Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and a communication device, and relates to the field of communication. The method comprises: determining a first resource occupied by a first reference signal, the first resource being determined according to a first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating a resource allocation condition in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit; and sending the first reference signal, wherein the first reference signal is used for sensing. Based on the method, the sensing performance can be improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the process of the evolution of the 5th Generation (5G) to 5G-Advanced (5G-A), the communication and sensing integrated technology is considered as one of the key technologies that can expand the business capabilities of mobile communication networks. In one sensing mode, a reference signal can be used as a sensing signal for target sensing. Specifically, after the sensing station A transmits the reference signal, the reference signal reflected by the target surface is received by the sensing station B, and the sensing station B can perform target sensing according to the received reference signal.

[0003] However, the current resource configuration of the reference signal is periodic in the time domain and comb-shaped configuration with equal intervals in the frequency domain, which is not flexible enough and limits the sensing performance. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication apparatus, which can improve the sensing performance.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be performed by a first communication apparatus. The first communication apparatus can be a terminal or a network device, or a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the terminal or the network device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal or the network device.

[0006] The method comprises determining a first resource occupied by a first reference signal, the first resource being determined according to a first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating a resource allocation in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit; and transmitting the first reference signal, the first reference signal being used for sensing.

[0007] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be performed by a second communication apparatus. The second communication apparatus can be a terminal or a network device, or a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the terminal or the network device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal or the network device.

[0008] The method comprises determining a first resource occupied by a first reference signal, the first resource being determined according to a first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating a resource allocation in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit; and receiving the first reference signal, the first reference signal being used for sensing.

[0009] According to the method provided in the first aspect or the second aspect of the present application, the first resource occupied by the first reference signal can be determined according to the first pattern. Since each element in the first pattern indicates the resource allocation in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit, the first resource occupied by the first reference signal can be configured more flexibly, thereby improving the sensing performance of the first reference signal for sensing.

[0010] With reference to the method in the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the first resource is determined according to a second pattern, and the second pattern is part or all of the first pattern.

[0011] In this implementation, the first pattern can be taken as a base pattern, and part or all of the first pattern corresponding to the first reference signal can be taken from the first pattern as the second pattern, and the first resource can be determined according to the second pattern. In other words, the first resource occupied by the first reference signal can be determined according to part or all of the first pattern. In this way, different patterns can be taken from the base pattern according to different requirements, thereby reducing the complexity.

[0012] With reference to the method in the first aspect or the second aspect and the possible implementation thereof, in a possible implementation, the size of the first dimension of the first pattern is determined according to the maximum sensing frame length, and / or the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is determined according to the maximum sensing bandwidth. Alternatively, the size of the first dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value, and / or the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value.

[0013] In the present application, the first dimension of the pattern is mapped to the time domain dimension of the physical resource, and the second dimension of the pattern is mapped to the frequency domain dimension of the physical resource, which will not be described hereinafter. In this implementation, the size of the first pattern can be defined according to a larger bandwidth or a longer time length, for example, the size of the first pattern can be defined according to the maximum bandwidth or the maximum time length, and further, the first pattern can be taken as a base pattern, and part or all of the first pattern corresponding to the first reference signal can be taken from the first pattern as the second pattern to determine the first resource. In this way, the base pattern can cover different resource sizes or positions configured for the first reference signal in a larger bandwidth or a longer time length, thereby different patterns can be taken according to different resource sizes or positions, thereby reducing the complexity.

[0014] With reference to the method in the first aspect or the second aspect and the possible implementation thereof, in a possible implementation, the first resource is determined according to a second pattern, and the second pattern is obtained by repeating the first pattern in the first dimension and / or the second dimension.

[0015] In this embodiment, the first pattern can be taken as a base pattern, and a second pattern corresponding to the first reference signal can be obtained by repeating the first pattern in the first dimension and / or the second dimension, and the first resource can be determined according to the second pattern. In other words, the first resource occupied by the first reference signal can be determined according to the pattern obtained by repeating the first pattern. In this way, different patterns can be repeated based on one base pattern according to different requirements, thereby reducing complexity.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect and possible implementation manners thereof, a possible implementation is that a first dimension size of the first pattern is a predefined value, and / or a second dimension size of the first pattern is a predefined value.

[0017] In this embodiment, the size of the first pattern can be defined according to a commonly used bandwidth and frame length, and further, the first pattern can be taken as a base pattern, and a second pattern can be obtained by repeating the first pattern in the first dimension and / or the second dimension to determine the first resource. In this way, the base pattern can be taken as a base, and after being repeated and expanded, it can be used for different resource sizes or positions of the first reference signal configuration, so that different patterns can be obtained for different resource sizes or positions, thereby reducing complexity.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect and possible implementation manners thereof, a possible implementation is that a first dimension size of the second pattern is determined according to a time domain resource configured for the first reference signal, and / or a second dimension size of the second pattern is determined according to a frequency domain resource configured for the first reference signal.

[0019] In this embodiment, the size of the second pattern can be defined according to the resource configured for the first reference signal, so as to determine the first resource according to the second pattern. In this way, the second pattern can correspond to different resource sizes configured for the first reference signal.

[0020] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect and possible implementation manners thereof, a possible implementation is that there are multiple patterns, and the first pattern is a pattern satisfying a first condition among the multiple patterns.

[0021] In this embodiment, there can be multiple base patterns, and each base pattern can be applicable to different cases, such as different sensing requirements or sensing tasks, different resource positions (such as frequency bands, time periods, etc.), different resource sizes (such as wideband or narrowband, etc.), different communication scenarios, and the like. In this way, some conditions can be defined, and a base pattern suitable for a specific case can be selected for resource configuration of the first reference signal. In this way, the configured resource is more suitable for the specific case, and complexity is also reduced.

[0022] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect, each element in the first pattern indicates that all resources in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit are allocated or not allocated.

[0023] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect, each element in the first pattern indicates that resources in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit are not allocated or allocated according to a predefined rule.

[0024] In this implementation, each element in the first pattern can indicate that part of resources in a corresponding time unit and / or frequency domain unit are allocated. In other words, each element in the first pattern corresponds to resources in a time unit and / or a frequency domain unit, and part of the resources in the time unit and / or the frequency domain unit can be allocated to the first reference signal for transmission. Specifically, part of the resources in the time unit and / or the frequency domain unit can be selected according to a predefined rule, so that further resource allocation can be performed in the time unit and / or the frequency domain unit, thereby reducing complexity.

[0025] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect, the time domain unit is one of a symbol, a mini-slot, a slot, a subframe, a half frame, and a frame; and / or the frequency domain unit is one of a subcarrier, a resource block (12 subcarriers), and a bandwidth unit (a self-defined bandwidth unit).

[0026] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect, the positions of the elements in the first pattern indicating that all or part of the resources in a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit are allocated are non-uniform in the first dimension and / or the second dimension.

[0027] In this implementation, the elements in the first pattern indicating that resources are allocated are non-uniform, so that the first resources determined according to the first pattern are non-uniform in the time-frequency domain, so that the sensing performance of the first reference signal for sensing can be improved.

