Communication method and device for configuring SRS (Sounding Reference Signal)

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and device for configuring an SRS, and relates to the field of wireless communication. The resource consumption can be reduced, and the resource utilization rate is improved. The method comprises the following steps: a terminal side communication device receives configuration information and sends an SRS according to the configuration information. Wherein the configuration information indicates the number N of the port groups, the N port groups respectively correspond to N sounding reference signal (SRS) resource patterns, the N port groups respectively correspond to the N SRS resource patterns, the N SRS resource patterns form an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, and N is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports in the SRS resource where the N port groups are located.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically, to a communication method and apparatus for configuring SRS. Background Technology

[0002] In wireless communication, reference signals are transmitted between the transmitting and receiving ends to send and receive data, obtain system synchronization information, and provide feedback channel information. For example, the transmitting end sends a reference signal to the receiving end, which receives the reference signal and can then perform corresponding operations based on the reference information, such as performing channel measurements to obtain relevant channel state information. These reference signals are divided into uplink reference signals and downlink reference signals.

[0003] Assuming the reference signal is an uplink reference signal, when the channel bandwidth that the network device needs to measure is large, the terminal device can send the uplink reference signal to the network device multiple times via frequency hopping. The terminal device sends the uplink reference signal multiple times across multiple time-domain symbols, and the bandwidth occupied by the uplink reference signal sent on each symbol is a portion of the full bandwidth (or total bandwidth) configured for the uplink reference signal. For example, the terminal device can send the uplink reference signal on four time-domain symbols via frequency hopping, and the uplink reference signal occupies one-quarter of the full bandwidth in each symbol.

[0004] Currently, terminal devices often use multiple ports to send uplink reference signals. Each port sends uplink reference signals on four time-domain symbols using frequency hopping, and the uplink signals sent by each port cover the entire bandwidth. In other words, each port needs to send uplink reference signals over the entire bandwidth so that network devices can measure the channel information of the entire bandwidth based on the sounding reference signals (SRS) sent by multiple ports. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for configuring SRS, which can reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method for configuring SRS. This method can be executed by a terminal-side communication device. Unless otherwise specified, "terminal-side communication device" in this application can refer to a terminal device, a component within the terminal device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. The method includes: receiving configuration information, wherein the configuration information indicates the number N of port groups, the N port groups correspond to N sounding reference signal (SRS) resource patterns respectively, the N SRS resource patterns constitute an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, and N is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports within the SRS resources where the N port groups are located; and transmitting SRS according to the configuration information.

[0007] Based on this scheme, the terminal-side communication device can configure different frequency domain resources for multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration based on the network-side communication device. The antenna ports in each port group transmit SRS, where the resources carried by the SRS are the frequency domain resources of the port group to which the antenna port belongs. For example, multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration can be divided into N groups; each port group is configured with a different SRS resource pattern, and the N port groups correspond to N SRS resource patterns. The frequency domain resources of each of the N SRS resource patterns are a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern (i.e., the N SRS resource patterns constitute the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern). In other words, the SRS transmitted by the terminal-side communication device from the antenna ports in each port group covers a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, thus the SRS transmitted by the N groups of antenna ports collectively cover the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0008] Furthermore, after receiving the SRS of an antenna port within a port group and measuring the SRS to obtain the channel information of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, the network-side communication device can utilize the correlation of multiple sets of antenna ports to equate the channel information to: the terminal device transmitting SRS on the SRS resource pattern through the antenna port of any one of the N-1 port groups (excluding the specific port group) out of N port groups; and the network-side communication device obtaining the channel information by measuring the SRS. In other words, the terminal-side communication device only needs to use one set of port groups to transmit SRS on one SRS resource pattern. Thus, the network-side communication device can infer (or estimate, or equate) the channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern obtained by the network-side communication device for each port group's SRS when each port group transmits SRS with pre-configured bandwidth, thereby determining the true channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In contrast, the scheme in which the SRS transmitted on each of the multiple antenna ports in the SRS resource configuration covers the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern can reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization.

[0009] In one possible design, before receiving configuration information, the communication method for configuring SRS further includes sending indication information to assist in determining the value of N.

[0010] Based on this possible design, the terminal-side communication device can send indication information to the network-side communication device to assist the network-side communication device in determining the value of N. For example, the terminal-side communication device can indicate the number of port packets it can support (i.e., the value of N) through the indication information; or, the indication information can indicate the number of port packets recommended by the terminal-side communication device. This ensures that the value of N determined by the network-side communication device is compatible with the terminal-side communication device, avoiding the inability to measure the channel information of frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern due to the terminal-side communication device not supporting the value of N.

[0011] In one possible design, the frequency domain resource of each of the N SRS resource patterns is 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth, and the pre-configured bandwidth is greater than or equal to the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0012] Based on this possible design, the frequency domain resource of each SRS resource pattern in the N SRS resource patterns is 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth; for example, the pre-configured bandwidth is divided into N parts, and the frequency domain resource of each SRS resource pattern is one of the N parts of the frequency domain resource; that is, the SRS transmitted by the antenna port in each port group of the terminal device covers 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth, so that the SRS transmitted by the N groups of antenna ports together achieve coverage of the pre-configured bandwidth. Furthermore, after receiving the SRS from an antenna port within a port group and measuring the SRS to obtain the channel information of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, the network-side communication device can utilize the correlation of multiple sets of antenna ports to equate this channel information to: the terminal device transmitting SRS on the SRS resource pattern through the antenna port of any one of the N-1 port groups (excluding the specific port group) out of N port groups; and the network-side communication device obtaining the channel information by measuring the SRS. In other words, the terminal device only needs to transmit SRS using one set of port groups on one SRS resource pattern. Therefore, the network-side communication device can infer (or estimate, or equate) the channel information of the pre-configured bandwidth obtained by measuring the SRS of each port group when each port group transmits SRS within the pre-configured bandwidth, thereby determining the true channel information of the pre-configured bandwidth. Compared to the scheme where the SRS transmitted from each antenna port in the multiple antenna ports of the SRS resource configuration covers the pre-configured bandwidth, this reduces resource consumption and improves resource utilization.

[0013] In one possible design, each of the N port groups includes at least one antenna port, and each antenna port in the at least one antenna port shares the SRS resource pattern corresponding to its port group.

[0014] In one possible design, the temporal resources of N SRS resource patterns overlap.

[0015] In one possible design, the time-domain resources of N SRS resource patterns are identical.

[0016] In one possible design, the frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different.

[0017] Based on this possible design, the frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different; that is, the SRS transmitted by the antenna ports in each of the N port groups covers different frequency domain resources; the SRS transmitted by the antenna ports in each port group covers a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, so that the SRS transmitted by the N groups of antenna ports together achieve coverage of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. Furthermore, after receiving the SRS of an antenna port within a port group and measuring the SRS to obtain the channel information of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, the network-side communication device can utilize the correlation of multiple sets of antenna ports to equate the channel information to: the terminal device transmitting SRS on the SRS resource pattern through the antenna port of any one of the N-1 port groups (excluding the specific port group) out of N port groups; and the network-side communication device obtaining the channel information by measuring the SRS. In other words, the terminal-side communication device only needs to use one set of port groups to transmit SRS on one SRS resource pattern. Thus, the network-side communication device can infer (or estimate, or equate) the channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern obtained by the network-side communication device for each port group's SRS when each port group transmits SRS with pre-configured bandwidth, thereby determining the true channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In contrast, the scheme in which the SRS transmitted on each of the multiple antenna ports in the SRS resource configuration covers the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern can reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization.

[0018] In one possible design, each of the N SRS resource patterns includes at least one SRS pattern block, and the frequency domain resources of the at least one SRS pattern block are different.

[0019] In one possible design, at least one SRS pattern block corresponds to a different value of the transmission counter.

[0020] In one possible design, the SRS pattern block is related to the index of its corresponding port group and the number N of port groups.

[0021] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, the terminal-side communication device can determine the frequency domain start position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the port group represented by the port group index based on the port group index, the value of the transmission counter, and the number N of port groups. In this case, the value of one transmission counter can correspond to N frequency domain start positions, and the port group indexes corresponding to these N frequency domain start positions are different. Compared with the scheme where the terminal-side communication device determines the frequency domain start position only based on the value of the transmission counter, the number of bits of the transmission counter value can be reduced, thereby saving resource overhead.

[0022] In one possible design, the index of the SRS pattern block, its corresponding port group, and the number of port groups N satisfy the following relationship:

[0023]

[0024] Where, n b Indicates the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block, n SRS This indicates the value of the transmission counter corresponding to the SRS pattern block, PortIdx indicates the index of the port group corresponding to the SRS pattern block, and B SRS For pre-configured bandwidth, N b′ B SRS The number of pre-configured bandwidths when the value is b′, N portNum N represents the number of port packets. RRC m is the frequency domain starting position index of the SRS resource. SRS,b This indicates the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the pre-configured bandwidth.

