, expanding the coverage of the network device's wireless signal. This IRS can also reduce or cancel interference signals through appropriate phase modulation, thereby improving the receiver's communication experience. Furthermore, this IRS can increase wireless channel multipath propagation through its surface, reducing channel correlation and thus increasing the rank of the wireless channel, enabling more stream transmission and improving the receiver's communication experience; or it can reduce wireless channel multipath propagation through its surface, increasing channel correlation and thus reducing the rank of the wireless channel and lowering the transmission rate at a specific location. In time division duplex (TDD) technology, by setting the phase shift array in the IRS, uplink and downlink can be optimized simultaneously, that is, optimizing downlink channel quality while also optimizing uplink channel quality. Due to the introduction of the IRS, under the premise of equal channel quality, the transmit power of network devices can be appropriately reduced, thereby achieving a certain degree of network energy saving. It should be understood that the second network device can also be other network devices, such as a base station with an IRS, or a base station or network element with IRS function, a base station or other network element that realizes signal reflection function, or other network elements that realize receiving network device indication information and completing phase adjustment, processing and transmission.

[0131] The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the reflective device. The apparatus used to implement the function of the reflective device can be the reflective device itself, or it can be an apparatus capable of supporting the reflective device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The apparatus can be installed in the reflective device or used in conjunction with the reflective device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete components.

[0132] The terminal device is a terminal that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has wireless transceiver capabilities, or a chip or chip system that can be installed in the terminal. This terminal device can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), user device, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical care, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, vehicle-mounted terminal, RSU with terminal functionality, etc. The terminal device of this application may also be an on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit that is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the method provided in this application through the built-in on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit.

[0133] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0134] It should be understood that Figure 3 The illustration shows only one network device, one terminal device, and one reflecting device, but this should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. The communication system described in the embodiments of this application may include a greater number of network devices, reflecting devices, and terminal devices.

[0135] It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced by the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0136] The following will combine Figure 4The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0137] For example, Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication uses... Figure 3 The following explanation uses the communication between the network device, the reflection device, and the terminal device as an example. Of course, the entity executing the terminal device's actions in this method can also be a device / module within the terminal device, such as a chip, processor, or processing unit, etc., without specific limitations. Similarly, the entity executing the network device's actions in this method can also be a device / module within the network device, such as a chip, processor, or processing unit, without specific limitations. Likewise, the entity executing the reflection device's actions in this method can also be a device / module within the reflection device, such as a chip, processor, or processing unit, without specific limitations.

[0138] like Figure 4 As shown, the communication method includes:

[0139] S401. The terminal device obtains the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource.

[0140] S402. The terminal device sends the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource from the terminal device.

[0141] S401 and S402 will be explained separately below. For S401:

[0142] The first downlink reference signal resource is configured by the network device for the terminal device. It includes time-domain and frequency-domain resources used for downlink reference signal transmission. Downlink reference signals include CSI-RS and demodulation reference signal (DMRS). The first downlink reference signal resource can be any one of multiple downlink reference signal resources configured by the network device, and each downlink reference signal resource corresponds to a resource identifier, such as CRI.

[0143] For example, if the downlink reference signal is CSI-RS, and the first network device is configured with Q CSI-RS resources, where Q is a positive integer, one CSI-RS resource corresponds to one CRI, and the Q CSI-RS resources correspond to CRI 1 to CRI q respectively, then the first downlink reference signal resource can be the q-th CSI-RS resource among the Q CSI-RS resources, and the corresponding resource identifier is CRI q, where q is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q, i.e., 1≤q≤Q.

[0144] In this embodiment, the terminal device communicates with the network device through a reflection device, or vice versa. The reflection device can be used to reflect signals sent by the terminal device back to the network device, or it can be used to reflect signals sent by the network device back to the terminal device. In this scenario, the equivalent channel between the network device and the terminal device includes the channel between the network device and the reflection device, the channel between the reflection device and the terminal device, and the channel between the network device and the terminal device. For ease of description, the channel between the network device and the reflection device can be called the first segmented channel, the channel between the reflection device and the terminal device can be called the second segmented channel, the channel composed of the first segmented channel and the second segmented channel can be called the reflection channel, and the channel between the network device and the terminal device can be called the direct transmission channel. In other words, the equivalent channel can include the reflection channel and the direct transmission channel. Part of the downlink reference signal sent by the network device is sent to the terminal device through the reflection channel, and part of it is sent to the terminal device through the direct transmission channel.