[0028] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which has the function of implementing the first aspect, for example, the communication apparatus includes a module or unit or means for performing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The communication apparatus can be the first communication apparatus.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus, which has the function of the second aspect, for example, the communication apparatus includes a module or unit or means for performing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, which can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The communication apparatus can be the second communication apparatus.

[0030] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor, which executes a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions) or instructions, so that the apparatus performs the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or so that the apparatus performs the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. The communication apparatus can be the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the apparatus further includes a memory, which stores the computer program.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the processor is one or more, and / or, the memory is one or more.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory is disposed separately from the processor.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the apparatus further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled with the communication interface.

[0035] In an implementation, the apparatus is a terminal device or a network device. For example, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0036] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip. For example, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0037] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes an apparatus for performing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and / or an apparatus for performing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0038] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores computer readable instructions, when the computer readable instructions are executed, the method in any one of the aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects is performed.

[0039] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program instructions, which, when executed, cause the method in any of the aspects or any possible implementation of the method in any of the aspects to be performed.

[0040] In a ninth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor, which, when executing a program or instructions, causes the method in any of the aspects or any possible implementation of the method in any of the aspects to be performed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 is a scenario schematic diagram of communication and sensing integration provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of several sub-scenarios of double-station sensing provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a resource pattern of a reference signal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of pattern interception provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of pattern repetition provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of another communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0052] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " represents that the objects before and after the correlation are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the correlation of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural. And, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or the like means any combination of the items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, wherein a, b, and c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second", and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same function and role. The skilled in the art can understand that "first", "second", and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and "first", "second", and the like do not necessarily mean different.

[0053] In the method embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number does not mean the execution order, the execution order should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] It can be understood that in the present application, "in the case of", "if", "when", "if", and the like can be used instead. And, these descriptions all mean that the corresponding processing will be done under certain objective conditions, not limited to time, and also does not require a judgment action when implemented, and does not mean that there are other limitations.

[0055] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application can not depend on other features in some scenarios, such as the scheme currently based on, and can be independently implemented to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Also, in some scenarios, it can be combined with other features according to the demand. Correspondingly, the devices given in the embodiments of the present application can also realize these features or functions, which will not be described here.

[0056] In the present application, the same or similar parts among various embodiments can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified. In the present application, the terms and / or descriptions among different embodiments, and among various implementation manners / implementation methods / realization methods in each embodiment, are consistent and can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified and in conflict with logic. The technical features among different embodiments, and among various implementation manners / implementation methods / realization methods in each embodiment, can be combined to form new embodiments, implementation manners, implementation methods, or realization methods according to their inherent logical relationship. The implementation manners of the present application described below do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0057] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to various communication systems, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a 5th generation (5G) system or a new radio (NR). The technical solutions provided by the present application can also be applied to future communication networks. The technical solutions provided by the present application can also be applied to an internet of things (IoT) network or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. It should be understood that the above communication systems to which the present application is applied are only illustrative, and the communication systems to which the present application is applied are not limited thereto.

[0058] The network device in the embodiments of the present application can also be referred to as an access network device, a radio access network (RAN) node, a RAN entity or an access node, etc., which constitutes a part of a communication system to help terminals realize wireless access.

[0059] In a possible scenario, the network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station of a future communication network (gNB), or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The network device can be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the network device can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the network device in the present application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The network device can also be provided with a communication module, circuit or chip for performing corresponding communication functions. The network device can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The network device in the present application can also be a logic node, a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0060] In another possible scenario, a plurality of network devices cooperate to assist a terminal to implement wireless access, and different network devices respectively implement part of the functions of a base station. For example, the network device can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU) or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0061] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) system, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU are taken as examples for description in this application. Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0062] The terminal in the embodiments of the present application can be an access network device, and a device or module with corresponding communication function. The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely applied to various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart power grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, a wireless communication function transport vehicle, a communication module, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The terminal is usually provided with a communication module, circuit or chip for executing corresponding communication functions. The terminal is also configured with program instructions for executing corresponding communication functions.

[0063] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device and the terminal are sometimes referred to as communication apparatuses, for example, the network device can be understood as a communication apparatus with base station function, and the terminal can be understood as a communication apparatus with terminal function.

[0064] In the process of the evolution of the 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication system to 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology, communication and perception integrated technology is considered one of the key technologies that can expand the business capabilities of mobile communication networks. The core idea of this technology is to add perception capabilities to the mobile communication network to build the ability to detect, track, and image targets, so that communication and perception capabilities coexist in harmony in one network, and even mutually benefit each other.

[0065] Exemplarily, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a scenario of communication and perception integration is shown. Referring to Figure 1 , the network device and the terminal can perform communication while also being able to perceive objects that do not have communication functions. The perceived targets include, but are not limited to, mobile targets such as vehicles, low-altitude drones, and pedestrians, and also include stationary objects in the environment, such as buildings and the ground.

[0066] There are certain differences between the technical principles of perception and communication. Communication is that the sending end modulates information on radio waves and sends it to the receiving end, and the receiving end demodulates the signal carried on the radio waves to obtain information. Perception requires the sending end to send radio waves in a specific direction, and when the radio waves irradiate the target surface, a reflected wave is formed, so that the receiving end receives and processes the reflected wave to obtain information such as the position, speed, and type of the target.

[0067] Perception can generally be divided into two modes: single-station perception and double-station perception. Among them, single-station perception is that the sending end and the receiving end of the perception signal are the same device. From the perspective of the perception signal flow, this perception station not only sends a perception signal, but also receives the signal reflected on the target surface. Therefore, the single-station perception mode is also called self-transmission and self-reception mode. For double-station perception, the sending end and the receiving end of the perception signal are two different devices. From the perspective of the perception signal flow, the signal reflected on the target surface after the perception signal is sent by perception station A is received by perception station B. Therefore, the double-station perception mode is also called A-transmission and B-reception mode. The present application mainly relates to double-station perception, and can also be applied to single-station perception.

[0068] Exemplarily, Figure 2 Several sub-scenarios of double-station perception are shown. Among them, Figure 2 (a) in FIG. 1 is a scenario in which network device A sends a perception signal and network device B receives the perception signal; Figure 2 (b) in FIG. 1 is a scenario in which terminal A sends a perception signal and terminal B receives the perception signal; Figure 2 (c) in FIG. 1 is a scenario in which a terminal sends a perception signal and a network device receives the perception signal; Figure 2The (d) in the (d) is a network device sending a sensing signal, and the terminal receiving the sensing signal. In the Figure 2 In the scenario shown in the figure, the receiving end (such as a terminal) can receive the sensing signal from the network device, and then perform sensing on the sensed target (i.e., the vehicle shown in the figure) according to the received sensing signal. Figure 2 The network device B of the (a) in the (a) and the terminal B of the (b) in the (b) can perform sensing on the sensed target (i.e., the vehicle shown in the figure) according to the received sensing signal. Figure 4 The network device B of the (a) in the (a) and the terminal B of the (b) in the (b) can perform sensing on the sensed target (i.e., the vehicle shown in the figure) according to the received sensing signal.

