Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: generating a first sequence of reference signals; the first sequence is mapped to M frequency domain resource units on K antenna ports, M positions of the M frequency domain resource units are indicated by a second sequence, the length of the second sequence is N, M, K and N are positive integers, and M is larger than or equal to K. The second sequence may flexibly indicate the M frequency domain resource units as compared to a position of a predefined frequency domain resource unit for the reference signal. And the process of determining the reference signal pattern is more flexible.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application relates to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 503,283, filed May 19, 2023, entitled “A Method and Apparatus of Pilot Design”.

[0002] The full disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0004] In wireless communication systems, reference signals can be transmitted between transmitting and receiving devices for channel estimation. The transmitting device maps a reference signal sequence onto a specific physical resource, known as a reference signal resource. The location of the reference signal resource is known to both the transmitting and receiving devices. This location is called a reference signal pattern. The receiving device can then perform channel estimation based on the received reference signal.

[0005] In current wireless communication systems, the locations of antenna ports used for reference signals and the time-frequency domain resources associated with each antenna port are predefined. However, as communication systems evolve, this predefined resource allocation method may become inapplicable or problematic. For example, in newer systems, the increased number of antenna ports supporting the transmission of reference signals may necessitate the predefinition of a large amount of resources for the reference signals.

[0006] Therefore, determining the reference signal pattern has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application provides a communication method and a communication device. These technical solutions can make the process of determining reference signal patterns more flexible.

[0008] According to a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a transmitting device. The method includes: generating a first sequence of a reference signal; mapping the first sequence onto M frequency domain resource elements on K antenna ports, wherein the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by a second sequence, the length of the second sequence being N, and M, K, and N being positive integers, where M ≥ K.

[0009] According to a second aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be executed by a receiving device. The method includes: receiving a reference signal, wherein a first sequence of the reference signal is mapped to M frequency domain resource elements on K antenna ports, the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by a second sequence, the length of the second sequence is N, M, K, and N are positive integers, and M ≥ K.

[0010] In this application, the transmitting device can determine the M positions of M frequency domain resource elements based on a second sequence, and associate the M frequency domain resource elements with K antenna ports. Compared to predefining the positions of frequency domain resource elements for a reference signal, the second sequence can flexibly indicate the M frequency domain resource elements. The process of determining the reference signal pattern is more flexible.

[0011] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the second sequence is determined at least according to a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters including one or more of the following: an identifier of the terminal device; a value range, wherein N sequence values ​​in the second sequence are selected from the value range; a sequence index for identifying the second sequence; a type parameter for indicating the type of the second sequence; a bandwidth size, wherein the bandwidth includes the M frequency domain resource units; the location of the bandwidth; the density of the reference signal; communication environment parameters; time domain information for indicating time domain resources associated with the M frequency domain resource units; and spatial domain information for indicating P antenna ports supporting the transmission of the reference signal, where P is a positive integer and P≥2.

[0012] In this application, a second sequence can be generated based on a first set of parameters. For example, the transmitting device can determine the length of the second sequence or the sequence values ​​in the second sequence based on the first set of parameters. In other words, the transmitting device can consider various parameters to generate the second sequence to determine the location of the frequency domain resource units of the reference signal, providing a flexible way to determine resources.

[0013] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, M is greater than or equal to a threshold, and the second sequence is determined at least according to the threshold.

[0014] In this application, a minimum number of frequency domain resource elements for transmitting reference signals can be defined, and the second sequence can be determined based on this minimum value. The number of frequency domain resource elements can be determined within a reasonable range.

[0015] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the threshold is determined based on the communication environment parameters.

[0016] In this application, the number of frequency domain resource elements can be defined based on communication environment parameters. For example, the minimum value in a complex communication environment (e.g., an urban area) can be greater than the minimum value in a simple communication environment (e.g., a rural area), and the number of frequency domain resource elements can be determined within a reasonable range for each environment.

[0017] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending or receiving one or more parameters from the first parameter set or the second sequence.

[0018] In this application, all or part of the parameters in the first parameter set can be transmitted between the transmitting device and the receiving device (for example, if the transmitting device and the receiving device know that some parameters do not need to be transmitted, then some parameters in the first parameter set can be omitted), so that the transmitting device and the receiving device can obtain the same reference signal pattern according to the first parameter set, thereby reducing the transmission resource consumption for indicating the reference signal pattern.

[0019] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the second sequence is a pseudo-random sequence.

[0020] In this application, the sequence values ​​in the second sequence have random characteristics, and the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units indicated by the second sequence are non-uniform in the frequency domain. In other words, multiple reference signal patterns can be supported, and different reference signal patterns can be assigned to multiple users. This reduces the probability of resource conflicts between multiple terminal devices.

[0021] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units are indicated by the second sequence through a mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units and the second sequence, wherein the mapping relationship is determined at least according to the value range, and the N sequence values ​​in the second sequence are selected from the value range.

[0022] In this application, there is a mapping relationship between the second sequence and the M positions of the frequency domain resource unit, providing a more flexible way to determine the reference signal pattern.

[0023] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the number of values ​​in the range is less than the number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, and the mapping relationship is determined at least by repeating the second sequence and shifting it by a first offset; the bandwidth includes the M frequency domain resource units.

[0024] In this application, the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units can be indicated by a second sequence through repeated operations and shift operations, that is, the reference signal pattern can be obtained through some simple operations.

[0025] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the mapping relationship is determined at least by slicing the second sequence.

[0026] In this application, by performing simple operations on the second sequence, the M positions of M frequency domain resource units can be determined, which reduces the complexity of determining the reference signal pattern.

[0027] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, when the number of values ​​in the range is greater than the number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, the mapping relationship is determined at least by slicing the second sequence; the bandwidth includes the M frequency domain resource units.

[0028] In this application, by performing simple operations on the second sequence, the M positions of M frequency domain resource units can be determined, which reduces the complexity of determining the reference signal pattern.

[0029] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the mapping relationship is determined at least by shifting the second sequence by a second offset.

[0030] In this application, by performing different operations on the second sequence (e.g., different second offsets), the second sequence can indicate different reference signal patterns, providing a more flexible way to determine the reference signal pattern.

[0031] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the number of values ​​in the value range is equal to the number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, and the mapping relationship is a one-to-one mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units and the N sequence values ​​in the second sequence; the bandwidth includes the M frequency domain resource units.

[0032] In this application, the mapping relationship is a one-to-one mapping between the M positions of M frequency domain resource elements and the N sequence values ​​in the second sequence. For example, the second sequence may consist of all or part of the frequency domain resource element indices of the bandwidth. A simple way to indicate the M positions of M frequency domain resource elements is provided.

[0033] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the K antenna ports are antenna ports among the P antenna ports that support the transmission of the reference signal, where P is a positive integer and P>K.

[0034] In this application, some antenna ports can be associated with M frequency domain resource elements, that is, the transmitter can use some antenna ports to transmit reference signals, which can reduce the consumption of spatial resources.

[0035] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the third sequence is generated at least according to the second sequence, the K antenna ports are indicated by a fourth sequence, the length of the third sequence and the fourth sequence is M, and the frequency domain resource unit indicated by the i-th sequence value in the third sequence is associated with the antenna port indicated by the i-th sequence value in the fourth sequence, where i is a positive integer and i≤M.

[0036] In this application, the association between M frequency domain resource elements and K antenna ports can be applied after the number of frequency domain resource elements has been determined. In other words, the number of antenna ports can be disregarded when designing the location of the frequency domain resource elements, and even if the number of antenna ports is large, the frequency domain resource consumption of the reference signal can be controlled within a reasonable range.

[0037] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, K ≥ 2.

[0038] In this application, the transmitting device can generate a second sequence for all K antennas. Compared to predefining the position of frequency domain resource units for each antenna port, this method can keep the number of frequency domain resource units within a reasonable range, even in communication systems with multiple antenna ports.

[0039] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the second sequence is associated with the K antenna ports.

[0040] In this application, the transmitting device can generate a second sequence for all K antenna ports at once. That is, the transmitting device can first determine the positions of M frequency domain resource elements, and then associate the M frequency domain resource elements with the K antenna ports. Even in communication systems with multiple antenna ports, this method can keep the number of frequency domain resource elements within a reasonable range.

[0041] According to a third aspect, a transmitting apparatus is provided. The transmitting apparatus includes functions or units for performing the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect.

[0042] For example, the transmitting device can be a network device or a chip within a network device. As another example, the transmitting device can be a terminal device or a chip within a terminal device.

[0043] According to a fourth aspect, a receiving device is provided. The receiving device includes functions or units for performing the method according to the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0044] For example, the receiving device can be a terminal device or a chip within a terminal device. As another example, the receiving device can be a network device or a chip within a network device.

[0045] According to a fifth aspect, a system is provided. The system includes: a transmitting device according to a third aspect and a receiving device according to a fourth aspect.

[0046] According to a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes at least one processor coupled to at least one memory. The at least one memory is used to store a computer program or one or more instructions. The at least one processor is configured to: invoke the computer program or the one or more instructions from the at least one memory, and execute the computer program or the one or more instructions, causing the communication device to perform a method of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or causing the communication device to perform a method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0047] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be a transmitting device. For example, the communication device may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a terminal device.

[0048] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be a receiving device. For example, the communication device may be a terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a terminal device. As another example, the communication device may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a network device.

[0049] According to a seventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor is connected to the communication interface. The processor is configured to execute one or more instructions, and the communication interface is configured to communicate with other network elements under the control of the processor. The processor is configured to perform the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0050] According to an eighth aspect, a computer storage medium is provided. The computer storage medium stores program code for executing one or more instructions of the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0051] According to a ninth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including one or more instructions, wherein, when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer performs the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the application scenario provided in this application; Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown; Figure 3 Another example of ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b and / or 170c is shown; Figure 4 This is an example of a channel model for a MIMO system; Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the first example provided in this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second example provided in this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the third example provided in this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth example provided in this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth example provided in this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the sixth example provided in this application; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the seventh example provided in this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the eighth example provided in this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the ninth example provided in this application; Figures 15 to 19 This is a schematic block diagram of a possible device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figures 20 to 33 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating possible examples provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical solution of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) system, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Fifth Generation (5G) wireless communication system, New Radio (NR) wireless communication system, Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication system, or other evolved communication systems.

[0055] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, firstly... Figures 1 to 3 Taking the communication system shown as an example, the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0056] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1A simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided as an illustrative example without limitation. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 may be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation, 6G, or later) radio access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more electric devices (EDs) 110a to 110j (generally referred to as 110) may be interconnected with each other or connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, generally referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. Furthermore, communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0057] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. Generally, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. The purpose of the communication system 100 may be to provide content such as voice, data, video, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, and unicast. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility). The communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can create a multi-layered heterogeneous network. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

[0058] Terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems of a communication system. In the example shown, communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110d (generally referred to as ED 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a and 120b, a non-terrestrial communication network 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RANs 120a and RAN 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a and 170b, which can generally be referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a and 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 120c, which can generally be referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172.

[0059] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110 can be used to connect to, access, or communicate with any other T-TRP 170a, T-TRP 170b, and NT-TRP 172, Internet 150, core network 130, PSTN 140, other network 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can communicate uplink and / or downlink with T-TRP 170a via interface 190a. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, and 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can communicate uplink and / or downlink with NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c.

[0060] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any applicable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can utilize other higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may include combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0061] The 190c air interface enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP172s via a wireless link or simply through a link. In some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection for multicast transmission between a group of EDs and one or more NT-TRPs.

[0062] RAN 120a and RAN 120b communicate with core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c. RAN 120a and RAN 120b and / or core network 130 may communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown). One or more other RANs may or may not be directly served by core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technology as RAN 120a and / or RAN 120b. Core network 130 may also serve as a gateway access between (i) RAN 120a and RAN 120b and / or ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different wireless links using different wireless technologies and / or protocols. ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c may communicate with a service provider or exchange (not shown) via a wired communication channel and with the Internet 150, rather than wirelessly (or also wirelessly). PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (intranets) and incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating according to multiple wireless access technologies and include multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0063] Figure 3Another example of the ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c is shown. The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communications (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility.

[0064] Each ED 110 represents any suitable end-user equipment for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics device, smart book, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip). Next-generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs, hereinafter referred to as T-TRP 170. Also in Figure 3 As shown, NT-TRP is referred to below as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be configured to be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or in response to one or more of connection availability and connection necessity.

[0065] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may, for example, be integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission over at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received over at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0066] ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by one or more processing units 210. Each memory 208 includes any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, or on-processor cache.

[0067] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., Figure 1 (A wired interface connecting to the Internet 150). Input / output devices support interaction with the user or other devices on the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touchscreen, including network interface communication.

[0068] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing various operations, including operations related to preparing for uplink transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing for uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. According to an embodiment, the downlink transmission may be received by receiver 203, possibly using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmission (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). Examples of signaling may be reference signals transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications received from T-TRP 170, such as beam angle information (BAI). In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0069] Processor 210 may be part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203, but is not shown in the figure. Memory 208 may be part of processor 210, but is not shown in the figure.