[0145] For different downlink reference signal resources, network devices use the same weight to transmit downlink reference signals on different downlink reference signal resources. However, the network devices configure different weights for the reflection devices for different downlink reference signal resources. The weight of one reflection device is used by the reflection device to reflect the downlink reference signal transmitted by the network device on the corresponding downlink reference signal resource to the terminal device. In other words, one downlink reference signal resource corresponds to one weight of a reflection device, and the weight of one reflection device is used to reflect the downlink reference signal transmitted on that downlink reference signal resource. For example, the first weight corresponds to the first downlink reference signal resource, and the first weight is used by the reflection device to reflect the downlink reference signal transmitted by the network device on the first downlink reference signal resource to the terminal device.

[0146] Because the reflecting device uses different weights for the downlink reference signals transmitted on different downlink reference signal resources, the CSI obtained by the terminal device is also different; one downlink reference signal resource can correspond to one CSI. The CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource can be understood as the channel CSI measured from the downlink reference signal transmitted on the first downlink reference signal resource. In other words, the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource is obtained by the terminal device through channel measurement of the downlink reference signal transmitted on the first downlink reference signal resource.

[0147] To obtain the channel rank enhancement effect achieved under different weighting of reflection devices, the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource includes a first parameter related to M characteristic values ​​of the first channel, where M equals the indication value of RI. The first parameter is used to determine the weight of the reflection device that maximizes the data transmission rate of the terminal device. The M characteristic values ​​are the first M characteristic values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, where M is a positive integer. It should be understood that the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource also includes one or more parameters such as resource identifiers of the first downlink reference signal resource, such as CRI, RI, PMI, and layer indication (LI).

[0148] The first channel is the equivalent channel measured by the terminal device for the downlink reference signal transmitted on the first downlink reference signal resource. The size of the first channel is related to the weights used by the reflection device and the weights used by the network device. Since the network device uses the same weights for the downlink reference signals transmitted on different downlink reference signal resources, while the reflection device uses different weights, the size of the first channel obtained by the terminal device for measuring the downlink reference signal on different downlink reference signal resources is different.

[0149] For example, network devices use the same weights N is transmitted on the first downlink reference signal resource p CSI-RS, N tx The number of transmit antennas (or antenna ports) of the network device, N p N represents the number of transport streams (or transport layers). p A portion of the signal from each CSI-RS can be used by the reflecting device with the weight Φ corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource. i The signal is reflected back to the terminal device, where i is the sequence number of the first downlink reference signal resource. A portion of the signal is directly sent to the terminal device, thus allowing the terminal device to determine the sequence number of the received N. p The first channel H was obtained from CSI-RS measurements. CRI-i It should be understood that the ideal measurement value of the first channel can be expressed as (H). d +H r φ i G)W r However, the terminal device does not know the weights of the network device and the reflection device. CRI-i This can be understood as (H) d +H r φ i G)W r The actual measured value.

[0150] In one possible design, the first channel can be a channel corresponding to a sub-band. This sub-band can be obtained by dividing a wideband (broadband) used for transmitting downlink reference signals. Each sub-band corresponds to one first channel. The CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource can include a first parameter related to M characteristic values ​​of the first channel corresponding to multiple sub-bands. The value of M can be different for different sub-bands. The size of the sub-band can be configured by the network device. For example, the network device can instruct the terminal device to specify the number of frequency domain resources or the minimum number of frequency domain resources included in each sub-band. Alternatively, the size of the sub-band can be configured locally by the terminal device and reported to the network device; there is no limitation on this. In another possible design, the first channel can also be a channel corresponding to a wideband.