[0069] The reference signal (RS) can also be referred to as a "pilot" signal, which is a known signal provided by the sending end to the receiving end for channel estimation or channel sounding. For example, the sounding reference signal (SRS) can be used for estimation of uplink channel quality and channel selection, calculation of signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the uplink channel, and can also be used for acquisition of the uplink channel coefficient. In the time division duplex (TDD) scenario, the uplink and downlink channels have reciprocity, and the SRS can also be used to acquire the downlink channel coefficient. The uplink / downlink channel coefficient estimated by the network device according to the SRS can be used to determine the precoding matrix of the uplink / downlink, improve the transmission rate of the uplink / downlink, and increase the system capacity. In addition to being used for channel estimation or channel sounding, the reference signal can also be used as a sensing signal for sensing of the sensed target.

[0070] Generally, the resource configuration of the reference signal is periodically configured in the time domain and comb-shapedly configured in the frequency domain. For example, in the protocol of NR, the SRS is configured by an SRS resource, and each SRS resource indicates the following information: the transmission period of the reference signal, the slot offset in a period, the starting symbol, the number of continuous symbols, the comb size of the frequency domain resource, the comb offset or the bandwidth, and the like. The UE can determine the time-frequency position of the resource element (RE) occupied by the SRS according to the information indicated by the SRS resource. Specifically, the time slot occupied by the SRS is the time slot corresponding to the slot offset in the transmission period, for example, the period of the SRS resource is 10 time slots, and the slot offset is 5, which means that the SRS is transmitted every 10 time slots in the time domain, and the time slot for transmission is the time slot with an index of 5 in the 10 time slots, as shown in FIG. 3(a). The symbols occupied by the SRS in a time slot are continuous symbols starting from the starting symbol, and the number of continuous symbols is the number of symbols, and the bandwidth occupied by the SRS in a time slot is the bandwidth indicated by the SRS resource, for example, the starting symbol is 10, the number of symbols is 2, and the SRS bandwidth is 8 RBs, which means that the SRS occupies the symbols with indexes of 10 and 11 in the time slot in the time domain, and in the case of no frequency hopping, the symbol pattern occupied by the SRS in the occupied time slot is as shown in FIG. 3(b). The REs occupied by the SRS in a symbol and in the SRS bandwidth are determined according to the comb size and the comb offset, and the current protocol supports SRS combs of 2, 4 or 8, for example, the comb is 4, and the comb offset is 2, which means that the SRS occupies one RE every 4 REs, and occupies the REs with indexes of 2, 6 and 10 in a resource block (RB), and the RE pattern occupied by the SRS in the occupied RB is as shown in FIG. 3(c). It can be known from the above examples that the SRS is periodic in the time domain and equally spaced (comb) in the frequency domain. The UE can determine the time-frequency resource occupied by the SRS according to the period and the comb size and the like.

[0071] However, there are certain differences between the technical principles of sensing and communication. For example, a non-uniform time-frequency occupation pattern can obtain higher sensing performance than a uniform time-frequency occupation pattern under the same overhead, such as a larger range of ranging and speed measurement. In this way, it is beneficial to improve the sensing performance or reduce the overhead of the sensing reference signal. However, the resource configuration of the reference signal is not flexible enough at present.

[0072] Therefore, the present application provides a communication method, which can configure the resource of the reference signal based on the pattern, so as to more flexibly configure the resource and improve the sensing performance.

[0073] The method and device provided in the present application are further described below with reference to the drawings. Number is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in the present application. Each step is described below.

[0074] S410a, the first communication device determines the first resource occupied by the first reference signal, the first resource being determined according to the first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating resource allocation within a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit.

[0075] S410b, the second communication device determines the first resource occupied by the first reference signal, the first resource being determined according to the first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating resource allocation within a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit.

[0076] S420, the first communication device transmits the first reference signal, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first reference signal. The first reference signal is used for sensing.

[0077] It should be understood that step S410b can be before S420 or after S420, which is not limited in the present application.

[0078] Each element in the first pattern corresponds to a resource unit, and the first pattern can be understood as a resource allocation pattern indicating whether a plurality of resource units are allocated. The resource unit can include at least one dimension in the time domain resource and the frequency domain resource. Specifically, a resource unit is composed of resources within a time domain unit and / or a frequency domain unit. The time domain unit can be a symbol, a micro-slot, a slot, a subframe, a half frame, a frame, etc. The frequency domain unit can be a subcarrier, an RB (one RB includes 12 subcarriers), a bandwidth unit (a bandwidth unit defined or configured by a protocol, which can include a specific number of RBs or a specific number of REs or a specific number of subcarriers), etc. For example, a resource unit is a resource within a slot, a resource within an RB, or a resource within a slot and an RB, etc. The allocation of the resource within the corresponding resource unit can be indicated by the value of each element in the first pattern, such as indicating that the resource unit is not allocated, or indicating that the resource unit is allocated, and the indication of being allocated can include indicating that all resources within the resource unit are allocated and / or that part of the resources within the resource unit are allocated.

[0079] The first pattern can comprise a first dimension or a second dimension or a combination of both. Further, the first pattern can be represented by a matrix. For example, each element in the matrix corresponds to a resource unit, when an element in the matrix takes a non-zero value (e.g. 1), the resource unit corresponding to the element is allocated, when an element in the matrix takes a value of 0, the resource unit corresponding to the element is not allocated. Alternatively, the first pattern can be represented by the (row, column) index of the non-zero elements in the matrix and / or the value of the element. The above matrix or the index of the non-zero elements can be described in the form of a table, or can be determined by a formula and / or a predefined rule.

[0080] For example, each element in the first pattern corresponds to a resource within a time slot and a subcarrier. If defined in the form of a table, as shown in Table 1, (x, y) in Table 1 refers to a set of REs with time slot index x and subcarrier index y, the resources corresponding to the (x, y) listed in the table can be understood as being allocated, and the resources corresponding to the elements not listed in the table can be understood as not being allocated. It should be understood that Table 1 is only an example, and the present application does not limit the specific design of the first pattern.

[0081] Table 1

[0082] Time-frequency location index 1 2 3 4 5 Number (0,0) (0,4) (0,7) (3,2) (3,5) Time-frequency location index 6 7 8 9 … Figure 5 (4,1) (4,8) (6,2) (6,4) …

[0083] The first pattern can be designed based on the technical principle of sensing. One design idea is that, in order to obtain better sensing speed and / or ranging performance, the sidelobe of the ambiguity function of the reference signal resource pattern can be as low as possible, and therefore the reference signal resource pattern can be optimized with the maximum sidelobe being the lowest as the target, thereby designing the first pattern. The pattern designed based on the technical principle of sensing is usually non-uniform, for example, a non-uniform reference signal resource pattern or a non-uniform first pattern. Therefore, in one possible implementation, the positions of the elements in the first pattern indicating that all or part of the resources in a resource unit are allocated are non-uniform in the first dimension and / or the second dimension. For example, in the case where a non-zero value indicates that a resource unit is allocated, the positions of the non-zero elements in the first pattern are non-uniform in the first dimension and / or the second dimension. In this way, the sensing performance of the first reference signal for sensing can be improved.