[0070] The processor 210, as well as the processing components in the transmitter 201 and receiver 203, may be implemented by the same or different one or more processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in the processor 210, as well as the transmitter 201 and receiver 203, may be implemented using special-purpose circuitry such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0071] In some embodiments, the T-TRP 170 may be referred to by other names, such as: base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, Node B, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home base station, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP) or wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device or ground base station, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), radio unit (RU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 can be a macro BS, micro BS, relay node, host node, etc., or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned device or a component within the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0072] In some embodiments, the CU (or CU control plane (CP) and CU user plane (UP)), DU, or RU may be referred to by other names. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, the CU may also be called an open CU (open CU, O-CU), the DU may also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), the CU-CP may also be called an open CU-CP (open CU-CP, O-CU-CP), the CU-UP may also be called an open CU-UP (open CU-UP, O-CU-CP), and the RU may also be called an open RU (open RU, O-RU). Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU can be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0073] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 can be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located remotely from the device housing the T-TRP 170 antenna and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link (not shown), sometimes referred to as a fronthaul, such as a common public radio interface (CPRI). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term "T-TRP 170" may also refer to modules on the network side that perform processing operations such as ED 110 location determination, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding; these modules are not necessarily part of the device housing the T-TRP 170 antenna. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110 through cooperative multicast or similar methods.

[0074] T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing various operations, including operations related to: preparing a transmission for downlink transmission to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to NT-TRP 172, and processing a transmission received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing received uplink transmissions or transmissions received via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. Processor 260 can also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and generating system information. In some embodiments, processor 260 also generates beam direction indications, such as BAI, which can be scheduled for transmission by scheduler 253. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110 and determining the location for deploying NT-TRP 172. In some embodiments, processor 260 can generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. Note that "signaling" as used herein can also be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in messages transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0075] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included in or operate separately from T-TRP 170. Scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling grants and / or configuring unscheduled (“configuration grants”) resources. T-TRP 170 also includes memory 258 for storing information and data. Memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by T-TRP 170. For example, memory 258 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by processor 260.

[0076] Processor 260 may be part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254, but is not shown in the figure. Similarly, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253, but is not shown in the figure. Memory 258 may be part of processor 260, but is not shown in the figure.

[0077] The processing components in processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, GPU, or ASIC.

[0078] While the NT-TRP 172 is shown as an example of a drone only, the NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 may be referred to by other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing various operations, including operations related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmission to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmission to T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 170 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing received uplink transmissions or transmissions received via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 may generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-level functions such as medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layer functions. Since this is only an example, in general, NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0079] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. A processor 276 may be part of the transmitter 272 and / or receiver 274, but is not shown in the figure. The memory 278 may be part of the processor 276, but is not shown in the figure.

[0080] The processor 276, as well as the processing components in the transmitter 272 and receiver 274, may be implemented by the same or different one or more processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in the processor 276, as well as the transmitter 272 and receiver 274, may be implemented using programmable special-purpose circuitry such as an FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110 via cooperative multicast or similar methods.

[0081] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0082] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the transmission of the reference signal and the process of channel measurement based on the reference signal are briefly described below.

[0083] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology enables antenna arrays with multiple antennas to perform signal transmission and reception to meet high transmission rate requirements. The ED 110, T-TRP 170, and / or NT-TRP mentioned above use MIMO for communication via radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas at the transmitter and / or receiver to transmit radio resource blocks via parallel radio signals. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals to facilitate reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can also bond parallel radio signals transmitting different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0084] In recent years, MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication systems using the aforementioned T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 with a large number of antennas have received widespread attention from academia and industry. In massive MIMO systems, the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 are typically configured with more than ten antenna elements (e.g., 128 or 256), simultaneously serving dozens of ED 110s (e.g., 40). The large number of antenna elements in the T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 can significantly increase the spatial freedom of wireless communication, greatly improve transmission rate, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and largely eliminate inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows for smaller and lower-cost antenna elements per unit. Utilizing the spatial freedom provided by the large number of antenna elements, each T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 in a cell can simultaneously communicate with multiple ED 110s in the cell on the same time-frequency resources, thereby significantly improving spectral efficiency. The numerous antenna elements of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 also provide each user with better uplink and downlink spatial directivity, thereby reducing the transmit power of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 and ED110, and improving power efficiency. When the number of T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 antennas is sufficiently large, the random channels between each ED 110 and the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can approach orthogonality, thus eliminating interference and noise effects between the cell and the user. These advantages make large-scale MIMO systems a promising application.

[0085] A MIMO system may include a receiver connected to a receive (Rx) antenna, a transmitter connected to a transmit (Tx) antenna, and a signal processor connected to both the transmitter and receiver. Each of the Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, the Rx antenna may have a ULA antenna array, in which multiple antennas are arranged in a straight line at uniform intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through the Tx antenna, the Rx antenna can receive signals reflected and returned from a forward target.

[0086] Figure 4 This is an example of a channel model for a MIMO system. The transmitter is connected to four TX antennas, x1 to x4, and the receiver is connected to four RX antennas, y1 to y4. A transmission channel can be formed between each TX antenna and each RX antenna. For example, an RF signal transmitted through x1 can be received by y2 through channel h21. An RF signal transmitted through x3 can be received by y1 through channel h13.

[0087] In MIMO systems, channel estimation is required to achieve functions such as system synchronization, channel information feedback, and data transmission. Channel estimation refers to the process of reconstructing or recovering the received signal to compensate for signal distortion caused by channel fading and noise. In channel estimation, the reference signal predicted by the transmitter and receiver can be used to track changes in the time and / or frequency domains of the channel, thereby reconstructing or recovering the received signal. The reference signal can also be called a pilot signal or reference sequence, etc. For ease of understanding, it is described as a reference signal below. Reference signals include channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), sounding reference signal (SRS), demodulation reference signal (DMRS), phase track reference signal (PT-RS), or cell reference signal (CRS), etc. The reference signals listed above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of defining other reference signals in future protocols to achieve the same or similar functions.

[0088] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, CSI-RS is described in detail below through examples. CSI-RS is mainly used for downlink channel estimation corresponding to physical antenna ports. For example, a receiving device (i.e., a terminal device) can perform channel estimation for each physical antenna port based on the CSI-RS sent by a transmitting device (i.e., a network device) to feed back channel state information (CSI) based on the channel estimation results. CSI may include information such as channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), layer indicator (LI), and rank indicator (RI). CSI is used for downlink channel reconstruction or precoding. In some embodiments, the process of a base station acquiring CSI may include: the base station sending a reference signal to the UE; the UE acquiring a CSI estimate based on the received reference signal, selecting a precoding vector from the codebook based on the CSI estimate, and feeding back information related to the index of the precoding vector to the base station; the base station determining a reconstructed CSI value based on the index of the precoding vector. The reconstructed CSI value can be the CSI that is closest to the true CSI value that the base station can acquire.

[0089] In one embodiment, the transmitting device maps a reference signal sequence to a specific physical resource and transmits the reference signal through the specific physical resource, wherein the reference signal sequence and the physical resource are known to both the transmitting device and the receiving device receiving the reference signal. Therefore, the receiving device can perform channel estimation based on the known reference signal sequence and the received signal.

[0090] The transmitting device can map sequences onto physical resources to transmit reference signals. Physical resources can include multiple resource particles, where resource particles belong to physical resources allocated for transmitting reference signals. For example, when transmitting DMRS, resource particles belong to common resource blocks allocated for transmitting the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0091] The location of the physical resources of the reference signal can be referred to as the reference signal pattern or pilot pattern. The location of physical resources is usually described by at least one of the following dimensions: time dimension, frequency dimension, and spatial dimension.

[0092] The time dimension can be represented by one or more time-domain resource units. Time-domain resource units may include, but are not limited to, symbols, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, and time slots. In some embodiments, time-domain units can be represented by symbol indices, OFDM symbol indices, or time slot indices.

[0093] A frequency dimension can be represented by one or more frequency domain resource elements. Frequency domain resource elements may include, but are not limited to, subcarriers or subbands. In some embodiments, frequency domain elements can be represented by subcarrier indices or subband indices. In some embodiments, frequency domain elements can also be represented by resource element (RE) indices, resource block (RB) indices, or resource block group (RBG) indices. An RE consists of symbols in the time domain and subcarriers in the frequency domain; the RE index can be used to indicate the position of a subcarrier. An RB consists of time slots in the time domain and 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The RB index can be used to indicate the position of the 12 subcarriers. An RBG consists of a group of RBs; the RBG index can be used to indicate the position of a group of subcarriers.

[0094] Spatial dimension can be represented by one or more spatial resource units. A spatial resource unit can be called an antenna port. In this embodiment, the antenna port can be a Tx antenna. Antenna ports can be identified by antenna port indices.

[0095] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, in the following exemplary description, symbol indexes are used to indicate the location of time-domain resource units, subcarrier indexes are used to indicate the location of frequency-domain resource units, and antenna port indexes are used to indicate the location of spatial-domain resource units.

[0096] The channel estimation process described above is merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting this application in any way. The channel estimation process is known in conventional techniques; for the sake of brevity, a detailed description of the specific process is omitted herein.

[0097] The receiving device can be an ED (i.e., a terminal device), while the transmitting device can be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., a network device); or the receiving device can be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., a network device), while the transmitting device can be an ED (i.e., a terminal device). For example, when the reference signal is a downlink signal (i.e., CSI-RS), the transmitting device can be a network device, and the receiving device can be a terminal device. When the reference signal is an uplink signal (i.e., SRS), the transmitting device can be a terminal device, and the receiving device can be a network device. Although one transmitting device can transmit the reference signal to multiple receiving devices, the following embodiments only show one transmitting device and one receiving device.

[0098] This application provides a communication method and apparatus. In this application, the transmitting device can determine the M positions of M frequency domain resource elements according to a second sequence, and associate the M frequency domain resource elements with K antenna ports. Compared to predefining the positions of frequency domain resource elements for a reference signal, the second sequence can flexibly indicate the M frequency domain resource elements. The process of determining the reference signal pattern is more flexible. The following describes... Figure 5 This describes the communication method provided in this application.

[0099] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication method 500 can be applied to the above-described communication system.

[0100] At S510, the transmitting device generates the first sequence of reference signals.

[0101] The method of generating the first sequence is related to the type of the reference signal. For example, the first sequence can be defined by a Gold sequence of length 31. This application does not limit this.

[0102] The term "first sequence" is used for distinction only and does not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. Similarly, the terms "second sequence," "third sequence," "first parameter set," and "second parameter set" in the following description are also used for distinction only and do not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application, and will not be elaborated further below.

[0103] At S520, the transmitting device maps a first sequence of the reference signal onto M frequency domain resource elements on K antenna ports, and the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by a second sequence.

[0104] The second sequence has a length of N, where M, N, and K are positive integers, and N ≥ 1. The transmitting device can use the second sequence to determine the M locations of M frequency domain resource elements and associate these M elements with K antenna ports. Compared to predefining the locations of frequency domain resource elements for the reference signal, the second sequence provides more flexibility in indicating the M frequency domain resource elements. This makes the process of determining the reference signal pattern more flexible.

[0105] This application does not limit the length of the second sequence. For example, the length of the second sequence can be greater than, less than, or equal to M. This application also does not limit the sequence values ​​in the second sequence.

[0106] For example, the N sequence values ​​in the second sequence can be selected from a range of values. The range of values ​​can represent a set of consecutive integers. For example, the range can be represented as {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11} (or [0, 11]). The second sequence {5, 9} can be selected from this range.

[0107] In some embodiments, the range of values ​​can be mapped to frequency domain resources. For example, the range [0, 11] can be mapped to 12 consecutive subcarriers. A second sequence {5, 9} selected from the range can be mapped to the 5th and 9th subcarriers out of the 12 consecutive subcarriers. As another example, the range [0, 143] can be mapped to 144 consecutive subcarriers. A second sequence {4, 18, 62, 80, 85, 131} selected from the range can be mapped to the 4th, 18th, 62nd, 80th, 85th, and 131st subcarriers out of the 144 consecutive subcarriers.

[0108] The N sequence values ​​in the second sequence can be selected from the range of values ​​in various ways. For example, the N sequence values ​​can be generated by a random number generator, an optimal search algorithm (e.g., QR decomposition method), an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, or other possible methods. This application does not limit this approach.

[0109] In some embodiments, the second sequence is a pseudo-random sequence. In other words, the N sequence values ​​in the second sequence have random characteristics, and the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units indicated by the N sequence values ​​can be non-uniform in the frequency domain. Unlike a uniform reference signal pattern where the interval between two adjacent frequency domain resource units is the same, the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units can have at least two different sets of intervals between two adjacent frequency domain resource units. In this embodiment, the number of reference signal pattern types is much greater than the number of reference signal pattern types defined by the subcarrier spacing. For example, if the reference signal pattern is defined by setting the subcarrier spacing to 1, there are only two pattern types: one for odd-indexed subcarriers and one for even-indexed subcarriers. However, when a pseudo-random sequence is used to indicate the position of the frequency domain resource units, the number of pattern types is much greater than 2. Therefore, the probability of two terminal devices being assigned frequency domain resource units at the same position is greatly reduced.

[0110] The second sequence will now be described as indicating the M locations of the M frequency domain resource units.

[0111] In some embodiments, the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by the second sequence through a mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements and the second sequence. The mapping relationship may be related to attributes of the second sequence; for example, the mapping relationship is determined at least based on a range of values, wherein N sequence values ​​in the second sequence are selected from the range of values. For example, the mapping relationship is determined at least by performing one or more of the following operations on the second sequence: repetition, clipping, and / or offset shifting. The one or more operations to be performed are determined at least based on the range of values.

[0112] For ease of description, the third sequence can be used to represent the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements. For example, five sequence values ​​form the third sequence {13, 47, 49, 89, 125}. These five sequence values ​​are indices of five subcarriers; that is, the first sequence of the reference signal can be mapped to subcarrier indices 13, 47, 49, 89, and 125. In this embodiment, how the second sequence indicates the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements can be explained by the following description of how the third sequence is generated from the second sequence.