[0151] The M characteristic values ​​of the first channel can be the first M characteristic values ​​obtained by the terminal device through eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) of the first channel, arranged in descending order. M equals the indicator value of RI, which indicates the number of downlink transport streams suggested by the terminal device. Each characteristic value obtained from the first channel decomposition corresponds to the channel characteristics of a transport stream. The larger the characteristic value, the better the channel conditions of the transport stream. The number of characteristic values ​​obtained from the first channel decomposition is related to the number of antenna ports supported by the terminal device and the number of antenna ports supported by the network device. For example, the total number of characteristic values ​​obtained from the first channel decomposition T = min{N tx N rx Therefore, the terminal device can obtain channel measurement results, such as the first channel, RSRP, SINR, etc., based on the downlink reference signal transmitted on the first downlink reference signal resource, determine the RI, and select the M better feature values ​​from the feature values ​​of the first channel according to the indication value M of the RI. In this way, the M transport streams with better signal transmission effect under the current channel conditions can be determined.

[0152] For example, the first channel H CRI-i The eigenvalues ​​obtained after EVD decomposition include: N rx This refers to the number of receiving antennas (or antenna ports) of the terminal device. The terminal device can use RI to assign N to N. rx The first M eigenvalues ​​are selected after arranging the eigenvalues ​​in descending order, for example, N. rx =8, M=6, the M eigenvalues ​​are ordered from largest to smallest as follows: It should be understood that M is less than or equal to N. rx Positive integers.

[0153] The first parameter, which is associated with the M eigenvalues ​​of the first channel, can be used to determine the weight of the reflecting device that maximizes the data transmission rate, which refers to the data transmission rate between the network device and the terminal device. In other words, the first parameter can be used to provide feedback on the channel rank enhancement effect.

[0154] In some implementations, the first parameter can also be used by the network device to determine parameters or configurations related to communication services with the terminal device. For example, the first parameter can also be used to determine the spatial filter used by the network device to serve the terminal device.

[0155] In this embodiment of the application, the first parameter can have the following five designs:

[0156] Design 1: The first parameter can include N eigenvalues ​​out of M eigenvalues.

[0157] Here, the N feature values ​​are either the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, or the last N feature values ​​arranged in descending order from the M feature values, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. In other words, after selecting the M feature values ​​based on RI, the terminal device further selects the N smaller feature values ​​from the M feature values ​​to indicate the N transport streams with the worst signal transmission performance under the current channel conditions.

[0158] Optionally, in Design 1, since the eigenvalues ​​after SVD decomposition may be small and cannot effectively reflect the channel characteristics of the transport stream represented by the eigenvalues, the terminal device can further normalize the N eigenvalues ​​according to the largest eigenvalue among the N eigenvalues ​​to reflect the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) corresponding to the N eigenvalues ​​and any one of the N eigenvalues. The SNR corresponding to the eigenvalue can be understood as the SNR of the transport stream corresponding to the eigenvalue under the current channel conditions. This can characterize the signal transmission effect of the transport streams corresponding to the N eigenvalues ​​respectively, so that the network device can know the signal transmission situation under the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource (such as the first weight) and determine the channel rank enhancement effect under the current weight of the reflection device.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the value of N can be determined by a preset feature value threshold. From the M feature values, each feature value is compared with the feature value threshold in ascending order. Feature values ​​less than, or less than, or equal to, the feature value threshold are selected as the N feature values. This feature value threshold can be predefined or preconfigured, configured by the network device for the terminal device, or determined through negotiation between the network device and the terminal device; there are no restrictions on its nature.

[0160] Continuing with the example above, the M eigenvalues, in descending order, are: The feature value threshold is like All less than Then N = 3, and the N eigenvalues ​​are respectively thus, After normalization, the values ​​are 0.2, 0.5, and 0.3 respectively. The first parameter reported by the terminal device can include the normalized values. as well as The network device can obtain the SNR corresponding to any one of the feature values ​​based on the SNR corresponding to one feature value, so as to obtain the signal transmission situation of the poor transport stream when the downlink reference signal is reflected by the reflection device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource.

[0161] It should be understood that in some other possible implementations, the value of N can be pre-configured or pre-defined, or it can be configured by the network device to the terminal device, or it can be determined through negotiation between the network device and the terminal device. There are no restrictions on this.

[0162] When the first channel is the channel corresponding to the broadband, the first parameter may also include the offset of each of the N feature values ​​in the subband. That is, each of the N feature values ​​is a feature value of the channel corresponding to the broadband. The offset of the feature value in the subband refers to the offset of the value of the feature value representing the same transmission flow in the channel corresponding to the subband relative to the value in the channel corresponding to the broadband.