[0084] Based on the above first pattern, the first resource can be determined, the first resource being the resource actually occupied by the first reference signal when transmitted, for example, the RE pattern occupied. Since each element in the first pattern indicates the resource allocation of a resource unit, the resource occupied by the first reference signal can be more flexibly configured, thereby improving the sensing performance of the first reference signal for sensing.

[0085] Optionally, the first resource is determined according to a second pattern, and the second pattern is determined according to the first pattern. The second pattern is similar to the first pattern, and thus can be referred to each other. In different cases, the ideal resource pattern of the reference signal can be different, thus, the first pattern can be taken as a basic pattern, and different second patterns can be determined according to specific cases to determine the first resource, so that the first resource occupied by the first reference signal can be determined based on different patterns for different cases, while the sensing performance of the reference signal is ensured, the complexity of resource configuration is reduced. It should be understood that the second pattern is a pattern corresponding to the first reference signal, that is, the second pattern is a pattern for the specific case of the first reference signal transmission.

[0086] For example, for different bandwidths and / or sensing frame lengths, or for different frequency domain resource positions and / or time domain resource positions where the reference signal is located, or for the combination of the two, the ideal reference signal resource pattern is not the same. If a first pattern is defined for each bandwidth and sensing frame length, the number of patterns that the base station and the terminal need to support will be too much, resulting in high implementation complexity. Therefore, in a possible implementation, the size of the first pattern and / or the second pattern can be determined according to the time domain resource size and / or the frequency domain resource size.

[0087] Optionally, the first dimension size of the second pattern is determined according to the time domain resource configured for the first reference signal, and / or the second dimension size of the second pattern is determined according to the frequency domain resource configured for the first reference signal. In this application, the first dimension of the first pattern and / or the second pattern can be mapped to the time domain dimension of the physical resource, and the second dimension of the first pattern and / or the second pattern can be mapped to the frequency domain dimension of the physical resource, which will not be described hereinafter. In this way, the size of the second pattern can be defined according to the resource configured for the first reference signal, so that the second pattern can correspond to different resource sizes configured for the first reference signal.

[0088] The first reference signal can be configured with a general resource, which is referred to as a configured resource in the present application. The configured resource is composed of a configured time domain resource and / or a configured frequency domain resource, such as a bandwidth, a frequency domain position, a time length or a time domain position occupied by the first reference signal, and the like. The configured resource of the first reference signal is a coarse-grained resource configuration, which can be understood as that the first reference signal can be transmitted in the configured resource, but not all resources in the configured resource can be used for transmission of the first reference signal. The configured resource of the first reference signal can include one or more resource units. Specifically, the configured time domain resource of the first reference signal includes one or more time domain units, and further, the one or more time domain units can be physically continuous or discontinuous or segmented continuous. Similarly, the configured frequency domain resource of the first reference signal includes one or more frequency domain units, and further, the one or more frequency domain units can be physically continuous or discontinuous or segmented continuous. The configured time domain resource and / or the configured frequency domain resource of the first reference signal can also be a required time domain resource and / or a required frequency domain resource for sensing, or a time domain resource and / or a frequency domain resource determined according to the sensing requirement.

[0089] There is a corresponding relationship between the resource unit corresponding to each element in the second pattern and the resource unit included in the configured resource of the first reference signal. In an example, the one-to-one correspondence exists between the two. For example, the first dimension size of the second pattern is the number of time domain units included in the configured time domain resource of the first reference signal, that is, the number of elements of the second pattern in the first dimension is the number of time domain units included in the configured time domain resource of the first reference signal. For another example, the second dimension size of the second pattern is the number of frequency domain units included in the configured frequency domain resource of the first reference signal, that is, the number of elements of the second pattern in the second dimension is the number of frequency domain units included in the configured frequency domain resource of the first reference signal. Based on the above corresponding relationship, the first resource can be determined, and the first resource includes the resource unit allocated by the second pattern in the configured resource.

[0090] Optionally, the embodiments of the present application provide the following two ways to determine the second pattern according to the first pattern.

[0091] The first way: the second pattern is part or all of the first pattern.

[0092] In the first way, the first pattern can be taken as a basic pattern, and part or all corresponding to the first reference signal is cut from the first pattern as the second pattern.

[0093] In a possible implementation, the first dimension size of the first pattern is determined according to a first time length. The first time length can be understood as a relatively large time length, and thus can cover time domain lengths or time domain positions occupied by various sensing reference signals. The first time length can be a maximum sensing time length or a maximum sensing frame length, etc. The maximum sensing time length is a time length in which a sensing signal adopted by one or more sensing services occupies the maximum time length, and the time length can be in units of radio frames, and thus can also be referred to as a maximum sensing frame length. Alternatively, the first time length can be a predefined value. For example, the first time length is N radio frames, where N is a positive integer. For another example, the first time length can be a time length determined according to a commonly used sensing time length or predefined, that is, the first time length can not be the maximum sensing time length, but a protocol can specify several time length grades for a sensing service to select, and in this case, the first time length can be a time length corresponding to each grade, and similarly, the time length can be in units of radio frames. The time length can also have other names, which are not limited in the present application.

[0094] For example, the first dimension size of the first pattern is the number of time domain units included in the first time domain resource, the first time domain resource occupies the first time length in time, and one or more time domain units included in the first time domain resource can be physically continuous, discontinuous, or segmented continuous. In an example, the number of elements of the first pattern in the first dimension can be a multiple of the first time length with respect to the time domain unit time length.

[0095] Further, in the first dimension, the starting position of the second pattern in the first pattern is determined according to an indication or a formula or a preset rule, or the starting position is predefined by a protocol. The starting position of the second pattern in the first pattern can be understood as the first element of the second pattern in the first dimension being located at a position of the first pattern in the first dimension, and the position can be represented by a position index. For example, the first element of the first pattern in the first dimension can be taken as the starting position, that is, the element with an index of 0 in the first dimension of the first pattern is taken as the first element of the second pattern in the first dimension. Alternatively, in the first dimension, the starting position of the second pattern in the first pattern or the position of each element of the second pattern in the first pattern can be determined according to the position of the first reference signal configured time domain resource in the first time domain resource. In other words, the elements of the first pattern correspond to the time domain units in the first time domain resource, and the elements of the second pattern correspond to the time domain units in the configured time domain resource, and thus the elements of the second pattern are elements corresponding to the same time domain units, which are cut from the first pattern according to the time domain units in the configured time domain resource. It should be understood that the elements of the second pattern in the first pattern can be continuous, and thus the second pattern can be cut from the first pattern according to the starting position and the first dimension size of the second pattern. The elements of the second pattern in the first pattern can also be discontinuous, which is not limited.