[0113] For example, the transmitting device may compare the number of values in the value range with the number of frequency-domain resource units in the bandwidth to determine the operation. The bandwidth in this application may refer to the bandwidth allocated to the terminal. For example, the bandwidth is the frequency-domain resource units allocated by the network device to the terminal for signal transmission. The M frequency-domain resource units are part or all of the frequency-domain resource units in the bandwidth. The size of the bandwidth can be used to determine the total number of frequency-domain resource units allocated in the bandwidth. For example, if the size of the bandwidth is 200 megahertz (MHz), the transmitting device may determine the number of subcarriers in the bandwidth based on this size. The value of M may be less than or equal to the number of frequency-domain resource units in the bandwidth. The comparison result of the number of values in the value range (denoted as S1) and the number of frequency-domain resource units in the bandwidth (denoted as S2) may be as follows.

[0114] When S1 < S2, the mapping relationship is determined at least by repeating the second sequence and shifting it by the first offset. The number of repetitions can be determined according to the ratio of S2 to S1. The first offset added to the sequence values in the second sequence and one or more repeated second sequences can be determined according to the positions of the value range and the bandwidth.

[0115] For example, as Figure 6 shown, the second sequence {5, 9} is selected from the value range [0, 11]. Among them, the second sequence can represent the 5th and 9th subcarriers among 12 subcarriers (S1 = 12). The number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is equal to 24 (S2 = 24), and the starting subcarrier index is index 48. The second sequence can be repeated twice to obtain the second sequence #1 and the second sequence #2. The sequence values in the second sequence #1 can be added with the first offset #1 equal to 48 to obtain {53, 57}, where the first offset #1 is equal to the starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth minus the starting value of the value range (48–0 = 48). The sequence values in the second sequence #2 can be added with the first offset #2 equal to 60 to obtain {65, 69}, where the first offset #2 is equal to the first offset #1 plus S1 (48 + 12 = 60). Then, a third sequence {53, 57, 65, 69} is generated, and the transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal to the subcarrier indices 53, 57, 65, and 69.

[0116] In some embodiments, the mapping relationship is determined by repeating, truncating, and / or shifting the second sequence by the first offset, that is, the mapping relationship can also be determined by truncating the second sequence when S1 < S2. As can be seen from the above example, the number of repetitions can be rounded up according to the ratio of S2 to S1. In order for the subcarriers represented by the third sequence to be within the bandwidth, when the ratio of S2 to S1 is not an integer, a truncation operation can be performed on the repeated second sequence.

[0117] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the second sequence {5, 9} is selected from the value range [0, 11]. This second sequence can represent the 5th and 9th subcarriers out of 12 subcarriers (S1=12). The number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is equal to 18 (S2=18), and the starting subcarrier index is index 48. The second sequence can be repeated twice to obtain second sequence #1 and second sequence #2. The sequence value in second sequence #1 can be added to a first offset #1 equal to 48 to obtain {53, 57}, where the first offset #1 is equal to the starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth minus the starting value of the value range (48–0=48). The sequence value in second sequence #2 can be added to a first offset #2 equal to 60 to obtain {65, 69}, where the first offset #2 is equal to the first offset #1 plus S1 (48+12=60). Since the ending subcarrier in the bandwidth is subcarrier index 65, the sequence value 69 is cut off, generating a third sequence {53, 57, 65}. The transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal onto subcarrier indices 53, 57, and 65.

[0118] The above calculations are examples for ease of understanding of the embodiments of this application. This application may also include other operational rules that can generate a third sequence, for example, the number of repetitions may be rounded down to the ratio of S2 to S1. This application does not limit this. The transmitting device and the receiving device may perform the same one or more operations on the same second sequence to obtain the M positions of M frequency domain resource units.

[0119] S1>S2, the mapping relationship is determined at least by slicing the second sequence. One or more discard values ​​can be determined based on the location of the bandwidth.

[0120] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the second sequence {5, 9, 10, 15, 23} is selected from the value range [0, 23]. This second sequence can represent the 5th, 9th, 10th, 15th, and 23rd subcarriers out of 24 subcarriers (S1=24). The number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is equal to 12 (S2=12), and the starting subcarrier index is index 0. Since the ending subcarrier in the bandwidth is subcarrier index 11, sequence values ​​15 and 23 can be discarded, generating the third sequence {5, 9, 10}. The transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal onto subcarrier indices 5, 9, and 10.

[0121] The mapping relationship can also be determined at least by shifting the second sequence by a second offset according to the position of the bandwidth.

[0122] For example, such as Figure 9As shown, the second sequence {5, 9, 10, 15, 23} is selected from the value range [0, 23]. This second sequence can represent the 5th, 9th, 10th, 15th, and 23rd subcarriers out of 24 subcarriers (S1=24). The number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is equal to 12 (S2=12), and the starting subcarrier index is index 48. The sequence value in the second sequence # can be increased by a second offset equal to 48 to obtain {53, 57, 58, 63, 71}, where the second offset is equal to the starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth minus the starting value of the value range (48–0=48). Since the ending subcarrier in the bandwidth is subcarrier index 59, sequence values ​​63 and 71 can be discarded, generating the third sequence {53, 57, 58}. The transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal onto subcarrier indices 53, 57, and 58.

[0123] In this application, one or more discard values ​​are determined based on the location of the bandwidth, but this application does not limit this. For example, if M (the number of frequency domain resource units) is determined, one or more discard values ​​can be determined based on M to generate a third sequence of length M. This application does not limit this.

[0124] S1=S2, the mapping relationship can be a one-to-one mapping relationship between the M positions of M frequency domain resource units and the N sequence values ​​in the second sequence, where M=N.

[0125] For example, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the second sequence {5, 9, 10, 15, 23} is selected from the value range [0, 23], where the second sequence can represent the 5th, 9th, 10th, 15th, and 23rd subcarriers out of 24 subcarriers (S1=24). The number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is equal to 24 (S2=24). If the starting subcarrier index of the bandwidth is index 0, then the third sequence {5, 9, 10, 15, 23} is generated, and the transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal onto subcarrier indices 5, 9, 10, 15, and 23. If the starting subcarrier index of the bandwidth is index 48, then the sequence values ​​in the second sequence can be added with a third offset equal to 48, where the third offset is equal to the starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth minus the starting value of the value range (48 – 0 = 48), and then the third sequence {53, 57, 58, 63, 71} is generated. The transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal to subcarrier indices 53, 57, 58, 63 and 71.

[0126] The above operations are examples provided to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, other possible ways of performing operations on the second sequence are not listed here. For example, even if S1=S2, the second sequence can be cut according to a specific value of M. This application does not limit this.

[0127] In some embodiments, regardless of the comparison result, the mapping relationship is determined at least by shifting the second sequence by a fourth offset.

[0128] For example, such as Figure 12 As shown, the second sequence {5, 9} is selected from the value range [0, 11], where the second sequence can represent the 5th and 9th subcarriers out of 12 subcarriers (S1=12). The value in the second sequence #1 can be added to a fourth offset equal to 1 to obtain the shifted second sequence {6, 10}. The number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is equal to 24 (S2=24), and the starting subcarrier index is index 48. The shifted second sequence can be repeated twice to obtain the shifted second sequence #1 and the shifted second sequence #2. The sequence value in the shifted second sequence #1 can be added to a first offset #1 equal to 48 to obtain {54, 58}, where the first offset #1 is equal to the starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth minus the starting value of the value range (48–0=48). The sequence value in the shifted second sequence #2 can be added to the first offset #2, which is equal to 60, to obtain {66, 70}, where the first offset #2 is equal to the first offset #1 plus S1 (48+12=60). Then, the third sequence {54, 58, 66, 70} is generated, and the transmitting device can map the first sequence of the reference signal onto the subcarrier indices 54, 58, 66, and 70.

[0129] In some embodiments, the fourth offset can be determined at least based on the identifier of the terminal device. For example, the identifier of the terminal device includes one or more of the following: UE identifier (UE-ID), cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), physical cell identifier (PCI), random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI), temporary C-RNTI, and transmit power control radio network temporary identifier (TPC-RNTI). Therefore, the transmitting device can obtain different fourth offsets based on the identifiers of different terminal devices, meaning that different UEs can be allocated different frequency domain resource elements for the reference signal, reducing resource conflicts between different UEs. The aforementioned identifier can be a complete identifier or a part of an identifier. For example, a part of the UE-ID can be used to determine the fourth offset for a specific UE. In some scenarios, this is sufficient to determine different fourth offsets for different UEs. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0130] In the description of this application, "to generate A from B" and "to generate A from at least B" can have the same meaning. Similarly, the phrases "to determine A from B" and "to determine A from at least B" can also have the same meaning. This will not be elaborated further below.

[0131] The fourth offset can also be predefined or determined based on other parameters (e.g., the range of values ​​for the second sequence). This application does not limit this.

[0132] In some embodiments, the number of receiving antenna ports of the receiving device is obtained, wherein the receiving antenna ports are used to receive a reference signal. The number of receiving antenna ports can be used to determine the length of the third sequence. For example, the length of the third sequence can be greater than or equal to the number of receiving antenna ports. A reference signal transmitted by the transmitting device through one antenna port can be received by the receiving device through multiple receiving antenna ports. In this case, when the length of the third sequence (i.e., M) is greater than or equal to the number of receiving antenna ports, the channel estimation result can be obtained.

[0133] The foregoing described a method by which the second sequence indicates M locations of frequency domain resource elements. In some embodiments, the transmitting device may acquire multiple sequences and select one or more sequences from the multiple sequences as the second sequence. For example, the multiple sequences are stored in the transmitting device or a memory coupled to the transmitting device. Alternatively, the transmitting device may acquire multiple sequences from the receiving device. In some embodiments, the receiving device may acquire multiple sequences, select one or more sequences from the multiple sequences, and send one or more indices of the one or more sequences to the transmitting device. That is, the selection operation may be performed by the transmitting device and / or the receiving device. This application does not limit this.

[0134] In some embodiments, the transmitter can select a sequence for all K antenna ports; that is, the transmitter can first determine the locations of M frequency domain resource elements and then associate the M frequency domain resource elements with the K antenna ports. Even in communication systems with multiple antenna ports, this method keeps the number of frequency domain resource elements within a reasonable range. In some embodiments, the transmitter can select a sequence for each antenna port, wherein the selected sequence constitutes the second sequence in this application.

[0135] For ease of description, multiple sequences may be referred to as base sequences in this application. In some embodiments, these multiple base sequences may take the form of a table or a series of tables stored in the transmitting device, each table having multiple rows, each row giving a base sequence. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Table 1 below provides examples of multiple base sequences.

[0136] Table 1:

[0137] A base sequence consisting of N integers (e.g., {13, 47, 49, 89, 125}) is proposed. In some embodiments, other forms of information can have similar meanings to the second sequence. For example, a string of binary numbers {001010001010}, where the position of the binary number "1" can indicate an integer, for example, the position of the binary number "1" being the third, fifth, ninth, and eleventh bits in this string of binary numbers, can be equivalent to the sequence {2, 4, 8, 10} (decreasing by 1 in sequence because integers are numbered starting from 0). That is, the position of a predefined binary number in the second sequence can represent one or more positions of a frequency domain resource unit. As another example, patterns can be used to represent the base sequence (e.g., Figures 6 to 12 (The patterns in the document) or multiple patterns can also be stored in a table or a series of tables in the transmitting device. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0138] The transmitter can generate a second sequence for multiple antenna ports or multiple time-domain resource units based on more than one base sequence, wherein the multiple base sequences constitute the second sequence. For the sake of simplicity, the following description uses the selection of one base sequence as an example.

[0139] The transmitting device can select a second sequence from multiple base sequences in various ways. For example, the transmitting device can randomly select a sequence from multiple base sequences. Alternatively, the second sequence can be determined at least based on a first set of parameters, which includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the terminal device, a range of values, the size of the bandwidth, the location of the bandwidth, a sequence index for identifying the second sequence, a type parameter for indicating the type of the second sequence, the density of the reference signal, communication environment parameters, time-domain information, and spatial-domain information. The bandwidth includes M frequency-domain resource elements, the time-domain information indicates one or more time-domain resource elements associated with the M frequency-domain resource elements, and the spatial-domain information indicates the antenna port supporting the transmission of the reference signal.

[0140] The possible parameters in the first parameter set and their application in the embodiments are described in detail below.

[0141] The description of the identifier of the terminal device is as described above and will not be repeated here. For example, the transmitting device can obtain the correspondence between the identifier of the terminal device and the base sequence, and select a base sequence based on a certain identifier of the terminal device and the correspondence. This application does not limit this. In some embodiments, the correspondence is stored in the transmitting device or a memory coupled to the transmitting device. In some embodiments, the transmitting device can obtain the correspondence from the receiving device. This application does not limit this.

[0142] The descriptions of the value range and bandwidth are provided above and will not be repeated here. For example, the transmitting device can select the base sequence based on the number of values ​​in the value range (denoted as S1) and the number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth (denoted as S2). For instance, it can select the base sequence where S1 = S2. As another example, the transmitting device can select the base sequence based on the position of the value range and the bandwidth. For instance, it can select the base sequence where the starting value of the corresponding range value is equal to the starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0143] The type parameter can be used to indicate the type of the second sequence. The type of the base sequence can be defined based on the properties of the base sequence. For example, if the base sequence is a pseudo-random sequence, the type of the base sequence can be called random type or non-uniform type. If the base sequence is a uniform sequence, the type of the base sequence can be called uniform type. This application does not limit this. In some embodiments, different types of base sequences can correspond to different communication environments; for example, urban areas can correspond to random type base sequences, and rural areas can correspond to uniform type base sequences.