[0163] For example, the N characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to broadband are respectively Corresponding to transport stream 3, Corresponding to transport stream 4, For transport stream 6, if the broadband can be divided into 3 sub-bands (sub-band 1 to sub-band 3), taking sub-band 1 as an example, among the multiple characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to sub-band 1, the characteristic value corresponding to transport stream 3 is... Among the multiple characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to subband 1, the characteristic value corresponding to transport stream 4 is... Among the multiple characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to subband 1, the characteristic value corresponding to transport stream 6 is... but The offset corresponding to sub-band 1 can be expressed as or The offset corresponding to sub-band 1 can be expressed as or The offset corresponding to sub-band 1 can be expressed as or The calculation of the offsets corresponding to subband 2 and subband 3 is described in subband 1. Therefore, the first parameter can include the offset of each of the N characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to the broadband in each subband. In other words, a characteristic value corresponding to a broadband corresponds to an offset in multiple subbands.

[0164] Design 2: The first parameter may include the CQI of the transport stream corresponding to N of the M feature values.

[0165] The descriptions of the N eigenvalues ​​can be found in the relevant descriptions in Design 1 above, and will not be repeated here. The CQIs of the transport streams corresponding to the N eigenvalues ​​are used to indicate the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) supported by the corresponding transport streams under the current channel conditions. In other words, the terminal device can feed back the CQIs of the N transport streams with poor signal transmission performance under the current channel conditions to indicate the signal transmission status of the poor transport streams measured on the first downlink reference signal resource. This allows the network device to know the signal transmission status under the weight (such as the first weight) of the reflection device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource and determine the channel rank enhancement effect under the current reflection device weight.

[0166] When the first channel is a wideband channel, the first parameter may further include the offset of the CQI corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​in the subband. Similar to the offset of the feature values, the offset of the CQI corresponding to each feature value in the subband refers to the offset of the CQI of the feature value characterizing the same transport flow in the subband-corresponding channel relative to the CQI in the wideband-corresponding channel.

[0167] Continuing with the example above, let's take the CQI offset in subband 1 corresponding to one of the N characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to the broadband as an example. One of the N characteristic values ​​of the channel corresponding to the broadband (broadband) is... The CQI of its corresponding transport stream 3 is If the CQI of transport stream 3 on the channel corresponding to subband 1 is but The offset of the CQI of the corresponding transport stream 3 on subband 1 can be expressed as: or

[0168] Design 3: The first parameter may include the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) corresponding to N of the M eigenvalues.

[0169] The descriptions of the N eigenvalues ​​can be found in the relevant descriptions in Design 1 above, and will not be repeated here. The SINR corresponding to each of the N eigenvalues ​​is used to indicate the SINR of the corresponding transport stream under the current channel conditions. That is, the terminal device can indicate the signal transmission status of the poor transport streams measured on the first downlink reference signal resource by feeding back the SINR of the N transport streams with poor signal transmission performance under the current channel conditions. This allows the network device to know the signal transmission status under the weight (such as the first weight) of the reflection device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource and determine the channel rank enhancement effect under the current reflection device weight.

[0170] When the first channel is a wideband channel, the first parameter may further include the offset of the SINR corresponding to each of the N characteristic values ​​on the subband. Similar to the offset of CQI mentioned above, taking the offset of the SINR corresponding to one of the N characteristic values ​​of the wideband channel on subband 1 as an example, one of the N characteristic values ​​of the wideband channel is... The SINR of its corresponding transport stream 3 is If the SINR of transport stream 3 on the channel corresponding to subband 1 is but The offset of the SINR of the corresponding transport stream 3 on subband 1 can be expressed as: or

[0171] Design 4: The first parameter may include the ratio of each of the N eigenvalues ​​out of the M eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue among the M eigenvalues.

[0172] The description of the N eigenvalues ​​can be found in the relevant description in Design 1 above, and will not be repeated here. That is to say, the terminal device feeds back the N ratios of each of the N worst eigenvalues ​​under the current channel conditions to the N largest eigenvalue as the first parameter to the network device. Each of the N ratios can characterize the signal transmission difference between the poor and good transmission flows under the current channel conditions.