[0025] In one possible design, the time-frequency resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap.

[0026] In one possible design, the frequency domain resources of any two SRS pattern blocks in at least one SRS pattern block are of the same size.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method for configuring SRS. This method can be executed by a network-side communication device. Unless otherwise specified, "network-side communication device" in this application can refer to a network device, a component within the network device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The method includes: determining configuration information, wherein the configuration information indicates the number N of port packets, the N port packets correspond to N SRS resource patterns respectively, the N SRS resource patterns constitute an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, and N is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports within the SRS resource where the N port packets are located; and transmitting the configuration information.

[0028] Based on this scheme, the network-side communication device can configure different frequency domain resources for multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration. For example, the multiple antenna ports can be divided into N groups, and different SRS resource patterns can be configured for each port group. The N port groups correspond to the N SRS resource patterns. The frequency domain resource of each SRS resource pattern in the N SRS resource patterns is a part of the frequency domain resource in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern (that is, the N SRS resource patterns constitute the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern). In other words, the SRS transmitted by the antenna port in each port group of the terminal-side communication device covers a part of the frequency domain resource in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. Thus, the SRS transmitted by the N groups of antenna ports can jointly cover the frequency domain resource in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0029] Furthermore, after receiving the SRS of an antenna port within a port group and measuring the SRS to obtain the channel information of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, the network-side communication device can utilize the correlation of multiple sets of antenna ports to equate the channel information to: the terminal device transmitting SRS on the SRS resource pattern through the antenna port of any one of the N-1 port groups (excluding the specific port group) out of N port groups; and the network-side communication device obtaining the channel information by measuring the SRS. In other words, the terminal-side communication device only needs to use one set of port groups to transmit SRS on one SRS resource pattern. Thus, the network-side communication device can infer (or estimate, or equate) the channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern obtained by the network-side communication device for each port group's SRS when each port group transmits SRS with pre-configured bandwidth, thereby determining the true channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In contrast, the scheme in which the SRS transmitted on each of the multiple antenna ports in the SRS resource configuration covers the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern can reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization.

[0030] In one possible design, before determining the configuration information, the communication method for configuring the SRS further includes: receiving indication information, which is used to assist in determining the value of N; and determining the configuration information, including: determining the configuration information based on the indication information.

[0031] In one possible design, the frequency domain resource of each of the N SRS resource patterns is 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth, and the pre-configured bandwidth is greater than or equal to the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0032] In one possible design, each of the N port groups includes at least one antenna port, and each antenna port in the at least one antenna port shares the SRS resource pattern corresponding to its port group.

[0033] In one possible design, the temporal resources of N SRS resource patterns overlap.

[0034] In one possible design, the time-domain resources of N SRS resource patterns are identical.

[0035] In one possible design, the frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different.

[0036] In one possible design, each of the N SRS resource patterns includes at least one SRS pattern block, and the frequency domain resources of the at least one SRS pattern block are different.

[0037] In one possible design, at least one SRS pattern block corresponds to a different value of the transmission counter.

[0038] In one possible design, the SRS pattern block is related to the index of its corresponding port group and the number N of port groups.

[0039] In one possible design, the index of the SRS pattern block, its corresponding port group, and the number of port groups N satisfy the following relationship:

[0040]

[0041] Where, n b Indicates the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block, n SRS This indicates the value of the transmission counter corresponding to the SRS pattern block, PortIdx indicates the index of the port group corresponding to the SRS pattern block, and B SRS For pre-configured bandwidth, N b′ B SRS The number of pre-configured bandwidths when the value is b′, N portNum N represents the number of port packets. RRC m is the frequency domain starting position index of the SRS resource. SRS,b This indicates the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the pre-configured bandwidth.

[0042] In one possible design, the time-frequency resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap.

[0043] In one possible design, the frequency domain resources of any two SRS pattern blocks in at least one SRS pattern block are of the same size.

[0044] The technical effects of any design in the second aspect can be referenced from the technical effects of the corresponding design in the first aspect, and will not be elaborated here.

[0045] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. This communication device can be a terminal-side communication device as described in the first aspect, or a network-side communication device as described in the second aspect, or a device included in the terminal-side or network-side communication device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0046] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0047] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0048] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the aspects. The communication device may be a terminal-side communication device as in the first aspect, or a network-side communication device as in the second aspect, or a device included in a terminal-side or network-side communication device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the method, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0049] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. The communication device may be a terminal-side communication device as described in the first aspect, or a network-side communication device as described in the second aspect, or a device included in a terminal-side communication device or a network-side communication device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the method, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0050] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: at least one processor; the processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. The communication device may be a terminal-side communication device as described in the first aspect, or a network-side communication device as described in the second aspect, or a device included in a terminal-side communication device or a network-side communication device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the method, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0051] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary programs, instructions, and / or data. This memory may be coupled to the processor, or it may be independent of the processor.

[0052] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0053] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to sixth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0054] The aforementioned terminal-side communication device may be a terminal device, or a communication module in a terminal device, or a chip in a terminal device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a system-in-a-package (SIP) chip that includes a modem module.

[0055] And / or, the aforementioned network-side communication device may be a network device, or a communication module in a network device, or a circuit or chip in a network device responsible for communication functions, or a functional module in a network device capable of calling and executing programs.

[0056] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect.

[0057] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0058] Ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system including the terminal-side communication device (or the device included in the terminal-side communication device, such as a chip or chip system) in the first aspect and the network-side communication device (or the device included in the network-side communication device, such as a chip or chip system) in the second aspect.

[0059] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through nine can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application is provided for this application;

[0061] Figure 2 Another schematic diagram of the wireless communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application is provided for this application;

[0062] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another architecture of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application is provided for the purposes of this application.

[0063] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a frequency hopping transmission SRS provided in this application;

[0064] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another frequency-hopping SRS provided in this application;

[0065] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a communication method for configuring SRS provided in this application;

[0066] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of yet another frequency-hopping SRS provided in this application;

[0067] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of yet another frequency-hopping SRS provided in this application;

[0068] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of yet another frequency-hopping SRS provided in this application;

[0069] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating another communication method for configuring SRS provided in this application;

[0070] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method for configuring SRS provided in this application;

[0071] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application;

[0072] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application;

[0073] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0074] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0075] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0076] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0077] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0078] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0079] It is understood that the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0080] It is understood that in this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require a judgment action to be performed during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0081] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0082] It is understood that in this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. When describing "a certain instruction information instructs A" or "instruction information of A," it can include whether the instruction information directly or indirectly instructs A, but does not necessarily mean that the instruction information carries A. The information indicated by a certain piece of information is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly instructing the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly instruct the information to be instructed by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also instruct only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. At the same time, the common parts of various information can be identified and uniformly indicated to reduce the instruction overhead caused by individually indicating the same information. Furthermore, the specific instruction method can also be any existing instruction method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned instruction methods and their various combinations. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In specific implementation, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information pieces and sent separately. Furthermore, the sending period or timing of these sub-information pieces can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period or timing of these sub-information pieces can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0083] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, traces, or interfaces.

[0084] In this application, "predefined" can refer to a standard protocol predefined, or it can refer to something agreed upon or negotiated in advance between devices. In this application, "protocol" can refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as the 5G protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applied in future communication systems; this application does not limit this. "Predefined" can include predefined terms, such as protocol definitions. "Preconfiguration" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device; this application does not limit the implementation method, for example.

[0085] In this application, the terms "exemplarily," "for example," etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0086] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0087] The technical solutions provided in this application can be used in various communication systems, including cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4th generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), 5th generation (5G) new radio (NR) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, LTE and NR hybrid networking systems, or device-to-device (D2D) systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, and future communication systems.

[0088] Alternatively, the communication system may be a non-3GPP communication system, such as an open radioaccess network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, or a communication system that integrates multiple of the above communication systems. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0089] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting system architecture is shown. (e.g.) Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as Figure 1RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal device 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0090] RAN 100 can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 100 can also be an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), CRAN, or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0091] RAN node 110, sometimes referred to as a network device, RAN entity, or access node, is part of the communication system used to help terminal devices achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0092] Terminal equipment, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), fixed wireless access (FWA), customer premises equipment (CPE), etc., refers to devices that include wireless communication capabilities (providing voice / data connectivity to users). Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving (e.g., drones, vehicles), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in self-driving can be drones, helicopters, or airplanes. For example, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, or ships. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, or robotic arms. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes. The terminal device can also be a device or module that is connected to the communication system shown above and has corresponding communication functions. The terminal device usually contains a communication module, circuit or chip that performs the corresponding communication function, and the terminal device is also configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0093] It should be noted that the terminal device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit in the device or apparatus shown above; the specific application is not limited to any particular type. It should also be noted that in this application, when referring to a terminal device, it can refer to the terminal device itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the terminal device that performs the method provided in this application; the specific application is not limited to any particular type.