[0144] In some embodiments, a sequence index can be used to identify a second sequence, and the transmitting device can obtain the index of the second sequence. For example, if the transmitting device is a terminal device, the terminal device can receive the index of the second sequence from a network device or other device.

[0145] The density of a reference signal can be used to determine the number of frequency domain resource units (RFUs) within a specific physical resource for the reference signal. For example, the density of a reference signal can represent the number of subcarriers used for the reference signal in a single symbol; for instance, six subcarriers used for the reference signal are associated with a single symbol. As another example, if the density of a reference signal represents 5% of the subcarriers in the bandwidth being used for the reference signal, then when the bandwidth allocated to the terminal device includes 240 subcarriers, the transmitting device can determine that the length (i.e., M) of the second sequence is 12.

[0146] Communication environment parameters can indicate the complexity or sophistication of the communication environment and can represent the number of frequency domain resource units to be used for the reference signal. In some embodiments, the length of the second sequence is greater than a threshold determined based on the communication environment parameters.

[0147] For example, communication environment parameters can indicate the type of communication environment, such as urban or rural areas. Different types of communication environments can correspond to different thresholds. In some embodiments, because the communication environment in urban areas may be more complex, the threshold corresponding to urban areas can be higher than the threshold corresponding to rural areas.

[0148] For example, communication environment parameters can indicate the channel rank, which can be used to determine a threshold. In some embodiments, the threshold can be greater than or equal to the ratio of the channel rank to the number of receiving antenna ports. For example, the threshold can be equal to this ratio or a multiple thereof. The channel rank can be determined based on the complexity of the communication environment (e.g., the number of reflectors in the communication environment). The channel rank can be obtained by constructing a channel space basis matrix or a similar channel state correlation matrix for the communication environment. For example, a network device can construct a channel space basis matrix for a communication area, where the rank of the channel space basis matrix can be used as the channel rank or used to derive the channel rank. The rank can represent the minimum number of frequency domain resource units required to reconstruct the target channel response for the communication area by measuring the projection of the target channel response onto the channel space basis matrix. In some embodiments, a reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device through one antenna port can be received by a receiving device through multiple receiving antenna ports. In this case, a channel estimation result can be obtained when the length of the second sequence (i.e., M) is greater than or equal to the ratio of the channel rank to the number of receiving antenna ports. Therefore, the channel rank can be used to determine the minimum value of M. The transmitting device can select a base sequence, and the length of the third sequence generated based on the base sequence is greater than or equal to the ratio of the channel rank to the number of receiving antenna ports.

[0149] The time-domain information indicates one or more time-domain resource units associated with the M frequency-domain resource units. For example, the time-domain information may include time-domain resource unit indices or identifiers, such as symbol indices and time slot indices. Therefore, the transmitting device can select a base sequence and determine which time-domain resource unit is associated with the M frequency-domain resource units. This application does not limit the number of time-domain resource units associated with the M frequency-domain resource units. In some embodiments, when multiple symbols are allocated, the time-domain information can be used to determine how to determine a second sequence; for example, the transmitting device can select a base sequence for each symbol, and the selected base sequences can constitute the second sequence.

[0150] Spatial domain information indicates multiple antenna ports supporting the transmission of reference signals. For example, spatial domain information may include indices of multiple antenna ports. Therefore, the transmitting device can select a base sequence and determine which antenna ports(s) are associated with the M frequency domain resource elements. It should be noted that the K antenna ports (associated with the M frequency domain resource elements) can be some or all of the multiple antenna ports supporting the transmission of reference signals. In some embodiments, the transmitting device can select a second sequence for all K antenna ports at once; that is, the transmitting device can first determine the locations of the M frequency domain resource elements and then associate the M frequency domain resource elements with the K antenna ports. Even in communication systems with multiple antenna ports, this method keeps the number of frequency domain resource elements within a reasonable range. In some embodiments, the transmitting device can select a base sequence for each antenna port, wherein the selected base sequence constitutes the second sequence in this application.

[0151] In some embodiments, some of the parameters described above may be correlated, meaning the transmitting device can determine the parameters based on other parameters. For example, the transmitting device can determine the density of the reference signal based on communication environment parameters. This application does not limit this.

[0152] The above description of determining the second sequence based on the first set of parameters is for illustrative purposes only. This application does not limit its scope. For example, the transmitting device may determine a set of base sequences based on type parameters and select one base sequence from the set of base sequences based on communication environment parameters.

[0153] In some embodiments, multiple base sequences can be grouped according to some or all of the parameters in the first parameter set. For ease of understanding of the embodiments of this application, Table 2 below provides a possible table with multiple base sequences.

[0154] Table 2:

[0155] In the exemplary Table 2, n is an integer greater than 1. Multiple base sequences are grouped according to the environment type and the type of the base sequence. For example, there are base sequences with indices 1 to n for urban area 1 and base sequences with indices 1 to m for rural area 1. The transmitting device can select a second sequence based on the first parameter set (environment type and function type in Table 2) and determine the M positions of the frequency domain resource unit.

[0156] The previous section described the second sequence of M locations indicating frequency domain resource elements. The following section will describe the relationship between the M frequency domain resource elements and the K antenna ports.

[0157] The total number of antenna ports supporting the transmission of the reference signal can be P, where P is a positive integer, and P ≥ K. In other words, the transmitting device can select all or some of the P antenna ports to transmit the reference signal. In some embodiments, the transmitting device can determine whether to select some of the P antenna ports based at least on the value of M. For example, when P is greater than M, the transmitting device can determine which portion of the P antenna ports to select.

[0158] Antenna ports can be determined in various ways. For example, the K antenna ports with the smallest indices out of P antenna ports can be assigned to transmit the reference signal. Alternatively, the P antenna ports can be arranged according to their indices, and each of the P antenna ports can be selected to transmit the reference signal. For instance, three antenna ports can be selected from each of the eight indices 1 to 8, meaning the selected K antenna ports are indices 1, 4, and 7. This application does not limit this approach.

[0159] The association between M frequency domain resource elements and K antenna ports can be determined in various ways. In some embodiments, the K antenna ports are indicated by a fourth sequence of length M, where the frequency domain resource element indicated by the i-th sequence value in the third sequence is associated with the antenna port indicated by the i-th sequence value in the fourth sequence, where i is a positive integer and i ≤ M. For example, the third sequence {13, 47, 49, 89, 125, 137} can be generated based on the second sequence to indicate subcarrier indices 13, 47, 49, 89, 125, and 137. Antenna port indices 1, 4, and 7 can be selected, and the fourth sequence can be {1, 4, 7, 1, 4, 7}, that is, the reference signal sequence is mapped to subcarrier indices 13 on antenna port index 1, 47 on antenna port index 4, 49 on antenna port index 7, 89 on antenna port 1, 125 on antenna port 4, and 137 on antenna port 7. Alternatively, the fourth sequence can be {1, 1, 4, 4, 7, 7}, that is, the reference signal sequence is mapped to subcarrier index 13 on antenna port index 1, subcarrier index 47 on antenna port index 1, subcarrier index 49 on antenna port 4, subcarrier index 89 on antenna port 4, subcarrier index 125 on antenna port 7 and subcarrier index 137 on antenna port 7.

[0160] For ease of description, the third sequence (indicating M frequency domain resource elements) and the fourth sequence (indicating K antenna ports) can be in the form of a frequency-spatial domain sequence, such as {13-1, 47-4, 49-7, 89-1, 125-4, 137-7}.

[0161] In some embodiments, K antenna ports are associated with sequence values ​​in a second sequence. For example, the second sequence {5,9} can be associated with antenna port 1 and antenna port 4, and can be represented as {5-1, 9-4}. The transmitting device can perform a corresponding repetitive operation on {5-1,9-4}, repeating it twice to obtain {53-1, 57-4, 65-1, 69-4}. A description of the operation can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0162] It should be noted that this application does not limit the method of generating the fourth sequence. For example, the fourth sequence can be determined at least based on the second parameter set, which includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the terminal device, the density of the reference signal, the size of the bandwidth, the location of the bandwidth, time-domain information, spatial-domain information, and communication environment parameters. For a description of these parameters, please refer to the description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0163] The previous section described the relationship between M frequency domain resource elements and K antenna ports. The following section will describe the relationship between M frequency domain resource elements and one or more time domain resource elements.

[0164] In some embodiments, M frequency domain resource elements are associated with a single time domain resource element (e.g., a single symbol). Therefore, the transmitting device can determine that a first sequence of the reference signal maps to physical resources defined by the time domain resource element and the M frequency domain resource elements; that is, the first sequence can be mapped to the M frequency domain resource elements within the time domain resource element. For example, the transmitting device can generate a second sequence for each allocated symbol, and each symbol is associated with the frequency domain resource element indicated by the corresponding second sequence. As another example, the transmitting device can determine the positions of the frequency domain resource elements of other symbols based on the second sequence; for instance, the transmitting device can shift the second sequence by a certain offset to obtain the positions of the frequency domain resource elements of other symbols.

[0165] In some embodiments, the M frequency domain resource elements are associated with a plurality of symbols. For example, each of the plurality of symbols is associated with the same M locations in the M frequency domain resource elements. The transmitting device may map a first sequence of a reference signal onto the M frequency domain resource elements in each of the plurality of symbols.

[0166] This application does not specify the way in which frequency domain units and time domain units are associated.

[0167] The transmitting and receiving devices can acquire the same second sequence. The transmitting device can transmit a reference signal according to the second sequence, and the receiving device can receive the reference signal according to the second sequence. That is, in some embodiments, the transmitting and receiving devices can perform the following steps at S530.

[0168] Optionally, at step S530, the transmitting device sends a reference signal to the receiving device. Accordingly, the receiving device receives the reference signal.

[0169] The receiving device can determine that a first sequence of reference signals is mapped onto M frequency domain resource elements on K antenna ports, and the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by a second sequence.

[0170] The methods for generating the second sequence, indicating the M locations of the M frequency domain resource elements, associating the M frequency domain resource elements with the K antenna ports, and associating the M frequency domain resource elements with one or more time domain resource elements are described in the description of S520. They will not be repeated here.

[0171] The transmitting device can transmit a reference signal using M frequency domain resource units. The receiving device can receive the reference signal and perform signal measurements based on the determined M frequency domain resource units and the associated K antenna ports (i.e., antenna ports). The receiving device can perform different operations depending on the application. For example, the receiving device can perform a correlation test on a first sequence of the reference signal and a received sequence of the reference signal to obtain corresponding measurement results, such as, but not limited to, delay, received power, signal quality, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0172] This application does not specifically limit the operation of the receiving device in receiving the reference signal. For example, when the receiving device has multiple receiving antenna ports, the receiving device can use all or some of the receiving antenna ports to receive the reference signal.

[0173] As described above, the transmitting and receiving devices can determine the M locations of the M frequency domain resource elements by generating a second sequence. In some embodiments, the transmitting device can send the second sequence to the receiving device, or the receiving device can send the second sequence to the transmitting device, or other devices (e.g., core network devices) can send the second sequence to both the transmitting and receiving devices. In some embodiments, the transmitting and / or receiving devices can obtain a first parameter set and obtain the second sequence based on the first parameter set; that is, before S510, the transmitting and receiving devices can perform the following steps in S540.

[0174] Optionally, at S540, the transmitting device and the receiving device acquire the first parameter set.

[0175] In some embodiments, all or some of the parameters in the first parameter set may be pre-configured on the transmitting device side or the receiving device side. In some embodiments, one or more parameters are not pre-configured on the transmitting device side or the receiving device side. Therefore, the transmitting device may determine one or more parameters and send one or more parameters to the receiving device, or the receiving device may determine one or more parameters and send one or more parameters to the transmitting device, or other devices (e.g., core network devices) may determine one or more parameters and send one or more parameters to both the transmitting device and the receiving device. This application does not limit this.

[0176] One or more parameters can be carried in various signals; different parameters can be carried in the same signal or different signals. In other words, the transmission process of each parameter can be determined based on its application. For example, when a terminal device requests access to a network device's network, it can send an access request to the network device. The access request carries the terminal device's identifier. The network device can receive the access request sent by the terminal device and obtain the terminal device's identifier from the access request. As another example, the network device can configure bandwidth for the terminal device.

[0177] In some embodiments, the transmitting and receiving devices may obtain the second parameter set (for determining the association between the M frequency domain resource elements and the K antenna ports) in a manner similar to that used to obtain the first parameter set. Further details are omitted here.

[0178] In this application, the transmitting device can determine the M positions of M frequency domain resource elements based on a second sequence, and associate the M frequency domain resource elements with K antenna ports. Compared to predefining the positions of frequency domain resource elements for a reference signal, the second sequence can flexibly indicate the M frequency domain resource elements. The process of determining the reference signal pattern is more flexible.

[0179] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Figure 13 and Figure 14 Two examples corresponding to these two methods are shown.