[0173] For example, the M feature values ​​are arranged in descending order as follows: That is, the largest eigenvalue is The N eigenvalues ​​are respectively That is, if N=3, then the first parameter can include as well as

[0174] When the first channel is a wideband channel, the first parameter may further include the offsets on the subband corresponding to the ratios of N eigenvalues ​​to the largest eigenvalue. Taking the offset of the ratio of one of the N eigenvalues ​​of a wideband channel to the largest eigenvalue on subband 1 as an example, one of the N eigenvalues ​​(wideband) of the wideband channel is... Its ratio to the largest eigenvalue is If the maximum eigenvalue of the channel corresponding to subband 1 is And the characteristic value of the corresponding transport stream 3 on the channel corresponding to sub-band 1 is but With the largest eigenvalue The ratio corresponding to the offset on subband 1 can be expressed as: or

[0175] Design 5: The first parameter can include the exponential value of the entropy of the M eigenvalues.

[0176] The entropy of the M eigenvalues ​​is used to characterize the differences between them. A larger entropy indicates a smaller difference between the M eigenvalues, and vice versa. For the exponent of the entropy of the M eigenvalues, a larger entropy results in a larger exponent, and vice versa.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the exponential values ​​of the entropy of the M eigenvalues ​​can satisfy the following relationship:

[0178]

[0179] Where Erank is the exponent value, and rank is the maximum number of transmission streams supported by the terminal device. Let k be the k-th eigenvalue among M eigenvalues, where k is a positive integer. Let M be the entropy of the M eigenvalues. Therefore, the exponent of the entropy of the M eigenvalues ​​is obtained by rounding up the entropy of the M eigenvalues ​​and then performing an exponential operation. It should be understood that since the feedback range of the entropy of different M eigenvalues ​​is very large, for ease of feedback, the terminal device can provide feedback on the differences between the M eigenvalues ​​in the form of the exponent of the entropy.

[0180] In one possible design, the exponent of the entropy of the M eigenvalues ​​can range from [0, M], and can be represented as Erank ∈ [0, M].

[0181] Optionally, for the reporting of exponent values, the quantization precision of the exponent values ​​corresponding to different values ​​of M can be the same. In this embodiment of the application, in order to ensure consistent quantization precision, the quantization of the exponent value can be associated with M, and the quantization precision of the exponent value refers to the ratio of M to the number of quantized bits of the exponent value.

[0182] For example, when uniform quantization is used for the exponent value, M=8, the exponent value is Erank1, the number of quantization bits for Erank1 is K, and the quantization precision is 8 / 2. K If M = L, and the exponent is Erank2, then to ensure that the number of quantized bits of Erank2 is equal to 8 / 2... K To maintain consistency, when M=L, the number of quantization bits for Erank2 can be...

[0183] When the first channel corresponds to a sub-band, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are all within a preset range, the CSI can include the number of consecutive sub-bands, the total number of frequency domain resources contained in the multiple consecutive sub-bands, and any one of the multiple index values ​​corresponding to the multiple consecutive sub-bands. In other words, when the terminal device calculates the index values ​​of the M characteristic values ​​of the first channel corresponding to each sub-band, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are basically the same, the terminal device can report one index value for multiple sub-bands, and report the number of sub-bands corresponding to that index value, as well as the total number of frequency domain resources contained in the multiple sub-bands. In this case, multiple sub-bands with basically the same index values ​​can be viewed as a single large sub-band, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0184] When the first channel is the channel corresponding to the wideband, the first parameter may also include the offset of the exponent value on the subband. For example, taking subband 1 as an example, the exponent value corresponding to the wideband is Erank1, and the exponent value corresponding to subband 1 is Erank1,1. Then the offset of Erank1 on the subband can be expressed as Erank1-Erank1,1 or Erank1,1-Erank1.

[0185] The specific types of channel parameters included in the CSI reported by the terminal device can be indicated by the network device. In one possible implementation, the network device can send first indication information to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device. The first indication information indicates the parameter types in the reported CSI. For example, the parameter types in the CSI can be any combination of the following: CRI+RI+first parameter, CRI+RI+PMI+first parameter, or CRI+RI+LI+PMI+first parameter. The specific type of the first parameter in the CSI—which one of the designs 1 to 5 mentioned above—can be predefined by the protocol or indicated by the network device through the first indication information; this is not limited. Therefore, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal device can obtain the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal based on the first indication information.