[0094] A Radio Access Network (RAN) is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication capabilities for terminal devices. RAN can also be referred to as a RAN entity, access node, network node, network device, or communication device, etc.

[0095] Specifically, RAN can be network equipment for 3GPP-related cellular systems, such as 4G mobile communication systems, 5G mobile communication systems, or future communication systems. RAN can also be network equipment in open access networks (O-RAN or ORAN) or cloud radio access networks (CRAN). Alternatively, RAN can also be network equipment in a communication system formed by the integration of two or more of the above communication systems.

[0096] RAN includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi system, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, radio controller in a CRAN scenario, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and receiving point (TRP). RAN can also be network equipment in a 5G mobile communication system. For example, the future communication network in an NR system, TRP, TP, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system. Alternatively, RAN can also be network nodes constituting a gNB or transmission point. Examples include centralized units (CU), distributed units (DU), CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), and radio units (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included within the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). Alternatively, RANs can be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, a RAN can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0097] It should be noted that in different systems, CU (or centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) and centralized unit user plane (CU-UP)), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP) or an open CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP) or an open CU-UP, and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). This application does not limit the specific names. Any of the units CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0098] like Figure 2 As shown in (a) above, the ORAN system includes a core network, network equipment, and UEs. Optionally, the ORAN system may also include... Figure 2 Other components besides those shown in (a) are not specifically limited in this application.

[0099] Network devices can communicate with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link (BH). Network devices can also communicate with the UE via the air interface. Specifically, the BBU in the network device communicates with the core network via the backhaul link. The RU in the network device communicates with at least one UE via the air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link; the BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. A BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, and the CU and DU can communicate with each other via at least one midhaul link.

[0100] One possible implementation is, such as Figure 2As shown in (b), the CU is a logical node that carries the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the network device. The CU can connect to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, such as the E2 interface. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and / or higher) connects to the DU (e.g., the radio link control (RLC) layer and lower layers of the DU) through interfaces, such as the F1 interface. Optionally, the F1 interface can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, defining the signaling procedures of F1 in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0101] Optional, such as Figure 2As shown in (b), the CU can be divided into CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer (PDCP-C), responsible for implementing the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer (PDCP-U), responsible for implementing the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. In the core network, network elements used to implement user plane functions, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices. The above configuration of CU and DU is merely an example; in practical applications, the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For instance, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency, placing functions that need to meet low latency requirements in the DU and functions that do not need to meet such latency requirements in the CU.

[0102] One possible implementation is, such as Figure 2As shown in (b), the DU is a logical node that carries the RLC layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, the higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, the DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes parts of the physical (PHY) layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0103] One possible implementation is, such as Figure 2 As shown in (b), the RU is a logical node that carries both lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU may be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radiohead (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Lower-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0104] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through the Lower-Layer Split CUS-Plane (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include a Lower-Layer Split control (LLS-C) interface and a Lower-Layer Splituser (LLS-U) interface, providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via a Lower-Layer Split management (LLS-M) interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU. Furthermore, the LLS-M interface can also interact with the management system.

[0105] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0106] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples.

[0107] It should be noted that network devices can be devices or apparatuses with chips, or devices or apparatuses with integrated circuits, or chips, chip systems, modules, or control units in the devices or apparatuses shown above; this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should also be noted that in this application, the term "network device" can refer to the network device itself, or to chips, functional modules, or integrated circuits within the network device that implement the methods provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0108] See Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the communication network elements between the terminal device and the network device in this embodiment of the application. The terminal device 10 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and a transceiver 103. The transceiver 103 includes a transmitter 1031, a receiver 1032, and an antenna 1033. The network device 20 includes a processor 201, a memory 202, and a transceiver 203. The transceiver 203 includes a transmitter 2031, a receiver 2032, and an antenna 2033. The receiver 1032 can be used to receive transmission control information through the antenna 1033, and the transmitter 1031 can be used to send transmission feedback information to the network device 20 through the antenna 1033. The transmitter 2031 can be used to send transmission control information to the terminal device 10 through the antenna 2033, and the receiver 2032 can be used to receive transmission feedback information sent by the terminal device 10 through the antenna 2033. The memory 102 and memory 203 store computer program code.

[0109] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is given below.

[0110] 1. Antenna ports and port groups:

[0111] An antenna port is a logical concept; there is no direct correspondence between an antenna port and a physical antenna. An antenna port is typically associated with a reference signal, and its meaning can be understood as a transmit / receive interface on the channel through which the reference signal passes. In low-frequency systems, an antenna port may correspond to one or more antenna elements that jointly transmit the reference signal; the receiver can treat them as a whole without distinguishing between individual elements. In high-frequency systems, an antenna port may correspond to a beam; similarly, the receiver only needs to treat this beam as an interface and does not need to distinguish between individual elements.

[0112] In this embodiment of the application, the antenna port that transmits the analog beam can be referred to as the analog antenna port, or simply as the antenna port or port.

[0113] The port group mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be multiple digital ports corresponding to the same analog beam, or a port group can be a set of multiple digital ports corresponding to multiple analog beams, or the digital ports corresponding to the same analog beam are divided into multiple subsets, each subset being a port group. This port group may also be called a digital-analog port group, etc.

[0114] 2. Beam:

[0115] A beam is a communication resource. Beams can be wide, narrow, or other types. The technology used to form beams is called beamforming. Beamforming refers to adjusting the amplitude and / or phase of a signal so that the radiated signal through an antenna array has a certain directionality, enabling higher antenna array gain. The main lobe of the antenna array's radiation pattern can be called the beam.

[0116] In beamforming technology, signals are filtered by a spatial domain transmission filter to achieve amplitude and / or phase adjustment. Different spatial domain transmission filters using different spatial filtering parameters can achieve beams in different directions. In the embodiments of this application, spatial filtering parameters can be replaced by beams, or spatial domain transmission filters can be replaced by spatial domain filtering parameters. Spatial domain transmission filters can also be called spatial domain filters, spatial filters, spatial domain parameters, spatial parameters, spatial domain settings, spatial settings, quasi-colocation (QCL) information, QCL assumptions, or QCL indications, etc. Beams can be represented by transmission configuration indicator parameters or by spatial relation parameters. Transmission configuration indicators can be in English as transmission configuration indicator state (TCI-state), transmission configuration indication state (TCI-state), or transmission configuration index state (TCI-state), etc.

[0117] Specifically, beamforming technology includes digital beamforming (DBF), analog beamforming (ABF), and hybrid beamforming (HBF). DBF technology features multiple digital processing channels, each adjusting the phase (or amplitude and phase) of the signal in the digital domain to give the radiated signal directionality. Therefore, DBF technology can achieve the function of a spatial transmission filter through multiple digital processing channels. ABF technology transmits signals simultaneously using an antenna array composed of multiple antenna elements, with each element corresponding to a phase shifter. By adjusting the phase of the phase shifter corresponding to each antenna element, the radiated signal directionality is achieved. Therefore, ABF technology can achieve the function of a spatial transmission filter through multiple phase shifters corresponding to multiple elements in the antenna array. HBF technology is a combination of ABF and DBF technologies, incorporating both multiple digital processing channels and multiple analog phase shifters. Therefore, for hybrid beamforming technology, the function of the aforementioned spatial transmission filter can be achieved through multiple phase shifters corresponding to multiple array elements in the antenna array and multiple digital processing channels. However, this application is not limited to this; the aforementioned spatial transmission filter can also be implemented through other technologies.

[0118] 3. Time unit:

[0119] A time unit is, for example, but not limited to, one or more radio frames, or one or more subframes, or one or more slots, or one or more mini slots, or one or more subslots, or one or more symbols, or a time window consisting of multiple frames or subframes, such as a system information (SI) window. The duration of a symbol is not limited. The length of a symbol can vary for different subcarrier intervals.

[0120] Time-domain resources are, for example, but not limited to, one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. For example, the time-domain resources occupied by a reference signal (RS) can be indicated by the start symbol (or start position) and the number of symbols configured in the network device.

[0121] The symbols include uplink symbols and downlink symbols. Uplink symbols can be called single-carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols or OFDM symbols; downlink symbols can be OFDM symbols.

[0122] 4. Reference signal (RS):

[0123] Reference signals, also known as pilot signals, are essential in communication systems for transmitting and receiving data, obtaining system synchronization and feedback channel information, and estimating the uplink or downlink channel. Channel estimation refers to the process of reconstructing or recovering the received signal to compensate for signal distortion caused by channel fading and noise fading. It uses reference signals known to the transmitter and receiver to track the time and frequency domain changes of the channel. These reference signals are distributed across different resource elements (REs) in the time-frequency two-dimensional space within orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, and have known amplitudes and phases.