[0096] In a possible implementation, the second dimension size of the first pattern is determined according to a first frequency domain width. The first frequency domain width can be understood as a larger bandwidth, and thus can cover a plurality of frequency domain widths or frequency domain positions occupied by the sensing reference signals. The first frequency domain width can be a maximum bandwidth, a system bandwidth, or a maximum sensing bandwidth, etc. The maximum bandwidth can be a maximum bandwidth of a frequency domain resource currently available to the terminal device, or a carrier bandwidth of a current carrier, or an equivalent bandwidth synthesized after carrier aggregation, etc. The bandwidth can be represented by a number of included RBs. The maximum sensing bandwidth is a frequency domain width with a maximum frequency domain width occupied by sensing signals adopted by one or more sensing services. The frequency domain width can be represented by a number of included RBs. Alternatively, the first frequency domain width can be a predefined value. For example, the first frequency domain width is M RBs, where M is a positive integer. For another example, the first frequency domain width can be a frequency domain width determined according to commonly used sensing frequency domain widths. That is, the first frequency domain width can not be the maximum bandwidth, but can be a protocol-specified several frequency domain width levels for selection by the sensing service. In this case, the first frequency domain width can be a frequency domain width corresponding to each level. Similarly, the frequency domain width can be represented by a number of included RBs. The above frequency domain width can also have other names, which are not limited in the present application.

[0097] For example, the second dimension size of the first pattern is a number of frequency domain units included in the first frequency resource, the first frequency resource occupies a first frequency domain width in the frequency domain, and one or more frequency domain units included in the first frequency resource can be physically continuous, discontinuous, or segmented continuous. In an example, the number of elements of the first pattern in the second dimension can be a multiple of the frequency domain width of the first frequency width with respect to the frequency domain unit.

[0098] Furthermore, in the second dimension, the starting position of the second pattern in the first pattern is determined according to an instruction, formula, or preset rule, or the starting position is predefined by the protocol. The starting position of the second pattern in the first pattern can be understood as the position of the first element of the second pattern in the second dimension relative to the first pattern in the second dimension, which can be represented by a position index. For example, the first element of the first pattern in the second dimension can be used as the starting position, that is, the element with index 0 in the first pattern in the second dimension can be used as the first element of the second pattern in the second dimension. Alternatively, in the second dimension, the starting position of the second pattern in the first pattern in the second dimension can be determined according to the position of the frequency domain resource configured for the first reference signal in the first frequency domain width, or the position of each element in the second pattern in the first pattern can be determined. In other words, the elements in the first pattern correspond to frequency domain units in the first frequency domain width, and the elements in the second pattern correspond to frequency domain units in the configured frequency domain resources. Therefore, the elements in the second pattern are elements corresponding to the same frequency domain units extracted from the first pattern according to the frequency domain units in the configured frequency domain resources. It should be understood that elements in the second pattern can be continuous in the first pattern, thus allowing the second pattern to be extracted from the first pattern based on its starting position and the second dimension size of the second pattern. Elements in the second pattern may also be non-continuous in the first pattern, without restriction.

[0099] For example, a frequency domain unit is a RB, the first frequency domain width is 100 RBs, and the configured frequency domain resources occupy the 50th to 100th RBs. Then the second dimension of the first pattern can be 100, corresponding to the 100 RBs respectively, and the starting position can be the 50th RB. The second dimension of the second pattern is 51, corresponding to the 50th to 100th RBs respectively.

[0100] The above-mentioned possible implementation methods can be combined with each other.

[0101] For easier understanding, please refer to Figure 5 . Figure 5 The grid in the image is a schematic diagram of the first pattern, where each cell represents an element of the first pattern and corresponds to a resource unit. Gray cells can represent non-zero elements, or be understood as indicating the element to which the corresponding resource unit has been allocated. The box outlines the second pattern. In the most intuitive scenario, Figure 6 Each cell in the diagram corresponds to a RE. The REs corresponding to the gray cells in the boxed pattern constitute the first resource. That is, the pattern in the box is the resource pattern actually transmitted by the first reference signal.

[0102] Method 2: The second pattern is obtained by repeating the first pattern in the first and / or second dimensions.

[0103] In the second approach, the first pattern can be taken as a base pattern, and the second pattern can be obtained by repeating the first pattern and cutting a part of the repeated pattern corresponding to the first reference signal. In other words, the resource size configured for the first reference signal can be larger than the size of the first pattern, and thus the first pattern can be repeated in the first dimension and / or the second dimension. The size of the repeated pattern can be larger than the resource size configured for the first reference signal, and thus a part of the repeated pattern corresponding to the first reference signal can be cut. The cutting can be as described in the first approach, and thus will not be described here in detail.

[0104] In a possible implementation, the first dimension size of the first pattern is determined according to a first time length. The first time length can be a predefined value. For example, the first time length can be N radio frames, where N is a positive integer. For another example, the first time length can be a time length determined according to a commonly used sensing time length or a predefined time length. In other words, the first time length can not be the maximum sensing time length, or can include the maximum sensing time length. The protocol can define several time length levels for a sensing service to select from, and in this case, the first time length can be a time length corresponding to each level, which can be in units of radio frames. The time length can also be referred to as other names, which are not limited in the present application.

[0105] For example, the first dimension size of the first pattern can be the number of time domain units included in the first time domain resource, the first time domain resource occupies a first time length in time, and one or more time domain units included in the first time domain resource can be physically continuous, discontinuous, or segmented continuous. In an example, the number of elements of the first pattern in the first dimension can be a multiple of the first time length with respect to the time domain unit time length.

[0106] Further, in the first dimension, the number of times the first pattern is repeated can be determined according to an indication, a formula, or a preset rule, or predefined by the protocol. For example, the number of times the first pattern is repeated can be the minimum number of times such that the repeated pattern covers the time domain resource configured for the first reference signal.

[0107] In a possible implementation, the second dimension size of the first pattern is determined according to a first frequency domain width. The first frequency domain width can be a predefined value. For example, the first frequency domain width can be M RBs, where M is a positive integer. For another example, the first frequency domain width can be a frequency domain width determined according to a commonly used sensing frequency domain width. In other words, the first frequency domain width can not be the maximum bandwidth, or can include the maximum bandwidth. The protocol can define several frequency domain width levels for a sensing service to select from, and in this case, the first frequency domain width can be a frequency domain width corresponding to each level, which can be represented by the number of RBs included.

[0108] For example, the second dimension of the first pattern is the number of frequency domain units included in the first frequency domain resource, which occupies a first frequency domain width in the frequency domain. The one or more frequency domain units included in the first frequency domain resource can be physically continuous, discontinuous, or segmented continuous. In one example, the number of elements in the second dimension of the first pattern can be a multiple of the first frequency width with respect to the frequency domain width of the frequency domain units.

[0109] Furthermore, in the second dimension, the number of times the first pattern is repeated is determined according to an instruction, formula, or preset rule, or is predefined by the protocol. For example, the number of times the first pattern is repeated can be the minimum number of times that allows the enlarged pattern to cover the frequency domain resources configured for the first reference signal.

[0110] For example, if a frequency domain unit is one RB, the first frequency domain width is 10 RBs, and the configured frequency domain resources occupy 55 RBs, then the second dimension of the first pattern can be 10, corresponding to the 10 RBs respectively, and the repetition count can be 6. The second dimension of the second pattern is 60, and every 10 elements correspond to the 10 RBs in the first pattern.