[0186] Optionally, the first indication information may be carried in radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media access control (MAC) signaling, and there is no limitation on this.

[0187] It should be understood that the first instruction information can be sent to the terminal device via a reflection device or directly to the terminal device, without limitation.

[0188] Based on the above process, the terminal device can feed back different CSIs for different downlink reference signal resources, and the values ​​of the same parameters fed back in different CSIs may be different.

[0189] Optionally, the terminal device can send CSI to the network device via PUSCH or the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0190] Optionally, CSI can be sent to network devices via a reflection device or directly to network devices; there is no limitation on this.

[0191] The CSI feedback containing the first parameter mentioned above is for channel rank enhancement via the reflection device. Whether the terminal device needs channel rank enhancement or coverage enhancement, the network device can determine a better IRS weight to perform channel rank enhancement or coverage enhancement on the terminal device based on the channel quality of the direct transmission channel between the network device and the terminal device and / or the load of the terminal device (such as the size of the remaining data packets to be transmitted).

[0192] In one possible implementation, if the channel quality of the direct transmission channel reported by the terminal device, such as RSRP, is less than a threshold α... RSRPIf the terminal device needs coverage enhancement, then CRI+RSRP feedback can be used in the CSI feedback. Conversely, if the channel quality of the direct transmission channel reported by the terminal device, such as RSRP, is greater than or equal to the threshold α, then... RSRP If the terminal device needs to perform channel rank enhancement, then the CSI feedback can adopt a feedback method that includes the first parameter (such as CRI + first parameter).

[0193] In another possible implementation, if the size of the remaining data packets to be transmitted by the terminal device is less than the threshold α... Buffer If coverage enhancement is required by the terminal device, then CRI+RSRP feedback can be used in the CSI feedback. Conversely, if the size of the remaining data packets to be transmitted by the terminal device is greater than or equal to the threshold α... Buffer If the terminal device needs to perform channel rank enhancement, then the CSI feedback can adopt a feedback method that includes the first parameter (such as CRI + first parameter).

[0194] In another possible implementation, if either the channel quality (RSRP) or the size of the remaining data packets to be transmitted reported by the terminal device is less than the corresponding threshold, the terminal device needs to perform coverage enhancement. In this case, the CSI feedback can use a CRI+RSRP feedback method. Conversely, if both the channel quality (RSRP) and the size of the remaining data packets to be transmitted reported by the terminal device are greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold, the terminal device needs to perform channel rank enhancement. In this case, the CSI feedback can use a feedback method that includes the first parameter (such as CRI+first parameter).

[0195] Regarding S402 above:

[0196] After receiving the CSIs corresponding to multiple downlink reference signal resources (including the first downlink reference signal resource) from the terminal device, the network device can determine the signal transmission rate under the weight of the reflecting device corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource according to the first parameter in the CSI of each downlink reference signal resource. Since the reflecting device uses different weights to reflect downlink reference signals transmitted on different downlink reference signal resources, the weight of a reflecting device corresponds to a signal transmission rate. Therefore, the network device can select the weight of the reflecting device with the highest signal transmission rate to realize channel rank enhancement between the network device and the terminal device, thereby improving the data transmission rate.

[0197] For example, the network device is configured with Q downlink reference signal resources, and the Q downlink reference signal resources correspond to the weights of Q reflection devices. The network device calculates the signal transmission rate under the weight of the corresponding reflection device based on the received Q CSIs, and selects the weight of the reflection device with the largest signal transmission rate from the weights of the Q reflection devices to serve the terminal device.

[0198] For the above design 1: The network device can calculate the sum of the signal transmission rates of the N characteristic values ​​and the noise power in the CSI corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource under the condition of only noise, and select the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest signal transmission rate to serve the terminal device.

[0199] For any downlink reference signal resource (such as the first downlink reference signal resource), one possible way to determine the CSI is as follows: Let N characteristic values ​​in the CSI be... The noise power is N0. The network device can calculate the value V representing the signal transmission rate under the weight of the reflecting device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource according to the following formula. q :

[0200] in, Let i be the i-th eigenvalue among N eigenvalues.