[0180] For example, Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram indicating the second sequence of K antenna ports. The bandwidth is 2 resource blocks, meaning the bandwidth includes 24 subcarriers. The starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth is 48. The number of frequency domain resource units required for the reference signal in symbol index 2 is 6, i.e., M=6. Figure 13As shown, the second sequence {1, 5, 10} selected from [0, 11] is determined according to the above parameters (the determination method is not described here, but can be found in the description of S520). According to UE_ID=001, the sequence values ​​in the second sequence {1, 5, 10} can be added with a fourth offset equal to 1, where the fourth offset = UE_ID mod 100 = 1, thereby obtaining the shifted second sequence {2, 6, 11}. Since the number of subcarriers in the bandwidth is greater than the number of values ​​in the range [0, 11], the transmitting device can repeat the operation on the shifted second sequence to obtain the shifted second sequence #1 and the shifted second sequence #2. The shifted second sequence #1 can be added with a first offset #1 equal to 48, and the shifted second sequence #2 can be added with a first offset #2 equal to 60, to obtain the subcarrier indices 50, 54, 59, 62, 66, and 71 represented by the third sequence {50, 54, 59, 62, 66, 71}. After determining antenna ports 1 to 4 (K=4), the fourth sequence {1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2} can be used to determine the association between the 6 subcarriers and the 4 antenna ports. Therefore, the first sequence of the reference signal can be mapped to subcarrier index 50 and symbol index 2 on antenna port index 1, subcarrier index 54 and symbol index 2 on antenna port index 2, subcarrier index 59 and symbol index 2 on antenna port 3, subcarrier index 62 and symbol index 2 on antenna port 4, subcarrier index 66 and symbol index 2 on antenna port 1, and subcarrier index 71 and symbol index 2 on antenna port 1. For ease of description, three-dimensional (time-frequency spatial domain) sequences can be used to represent resource locations in the time-frequency spatial domain. For example, the three-dimensional sequence {2-50-1, 2-54-2, 2-59-3, 2-62-4, 2-66-1, 2-71-2} can be used to represent... Figure 13 The example shown is illustrated below. The three-dimensional sequences in the following description represent similar meanings and will not be repeated here.

[0181] For example, Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram indicating K second sequences of K antenna ports, where K=2, i.e., antenna ports 2 and 4. The bandwidth size is 2 resource blocks, meaning the bandwidth includes 24 subcarriers. The starting subcarrier index in the bandwidth is 48. The number of frequency domain resource units required for the reference signal in symbol index 2 is 6, i.e., M=6, and each antenna port is associated with 3 frequency domain resource units. Figure 14As shown, base sequence #1 {3, 8, 20} is selected from the value range [0, 23] for antenna port 2, and base sequence #2 {5, 7, 11} is selected from the value range [0, 23] for antenna port 4. Base sequences #1 and #2 constitute the second sequence {5, 7, 11, 3, 8, 20}. The number of values ​​in the value range [0, 23] and the number of subcarriers in the bandwidth are considered. The second sequence can be supplemented with a third offset equal to 48 to obtain the third sequence {53, 55, 59, 51, 56, 68}, and the subcarrier indices 53, 55, 59, 51, 56, and 68 can be obtained. The fourth sequence {4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 2} can be used to determine the association between the 6 subcarriers and the 2 antenna ports. The three-dimensional sequence {2-51-2, 2-53-4, 2-55-4, 2-56-2, 2-59-4, 2-68-2} can be used to represent Figure 14 The example shown.

[0182] The above combination Figures 5 to 12 The communication method according to the embodiments of this application has been described in detail below, in conjunction with... Figures 13 to 17 The transmitting apparatus and receiving apparatus according to embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0183] Figure 13 This is a schematic block diagram of the transmitting device 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 13 As shown, the transmitting device 10 includes: Processing module 11 is used to generate a first sequence of reference signals; The transceiver module 12 is used to map a first sequence onto M frequency domain resource elements on K antenna ports, wherein the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by a second sequence, the length of the second sequence is N, M, K and N are positive integers, and M≥K.

[0184] In this application, the transmitting device can determine the M positions of M frequency domain resource elements based on a second sequence, and associate the M frequency domain resource elements with K antenna ports. Compared to predefining the positions of frequency domain resource elements for a reference signal, the second sequence can flexibly indicate the M frequency domain resource elements. The process of determining the reference signal pattern is more flexible.

[0185] The transmitting device 10 in this embodiment can correspond to the transmitting device in the communication method described above. The management operations and / or functions of each module of the transmitting device 10, as well as other management operations and / or functions, are designed to implement the corresponding steps of the above method. For the sake of brevity, further details are omitted here.

[0186] In this embodiment, the transceiver module 12 can be implemented by a transceiver, and the processing module 11 can be implemented by a processor.

[0187] like Figure 14 As shown, the transmitting device 20 may include a transceiver 21. Optionally, the transmitting device 20 may also include a processor 22 and / or a memory 23. The memory 23 may be used to store instruction information, or to store code and one or more instructions to be executed by the processor 22.

[0188] Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of the receiving device 30 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 15 As shown, the receiving device 30 includes: Processing module 32 is used to determine the first sequence of the reference signal mapped onto M frequency domain resource units on K antenna ports; The transceiver module 31 is used to receive a reference signal, wherein a first sequence of the reference signal is mapped to M frequency domain resource elements on K antenna ports, and the M positions of the M frequency domain resource elements are indicated by a second sequence, which is generated at least according to a first parameter set, where M and K are positive integers and M≥K.

[0189] The receiving device 30 in this embodiment can correspond to the receiving device in the communication method described above. The management operations and / or functions of each module of the receiving device 30, as well as other management operations and / or functions, are designed to implement the corresponding steps of the above method. For the sake of brevity, further details are omitted here.

[0190] In this embodiment, the transceiver module 31 can be implemented by a transceiver, and the processing module 32 can be implemented by a processor.

[0191] like Figure 16 As shown, the receiving device 40 may include a transceiver 41. Optionally, the receiving device 40 may also include a processor 42 and / or a memory 43. The memory 43 may be used to store instruction information, or to store code and one or more instructions to be executed by the processor 42.

[0192] Processor 22 or processor 42 can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step in the above method embodiments can be implemented through hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or through software instructions. Processing module 21 can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. All methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or the processor can be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this invention can be directly executed and completed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed and completed using a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in storage media known in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. The storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and combines it with the processor's hardware to complete the steps of the above methods.

[0193] In this embodiment of the invention, memory 23 or memory 43 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM can be used, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). The storage in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable storage.

[0194] This application also provides a system. For example... Figure 17 As shown, system 50 includes: The transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 20 according to embodiments of the present application.

[0195] This application also provides a computer storage medium that can store program instructions to execute any of the above methods.

[0196] Alternatively, the storage medium may specifically be memory 23 or 43.

[0197] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in conjunction with the examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the various units and algorithm steps can be implemented by electronic hardware or by a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the function is performed by hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but should not consider that such embodiments are beyond the scope of this application.

[0198] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for convenience and brevity, the detailed working process of the above-described systems, devices, and units can be referred to the corresponding process in the above-described method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0199] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the described apparatus embodiments are merely examples. For instance, unit partitioning is a logical functional partitioning, and other partitioning methods can be used in actual embodiments. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not performed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or described can be implemented through some communication interfaces. Indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units can be implemented electronically, mechanically, or in other ways.

[0200] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, these components may be located in one unit or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0201] Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically independently, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0202] When these functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The technical solution of this application can be implemented as a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to instruct a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in the embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0203] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that are readily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0204] Methods and apparatus for pilot design This application relates to wireless communication in wireless networks.

[0205] Abbreviations and vocabulary definitions NR New Radio gNB Next Generation Base Station BS base station User equipment (UE) MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) T-MIMO Terabit MIMO QRDQR decomposition DL downlink UL uplink RE resource element RB resource block UE-ID (User Equipment Identifier) C-RNTI (Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier) TC-RNTI (temporary C-RNTI) PCI Physical Cell ID TTI (Transmission Time Interval) OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) In wireless communication systems, obtaining the characteristics of the channel is crucial. To estimate the channel, a pilot signal (reference signal) is transmitted that is known to both the transmitter and the receiver. The receiver can estimate the channel by measuring the pilot signal transmitted by the transmitter and comparing the measurement result with the known transmitted signal.

[0206] In 5G NR systems, pilots are distributed densely along the frequency direction to accommodate the constantly changing wireless channel. With multiple antenna ports, these pilots must be distributed densely along the frequency direction of each port. If we continue to apply 5G NR schemes to T-MIMO systems, increasing the number of T-MIMO antenna ports will linearly increase the total number of pilots.

[0207] T-MIMO has a large number of antenna ports, requiring very dense pilots, which leads to high overhead in time-frequency radio resources that should be allocated to data transmission. Furthermore, even though 5G-NR's cyclic-shift-based multiplexing method can reduce overhead to some extent, the total acceptable number of ports multiplexed on the same subcarrier can easily reach saturation due to inherent multiplexing interference.

[0208] Since T-MIMO requires a significant increase in the number of gNB (or BS) antenna ports and UE antenna ports, a considerable portion of time-frequency radio resources would be allocated to pilots if a similar 5G-NR approach were to be adopted.

[0209] According to 5G-NR, whenever a pilot signal needs to be transmitted, the gNB should configure the pilot configuration and then indicate the pilot configuration to the associated UE. The gNB is responsible for scheduling and signaling processing of pilot usage.

[0210] All MIMO channels in a certain area ( This forms a channel space that is inherently sparser than the complete channel space. m is the number of receive antenna ports, n is the number of transmit antenna ports, and k is the number of subcarriers.

[0211] The basis (U) of the MIMO channel space in this region is persistent.

[0212] Any new MIMO channel to be measured within the same region can be represented as a weighted linear combination of columns of the channel space basis (U).

[0213] Measuring a new MIMO channel is almost equivalent to finding the coefficients (weights) of a linear combination on the channel space basis (U).

[0214] Instead of arranging the pilots uniformly and densely across the complete channel space, we can obtain the coefficients (weights) of a linear combination, based on which we can reconstruct the complete channel using a known basis (U).

[0215] This non-uniform and ultra-sparse pilot pattern (or pilot arrangement) originates from the channel space basis U. H Principal component QR decomposition (QRD) is performed on the conjugate of U.

[0216] Simulations demonstrate that the ultra-sparse pilot pattern generated by principal component QRD of the channel space basis can significantly reduce pilot overhead.

[0217] While non-uniform and ultra-sparse pilot patterns are theoretically optimal, they often have some irregular pilot positions, making it inefficient and cumbersome to indicate and schedule patterns between devices (e.g., between gNB and UE).

[0218] Problems and Objectives T-MIMO systems require a method to design, determine, distribute, and notify users of ultra-sparse pilot patterns while ensuring efficient scheduling and low signaling overhead. This novel approach needs to address the following issues: Continue using a significantly reduced number of pilots. It is best to adopt a low-density, sparse pilot design.

[0219] It is easy to generate and describe one or more pilot patterns.

[0220] It is easy to schedule between one or more transmitters and one or more receivers.

[0221] Reduce signaling overhead between one or more transmitters and one or more receivers.

[0222] It is insensitive to pilot punching or missing information, meaning that the receiver can still have robust channel estimation performance even if some pilots are missing.

[0223] Overview In this invention, we propose a novel method for generating pilot patterns. We first obtain a sequence, and then generate a pilot pattern based on that sequence.

[0224] This invention can be used to solve the pilot design problem of T-MIMO systems with a large number of transmit and receive antenna ports and a large bandwidth. The same method can also be applied to ordinary MIMO systems (e.g., 5G MIMO systems) and even single-antenna systems.

[0225] Through this invention, the system will exhibit the following characteristics: It is necessary to understand the channel state of the target environment beforehand. That is, the system obtains the channel space basis of the target environment (…). U This can be a channel state-related representation, or similar. Knowing the channel state of the target environment in advance can save on pilot usage or overhead.

[0226] One or more pilot patterns are much sparser than one or more traditional pilot patterns (5G NR pilot design) and can be non-uniformly distributed along the time-frequency space resources.

[0227] Why sparse pilot signals are feasible Before introducing the new pilot pattern design method, we will first explain the following reasons why ultra-sparse pilot design is feasible: Pre-obtained n×r Channel space basis matrix It is a very tall and fine matrix. n>>r ), 1 That is, the rank of the matrix r Much smaller than its number of rows n . number of rows ( The column number () represents the channel dimension. In the case of MIMO, for example, the number of rows is the product of the number of transmit antenna ports, the number of receive antenna ports, and the subcarriers. The rank of the channel indicates the "complexity" of the target environment.

[0228] The channel coefficients in the target environment can be regarded as U Multiply by the linear combination coefficients (weights).

[0229] If the pilot position is indicated by a series of rows, where these rows can form a base... U Then, the channel space basis can be calculated based on the measurement of these pilot positions. The linear combination coefficients can be used to generate the target channel coefficients.

[0230] According to matrix theory, if U The number of rows randomly selected is U rank ( r If the number is a multiple of the number, then these rows have a very high probability of forming a base. U * .

[0231] In this invention, we use n×r The following discussion will be based on tall and thin matrices. Mathematically and equivalently, it can also be expressed as... r×n It is represented by a short and wide matrix.

[0232] In a MIMO system, a pilot signal transmitted by a transmit antenna on a subcarrier is received by all receive antennas on that subcarrier. That is, when a transmit antenna port transmits a pilot signal on a subcarrier, it will select... U The number of rows is equal to the number of receiving antennas.

[0233] In T-MIMO scenario (BS antenna count >> UE antenna count, BS antenna count > ...), r ( U When only a very small number of pilots are transmitted in the system, it is likely possible to ensure the selection of a certain number of rows, which is... U rank ( r () multiples of the number.

[0234] In conclusion, when the number of pilot signals transmitted in the system is extremely small, there is a very high probability that a specific pilot signal will be selected. U Sufficient number of rows to form a base U* Then, the channel space basis can be calculated. U The linear combination coefficients are then used to calculate the target channel coefficients.