[0111] The above-mentioned possible implementation methods can be combined with each other.

[0112] For easier understanding, please refer to Figure 6 . Figure 6 The grid in the image is a schematic diagram of the second pattern, where each cell represents an element in the second pattern and corresponds to a resource unit. Gray cells can represent non-zero elements, or be interpreted as indicating the element to which the corresponding resource unit has been allocated. The box outlines the first pattern. In the most intuitive scenario, Figure 6 Each cell in the diagram corresponds to a Resource Entity (RE). Assuming the configured resource size is an integer multiple of the resource size corresponding to the first pattern, then... Figure 6 In the grid, the REs corresponding to the gray cells constitute the first resource, i.e. Bandwidth ≥ X RB The grid pattern shown in the image is the resource pattern actually transmitted by the first reference signal.

[0113] Optionally, there may be multiple patterns, and the first pattern is the pattern that satisfies the first condition among the multiple patterns.

[0114] These multiple patterns can be designed according to different situations, such as different sensing requirements or tasks, different resource locations (e.g., frequency bands, time periods), different resource sizes (e.g., broadband or narrowband), different communication scenarios, and so on. In this way, certain conditions can be defined to select a basic pattern adapted to the specific situation for the resource configuration of the first reference signal. This resource configuration is more suitable for the specific situation and also reduces implementation complexity.

[0115] For example, the multiple patterns can be determined according to commonly used sensing time durations and / or sensing frequency domain widths, or predefined. That is, several time duration and / or frequency domain width levels can be agreed for sensing service selection, and the multiple patterns can correspond to the levels respectively.

[0116] In an implementation, the first condition can include at least one of:

[0117] The size or quantity of time domain resources configured for the first reference signal is in a first range, the first range being a range corresponding to the first pattern, for example, the time domain resources being greater than or equal to Y slots, or for example, the time domain resources being less than or equal to Y1 slots and greater than Y2 slots;

[0118] The size or quantity of frequency domain resources configured for the first reference signal is in a second range, the second range being a range corresponding to the first pattern, for example, the frequency domain resources being greater than or equal to X RBs, or for example, the frequency domain resources being less than or equal to X1 RBs and greater than X2 RBs;

[0119] The resource size corresponding to the first dimension size of the first pattern is the closest to the size of time domain resources configured for the first reference signal among resource sizes corresponding to first dimension sizes of the multiple patterns, for example, the resource sizes corresponding to the first dimension sizes of two patterns are 10 slots and 20 slots respectively, and the size of time domain resources configured is 18 slots, then the pattern of 20 slots is selected;

[0120] The resource size corresponding to the second dimension size of the first pattern is the closest to the size of frequency domain resources configured for the first reference signal among resource sizes corresponding to second dimension sizes of the multiple patterns, for example, the resource sizes corresponding to the second dimension sizes of two patterns are 10 RBs and 20 RBs respectively, and the size of frequency domain resources configured is 12 RBs, then the pattern of 10 RBs is selected;

[0121] The first dimension size or an integer multiple of the first dimension size of the first pattern is the minimum value greater than the size of time domain resources configured for the first reference signal among resource sizes corresponding to first dimension sizes or integer multiples of first dimension sizes of the multiple patterns, for example, the resource sizes corresponding to the first dimension sizes of two patterns are 10 slots and 15 slots respectively, and the size of time domain resources configured is 18 slots, then the pattern of 10 slots is selected;

[0122] The second dimension size or an integer multiple of the second dimension size of the first pattern is the minimum value greater than the size of frequency domain resources configured for the first reference signal among resource sizes corresponding to second dimension sizes or integer multiples of second dimension sizes of the multiple patterns, for example, the resource sizes corresponding to the second dimension sizes of two patterns are 10 RBs and 15 RBs respectively, and the size of frequency domain resources configured is 12 RBs, then the pattern of 15 RBs is selected.

[0123] For the convenience of understanding, reference can be made to Table 2. There are totally 4 patterns, and the first pattern corresponds to the pattern when the configured resource satisfies the time length and bandwidth range in Table 2.

[0124] Table 2

[0125] bandwidth < X RB Duration < Y slots Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Duration ≥ Y slots Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Figure 4

[0126] Optionally, when the element in the first pattern indicates that the corresponding resource unit is allocated, there are two ways for how the resource within one resource unit is allocated.

[0127] Way 1: All the resources within the resource unit are allocated.

[0128] In the way 1, the first resource includes all the resources in the resource unit indicated by the first pattern to be allocated in the configured resource.

[0129] Way 2: Part of the resources within the resource unit are allocated.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the resources within the resource unit can be allocated according to a predefined rule, or otherwise indicated how to allocate. In other words, the first resource includes the resources in the resource unit indicated by the first pattern to be allocated in the configured resource in the above way.

[0131] For example, one resource unit is the resource within one time slot and one RB, a resource allocation pattern within one time slot and one RB can be predefined, or otherwise determined by a formula to determine which resources within one time slot and one RB are allocated.

[0132] In this way, further resource allocation can be performed within the resource unit, so as to improve the flexibility of resource configuration while reducing the complexity.

[0133] In an embodiment of the present application, in a possible design, the first communication device can be a network device, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device; the second communication device can be another network device, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device; or the second communication device can be a terminal, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the terminal, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the terminal. In another possible design, the first communication device can be a terminal, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the terminal, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the terminal; the second communication device can be another terminal, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the terminal, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the terminal; or the second communication device can be a network device, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device. For the sake of simplicity, the following description directly takes the terminal or the network device as an example.

[0134] Optionally, the resource configured for the first reference signal is indicated by the network. Figure 4 The method shown can further include steps 401a and 401b, which are not shown in the figure. If the first communication device is a terminal, step 401a is receiving the first information; if the first communication device is a network device, step 401a is transmitting the first information. If the second communication device is a terminal, step 401b is receiving the first information; if the second communication device is a network device, step 401b is transmitting the first information. The first information is used to indicate the resource configured for the first reference signal. The first information can be carried in radio resource control (RRC) signaling, MAC layer signaling, or downlink control information (DCI).

[0135] Optionally, the first pattern or the plurality of patterns is indicated by the network. Figure 7The method shown may further include steps 402a and 402b, which are not shown in the figure. If the first communication device is a terminal, step 402a is receiving second information; if the first communication device is a network device, step 402a is sending second information. If the second communication device is a terminal, step 402b is receiving second information; if the second communication device is a network device, step 402b is sending second information. The second information is used to indicate the first pattern or one of the aforementioned patterns. The second information may be carried in RRC signaling, MAC layer signaling, or DCI.

[0136] Steps 401a and 401b can be performed before or after steps 402a and 402b, without restriction.

[0137] The first reference signal can be an SRS, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or it can be replaced with a signal other than the reference signal, without restriction.

[0138] The method provided in this application has been introduced above. The apparatus that can implement this method is described below.