[0201] Therefore, network devices can calculate the V corresponding to multiple downlink reference signal resources. q Select V q The weight of the reflecting device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest value is used to serve the terminal equipment.

[0202] For Design 2 above: The network device can calculate the sum of the signal transmission rates of the N feature values ​​in the CSI corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource, and select the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest signal transmission rate.

[0203] For any downlink reference signal resource (such as the first downlink reference signal resource) corresponding to the CSI, one possible way to determine it is: the network device can select the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest sum of spectral efficiency based on the sum of the CQI corresponding to the N feature values ​​in the CSI and the sum of the spectral efficiencies corresponding to the CQI corresponding to the N feature values ​​specified in the protocol, and serve the terminal device.

[0204] For the above design 3: the network device can calculate the sum of the signal transmission rates corresponding to the N feature values ​​in the CSI corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource based on the SINR corresponding to each feature value, and select the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest signal transmission rate to serve the terminal device.

[0205] For any downlink reference signal resource (such as the first downlink reference signal resource), one possible way to determine the CSI is as follows: Let the SINR corresponding to the N feature values ​​in the CSI be SINR1, SINR2, ..., SINR N Given noise power N0, the network device can calculate the value S representing the signal transmission rate under the weight of the reflecting device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource using the following formula. q :

[0206] Among them, SINR i It is the i-th SINR among the N SINRs corresponding to N feature values.

[0207] Therefore, network devices can calculate the S corresponding to multiple downlink reference signal resources. q Select S q The weight of the reflecting device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest value is used to serve the terminal equipment.

[0208] For the above design 4: the network device can perform an entropy exponential value calculation similar to the above M feature values ​​based on the ratio of each feature value to the largest feature value among the N feature values ​​in the CSI corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource, i.e., N ratios, and select the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest exponential value to serve the terminal device.

[0209] For the above design 5: the network device can select the weight of the reflecting device corresponding to the downlink reference signal resource with the largest Erank from the index value Erank in the CSI corresponding to multiple downlink reference signal resources, so as to serve the terminal device.

[0210] based on Figure 4The illustrated communication method, in a scenario where a terminal device communicates with a network device via a reflection device, utilizes a method where, since each downlink reference signal resource corresponds to a weight of a reflection device, the terminal device carries a first parameter in the CSI corresponding to each downlink reference signal resource, such as the first downlink reference signal resource, which is related to M characteristic values ​​of the first channel measured by transmitting downlink reference signals on the first downlink reference signal resource. These M characteristic values ​​correspond to M transport streams indicated by the RI (Reference Indicator). This allows feedback on the characteristics of the currently measured available transport streams of the channel. Consequently, the network device can learn that the signal uses the weight of the reflection device corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource to achieve channel rank enhancement. Furthermore, the network device can select the weight of the reflection device that results in better channel rank enhancement and greater data transmission based on the first parameter in the CSI corresponding to different downlink reference signal resources, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0211] It is understood that, in the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the network device can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the network device; and the methods and / or steps implemented by the terminal device can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the terminal device.

[0212] The foregoing mainly describes the solutions provided in this application. Accordingly, this application also provides a communication device for implementing various methods in the above method embodiments. This communication device can be a network device in the above method embodiments, or a device containing a network device, or a component usable in a network device, such as a chip or chip system. Alternatively, the communication device can be a terminal device in the above method embodiments, or a device containing a terminal device, or a component usable in a terminal device, such as a chip or chip system.

[0213] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0214] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0215] Taking the network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments as an example, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 As shown, the communication device 500 includes a processing module 501 and a communication module 502. The processing module 501 is used to execute the processing functions of the network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication module 502 is used to execute the communication functions of the network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0216] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0217] In one possible design, in this embodiment of the application, the communication module 502 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module. Figure 5 (Not shown in the diagram). The transmitting module and the receiving module are used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 500, respectively.

[0218] In one possible design, the communication device 500 may further include a storage module. Figure 5 (Not shown in the image), this storage module stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 501 executes the program or instructions, it enables the communication device 500 to perform... Figure 4 The method shown illustrates the functions of the network device or terminal device.