[0235] therefore, In a system without MIMO, the number of pilots may be Channel estimation can be performed when the rank is several times that of the rank.

[0236] In a system with MIMO, the number of pilots is ( Channel estimation can be performed when the rank (or number of receive antennas) is several times that of the rank of the receiver.

[0237] Please note that the rank ( The rank is not specified as the MIMO rank (or flow). The rank represents the rank of the channel state in a given region (how many common patterns are in the MIMO channels within that region). The rank can also be seen as a description of the complexity of a region; for example, the rank would be higher in an environment with more reflectors. Figure 20 Example of using sparse pilots to measure channel state.

[0238] Examples of using sparse pilots to measure channel state include... Figure 20 As shown: U It is a pre-obtained (known) channel space basis within a certain region.

[0239] P It is a location or arrangement matrix that indicates the pilot position, i.e. where sampling or arrangement will be carried out. Each element of the matrix indicates a subcarrier between a BS antenna and a UE antenna.

[0240] P Indicates the coefficients used to reconstruct the entire channel ( Pilot pattern.

[0241] Through the U H Perform principal component QRD calculation to calculate P ,in, U It is the channel space basis.

[0242] Position matrix P and basis matrix U When multiplying, from U Take some rows from the matrix to form a new matrix. . It can be seen as a method for generating U HA complete base for the column space.

[0243] In practical MIMO transmission, a signal transmitted from one transmit antenna can be received by all receive antennas. Therefore, it is possible to achieve [the desired result] without increasing the number of transmit pilots. P Expand to P aug .

[0244] If the pilot signal is sent from the BS to the UE (DL), the measurement will not be performed on a specific subcarrier between a BS antenna and a UE antenna, but will be extended to all UE antennas from a BS antenna to a specific subcarrier.

[0245] If the pilot signal is sent from the UE to the BS (UL), the measurement will not be performed on a single subcarrier between a BS antenna and a UE antenna, but will instead extend from a UE antenna to all BS antennas.

[0246] y It is a vector that contains P aug The measured channel coefficients at the indicated pilot positions.

[0247] c It is a vector containing linear combination coefficients (or spectral coefficients), representing a linear combination of the channel space basis used to generate the target channel coefficients. c= y The target channel coefficients or complete channel coefficients can be reconstructed as follows: = Uc By treating the target channel as a linear combination of channel space bases, we can prove that ultrasparse pilot patterns with a number of pilots no less than the rank of the channel space bases can achieve good channel estimation or reconstruction.

[0248] The methods and apparatus proposed in previous patent applications provide a way to generate and use sparse pilot patterns.

[0249] In addition to the pre-obtained channel space basis as described above ( U Besides performing channel estimation using sparse pilot patterns generated in QRDs, sparse pilot patterns can also be used by other methods to perform channel estimation (e.g., channel estimation or reconstruction using compressed sensing). For example, in compressed sensing, the basis is a standard basis (e.g., discrete Fourier transform) rather than a pre-obtained channel space basis. U Furthermore, the reconstruction in the underdetermined equation is accomplished by a matching detection method, where L1 minimization is an additional regularization term for sparsity.

[0250] Example Pilot pattern A pilot is a series of reference signals (a set of reference signals or a group of reference signals) whose positions and values ​​are known to both the transmitter and the receiver. Pilots are transmitted by one or more devices of the transmitting equipment to one or more devices of the receiving equipment to estimate the channel state (channel coefficients) or reconstruct the channel.

[0251] A pilot pattern is defined as a series of locations where a reference signal is transmitted to perform channel estimation. These locations typically consist of indications in three dimensions: time, frequency, and space. However, not all conditions require specifying these three dimensions. For example, the frequency dimension appears when using OFDM. The time dimension only appears when pilot patterns require specifying multiple time symbols. The spatial dimension only appears when a multi-port system is used. Therefore, The location can be represented by a series of subcarrier indices in the frequency direction. The pilot pattern can be represented by a series of subcarrier indices in the OFDM symbol. For example, the pilot pattern can be {13, 47, 49, 89, 125}, that is, pilots are transmitted on subcarrier indices 13, 47, 49, 89, and 125.

[0252] Location can be represented using a series of subcarrier indices and port indices in the frequency-space domain. When using multi-port (MIMO), the pilot pattern can assign an antenna port index to each subcarrier used to transmit the reference signal. For example, the pilot pattern can take the form of subcarrier index-port index, such as {13-1, 47-3, 49-5, 89-7, 125-1}, that is, transmitting the pilot signal on subcarrier index 13 via antenna port index 1, and on subcarrier index 47 via antenna port index 3, etc.

[0253] The location can be represented by a series of time symbol indices and subcarrier indices in the time-frequency domain. A pilot pattern can be represented by a series of subcarriers on multiple consecutive or discontinuous OFDM symbols. For example, a pilot pattern can take the form of time symbol index-subcarrier index, such as {1-13, 1-47, 1-49, 1-89, 1-125, 7-14, 7-48, 7-50, 7-90, 7-126}, meaning pilots are transmitted on subcarrier indices 13, 47, 49, 89, and 125 of OFDM symbol index 1, and on subcarrier indices 14, 48, 50, 90, and 126 of OFDM symbol index 7.

[0254] Location can be represented using a series of time symbol indices, subcarrier indices, and port indices in the time-frequency spatial domain. Pilot patterns can be represented as a series of subcarrier indices used on multiple consecutive or discontinuous OFDM symbols and an antenna port index associated with each subcarrier. For example, the pilot pattern can be in the form of time symbol index-subcarrier index-port index, such as {1-13-1, 1-47-3, 1-49-5, 1-89-7, 1-125-1, 7-14-3, 7-48-5, 7-50-7, 7-90-1, 7-126-3}, that is, the pilot is transmitted through antenna port index 1 on subcarrier index 13 of OFDM symbol index 1, through antenna port index 3 on subcarrier index 47 of OFDM symbol index 1, ... and through antenna port index 3 on subcarrier index 14 of OFDM symbol index 7, through antenna port index on subcarrier index 48 of OFDM symbol index 7, ...

[0255] The time symbol index can also be a time slot index or a time symbol identifier in the time direction.

[0256] Subcarrier indexes can also be resource element (RE) indexes in the frequency direction.

[0257] Location can be represented graphically, for example, by color coding within an RE grid.

[0258] Representing the pilot pattern in any way is just one approach; what is important is to indicate the location information of each assigned pilot so that the transmitter knows how to send the pilot and the receiver knows where to receive the pilot signal based on the sent pilot.

[0259] In some cases, pilot patterns can be viewed as basic "blocks". These "blocks" can be spliced, truncated, repeated, and subjected to other operations to form larger pilot patterns.

[0260] Pilot pattern generation methods can be: Before transmitting the pilot signal, the method and its associated parameters (or variable parameters) should be aligned on both the transmitter and receiver sides. The method and its related parameters (or variable parameters) can be indicated, represented or notified directly or indirectly by some instructions (signals, control messages, commands, indications or primitives), or even without any explicit instructions from other devices (e.g., gNB); The signaling protocol or procedure that indicates, represents, or notifies the transmitter and receiver of the relevant generation methods and parameters should be at least simpler than the signaling protocol or procedure in 5G NR; Pilot patterns can be pseudo-random; identical patterns can be generated at both the transmitter and receiver.

[0261] Preferably, the number of pilots included in the pilot pattern can be greater than the theoretical minimum (the theoretical minimum can be derived from the rank of the channel basis), so that the system can tolerate the absence of some pilots on the receiver side.

[0262] Although channel estimation can be performed using only the theoretical minimum number of pilots, channel estimation performance improves with the use of more pilot signals. The system can calculate and indicate the number of pilots used based on the desired performance.

[0263] Pilot pattern generation This patent invention describes the following method for generating pilot patterns: Generate pilot patterns based on one or more pre-generated sequences. One or more pre-generated sequences 1. In some cases, a pre-generated sequence or multiple pre-generated sequences may be defined in the specification.

[0264] 2. In some cases, a device (e.g., a gNB or BS) may generate one or more pre-generated sequences. One or more pre-generated sequences may be generated and updated according to its service environment.

[0265] 3. The pre-generated sequence can take the form of a lookup table or a series of lookup tables. Each lookup table can have multiple rows, each representing a pre-generated sequence.

[0266] 4. Pre-generated sequences can be represented by configuration parameters or searched like a lookup table.

[0267] 5. A sequence in the pre-generated sequence can be selected by index. An index is a number or combination of numbers that uniquely identifies a specific sequence in the pre-generated sequence. For example, if the pre-generated sequence is stored in multiple lookup tables, the index can be a table index plus a row index.

[0268] 6. All or part of the pre-generated sequence may be pre-stored in the memory of the device and equipment (e.g., gNB, UE).

[0269] 7. The numbers in the sequence can be: It can be represented as a series of integers. An example of a pre-generated sequence can be listed as an index of a series of integers, such as... Figure 21 As shown in Table 3. In another example, the pre-generated sequence can be grouped according to system parameters such as subcarrier spacing and bandwidth. Figure 21 : Pre-generated sequence diagram.

[0270] Table 3: Illustration of the pregenerated sequence list

[0271] Integers can be either absolute or relative indices. Integers can be used to represent subcarrier indices in the frequency direction.

[0272] Integers can be used to deduce indices representing positions.

[0273] In some cases, the numbers in a sequence can be represented as a bitmap containing a series of binary numbers "0" or "1". The index of each number in the sequence corresponds to the index of a position. A "0" or "1" indicates that a pilot signal is transmitted at that position. For example, the bitmap "01001000" can indicate the subcarrier index. "01001000" can represent transmitting pilot signals at subcarrier indices 2 and 5, as... Figure 22 As shown. Figure 22 A diagram that uses a bitmap to indicate a location.

[0274] 8. The pre-generated sequence can be defined in n-dimensional (n is a natural number) matrix form, with different dimensions representing different information. For example, if pilot patterns for multiple time symbols are needed, the pre-generated sequence can be designed as follows: A one-dimensional pre-generated sequence, represented by a one-dimensional index. This sequence can be cut into different segments for use with multiple time symbols.

[0275] The pre-generated sequence is in the form of a two-dimensional matrix represented by two-dimensional indices, where one-dimensional indices represent indices in the time symbol direction and one-dimensional indices represent indices in the frequency direction.

[0276] 9. One or more pre-generated sequences can be generated by a random number generator, an optimal search algorithm (e.g., the QRD method in previous inventions), an AI algorithm, etc.

[0277] The pre-generated sequences can be generated corresponding to certain application conditions such as subcarrier spacing, a certain bandwidth, and / or other conditions. The system can retain the application condition information for each sequence in the pre-generated sequences. The system can explicitly indicate its application conditions, as shown in Table 3. The system can also implicitly reflect its application conditions through carefully designed selection methods or selection functions.

[0278] 10. One or more pre-generated sequences may include a port index associated with each subcarrier: When the pre-generated sequence is represented as a series of integers, we can use algorithms to make each integer in the sequence simultaneously represent information about both the subcarrier index and the port index. When using such a pre-generated sequence, it is easy to resolve it into a series of pilot subcarrier indices and a port index associated with each subcarrier index.

[0279] For example, we can concatenate two numbers together. We can define the last two digits of an integer to represent the port index and define other integers to represent the subcarrier index. In this case, the integer "17418" indicates the subcarrier index "174" and the associated port index "18".

[0280] When the pre-generated sequence is represented as a bitmap with a series of binary numbers "0" or "1", we can replace the "1" with the associated "port index". When using such a pre-generated sequence, it is easy to resolve it into a series of pilot subcarrier indices and port indices associated with each subcarrier index.

[0281] For example, the pre-generated sequence can be a series of integers "0" and "port index", where "0" indicates that no pilot is transmitted on the indicated subcarrier, and "port index" indicates that the pilot is transmitted on the indicated subcarrier via the port at the "port index". The pre-generated sequence "00 01 00 00 07 00 00 23" can indicate transmitting a pilot on subcarrier index 2 via port index 1, transmitting a pilot on subcarrier index 5 via port index 7, and transmitting a pilot on subcarrier index 8 via port index 23, as shown below. Figure 23 As shown. Figure 23 A diagram using integers to indicate the location.

[0282] 11. In the case of MIMO, we can also use a separate set of pre-generated port sequences to indicate the allocation of antenna ports. These pre-generated port sequences are very similar to the pre-generated sequences described above. These pre-generated port sequences can take the form of a lookup table or a series of lookup tables. One port sequence in the pre-generated port sequence can be selected by index. The index design of the pre-generated port sequence can be the same as the index design of the pre-generated sequence. All or part of the pre-generated port sequences can be pre-stored in the memory of the device (e.g., gNB, UE). The integers in these pre-generated port sequences are port indices.

[0283] 12. Compression can be used to save storage costs for pre-generated sequences and pre-generated port sequences. Adding redundant source coding can also be used to improve transmission accuracy.

[0284] 13. For a set of pre-generated sequences that can be assigned to different UEs, a small amount of position overlap is allowed.

[0285] Select from one or more pre-generated sequences 1. When there is only one pre-generated sequence in the system, no selection is required. If the pre-generated sequence is stored only on the device side (e.g., gNB, BS, network), the gNB can broadcast, multicast, or unicast the pre-generated sequence to devices (e.g., UE, terminal) within the gNB's coverage area.

[0286] 2. In some cases, pre-generated sequences are already stored in the gNB and UE, and the gNB and UE can select one or more sequences to use through predefined operations in the specification.

[0287] Predefined operations can exist in the form of queries (or lookup tables) using configuration parameters.