[0139] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 2000 may include at least one of a communication unit 2100 and a processing unit 2200. The communication unit 2100 can implement corresponding communication functions, which can be internal communication within the communication device 2000 or communication between the communication device 2000 and other devices; the processing unit 2200 can implement corresponding processing functions. The communication unit 2100 may also be referred to as a communication interface or transceiver unit. Optionally, the communication device 2000 may further include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 2200 can read the instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the communication device 2000 to implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0140] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be the first communication device in the method embodiments described above. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes performed by the first communication device in the method embodiments described above.

[0141] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be the second communication device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 2000 may be used to perform the steps or processes executed by the second communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0142] As to the steps or procedures performed by the units in the communication device 2000, reference can be made to the corresponding method embodiments above, and details are not repeated here.

[0143] It should be understood that the units in the communication device 2000 can be implemented by hardware, or by software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. For example, the units can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (for example, a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combination logic circuit and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. For another example, the communication unit 2100 can be replaced by a transceiver circuit (for example, which can include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit 2200 can be replaced by a processor or a processing circuit.

[0144] Figure 9 A schematic block diagram of another communication device 3000 provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown. The communication device 3000 can be a first communication device or a second communication device. The communication device 3000 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and reference can be made to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0145] The communication device 3000 can include one or more processors 3100, which can also be referred to as processing units, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 3100 can be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (for example, a base station, a baseband chip, a user chip, a distributed unit (DU) or a central unit (CU), etc.), execute software programs, and process data of the software programs.

[0146] In an alternative design, the processor 3100 can also store instructions and / or data, which can be executed by the processor 3100, so that the communication device 3000 performs the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0147] In another alternative design, the communication device 3000 can include a communication interface 3200 for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 3200 can be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a transceiver, etc. The transceiver circuit, the interface, the interface circuit, or the transceiver for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions can be separate or integrated together. The transceiver circuit, the interface, the interface circuit, or the transceiver described above can be used for reading and writing of codes / data, or the transceiver circuit, the interface, the interface circuit, or the transceiver described above can be used for transmission or transfer of signals.

[0148] Optionally, the communication device 3000 can include one or more memories 3300, which can store instructions executable on the processor 3100, so that the communication device 3000 performs the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memory 3300 can also store data. Optionally, the processor 3100 can also store instructions and / or data. The processor 3100 and the memory 3300 can be separately arranged or integrated together.

[0149] Figure 9 A structure schematic diagram of a terminal 4000 is provided in the present application. The communication device 2000 or the communication device 3000 can be arranged in the terminal 4000. Alternatively, the communication device 2000 or the communication device 3000 itself can be the terminal 4000. Alternatively, the terminal 4000 can perform the actions performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments. For the convenience of description, Figure 9 Only the main components of the terminal are shown. As Figure 9 The terminal 4000 includes a processor, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and an input / output device, as shown.

[0150] The processor is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data, and controlling the whole terminal, executing software programs, processing data of the software programs, for example, for supporting the terminal to perform the actions described in the above method embodiments. The memory is mainly used for storing software programs and data. The control circuit is mainly used for conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals, and processing of the radio frequency signals. The control circuit and the antenna together can also be called a transceiver, which is mainly used for transceiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input / output device, for example, a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., is mainly used for receiving data input by a user and outputting data to the user.

[0151] When the terminal is powered on, the processor can read the software program in the storage unit, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent, and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal, and sends the radio frequency signal in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0152] Those skilled in the art can understand that, for the convenience of description, Figure 9 Only one memory and one processor are shown. In an actual terminal, there can be multiple processors and memories. The memory can also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device, and the like, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0153] For example, the processor can include a baseband processor and a central processor. The baseband processor is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data. The central processor is mainly used for controlling the entire terminal, executing software programs, and processing data of the software programs. Figure 9 The processor in the terminal integrates the functions of the baseband processor and the central processor. Those skilled in the art can understand that the baseband processor and the central processor can also be independent processors interconnected by a bus or the like. Those skilled in the art can understand that the terminal can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and the terminal can include multiple central processors to enhance its processing capability. Various components of the terminal can be connected by various buses. The baseband processor can also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processor can also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor, or can be stored in the storage unit in the form of a software program, and the processor executes the software program to realize the baseband processing function.

[0154] For example, in the embodiments of the present application, the antenna with transceiving function and the control circuit can be regarded as the transceiving unit 4100 of the terminal 4000, and the processor with processing function can be regarded as the processing unit 4200 of the terminal 4000. As Figure 9As shown, the terminal 4000 includes a transceiver unit 4100 and a processing unit 4200. The transceiver unit can also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver unit, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the devices in the transceiver unit 4100 for implementing the receiving function can be regarded as a receiving unit, and the devices in the transceiver unit 4100 for implementing the sending function can be regarded as a sending unit, that is, the transceiver unit 4100 includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. Exemplarily, the receiving unit can also be referred to as a receiver, a receiver circuit, etc., and the sending unit can be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter circuit, etc.

[0155] Figure 10 A structural schematic diagram of a network device 5000 is provided for an embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 2000 or the communication apparatus 3000 can be configured in the network device 5000. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 2000 or the communication apparatus 3000 can be the network device 5000 itself. Alternatively, the network device 5000 can perform the actions performed by the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus in the method embodiments.

[0156] As shown in the Figure 10 The network device 5000 can include one or more DUs 5010 and one or more CUs 5020. The CU 5020 can communicate with a core network of a future communication network. The DU 5010 can include at least one antenna 5011, at least one radio frequency unit 5012, at least one processor 5013, and at least one memory 5014. The DU 5010 is mainly used for the transceiving of radio frequency signals and the conversion between radio frequency signals and baseband signals, and part of baseband processing. The CU 5020 can include at least one processor 5022 and at least one memory 5021. The CU 5020 and the DU 5010 can communicate through an interface, where the control plane (CP) interface can be Fs-C, such as F1-C, and the user plane (UP) interface can be Fs-U, such as F1-U.

[0157] The CU 5020 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the network device 5000, etc. The DU 5010 and the CU 5020 can be physically arranged together or physically separated, that is, a distributed base station. The CU 5020 is the control center of the network device 5000 and can also be referred to as a processing unit, which is mainly used for completing the baseband processing function. For example, the CU 5020 can be used to control the network device 5000 to perform the operation process of the network device in the method embodiments.

[0158] Specifically, the baseband processing on the CU and the DU can be divided according to the protocol layer of the wireless network, for example, the functions of the protocol layer above the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer are arranged on the CU, and the functions of the protocol layer below the PDCP, for example, the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer are arranged on the DU. For another example, the CU implements the functions of the RRC layer and the PDCP layer, and the DU implements the functions of the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the physical layer.

[0159] In addition, the network device 5000 can optionally include one or more radio units (RUs), one or more DUs, and one or more CUs. The DU can include at least one processor 5013 and at least one memory 5014, the RU can include at least one antenna 5011 and at least one radio frequency unit 5012, and the CU can include at least one processor 5022 and at least one memory 5021.