[0219] In some embodiments, the processing module 501 involved in the communication device 500 may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and may be a processor or processing unit; the communication module 502 may be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and may be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0220] For example, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device can be a network device or a terminal device as described in the above method embodiments, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in a network device or terminal device. Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 may include a processor 601, a bus 602, a communication interface 603, and a memory 604. The processor 601, memory 604, and communication interface 603 communicate with each other via the bus 602. The communication device 600 may be the aforementioned network device or terminal device. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the communication device 600.

[0221] Bus 602 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be divided into address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 6 The bus 602 may be represented by a single line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus 602 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the communication device 600 (e.g., memory 604, processor 601, communication interface 603).

[0222] Processor 601 may include any one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0223] Memory 604 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). Processor 601 may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD).

[0224] The communication interface 603 uses transceiver modules such as, but not limited to, network interface cards and transceivers to enable communication between the communication device 600 and other devices or communication networks.

[0225] The memory 604 stores executable program code, which the processor 601 executes to implement the functions of the network device or the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments. That is, the memory 604 stores instructions for executing the aforementioned communication methods.

[0226] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product containing instructions, including computer program code, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0227] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0228] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs).

[0229] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0230] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0231] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0232] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0233] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0234] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or an access network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0235] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0236] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of this application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applicable to scenarios where terminal devices communicate with network devices via reflection devices, includes: Obtain the channel state information (CSI) corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource. The CSI includes a first parameter related to M feature values ​​of the first channel. The first channel is measured from the downlink reference signal received from the first downlink reference signal resource. The M feature values ​​are the first M feature values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, and M is equal to the indication value of the rank indicator RI. Send the CSI.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information, which is used to indicate the parameter type in the reported CSI; The step of obtaining the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource includes: The CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal is obtained based on the first indication information.

3. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applicable to scenarios where terminal devices communicate with network devices via reflection devices, includes: Receive the CSI corresponding to the first downlink reference signal resource. The CSI includes a first parameter related to M feature values ​​of a first channel. The first channel is measured from the downlink reference signal received from the first downlink reference signal resource. The M feature values ​​are the first M feature values ​​of the first channel arranged in descending order, and M is equal to the indication value of RI. The weights of the reflecting devices that maximize the data transmission rate are determined based on the CSI.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message, which is used to indicate the parameter type in the reported CSI.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first parameter is used to determine the weight of the reflecting device that maximizes the data transmission rate. The weight is used by the reflecting device to reflect the downlink reference signal sent by the network device to the terminal device. The weight corresponds one-to-one with the downlink reference signal resource.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first channel is either the channel corresponding to the sub-band or the channel corresponding to the broadband.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first parameter includes N feature values ​​from the M feature values. The N feature values ​​are the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter also includes the offset of each of the N feature values ​​on the sub-band.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first parameter includes the channel quality indicator (CQI) of the transport stream corresponding to N of the M feature values. The N feature values ​​are the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter also includes the offset of the CQI corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​on the sub-band.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first parameter includes the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) corresponding to N feature values ​​out of the M feature values. The N feature values ​​are the first N feature values ​​arranged in ascending order from the M feature values, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, When the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter also includes the offset of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) corresponding to each of the N feature values ​​on the subband.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first parameter includes the ratio of each of the N features out of the M features to the largest feature among the M features. The N features are the first N features of the M features arranged in ascending order, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, When the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter also includes the offset on the subband corresponding to the ratio of each of the N feature values ​​to the largest feature value.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first parameter includes the exponential value of the entropy of the M feature values.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The index value ranges from [0, M].

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The quantization precision of the exponent values ​​corresponding to different values ​​of M is the same.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15-17, characterized in that, When the first channel is the channel corresponding to a sub-band, if the index values ​​corresponding to multiple consecutive sub-bands are all within a preset range, then the CSI includes the number of the multiple consecutive sub-bands, the total number of frequency domain resources contained in the multiple consecutive sub-bands, and any one of the multiple index values ​​corresponding to the multiple consecutive sub-bands.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15-18, characterized in that, When the first channel is a broadband channel, the first parameter also includes the offset of the exponent value on the subband.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-19.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, include: processor; The processor is configured to run computer programs or instructions to enable the method as described in any one of claims 1-19 to be implemented.

22. A communication chip, characterized in that, It stores instructions that, when the chip is running on a communication device, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-19 to be implemented.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-19.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program code, which, when run on a communication device, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-19.

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