[0124] At the physical layer, uplink communication can include the transmission of uplink physical channels and uplink signals (or, more specifically, uplink reference signals). Uplink physical channels include the random access channel (PRACH), the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). Uplink signals include the sounding reference signal (SRS), the PUCCH de-modulation reference signal (PUCCH-DMRS), the PUSCH de-modulation reference signal (PUSCH-DMRS), the phase noise tracking reference signal (PTRS), and the uplink positioning signal (RS).

[0125] At the physical layer, downlink communication can include the transmission of downlink physical channels and downlink signals (or, also known as downlink reference signals). Downlink physical channels include the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Downlink signals include the primary synchronization signal (PSS) / secondary synchronization signal (SSS), the downlink control channel demodulation reference signal (PDCCH-DMRS), the downlink data channel demodulation reference signal (PDSCH-DMRS), the phase noise tracking signal (PTRS), the channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS), the cell reference signal (CRS) (not present in NR), the time / frequency tracking reference signal (TRS) (not present in LTE), and the LTE / NR positioning signal (positioning RS), etc.

[0126] It should be understood that the reference signals listed above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other reference signals in future agreements to achieve the same or similar functions.

[0127] 5. Bandwidth Part (BWP):

[0128] Network devices can configure one or more downlink / uplink bandwidth regions for terminal devices. Each bandwidth region (BWP) can consist of contiguous physical resource blocks (PRBs) in the frequency domain, and is a subset of the terminal device's bandwidth. The smallest granularity of the BWP in the frequency domain is one PRB. The system can configure one or more bandwidth regions for terminal devices, and these bandwidth regions may overlap in the frequency domain.

[0129] In a single-carrier scenario, a terminal device can have only one active BWP at any given time. The terminal device can only receive or transmit data / reference signals on the active BWP.

[0130] In this application, when applicable to BWP scenarios, a specific BWP can also be a set of bandwidths at a specific frequency, or a set of multiple resource blocks (RBs).

[0131] 6. SRS:

[0132] SRS is a reference signal transmitted by terminal equipment in the uplink. Network equipment uses SRS to evaluate uplink channel parameters; furthermore, for TDD systems, based on the difference between uplink and downlink channels, SRS can also be used to evaluate novel channel adoption numbers. In addition to using SRS for channel quality assessment (such as uplink channel parameters and / or downlink channel parameters), network equipment can also use SRS for uplink beam management (such as beam training, beam switching, etc.).

[0133] In 3GPP related protocols, four types of SRS are defined based on their functions: {beam management (BM), codebook (CB), non-codebook (NCB), and antenna switching (AS)}, or simply {BM, CB, NCB, AS}. SRS with beam management function is used for uplink beam scanning; for example, beam scanning of multiple panels on a terminal device. SRS with codebook function is used for PUSCH codebook transmission; for example, the terminal device sends an SRS, and the network device determines the data stream rank and precoding matrix indicator (PMI) by detecting the SRS, and schedules PUSCH according to the rank and pre-PMI. SRS with non-codebook functionality is used for non-codebook transmission of PUSCH. The terminal device acquires downlink channel information based on CSI-RS, calculates uplink weights, and then sends a weighted SRS to the network device. The network device detects the SRS, determines the rank and weighted vector index, and schedules PUSCH according to the rank and weighted vector index. SRS with antenna switching functionality is used for downlink channel measurement; for example, the terminal device transmits all uplink channel information in round-robin, allowing the network device to calculate downlink weights based on uplink and downlink reciprocity.

[0134] SRS is configured in the dedicated uplink BWP on the terminal device, i.e., BWP-UplinkDedicated->SRS-Config. SRS is divided into two levels: resource set and resource. A terminal device can configure one or more SRS resource sets, each containing multiple SRS resources. Multiple SRS resources within the same SRS resource set correspond to the same SRS function. Furthermore, different SRS resource sets correspond to different SRS functions. An SRS resource is the smallest unit of SRS allocation, and each SRS resource corresponds to a set of parameters. Specifically, the set of parameters corresponding to any SRS resource may include the content shown in Table 1.

[0135] Table 1

[0136]

[0137]

[0138] The number of ports for SRS can be 1, 2, or 4. The time-domain configuration of SRS resources can be periodic, semi-static, or aperiodic. The configuration information for periodic SRS resources includes the period (e.g., 2 milliseconds, 5 ms, 10 ms, etc.) and offset parameters. After the network device configures the SRS resource via RRC signaling, the terminal device will send SRS on the determined SRS resource within the specified periodic slot according to the configuration information. The configuration information for aperiodic SRS resources does not include the periodic time-domain offset parameter K. When the terminal device receives downlink control information (DCI) at time n, and the DCI indicates that the SRS is triggered, it will send SRS on the corresponding SRS resource at time n+K, where K and n are positive integers. The configuration parameters for SRS frequency domain resources in the RRC signaling configuration can include the contents shown in Table 2.

[0139] Table 2

[0140] RRC configuration parameter name Physical layer variable name Value freqDomainPosition <![CDATA[n RRC ]]> 0、1、…、67 freqDomainShift <![CDATA[n shift ]]> 0、1、…、268 c-SRS <![CDATA[C SRS ]]> 0、1、…、63 b-SRS <![CDATA[V SRS ]]> 0、1、…、3 b-hop <![CDATA[b hop ]]> 0、1、…、3

[0141] Where, n RRC This indicates the frequency domain starting position of the user's SRS bandwidth relative to freqDomainShift, typically in units of 4 RBs; n shift Indicates the frequency domain starting position of the SRS full bandwidth relative to the cell bandwidth; C SRS Index representing user-level bandwidth; B SRS Index representing user-level bandwidth; b hopThis indicates whether SRS frequency hopping is enabled. The total SRS bandwidth consists of multiple user-level bandwidths; or, in other words, the total SRS bandwidth can be divided into multiple user-level bandwidths.

[0142] Specifically, user-level bandwidth can be achieved through m SRS,b Indicates. m SRS,b The value of represents the number of bandwidth blocks (RBs) allocated to user-level bandwidth. Specifically, the terminal device can configure the RB according to the parameters set by the network device. hop and C SRS The number of RBs allocated to the SRS configuration bandwidth is determined in Table 3; (C) SRS =61, B SRS For example, b = 2, b = B SRS Therefore, by looking up Table 3, we can find out m. SRS b = m SRS,2 =68, at this time, N b =N2=2.

[0143] Table 3

[0144]

[0145] Furthermore, b can represent the number of user-level bandwidths used to constitute the full bandwidth of SRS; therefore, it can be assumed that the full bandwidth of SRS consists of two user-level bandwidths, each of which occupies 68 RBs, thus determining that the full bandwidth of SRS occupies 68 × 2 = 136 RBs.

[0146] Furthermore, in determining m SRS,b After that, it can be based on m SRS,b Determine the sequence length of the SRS; specifically, m SRS,b The sequence length of SRS can satisfy the following relationship (1):

[0147]

[0148] in, n represents the number of subcarriers occupied by the SRS on each symbol. SRS，b This indicates the number of RBs occupied by the SRS on each symbol. K represents the number of subcarriers contained in an RB. TC Indicates the size of the comb teeth, such as 2 or 4.

[0149] When b hop ≥B SRS At this time, the terminal device does not enable frequency hopping. That is, the terminal device transmits SRS in a non-frequency hopping manner. It should be understood that in the case of non-frequency hopping, the SRS transmitted by the terminal device in one transmission covers the entire SRS bandwidth. In this case, the frequency domain position index n bThe value of is fixed (constant) and satisfies the following relationship (2):

[0150]

[0151] When b hop SRS At this time, the terminal device enables frequency hopping. That is, the terminal device transmits SRS using frequency hopping. It should be understood that when transmitting SRS using frequency hopping, each SRS transmission by the terminal device only covers a portion of the full SRS bandwidth (i.e., one frequency hopping sub-band). The terminal transmits SRS multiple times within one frequency hopping cycle to cover the full SRS bandwidth. In this case, the frequency domain position index n... b The value of is fixed (constant) and satisfies the following relationship (3):

[0152]

[0153] in,

[0154]

[0155] Where, n SRS This is the number of transmissions sent by the terminal device (or, it can also be called the number of SRS transmissions specific to the terminal device).

[0156] For example, C SRS =61, B SRS =2, b hop =0, n RRC =17, at this time K TC =0. Therefore, the total SRS bandwidth is 272RB, and the bandwidth of each SRS transmission is m. SRS,b =68RB, so the full bandwidth frequency hopping required to complete the configuration of SRS resources is N0N1N2=4 times, where b is the layer index.