[0160] In one example, the CU 5020 can be composed of one or more single boards, and the multiple single boards can jointly support a single access indicated wireless access network (such as a 5G network) or separately support wireless access networks of different access modes (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 5021 and the processor 5022 can serve one or more single boards. That is, the memory and the processor can be separately arranged on each single board. Alternatively, multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits can also be arranged on each single board. The DU 5010 can be composed of one or more single boards, and the multiple single boards can jointly support a single access indicated wireless access network (such as a 5G network) or separately support wireless access networks of different access modes (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 5014 and the processor 5013 can serve one or more single boards. That is, the memory and the processor can be separately arranged on each single board. Alternatively, multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits can also be arranged on each single board.

[0161] It should be understood that, Figure 10 The network device 5000 shown can implement the various processes of the actions performed by the first AP or the second AP in the foregoing method embodiments. The operations and / or functions of the various modules in the network device 5000 are respectively used to implement the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, refer to the description in the above method embodiments, and the detailed description is appropriately omitted here.

[0162] It should be understood that, Figure 10The illustrated network device 5000 is only one possible architecture of a network device and should not be taken as limiting the present application. The methods provided by the present application can be applied to network devices of other architectures. For example, network devices that include CUs, DUs, and AAUs, or network devices that do not employ a CU-DU split architecture, etc. The present application is not limited to a specific architecture of a network device.

[0163] It should be understood that, in a possible design, each step in the method embodiments provided by the present application can be completed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in a processor or instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as completed by a hardware processor, or completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, or the like. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads information in the memory and combines the hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0164] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with a signal processing capability. In the implementation process, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in the processor or instructions in the form of software. The above processor can be a general processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component. The general processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as completed by a hardware decoding processor, or completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, or the like. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads information in the memory and combines the hardware to complete the steps of the above method.

[0165] It is to be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a nonvolatile memory, or can include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. Among them, the nonvolatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically EPROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example, and not limitation, many forms of RAM can be used, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the system and method described herein is intended to include, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0166] The present application also provides a computer program product, which comprises computer program code, when the computer program code is executed, causes each step or process performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in any of the above method embodiments to be performed.

[0167] The present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores program code, when the program code is executed, causes each step or process performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in any of the above method embodiments to be performed.

[0168] The present application also provides a communication device, which comprises a processor and an interface for transmitting and / or receiving signals, so that the processor performs each step or process performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0169] The application further provides a chip comprising a processor, which, when executing a program or instructions, causes each step or procedure performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in any of the method embodiments to be performed.

[0170] The application further provides a communication system comprising at least one of the first communication device or the second communication device.

[0171] Each of the device embodiments and the method embodiments described above fully correspond, and each step is performed by a corresponding module or unit, for example, the communication unit or the communication interface performs the steps of receiving or sending in the method embodiments, and other steps than sending and receiving can be performed by the processing unit or the processor.

[0172] In the embodiments of the application, each term and English abbreviation is an exemplary example given for the convenience of description, and should not constitute any limitation on the application. The application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms capable of achieving the same or similar functions in existing or future protocols.

[0173] The terms "component", "module", "system", and the like used in the present specification are used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and the computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside within a process and / or thread of execution, and a component can be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components can communicate by way of local and / or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from programs, data included in a management information base, etc.), such as data in a signal provided to or by another system (e.g., a local system, a distributed system, and / or a networked system).

[0174] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. The functions described in the embodiments can be performed by hardware or software, depending on the particular application and design constraints. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each particular application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the application.

[0175] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the system, device and unit described above can be based on the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0176] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, another division mode can be used. For example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be omitted or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0177] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment scheme.

[0178] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically independently, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0179] In the above embodiments, the functions of the various functional units can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, the software can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are wholly or partially generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another, for example, the computer instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another via wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) manner. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (for example, DVD), or semiconductor media (for example, solid state disk (SSD)) and the like.

[0180] When the functions are implemented in the form of 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 solutions of the present application essentially or the parts that make contributions to the prior art or parts of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for making a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0181] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: A first resource occupied by a first reference signal is determined, the first resource being determined based on a first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating the resource allocation within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit; The first reference signal is sent, and the first reference signal is used for sensing.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first resource is determined based on the second drawing, which is part or all of the first drawing.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The size of the first dimension of the first pattern is determined based on the maximum perceptual frame length, and / or, the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is determined based on the maximum perceptual bandwidth; or, The size of the first dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value, and / or the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first resource is determined based on a second pattern, which is obtained by repeating the first pattern in a first dimension and / or a second dimension.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The size of the first dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value, and / or the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The size of the first dimension of the second pattern is determined based on the time-domain resources configured for the first reference signal, and / or the size of the second dimension of the second pattern is determined based on the frequency-domain resources configured for the first reference signal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, There are multiple patterns, and the first pattern is the pattern that satisfies the first condition among the multiple patterns.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Each element in the first pattern indicates whether all resources within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit are allocated or unallocated; or, Each element in the first pattern indicates that a resource within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit has not been allocated or has been allocated according to a predefined rule.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The time-domain unit is one of the following: symbol, micro-slot, slot, subframe, half-frame, frame; and / or, The frequency domain unit is one of the following: subcarrier, resource block, or bandwidth unit.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The first pattern indicates that the position of the element in which all or part of the resources within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit are allocated is non-uniform in the first and / or second dimensions.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, include: A first resource occupied by a first reference signal is determined, the first resource being determined based on a first pattern, each element in the first pattern indicating the resource allocation within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit; The first reference signal is received, and the first reference signal is used for sensing.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The first resource is determined based on the second drawing, which is part or all of the first drawing.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The size of the first dimension of the first pattern is determined based on the maximum perceptual frame length, and / or, the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is determined based on the maximum perceptual bandwidth; or, The size of the first dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value, and / or the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value.

14. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The first resource is determined based on a second pattern, which is obtained by repeating the first pattern in a first dimension and / or a second dimension.

15. The method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The size of the first dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value, and / or the size of the second dimension of the first pattern is a predefined value.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-15, characterized in that, The size of the first dimension of the second pattern is determined based on the time-domain resources configured for the first reference signal, and / or the size of the second dimension of the second pattern is determined based on the frequency-domain resources configured for the first reference signal.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11-16, characterized in that, There are multiple patterns, and the first pattern is the pattern that satisfies the first condition among the multiple patterns.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11-17, characterized in that, Each element in the first pattern indicates whether all resources within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit are allocated or unallocated; or, Each element in the first pattern indicates that a resource within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit has not been allocated or has been allocated according to a predefined rule.

19. The method according to any one of claims 11-18, characterized in that, The time-domain unit is one of the following: symbol, micro-slot, slot, subframe, half-frame, frame; and / or, The frequency domain unit is one of the following: subcarrier, resource block, or bandwidth unit.

20. The method according to any one of claims 11-19, characterized in that, The first pattern indicates that the position of the element in which all or part of the resources within a time-domain unit and / or a frequency-domain unit are allocated is non-uniform in the first and / or second dimensions.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 11-20.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, which, when executing a program or instructions, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 11-20 to be performed.

24. A readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed, they cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 11-20 to be performed.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program instructions, which, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 11-20 to be performed.

26. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling and running a computer program from memory, such that the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-10 is executed, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 11-20 is executed.

27. A system, characterized in that, It includes a first device and a second device, the first device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, and the second device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-20.

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