[0288] Predefined operations can take the form of functions. The input to the function is the configuration parameters, and the output is one or more indices of the selected pre-generated sequence.

[0289] Configuration parameters can be one or more indices, where the parameters can be a combination of the following: When a pilot signal is transmitted between at least two devices in a system, at least one specific ID (or a portion thereof) in the communication device may be used as input, including but not limited to: UE-ID, C-RNTI of a given UE, or a combination of virtual PCI and C-RNTI.

[0290] Parameters related to the system parameter set (numerology) or indicators, including but not limited to: TTI index, allocated bandwidth, starting RB, number of RBs, slot offset, allocated antenna ports, antenna port index, and time symbol index.

[0291] Parameters related to pilot density, which can be system environment-related parameters for gNB applications, and can be used to determine the number of pilots required for an antenna port or all antenna ports on the allocated bandwidth, including but not limited to: environment indication (for indicating the environment, such as urban or rural areas), channel rank indication (for indicating the rank of the channel space basis), pilot density (which, in combination with bandwidth, can calculate the number of pilots required for one antenna port or all antenna ports), and the required number of pilots.

[0292] Configuration parameters are used to select one or more sequences from the pre-generated sequences. These configurations can be device-specific or configured by other devices / appliances in the system and sent via signaling. An example of signaling is shown below. Figure 24As shown, the parameters required for selecting one or more pre-generated sequences can be sent from the gNB to one or more UEs on the downlink via broadcast, multicast, or unicast signaling. In another example, the parameters required for selecting one or more pre-generated sequences can be sent from the UE to the gNB on the uplink via signaling. This signaling does not necessarily have to be specific; the information carried by this signaling can be sent along with other signaling. Figure 24 Example of signaling to send parameters required for selecting one or more pre-generated sequences. The left part is sent from the gNB to one or more UEs, and the right part is sent from the UE to the gNB.

[0293] If the configuration parameters are device-specific parameters and / or other parameters that do not need to be sent between the gNB and the UE for sequence selection, the gNB and the UE can select the same one or more sequences without sending them via signaling.

[0294] In the case of MIMO, if a separate set of pre-generated port sequences exists, we can use a method similar to that described above to assign selection port sequences to port indices. If the index design of the pre-generated port sequences is the same as that of the pre-generated sequences, we can use the same indexes to select from both the pre-generated sequences and the pre-generated port sequences.

[0295] 3. In some cases, pre-generated sequences are already stored in the gNB and the UE. The gNB can determine which sequence or set of sequences should be used by the UE. The gNB can send the selection of a sequence or set of sequences for the UE by sending one or more indices of the selected sequence or set of sequences on the downlink using signaling. If one or more port indices in the pre-generated port sequence are required, the gNB can send the selection of a port sequence or set of port sequences for the UE by sending one or more indices of the selected port sequence or set of port sequences on the downlink using signaling. If the index design of the pre-generated port sequence is the same as the index design of the pre-generated sequence, one or more indices on the signaling are sufficient. Signaling examples are as follows... Figure 25 As shown, one or more selected sequences / one or more port sequences, or one or more indices, can be transmitted from the gNB to one or more UEs on the downlink via broadcast, multicast, or unicast signaling. This signaling is not necessarily specific; the information it carries can be sent along with other signaling. Figure 25 Example of signaling from gNB to one or more UEs for one or more selected sequences / one or more port sequences with one or more indices.

[0296] 4. In some cases, pre-generated sequences are already stored in the gNB and the UE. The UE can determine which sequence or set of sequences to use. The UE can send the selection of a sequence or set of sequences by transmitting one or more indices of the selected sequence or set of sequences on the uplink using signaling. If one or more port indices in the pre-generated port sequence are required, the UE can send the selection of a port sequence or set of port sequences by transmitting one or more indices of the selected port sequence or set of port sequences on the uplink using signaling. If the index design of the pre-generated port sequence is the same as the index design of the pre-generated sequence, one or more indices on the signaling are sufficient. An example of signaling is shown below. Figure 26 As shown, one or more selected sequences / one or more indexes of one or more port sequences can be sent from the UE to the gNB on the uplink. This signaling is not necessarily specific; the information it carries can be sent along with other signaling. Figure 26 Example of signaling from UE to gNB of one or more selected sequences / one or more indexes of one or more port sequences.

[0297] 5. In some cases, the pre-generated sequence is stored only in the gNB. When it is necessary to provide a selected pre-generated sequence or a set of selected pre-generated sequences to one or more UEs, the gNB can send the selected pre-generated sequence or a set of selected pre-generated sequences to one or more UEs via signaling on the downlink. If a pre-generated port sequence is required, the gNB can send the selected pre-generated port sequence or a set of selected port sequences to one or more UEs via the same signaling or different signaling as when sending one or more pre-generated sequences on the downlink.

[0298] In some cases, the pre-generated sequence is stored only in the UE. When it is necessary to provide a selected pre-generated sequence or a set of selected pre-generated sequences to the gNB, the UE can send the selected pre-generated sequence or a set of selected pre-generated sequences to the gNB via signaling on the uplink. If a pre-generated port sequence is required, the UE can send the selected pre-generated port sequence or a set of selected port sequences to the gNB via the same signaling or different signaling as when sending one or more pre-generated sequences on the uplink.

[0299] When sending one or more pre-generated sequences or one or more pre-generated port sequences, compression can be used to save storage costs, and source coding can be used to improve transmission accuracy.

[0300] Signaling example Figure 27As shown, one or more pre-generated sequences / one or more pre-generated port sequences can be transmitted from the gNB to one or more UEs on the downlink via broadcast, multicast, or unicast (left part). One or more pre-generated sequences / one or more pre-generated port sequences can be transmitted from the UE to the gNB on the uplink via signaling (right part). This signaling is not necessarily specific; the information carried by this signaling can be sent together with other signaling. Figure 27 Example of signaling that sends one or more pre-generated sequences / one or more pre-generated port sequences from the gNB to one or more UEs (left part) or from the UE to the gNB (right part).

[0301] Generate pilot patterns based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences (frequency priority). 1. The process described in this section focuses on: first, using a selected pre-generated sequence to assign pilot subcarrier indices, and then associating pilot port indices (if needed) and time symbol indices (if needed) with each pilot subcarrier index.

[0302] 2. The method for generating pilot patterns based on one or more selected sequences can be defined (described) in the specification.

[0303] 3. In some cases, the selected sequence can be used to directly generate pilot patterns. The selected sequence can also be used as a basic "block" to form pilot patterns. The basic "block" can be truncated, spliced, shifted by offset, or subjected to other operations to form pilot patterns.

[0304] 4. The positions in the pilot pattern can consist of subcarrier indices, time symbol indices (if multiple time symbol pilot patterns are used), and port indices (if multiple ports are used). The generation of these indices is described below. The pilot subcarrier indices are always generated before the pilot port indices (if required). The time symbol indices (if required) can be generated in any order.

[0305] Generate pilot subcarrier index: Pilot subcarrier indexes can be generated based on selected pre-generated sequences.

[0306] If the selected pre-generated sequence indicates an absolute subcarrier index, then these indices are used directly as pilot subcarrier indices.

[0307] If the selected sequence indicates a subcarrier index relative to a subcarrier index (e.g., a subcarrier index relative to an offset value), then the actual subcarrier index is calculated by referring to the start index. The offset value can be a defined parameter or derived from defined parameters in the system; for example, the offset value can be the assigned start subcarrier, which can be a system parameter or derived from the start RB. The offset value can also be a parameter defined by the gNB. The gNB can transmit this offset value to one or more UEs via signaling on the downlink. The offset value can also be a parameter defined by the UE. The UE can transmit this offset value to the gNB via signaling on the uplink.

[0308] In some cases, if the bandwidth or other parameters in the application conditions of the selected pre-generated sequence do not match the target bandwidth or other parameters, the selected pre-generated sequence can be regarded as a basic "block". For example, If the target bandwidth is greater than the corresponding bandwidth of the selected sequence, the selected sequence can be repeated to adapt to the target bandwidth.

[0309] A simple example can be as follows Figure 28 As shown. In this example, the sequence {5, 9} was selected. This sequence represents the allocation of 2 pilots on 12RB (1 RE). If the allocated bandwidth (number of RBs) contains 24 RBs and the allocated starting subcarrier index (starting RB) is index 121, then the subcarrier index used to transmit the pilots can be allocated twice by this sequence. Figure 28 A simple example of generating a subcarrier index using a repeating sequence. If the target bandwidth is less than the corresponding bandwidth of the selected sequence, the selected sequence can be cut to fit the target bandwidth.

[0310] A simple example can be as follows Figure 29 As shown in the image. In this example, the pilot subcarrier allocation indicated by the sequence is shown on the left. The right side shows the allocation pilot positions for the target bandwidth. Pilot positions are indicated by thick black solid lines. When the target bandwidth is less than the bandwidth represented by the sequence, the selected sequence can be cut off. Figure 29 A simple example of generating a subcarrier index by cutting the sequence.

[0311] Basic "block" operations can be described in the specification. For example, the system can predefine some "block" operations, such as how to "concatenate," how to "repeat," how to "shift by offset," and how to "cut." These basic "block" operations can be performed by the gNB and UE as needed.

[0312] In some cases, "block" operations and associated parameters can be specified and notified to the UE by the gNB. These operations and associated parameters can be sent to the UE via signaling on the downlink.

[0313] In some cases, "block" operations and associated parameters can be specified by the UE and notified to the gNB. These operations and associated parameters can be sent from the UE to the gNB via signaling on the uplink.

[0314] When using pilot patterns with multiple time symbols, generate a pilot time symbol index: In some cases, we need to generate pilot patterns on multiple time symbols.

[0315] In some cases, the selected pre-generated sequence contains information from multiple time symbols. According to the definition of a pre-generated sequence, the selected pre-generated sequence is parsed into multiple time symbols. After parsing the selected sequence into a single time symbol, further operations can be performed to calculate the subcarrier index, such as… Generate pilot subcarrier index As described in the section.

[0316] In some cases, each time symbol in a set of multiple time symbols can be treated as an independent time symbol. We can generate pilot subcarrier indices for each time symbol individually, such as " Generate pilot subcarrier index As described in the document. Then, the time symbol index is assigned to the corresponding pilot subcarrier index.

[0317] In some cases, the pilot subcarrier index allocation of multiple time symbols may have a certain relationship. The selected pre-generated sequence may contain information for a single time symbol. This can be extended to multiple time symbols specified in the specification. For example, the system may predefine some extended operations, such as how to "copy the same subcarrier index to other time symbols," how to "repeat," and how to "shift all subcarrier indices by a certain value to apply to other time symbols," etc. These operations and associated parameters can be predefined in the specification. In some cases, these operations and associated parameters can be determined by the gNB and transmitted from the gNB to one or more UEs via signaling on the downlink. These operations and associated parameters can also be determined by the UE and transmitted to the gNB via signaling on the uplink.

[0318] When using multiple ports (MIMO), generate pilot port indexes: In some cases, the selected pre-generated port sequence can be used to indicate the use of the port index for each pilot subcarrier. This operation can be performed by associating the corresponding port index in the port sequence with the subcarrier index in the selected sequence.

[0319] In some cases, the selected pre-generated sequence includes information about the port indices associated with the subcarrier indices. The selected pre-generated sequence is then resolved into pilot subcarrier indices and associated port indices according to the definition of the pre-generated sequence.

[0320] In some cases, we can first generate pilot subcarrier indices, and then associate port indices with each pilot subcarrier using a predefined pilot pattern in the specification. An example of a pilot pattern might be shown below: The specification defines one port index, and other port indices are derived from known indices. For example, the port index for the minimum subcarrier index is defined as follows: P1 Port index of the second smallest subcarrier index P2 By P1 Add fixed offset n To calculate, that is, [( P1 + n () mod (total number of allocated ports)]. We can continue this process until all pilot subcarrier indices are associated with port indices.

[0321] The computational and association parameters used to generate the pilot port index can be predefined in the specification. In some cases, these computational and association parameters can be determined by the gNB and transmitted from the gNB to one or more UEs via signaling on the downlink. These computational and association parameters can also be determined by the UE and transmitted to the gNB via signaling on the uplink.

[0322] 5. Signaling Issues. During the generation of pilot patterns based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences, certain parameters or methods need to be specified, such as the offset relative to the subcarrier index and the method for performing operations on the selected sequences. These parameters and methods can be determined by the gNB or one or more UEs and communicated to the other party via signaling. An example of signaling is shown below. Figure 30 As shown, one or more parameters and one or more methods required to generate a pilot pattern based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences can be transmitted from the gNB to one or more UEs on the downlink via broadcast, multicast, or unicast. The same parameters and methods can also be transmitted from the UE to the gNB on the uplink. This signaling is not necessarily specific; the information it carries can be transmitted along with other signaling. Figure 30 Example of signaling for transmitting the parameters and methods required to generate pilot patterns based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences between a gNB and one or more UEs.

[0323] Generate pilot patterns based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences (port priority). 1. The process described in this section focuses on: when using a multi-port (MIMO) system, firstly, antenna ports are allocated, and then pilot subcarrier indices are assigned to each allocated antenna port using one or more pre-generated sequences of selection.

[0324] 2. The method for generating pilot patterns based on one or more selected sequences can be defined (described) in the specification.

[0325] 3. The selected sequence can be used to directly generate pilot subcarrier indices for each port index. The selected sequence can also be used as a basic "block" to form the pilot subcarrier index for each port index. The basic "block" can be truncated, spliced, shifted by offset, or subjected to other operations to form the pilot pattern.