[0157] Specifically, when the frequency hopping count n SRS When = 0, if b = 0, N b =1,m SRS,b =272, b≤b hop =0, then frequency position index If b = 1, N b =2,m SRS,b =136, b>b hop ,but If b = 2, N b =2,m SRS,b =68, b>b hop ,but If b = 3, N b =17,m SRS,b =4, b>b​hop ,but By analogy, the frequency domain position index n for each frequency hopping can be obtained. b The frequency domain position index for the four frequency hopping events can include the contents shown in Table 4:

[0158] Table 4

[0159] <![CDATA[n SRS ]]> <![CDATA[n b ]]> 0 0,0,1,0 1 0,1,1,0 2 0,0,0,0 3 0,1,0,0

[0160] Furthermore, based on the frequency domain position index n b This allows us to determine the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern corresponding to the terminal device across the entire SRS bandwidth. As shown in Table 3 above, when B... SRS When the values ​​of are 0, 1, 2, and 3, the full SRS bandwidth of the 272 RBs can be divided into a tree structure; among them, when B SRS For the bandwidth allocation corresponding to different values, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 As shown. Therefore, when n SRS When n = 0, b This represents the starting position in the frequency domain corresponding to the starting index n3 = 0 of the third layer when the starting index n0 = 0 of the 0th layer, the starting index n1 = 0 of the 1st layer, and the starting index n2 = 1 of the 2nd layer. Figure 4 n SRS =0 corresponds to the black square; similarly, when n SRS When n = 1, b This represents the starting position in the frequency domain corresponding to the starting index n3 = 0 of the third layer when the starting index n0 = 0 of the 0th layer, the starting index n1 = 1 of the 1st layer, and the starting index n2 = 1 of the 2nd layer. Figure 4 n SRS =1 corresponds to the black square; ..., when n SRS When n = 3, n b This represents the starting position in the frequency domain corresponding to the starting index n3 = 0 of the third layer when the starting index n0 = 0 of the 0th layer, n1 = 1 of the 1st layer, and n2 = 0 of the 2nd layer. Figure 4 n SRS The black square corresponding to 3. Among them, Figure 4 One black square represents 68 RBs, thus four black squares constitute the 272 RBs of the full SRS bandwidth. In other words, within one frequency hopping cycle, the terminal device can use, for example... Figure 4 The frequency hopping method shown is used to transmit SRS.

[0161] Furthermore, due to the SRS coverage sent by the terminal device each time... Figure 4 The black square in the diagram represents the terminal device transmitting SRS on different time-domain units. Therefore, it can also be considered that the terminal device transmits SRS using frequency hopping across four time-domain units. These four time-domain units can be consecutive or non-consecutive. Specifically, a time-domain unit can be a time-domain symbol (such as an OFDM symbol), a slot, a radio frame, or a set of one or more time-domain symbols or slots, etc.

[0162] Taking the four time-domain units as four consecutive OFDM symbols as an example, within one frequency hopping cycle, the time-frequency resources covered by the SRS transmitted by the terminal device can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown. That is, within one frequency hopping cycle, the terminal device can send SRS four times to cover the entire SRS bandwidth (i.e., 272 RBs). The time-frequency resources covered by each SRS transmission are... Figure 5 A black square in the image. This black square represents an OFDM symbol in the time domain and 68 RBs in the frequency domain.

[0163] For example, within a frequency hopping cycle, the time-frequency resources occupied by multiple SRS transmissions by the terminal device can also be collectively referred to as the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. That is, within a frequency hopping cycle, the terminal device can transmit SRS according to the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern; such as Figure 5 This is an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0164] The SRS resource frequency hopping pattern consists of multiple SRS pattern blocks; each SRS pattern block has different frequency domain resources, and the frequency domain resources of these multiple SRS pattern blocks constitute the full SRS bandwidth. In other words, the frequency domain resources of each SRS pattern block are a portion of the full SRS bandwidth, and there is no overlap between the frequency domain resources of multiple SRS pattern blocks. For example, Figure 5 One black square in the diagram represents one SRS pattern block. In this case, the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern consists of four SRS pattern blocks.

[0165] Furthermore, terminal devices typically use one or more ports to transmit SRS; the frequency hopping pattern used by each port can be called the SRS resource pattern. As mentioned above, SRS resources are the smallest unit allocated by SRS; therefore, each port uses the same SRS resource pattern, which is the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In other words, when the number of SRS ports is greater than 1 (i.e., the number of SRS ports is 2 or 4), the SRS resource pattern used by each port is based on the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0166] For example, each port uses the above method. Figure 5The SRS resource frequency hopping pattern shown transmits SRS; that is, the SRS transmitted on each port covers the entire SRS bandwidth. Therefore, the network device measures the channel information of the entire SRS bandwidth based on the SRS transmitted by each port over the full SRS bandwidth. In other words, each port must transmit an uplink reference signal over the full bandwidth for the network device to measure the channel information of the entire bandwidth based on the SRS transmitted by multiple ports.

[0167] In view of this, this application provides a communication method and apparatus for configuring SRS. The terminal-side communication device can configure different frequency domain resources for multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration based on the network-side communication device. The antenna ports in each port group transmit SRS, wherein the resources carried by the SRS are the frequency domain resources of the port group to which the antenna port belongs. For example, multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration can be divided into N groups; each port group is configured with a different SRS resource pattern, and the N port groups correspond to the N SRS resource patterns respectively; wherein the frequency domain resources of each SRS resource pattern in the N SRS resource patterns are a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern (i.e., the N SRS resource patterns constitute the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern). In other words, the SRS transmitted by the terminal-side communication device in each port group covers a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, so that the SRS transmitted by the N groups of antenna ports jointly cover the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0168] Furthermore, after receiving the SRS of an antenna port within a port group and measuring the SRS to obtain the channel information of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, the network-side communication device can utilize the correlation of multiple sets of antenna ports to equate the channel information to: the terminal device transmitting SRS on the SRS resource pattern through the antenna port of any one of the N-1 port groups (excluding the specific port group) out of N port groups; and the network-side communication device obtaining the channel information by measuring the SRS. In other words, the terminal-side communication device only needs to use one set of port groups to transmit SRS on one SRS resource pattern. Thus, the network-side communication device can infer (or estimate, or equate) the channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern obtained by the network-side communication device for each port group's SRS when each port group transmits SRS with pre-configured bandwidth, thereby determining the true channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In contrast, the scheme in which the SRS transmitted on each of the multiple antenna ports in the SRS resource configuration covers the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern can reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization.

[0169] The methods provided by the embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments provided by this application can be applied to the above-described embodiments. Figure 1 The communication system shown is not limited.

[0170] In the following embodiments, the interaction between the terminal-side communication device and the network-side communication device is illustrated by taking the terminal-side communication device as a terminal device and the network-side communication device as a network device. The terminal device can be replaced by a component of the terminal device (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit), and the network device can be replaced by a component of the network device (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit).

[0171] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method for configuring SRS provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 The method shown may include the following steps S601 to S603:

[0172] S601. Determine the configuration information of the network device.

[0173] The configuration information indicates the number of port groups N. The N port groups correspond to N SRS resource patterns, and the N SRS resource patterns constitute the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. N is the total number of antenna ports in the SRS resource where the N port groups are located, which is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports.

[0174] For example, an SRS resource pattern refers to the time-frequency resources corresponding to the antenna ports within a port group during a frequency hopping cycle, which are used to carry SRS. Since N SRS resource patterns constitute an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, the frequency domain resources in this time-frequency resource are a part of the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In other words, the time-frequency resources of the SRS resource pattern are a part of the time-frequency resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0175] Furthermore, each of the N port groups corresponds to one of the N SRS resource patterns. That is, the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to each of the N port groups are a portion of the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. For example, the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern can be divided into N parts, each part being the frequency domain resources corresponding to the antenna port within a port group. Therefore, the frequency domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns can also be considered as constituting the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0176] It should be understood that, unless otherwise specified, the "correspondence" mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to a one-to-one correspondence. For example, multiple parameters A and multiple parameters B correspond to each other, which means that multiple parameters A and multiple parameters B correspond one-to-one, that is, each parameter A corresponds to one parameter B. This will not be repeated here.

[0177] It should also be understood that the reference signal in this application is SRS as an example to introduce the technical solution in this application. Of course, the method provided in this application can also be applied to other reference signals, which will not be listed one by one in this application.

[0178] Optionally, the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern are less than or equal to the pre-configured bandwidth; or, the pre-configured bandwidth includes the frequency domain resources of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0179] For example, the pre-configured bandwidth can be the full SRS bandwidth configured for the SRS resource; or it can be any pre-configured bandwidth. Furthermore, the pre-configured bandwidth can be configured together with the SRS resource, or it can be configured through other means (such as pre-agreed upon by the terminal device and network device, or pre-defined through a protocol), which is not limited in this application.

[0180] For ease of description, the following example will be used, where the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern is equal to the pre-configured bandwidth, that is, the pre-configured bandwidth is the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated.

[0181] Based on the foregoing, when b hop ≥B SRS When frequency hopping is disabled on the terminal device, the following method can be used: Figure 4 or Figure 5 The SRS frequency hopping scheme shown means that the SRS transmitted by the terminal device on each antenna port covers the pre-configured bandwidth. When b hop SRS At this time, the terminal device enables frequency hopping, thus allowing the terminal device to select the appropriate frequency hopping method. Figure 6 The scheme shown is such that the SRS sent by the terminal device on each port packet covers a portion of the pre-configured bandwidth.

[0182] For example, an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern refers to the time-frequency resources corresponding to N port packets within a frequency hopping cycle, which are used to carry SRS. The frequency domain resources within these time-frequency resources constitute the pre-configured bandwidth. Therefore, the frequency domain resources in the N SRS resource patterns constitute the pre-configured bandwidth, which can also be understood as: the N SRS resource patterns constitute the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, or in other words, the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern includes N SRS resource patterns.

[0183] ​Specifically, taking an N value of 2, and the terminal device needing to send 4 SRS signals within one frequency hopping cycle to cover the pre-configured bandwidth (i.e., needing to undergo 4 frequency hopping cycles) as an example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern consists of two SRS resource patterns. Among them, Figure 7 Each shaded square represents the time-frequency resource carried by the SRS transmitted by the terminal device once within one frequency hopping cycle. The pattern formed by these four shaded squares is the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. The SRS transmitted on the antenna port within each port group undergoes two frequency hoppings. That is, the SRS resource pattern corresponding to each port group in two port groups is composed of two shaded squares (i.e., two shaded squares with the same shaded shape). For example, the SRS resource pattern corresponding to port group #1 is composed of... Figure 7 The two black squares in the diagram represent the SRS resource pattern corresponding to port group #2. Figure 7 It consists of two striped squares.

[0184] Furthermore, the time-frequency resources carried by the SRS after one frequency hopping can be called an SRS pattern block, i.e. Figure 7 Each of the four shaded squares in the image is an SRS pattern block; therefore, in Figure 7 In this context, the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern consists of 4 SRS pattern blocks; the SRS resource pattern consists of 2 SRS pattern blocks.

[0185] It should be understood that the above Figure 7 For example, taking a value of 2 for N and 4 frequency hopping cycles in one frequency hopping cycle as an example, the possible relationships between SRS resource frequency hopping patterns, SRS resource patterns, and SRS pattern blocks are illustrated. In fact, when N is a value other than 2, and / or when there are multiple frequency hopping cycles other than 4 in one frequency hopping cycle, there may be other corresponding relationships between SRS resource frequency hopping patterns, SRS resource patterns, and SRS pattern blocks, which are not limited in this application.

[0186] Optionally, the size of the frequency domain resources of each of the N SRS resource patterns can be the same or different.

[0187] For example, the pre-configured bandwidth can be divided into N parts; the size of the N parts of frequency domain resources can be the same or different. When the size of the N parts of frequency domain resources is the same, it means that the size of the frequency domain resources of each SRS resource pattern is the same; that is, the pre-configured bandwidth is divided into N parts equally, that is, the frequency domain resources of each SRS resource pattern are 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth; Figure 8(a) or (b) represents one implementation of each SRS resource pattern when the pre-configured bandwidth is divided into two equal parts (i.e., N=2). When the sizes of the N frequency domain resources are different, it means that the size of the frequency domain resources of each SRS resource pattern is different; that is, the pre-configured bandwidth is not equally divided. Figure 8 (c) or (d) represents one implementation of each SRS resource pattern when the pre-configured bandwidth is not unequally divided into two parts (i.e., N=2). Specifically, when N=2, taking port group #1 and port group #2 as an example, in... Figure 8 In (a) to (d), the two black squares together are called the SRS resource pattern corresponding to port group #1, and the two striped squares together are called the SRS resource pattern corresponding to port group #2.

[0188] Furthermore, since the frequency domain resources of each SRS resource pattern are one of the N pre-configured bandwidth divisions, the frequency domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap; that is, the frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different. Further, when each SRS resource pattern consists of at least one SRS pattern block, the frequency domain starting positions of the multiple SRS pattern blocks included in the N SRS resource patterns are also different. For example, when the SRS pattern blocks are as follows... Figure 4 For any black square shown, its starting position in the frequency domain can be n in Table 4. b For details, please refer to the above. Figure 4 The relevant descriptions in Table 4 are already provided and will not be repeated here.

[0189] For example, each of the N SRS resource patterns includes at least one SRS pattern block, and the frequency domain resources of the at least one SRS pattern block are different.

[0190] Specifically, "at least one SRS pattern block has different frequency domain resources" means that at least one SRS pattern block has a different frequency domain starting position, and at least one SRS pattern block has the same or different size of its frequency domain resources. Specifically, when at least one SRS pattern block has the same size of its frequency domain resources, N SRS resource patterns can be... Figure 8 As shown in (a) or (c), any two SRS pattern blocks in at least one SRS pattern block have the same frequency domain resource size; when the frequency domain resource sizes of at least one SRS pattern block are different, N SRS resource patterns can be as follows: Figure 8 As shown in (b) or (d) in the diagram; at least one SRS pattern block contains two SRS pattern blocks with different sizes of frequency domain resources. Furthermore, Figure 8 (Right now Figure 8 The implementation of each SRS pattern block in (a) to (d) is the same as described above. Figure 7 The implementation of the SRS pattern block is similar; please refer to the above for details. Figure 7 The relevant descriptions will not be repeated here.

[0191] For ease of description, the following description will be based on the example that at least one SRS pattern block in each SRS resource pattern has the same size in the frequency domain. The same explanation will not be repeated here.

[0192] For example, the antenna ports participating in the grouping are within the same SRS resource; that is, multiple antenna ports within the same resource configuration are divided into N groups, and each port group may include at least one antenna port. Each antenna port in the at least one antenna port shares the SRS resource pattern corresponding to its port group. In other words, the SRS transmitted by the antenna ports in the same port group covers the same time-frequency resources.

[0193] Specifically, the multiple antenna ports must be divided into at least two groups, i.e., N is greater than or equal to 2; and the multiple antenna ports must be divided into at most M groups, where M is the total number of antenna ports. In this case, each of the M port groups includes one antenna port. That is, the value of N is less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports in the SRS resource. For example, the value of N can be 2 or 4.

[0194] For example, the time-domain resources in N SRS resource patterns can include the following two possible implementations:

[0195] In one possible implementation, the temporal resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap.

[0196] For example, the time-frequency resources of N SRS resource patterns do not overlap, which can be understood as: the time-domain resources of any two SRS resource patterns among the N SRS resource patterns are different; specifically, the time-domain resources of any two SRS resource patterns are different, which can be understood as: the starting positions of the time-domain resources of the two SRS resource patterns are different, and / or, the sizes of the time-domain resources are different. For ease of description, the following will use the example of any two SRS resource patterns among the N SRS resource patterns having different starting positions of the time-domain resources and the same size of the time-domain resources, which will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated.

[0197] Specifically, taking a value of N of 2, and assuming the terminal device needs to send 4 SRS packets within one frequency hopping cycle to cover the pre-configured bandwidth (i.e., it needs to undergo 4 frequency hopping cycles), the two SRS resource patterns can be as follows: Figure 7 As shown, at this time, the terminal device sends a total of 4 SRSs in 4 time domain units.

[0198] It is understandable that in the SRS resource configuration, each antenna port within the same SRS resource is configured with the same time-frequency resources; that is, within a frequency hopping cycle, the number of frequency hoppings and the frequency domain resources of each antenna port are the same. Among them, the number of frequency hoppings within a frequency hopping cycle can satisfy the following relationship (4):

[0199]

[0200] Where, N b′ B SRS The value of b′ represents the amount of pre-configured bandwidth.

[0201] Therefore, when antenna ports in different port groups are configured with different time-frequency resources, that is, within one frequency hopping cycle, the number of frequency hoppings and the frequency domain resources of the antenna ports in each port group are the same; the number of frequency hoppings of antenna ports in different port groups are the same, but the frequency domain resources of the frequency hopping are different. At this time, the number of frequency hoppings of each port group can satisfy the following relationship (5), that is, the above relationship (4) can be replaced by the following relationship (5):

[0202]

[0203] Where, N portnum N represents the number of port groups.

[0204] For example, based on the foregoing, the frequency domain starting position n of the SRS pattern block in each SRS resource pattern is... b It can be based on n SRS Determined. Specifically, using n b With n SRS Taking the correspondence shown in Table 5 as an example, in this case, the n corresponding to different port groups b different.