[0326] 4. In MIMO, the positions in the pilot pattern can consist of the subcarrier index and time symbol index for each port index (if a pilot pattern with multiple time symbols is used). The following describes how to assign subcarrier and / or time symbol indices to each port index during use. The order in which pilot port indices are generated always precedes the generation of pilot subcarrier indices. The order in which time symbol indices are generated (if necessary) can be placed anywhere.

[0327] Determine the antenna port to be used for transmitting the pilot signal: Some subcarriers can be selected for transmitting pilot signals on the antenna ports. The system can be designed to use all allocated antenna ports to transmit pilot signals. Alternatively, the system can select some allocated antenna ports to transmit pilot signals (these selected antenna ports are referred to as "pilot ports" in the description below).

[0328] How to select pilot ports can be defined in the specification. For example, the system can be defined to use "all antenna ports", "every # antenna port" (e.g., "every 3 antenna ports" means using port indices 1, 4, 7 up to the assigned port index), and so on.

[0329] The selection of the pilot port can be determined by the gNB, and the index of the selected pilot port can be sent to the UE via signaling on the downlink. The selection of the pilot port can be determined by the UE, and the index of the selected pilot port can be sent to the gNB via signaling on the uplink.

[0330] Generate pilot subcarrier indexes for each pilot port: After determining the selected pilot ports, we can generate pilot subcarrier indices for each pilot port. Possible methods include: When configuring multiple pilot ports for a UE, the pilot subcarrier index for each port can be configured individually using different pre-generated sequences. This means that different pre-generated sequences can be selected for different antenna ports. Alternatively, a set of pre-generated sequences can be selected for some antenna ports, where each pre-generated sequence corresponds to a port. The pilot subcarrier index for a pilot port can be generated based on the pre-generated sequence selected for that port.

[0331] When configuring multiple pilot ports for a UE, at least one pre-generated sequence can be configured for one pilot port (the configured pilot port is called the "reference pilot port"). The pilot subcarrier index of this pilot port can be generated based on the selected pre-generated sequence. The pilot subcarrier indices of other pilot ports can be derived according to some predefined principles in the specification. An example of a principle could be "add an offset to each pilot subcarrier index" of the reference pilot port among the other pilot ports. The "offset value" can be calculated using configuration parameters according to the defined principles. The "offset value" can also be determined by the gNB and notified to the UE via signaling on the downlink. The "offset value" can also be determined by the UE and notified to the gNB via signaling on the uplink.

[0332] When configuring multiple pilot ports for a UE, at least one pre-generated sequence can be configured for one pilot port. The pilot subcarrier index of this pilot port can be generated based on the selected pre-generated sequence. Other pilot ports can use the same pilot subcarrier index and multiplex them on the same subcarrier using a cyclic shift method.

[0333] All of these methods involve a process of "generating pilot subcarrier indices based on a pre-generated sequence selected for the pilot ports." Details of this process can be found starting on page 18 of the previous text. Generate pilot subcarrier index .

[0334] When using pilot patterns with multiple time symbols, generate a pilot time symbol index: Detailed information about this process can be found starting from page 20 above. When using pilot diagrams with multiple time symbols Sample generation pilot time symbol index .

[0335] 5. Signaling Issues. During the generation of pilot patterns based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences, certain parameters or methods need to be specified, such as the offset relative to the subcarrier index, the selected pilot port, and the method for processing the selected sequence. These parameters and methods can be determined by the gNB or one or more UEs and communicated to the other party via signaling. An example of signaling is shown below. Figure 31 As shown, one or more parameters and one or more methods required to generate a pilot pattern based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences can be transmitted from the gNB to one or more UEs on the downlink via broadcast, multicast, or unicast. The same parameters and methods can also be transmitted from the UE to the gNB on the uplink. This signaling is not necessarily specific; the information it carries can be transmitted along with other signaling. Figure 31 Example of signaling for transmitting the parameters and methods required to generate pilot patterns based on one or more selected pre-generated sequences between a gNB and one or more UEs.

[0336] Example Example 1 In Example 1, we show the process of selecting a pre-generated sequence from the pre-generated sequences defined in the specification, and then using the selected pre-generated sequence to generate pilot patterns according to the "frequency-first" method.

[0337] In this simple example, the pilot signal will be sent from the UE to the gNB. We assume the following parameters are used in the system: UE_ID=001 Allocate resource blocks (RB) = 2 The allocated subcarrier start index is 48. Number of pilots required per time symbol = 6 Offset = UE_ID mod 100 Subcarrier method = "repetition" Pregenerated sequence index = 7 Number of antenna ports allocated = 4 The assigned starting port index is 1. Antenna port method = "rotation" If necessary, these parameters are sent between the gNB and the UE via signaling, with both sides having the same parameters and generating the same pilot pattern.

[0338] 1. Sequence selection For the UE, as predefined in the specification, a pre-generated sequence can be selected from a lookup table using configuration parameters. In this example, the sequence {1, 5, 10} is selected using the parameter “pre-generated sequence index=7”. This sequence represents three random positions in [1, 12] and has a size of 1 RB.

[0339] 2. Generate pilot pattern After obtaining the sequence, the sequence is further offset using the parameters "offset" and "repetition" to map it onto the actual subcarrier indices. Then, we generate antenna port indices associated with each subcarrier index and generate pilot patterns, such as... Figure 32 As shown. Figure 32 Example diagram of pilot pattern generation.

[0340] Example 2 In Example 2, we show the process of first determining the pilot ports, then selecting a pre-generated sequence from the pre-generated sequences for each assigned pilot port, and then generating the pilot pattern using the selected pre-generated sequences according to the "port priority" method.

[0341] In this simple example, the pilot signal will be sent from the UE to the gNB. We assume the following parameters are used in the system: UE_ID=001 Number of antenna ports allocated = 4 Antenna port method = "For every 2 antenna ports, offset is set to UE_ID" Allocate resource blocks (RB) = 2 The allocated subcarrier start index is 48. Number of pilots required per time symbol = 6 Pre-generated sequence 1 = {3, 8, 20} Pre-generated sequence 2 = {5, 7, 11} If necessary, these parameters are sent between the gNB and the UE via signaling, with both sides having the same parameters and generating the same pilot pattern.

[0342] We first need to determine the selected pilot ports. In this example, the system definition uses "every 2 antenna ports, offset set to UE_ID", and the number of antenna ports allocated is 4. Therefore, "every 2 antenna ports" means selecting "port index 1" and "port index 3". Considering "offset set to UE_ID", "port index 1" becomes "port index 2", and "port index 3" becomes "port index 4". The selected pilot ports are "port index 2" and "port index 4".

[0343] After determining the selected pilot port, we can generate pilot subcarrier indices for each pilot port according to the specification. In this example, the gNB sends two sequences to the UE as "pre-generated sequence 1" and "pre-generated sequence 2". "Pre-generated sequence 1" is associated with "port index 2", and "pre-generated sequence 2" is associated with "port index 4".

[0344] Then, we generate pilot patterns, such as Figure 33 As shown. Figure 33 Example diagram of pilot pattern generation A sparse pilot pattern generation method is proposed, which, compared to the NR method, produces sparser and non-uniform pilot patterns. The generation method and related parameters can be indicated by simple instructions from other devices, or even without instructions from other devices (e.g., gNB). The signal becomes less complex and simpler. The scheduling work required by the gNB is significantly reduced. In conventional methods, pilots require careful scheduling to avoid overlap in the time-frequency spatial domain. Despite the sparse pilots, the design of the number of pilots in the system always has redundancy, meaning that the absence of a small number of pilots on the receiver side does not affect the channel estimation performance. In conventional designs, each pilot is critical; they cannot overlap or be discarded. Sequence and function separation facilitates pilot pattern generation and saves signaling costs associated with transmitting pilot patterns between the transmitter and receiver.

[0345] The methods described herein are executed by a device or apparatus, for example, by a processor of a device or apparatus that executes instructions stored in memory. The instructions, when executed, cause the device or apparatus to perform these methods.

[0346] The options and embodiments described herein can be combined in different arrangements. Furthermore, although the invention has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, various modifications and combinations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing description and drawings are to be considered merely as illustrations of some embodiments of the invention, and are intended to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents.

[0347] The following content also forms part of this invention.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: generating a first sequence of reference signals; mapping the first sequence onto M frequency domain resource units on K antenna ports, wherein M positions of the M frequency domain resource units are indicated by a second sequence, a length of the second sequence is N, M, K and N are positive integers, and M≥K.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The second sequence is determined according to at least a first parameter set, and the first parameter set comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of a terminal device; a value range, wherein N sequence values in the second sequence are selected from the value range; a sequence index used to identify the second sequence; a type parameter used to indicate a type of the second sequence; a size of a bandwidth, wherein the bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units; a position of the bandwidth; a density of the reference signals; a communication environment parameter; time domain information used to indicate time domain resources associated with the M frequency domain resource units; spatial domain information used to indicate P antenna ports supporting transmission of the reference signals, P being a positive integer and P≥2.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, M is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and the second sequence is determined according to at least the threshold value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The threshold value is determined according to the communication environment parameter.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending or receiving one or more parameters in the first parameter set or the second sequence.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second sequence is a pseudo-random sequence.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The M positions of the M frequency domain resource units are indicated by the second sequence through a mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units and the second sequence, wherein the mapping relationship is determined according to at least the value range from which the N sequence values in the second sequence are selected.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein: a number of values in the value range is less than a number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, and the mapping relationship is determined at least by repeating and shifting the second sequence by a first offset; the bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The mapping relationship is further determined at least by truncating the second sequence.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein: a number of values in the value range is greater than a number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, and the mapping relationship is determined at least by truncating the second sequence; the bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The mapping relationship is further determined at least by shifting the second sequence by a second offset.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein: a number of values in the value range is equal to a number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, M=N, and the mapping relationship is a one-to-one mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units and the N sequence values in the second sequence; the bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The K antenna ports are antenna ports in the P antenna ports supporting transmission of the reference signals, P being a positive integer and P>K.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The third sequence is generated based at least on the second sequence, the K antenna ports are indicated by a fourth sequence, lengths of the third sequence and the fourth sequence are M, an i-th sequence value in the third sequence is associated with an i-th sequence value in the fourth sequence, i is a positive integer, i≤M.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, K≥2。 16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, The second sequence is associated with the K antenna ports.

17. A method of communication, comprising: Comprise: Receiving a reference signal, wherein a first sequence of the reference signal is mapped onto M frequency domain resource units on K antenna ports, M positions of the M frequency domain resource units are indicated by a second sequence, A length of the second sequence is N, M, K and N are positive integers, M≥K.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The second sequence is determined based at least on a first parameter set, the first parameter set comprises one or more of: An identifier of a terminal device; A value range, wherein N sequence values in the second sequence are selected from the value range; A sequence index for identifying the second sequence; A type parameter for indicating a type of the second sequence; A size of a bandwidth, wherein the bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units; A position of the bandwidth; A density of the reference signal; A communication environment parameter; Time domain information for indicating time domain resources associated with the M frequency domain resource units; Space domain information for indicating P antenna ports supporting transmission of the reference signal, P is a positive integer, P≥2.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein, M is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the second sequence is determined based at least on the threshold value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The threshold value is determined according to the communication environment parameter.

21. The method of any one of claims 18-20, wherein, The method further comprises: Receiving or transmitting one or more parameters in the first parameter set or the second sequence.

22. The method of any one of claims 17-21, wherein, The second sequence is a pseudo-random sequence.

23. The method of any one of claims 17-22, wherein, The M positions of the M frequency domain resource units are indicated by the second sequence through a mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units and the second sequence, wherein the mapping relationship is determined based at least on the value range, and the N sequence values in the second sequence are selected from the value range.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, A number of values in the value range is less than a number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, and the mapping relationship is determined based at least on repetition and shifting by a first offset of the second sequence; The bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, The mapping relationship is further determined based at least on truncation of the second sequence.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein, A number of values in the value range is greater than a number of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, and the mapping relationship is determined based at least on truncation of the second sequence; The bandwidth comprises the M frequency domain resource units.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, The mapping relationship is further determined based at least on shifting by a second offset of the second sequence.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein, A quantity of values in the value range is equal to a quantity of frequency domain resource units in the bandwidth, M=N, and the mapping relationship is a one-to-one mapping relationship between the M positions of the M frequency domain resource units and the N sequence values in the second sequence. The bandwidth includes the M frequency domain resource units.

29. The method of any one of claims 17-28, wherein, The K antenna ports are antenna ports in the P antenna ports supporting transmission of the reference signal, P is a positive integer, and P>K.

30. The method of any one of claims 17-29, wherein, A third sequence is generated according to at least the second sequence, K antenna ports are indicated by a fourth sequence, lengths of the third sequence and the fourth sequence are M, and an i-th sequence value in the third sequence is associated with an i-th antenna port indicated by an i-th sequence value in the fourth sequence, i is a positive integer, and i≤M.

31. The method of any one of claims 17-30, wherein, K≥2。 32. The method of any one of claims 17-31, wherein, The second sequence is associated with the K antenna ports.

33. An apparatus comprising: The apparatus includes a processor coupled with a memory, the memory storing one or more instructions executable on the processor, the one or more instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-16 or perform the method according to any one of claims 17-30.

34. An apparatus comprising: The apparatus includes functions or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-16 or performing the method according to any one of claims 17-30.

35. A communication system, characterized by The apparatus includes a sending device and a receiving device, wherein the sending device performs the method according to any one of claims 1-16, and the receiving device performs the method according to any one of claims 17-30.

36. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The apparatus includes one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-16 or the method according to any one of claims 17-30.

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