[0205] Table 5

[0206] <![CDATA[n SRS ]]> <![CDATA[n b ]]> 0 0,2,1,0 1 0,0,1,0 2 0,1,1,0 3 0,2,0,0 4 0,0,0,0 5 0,1,0,0 6 0,2,1,1 7 0,0,1,1 8 0,1,1,1 9 0,2,0,1 10 0,0,0,1 11 0,1,0,1 12 0,2,1,2 13 0,0,1,2 14 0,1,1,2 15 0,2,0,2 16 0,0,0,2 17 0,1,0,2

[0207] When the port group N is 2, n in Table 5 b It can be split into 2 parts; one part n b Part or all of n b The frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to one of the two port groups; the other part n b Part or all of n b This refers to the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the other port group in the two-port grouping. For example, n in Table 5 SRS n corresponding to 0 to 8 b Part or all of nb This can be the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to one of the two port groups; correspondingly, n in Table 5 SRS n corresponding to 9 to 17 b Part or all of n b This can be the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the other port group in the two port groups. Taking the port group indices of the two port groups as protId=1 and protId=2 as an example, Table 5 above can be split into Table 6A and Table 6B:

[0208] Table 6A

[0209] <![CDATA[n SRS ]]> <![CDATA[n b ]]> 0 0,2,1,0 1 0,0,1,0 2 0,1,1,0 3 0,2,0,0 4 0,0,0,0 5 0,1,0,0 6 0,2,1,1 7 0,0,1,1 8 0,1,1,1

[0210] Table 6B

[0211]

[0212]

[0213] Among them, n in Table 6A b Part or all of n b This can be the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the port group where protIdx = 1. n in Table 6B b Part or all of n b This can be the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the port group with protIdx=2.

[0214] It should be understood that Tables 5, 6A, and 6B above exemplarily list n within a frequency hopping cycle. b When the value range of is shown in Table 5, within this frequency hopping period, the n corresponding to each port group b Possible implementations of n's values ​​(i.e., as shown in Table 6A or Table 6B); in fact, n within a frequency hopping cycle b The value range of can also be other implementations besides those in Table 5 above. Accordingly, within this frequency hopping period, the n corresponding to each port group b There are other implementations for the value of , which are not restricted in this application.

[0215] Based on this possible implementation, when the time-domain resources of N SRS resource patterns do not overlap, the current frequency hopping method can be used, requiring minimal changes to the standard and making the solution easier to implement. Furthermore, the SRS pattern blocks under this frequency hopping method can be configured to different port groups, so that the frequency domain resources corresponding to different port groups are different. That is, the SRS transmitted on the antenna port within each port group only needs to cover a portion of the pre-configured bandwidth, thereby saving resource consumption and improving the efficiency of SRS frequency hopping.

[0216] In another possible implementation, the time-frequency resources of the N SRS resource patterns overlap.

[0217] For example, the overlap of temporal resources among N SRS resource patterns can be understood as follows: the temporal resources of two SRS resource patterns among the N SRS resource patterns partially or completely overlap. Specifically, when these two SRS resource patterns are any two SRS resource patterns among the N SRS resource patterns, the temporal resources of these two SRS resource patterns completely overlap, which can be understood as: the temporal resources of any two SRS resource patterns among the N SRS resource patterns are identical, i.e., the temporal resources of the N SRS resource patterns are identical. For example, the starting positions of the temporal resources of the N SRS resource patterns are the same, and the sizes of the temporal resources are the same.

[0218] Specifically, taking a value of N of 2 (i.e., the number of port packets is 2), and the terminal device needs to send 4 SRS packets within one frequency hopping cycle to cover the pre-configured bandwidth (i.e., it needs to undergo 4 frequency hopping) as an example, when the time-domain resources of the two SRS resource patterns partially overlap, the two SRS resource patterns can be as follows: Figure 9 As shown in (a), the terminal device transmits SRS a total of 4 times in 3 time domain units; when the time domain resources of the two SRS resource patterns completely overlap, the two SRS resource patterns can be as follows: Figure 9 As shown in (b), the terminal device sends a total of 4 SRSs across 2 time domain units. For example, when the two port packets are port packet #1 and port packet #2 respectively, in Figure 9 In (a) to (b), the two black squares can be collectively referred to as the SRS resource pattern corresponding to port group #1, and the two striped squares can be collectively referred to as the SRS resource pattern corresponding to port group #2.

[0219] also, Figure 9 (Right now Figure 9 The implementation of the SRS pattern block in each SRS resource pattern in (a) and (b) is the same as described above. Figure 7 The implementation of the SRS pattern block is similar; please refer to the above for details. Figure 7 The relevant descriptions will not be repeated here.

[0220] For example, based on the foregoing, the frequency domain starting position n of the SRS pattern block in each SRS resource pattern is... b It can be based on n SRS Determined. That is, at least one SRS pattern block in each SRS resource pattern corresponds to a different n. SRS (That is, the value of the transmission counter). For example, n b With n SRSThe correspondence shown in Table 5 above can be satisfied.

[0221] Optionally, the SRS pattern block is also related to the index of its corresponding port group and the number N of port groups. Specifically, the frequency domain starting position n of the SRS pattern block... b With n SRS It is related to the index PortIdx of the port group and the number of port groups N.

[0222] It should be understood that the frequency domain starting position n of the SRS pattern block b With n SRS The value is related to ProtIdx and the number of port groups N, and can be understood as: the frequency domain starting position n of the SRS pattern block. b It is based on n SRS The number of port groups N is determined by ProtIdx and the number of port groups.

[0223] For example, the SRS pattern block, its corresponding ProtIdx, and the number N of port groups satisfy the following relationship:

[0224]

[0225] Where, n b Indicates the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block, n SRS This indicates the value of the transmission counter corresponding to the SRS pattern block, ProtIdx represents the index of the port group corresponding to the SRS pattern block, and B SRS For pre-configured bandwidth, N b′ To represent B SRS The value of N is b′, which represents the number of pre-configured bandwidths. protNum N represents the number of port packets. RRC The frequency domain start position index configured for SRS resources, m SRS,b This indicates the number of RBs occupied by the pre-configured bandwidth.

[0226] Specifically, under this relationship (6), Table 5 above can be replaced with the contents shown in Tables 7A and 7B:

[0227] Table 7A

[0228]

[0229]

[0230] Table 7B

[0231] <![CDATA[n SRS (PortIdx=2)]]> <![CDATA[n b ]]> 0 0,2,0,1 1 0,0,0,1 2 0,1,0,1 3 0,2,1,2 4 0,0,1,2 5 0,1,1,2 6 0,2,0,2 7 0,0,0,2 8 0,1,0,2

[0232] Among them, n in Table 7A b Part or all of nb This can be the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the port group where protIdx = 1. n in Table 7B b Part or all of n b This can be the frequency domain start position of the SRS pattern block corresponding to the port group where ProtIdx = 2. That is, the terminal device can determine the n corresponding to the port group represented by protIdx based on ProtIdx. b With n SRS The correspondence (i.e., whether the port group represented by protIdx corresponds to Table 7A or Table 7B), and then based on n SRS The value of n is determined b .

[0233] It should be understood that Tables 5, 7A, and 7B above exemplify the examples of n within a frequency hopping cycle. b When the value range of is shown in Table 5, within this frequency hopping period, the n corresponding to each port group b Possible implementations of n's values ​​(i.e., as shown in Table 7A or Table 7B); in fact, n within a frequency hopping cycle b The value range of can also be other implementations besides those in Table 5 above. Accordingly, within this frequency hopping period, the n corresponding to each port group b There are other implementations for the value of , which are not restricted in this application.

[0234] Optionally, in this possible implementation, the number of frequency hopping operations of the antenna ports in each port group within a frequency hopping cycle can satisfy the content shown in the above relationship (5). For details, please refer to the relevant explanation of the above relationship (5), which will not be repeated here.

[0235] Based on this possible implementation, when the temporal resources of N SRS resource patterns overlap, the terminal device can use protIdx, n SRS The number of port packets N determines the n corresponding to the port packet represented by protIdx. b At this point, an n SRS It can correspond to N n's. b The N n b The protIdx is different; compared to the terminal device which only depends on n SRS Determine n b The proposed solution can reduce n SRS The number of bits; thus saving resource overhead.

[0236] Combining the two possible implementation methods mentioned above, the value of N can be determined autonomously by the network device; or it can be determined based on the relevant parameters of the terminal device.

[0237] For example, when the value of N is determined autonomously by the network device, the network device can measure the channel information of multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource. Furthermore, based on the channel information of multiple antenna ports, the correlation between multiple antenna ports is calculated, thereby dividing antenna ports with a correlation greater than a preset threshold into different port groups, thus obtaining the number of port groups N.

[0238] When the value of N is determined based on the relevant parameters of the terminal device, before step S601, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the communication method for configuring SRS may further include step S600:

[0239] S600: The terminal device sends instruction information to the network device; correspondingly, the network device receives instruction information from the network device.

[0240] The indication information is used to help determine the value of N.

[0241] For example, at this time, the network device may determine the configuration information by: the network device determining the configuration information according to the instruction information.

[0242] For example, the indication information can indicate the number of port groups that the terminal device can support (i.e., the value of N); or, the indication information can indicate the number of port groups recommended by the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device can measure the channel information of multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource, and further, calculate the correlation between the multiple antenna ports based on the channel information of the multiple antenna ports, thereby classifying antenna ports with a correlation greater than a preset threshold into different port groups, thus obtaining the number of port groups that it can support, i.e., the number of port groups it recommends (i.e., the value of N), and report it to the network device through the indication information.

[0243] Alternatively, the indication information can indicate the channel information (such as channel status information (CSI)) of multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource. Based on the channel information of multiple antenna ports, the network device can calculate the correlation between multiple antenna ports and divide the antenna ports with a correlation greater than a preset threshold into different port groups, thereby obtaining the number of port groups N.

[0244] For example, the preset threshold value can be 0.8; or, the preset threshold value can be any other possible value, which is not limited in this application.

[0245] It should be noted that the above example exemplifies a partial implementation of the value of N. In fact, the value of N can also be implemented in any other possible way besides the above, and this application does not limit it.

[0246] S602. The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device; correspondingly, the terminal device receives the configuration information from the network device.

[0247] For example, this configuration information can be transmitted via RRC configuration messages, RRC reconfiguration messages, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE), or DCI carried on transmission or via separate signaling.

[0248] Optionally, the configuration information may also include one or more SRS resource sets, which are used to allocate resources for SRS transmission. An SRS resource set contains one or more SRS resources, which include time-domain or frequency-domain resources for SRS signal transmission. An SRS resource contains one or more antenna ports (such as multiple antenna ports within the same SRS resource mentioned above), which are used to transmit SRS. Alternatively, an SRS resource set can be understood as indicating one or more time-frequency domain resources and one or more antenna ports for SRS transmission.

[0249] In one possible implementation, an SRS resource set includes a 'usage' indication that describes the purpose of the SRS resource set, specifically antenna switching, codebook, non-codebook, or beam management.

[0250] For example, network devices can obtain the channel state information (CSI) of the downlink, which is reciprocal between the uplink and downlink channels, by receiving and measuring the SRS signals corresponding to the SRS resource set used for antenna switching.

[0251] For example, network devices can obtain uplink channel state information (CSI) by receiving and measuring the SRS signals corresponding to the SRS resource set used as a codebook. That is, when the uplink precoding method used by the terminal device is codebook, the network device obtains the uplink transmission precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) by receiving and measuring SRS, and uses the TPMI and SRS resource index (SRI) to indicate to the terminal device the transmission precoding used in the uplink.

[0252] For example, network devices can obtain uplink channel state information (CSI) by receiving and measuring the SRS signals corresponding to the SRS resource set used for non-codebook purposes. That is, when the precoding method used by the terminal device for the uplink is non-codebook, the network device obtains the uplink transmission precoding weights by receiving and measuring the SRS signals, and indicates the transmission precoding used by the uplink for the terminal device through the SRS resource index (SRI).

[0253] For example, network devices can select transmit and receive beams for uplink and downlink transmission of terminal devices by receiving and measuring the SRS signals corresponding to the SRS resource set used for beam management.

[0254] It should be understood that the aforementioned SRS resource set can be configured as periodic, semi-static, or aperiodic. For periodic or semi-static SRS resources, periodic SRS resources are configured using configuration messages indicating the period and slot offset of the SRS resources. Semi-static SRS resources can be dynamically activated and deactivated via DCI signaling and / or MAC-CE signaling.

[0255] It should also be understood that there is a mapping relationship between SRS ports (also known as antenna ports) and SRS time-frequency domain resources. That is, the SRS information configuration instructs a specific SRS port to transmit SRS on a specific SRS time-frequency domain resource. SRS time-domain resources can span N adjacent symbols within a time slot, or occupy multiple symbols in different time slots.

[0256] S603. The terminal device sends an SRS to the network device according to the configuration information; correspondingly, the network device receives the SRS from the terminal device.

[0257] Optionally, the terminal device can transmit SRS on at least one antenna port within each port group according to the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, based on the number N of port groups indicated by the configuration information; thereby, within one frequency hopping cycle, SRS can be transmitted on the antenna ports within multiple port groups to achieve coverage of the preset bandwidth.

[0258] Optionally, after step S603, as follows: Figure 11 As shown, the communication method for configuring SRS further includes step S604:

[0259] S604. Network devices determine the channel information for pre-configured bandwidth based on SRS.

[0260] For example, after receiving an SRS from a port group, a network device can perform channel estimation on the frequency domain resources covered by the SRS to obtain the channel information of the frequency domain resources covered by the SRS. Further, by utilizing the correlation between different port groups, it can estimate the channel information of the frequency domain resources when the antenna ports in the other N-1 port groups (excluding the first port group) transmit SRS on those resources. For instance, the channel information of the frequency domain resources covered by the SRS of the first port group is equivalent to the channel information of the frequency domain resources when the antenna ports in the other N-1 port groups transmit SRS on those resources. This yields the channel information of the pre-configured bandwidth corresponding to each antenna port when each antenna port in each port group transmits SRS on the pre-configured bandwidth. Then, based on the channel information of the pre-configured bandwidth corresponding to each antenna port, the true channel information of the pre-configured bandwidth is determined.

[0261] The communication method for configuring SRS provided in this application allows a terminal-side communication device to configure different frequency domain resources for multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration based on the network-side communication device. The antenna ports in each port group transmit SRS, where the resources carried by the SRS are the frequency domain resources of the port group to which the antenna port belongs. For example, multiple antenna ports under the same SRS resource configuration can be divided into N groups; each port group is configured with a different SRS resource pattern, and the N port groups correspond to the N SRS resource patterns. The frequency domain resources of each of the N SRS resource patterns are a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern (i.e., the N SRS resource patterns constitute the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern). In other words, the SRS transmitted by the terminal-side communication device from the antenna ports in each port group covers a part of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, thus the SRS transmitted by the N groups of antenna ports collectively covers the frequency domain resources (such as pre-configured bandwidth) in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

[0262] Furthermore, after receiving the SRS of an antenna port within a port group and measuring the SRS to obtain the channel information of the SRS resource pattern corresponding to that port group, the network-side communication device can utilize the correlation of multiple sets of antenna ports to equate the channel information to: the terminal device transmitting SRS on the SRS resource pattern through the antenna port of any one of the N-1 port groups (excluding the specific port group) out of N port groups; and the network-side communication device obtaining the channel information by measuring the SRS. In other words, the terminal-side communication device only needs to use one set of port groups to transmit SRS on one SRS resource pattern. Thus, the network-side communication device can infer (or estimate, or equate) the channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern obtained by the network-side communication device for each port group's SRS when each port group transmits SRS with pre-configured bandwidth, thereby determining the true channel information of the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. In contrast, the scheme in which the SRS transmitted on each of the multiple antenna ports in the SRS resource configuration covers the frequency domain resources in the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern can reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization.

[0263] It should be noted that the various embodiments of this application can be implemented independently or in combination, without limitation. Unless otherwise specified or in conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between the different embodiments provided in this application are consistent and can be referenced mutually. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0264] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions provided in this application from the perspective of device-to-device interaction. It is understood that each device, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0265] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0266] This application embodiment can divide each device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0267] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a communication device 1200 is shown. The communication device 1200 includes a processing module 1201 and a transceiver module 1202. This communication device can be used to implement the aforementioned terminal-side communication device (as described above). Figures 6 to 11 The terminal equipment described above) or network-side communication device (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The functions of the network devices described herein.

[0268] In some embodiments, the communication device 1200 may further include a storage module. Figure 12 (not shown in the image) is used to store programs, instructions, and / or data.

[0269] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1202, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1202 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0270] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1202 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively used to execute the terminal-side communication device (as described above) in the above method embodiments. Figures 6 to 11 The terminal equipment described above) or network-side communication device (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The receiving and transmitting steps performed by the network device described herein, and / or other processes used to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1201 can be used to perform the receiving and transmitting steps performed by the terminal-side communication device (as described above) in the above method embodiments. Figures 6 to 11The terminal equipment described above) or network-side communication device (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The network devices described herein perform processing steps (e.g., determinations), and / or other processes used to support the techniques described herein.

[0271] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the functions of the aforementioned terminal-side communication device (such as a terminal equipment):

[0272] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1202 is configured to receive configuration information, the configuration information indicating the number N of port groups, N port groups corresponding to N SRS resource patterns, N port groups and N SRS resource patterns respectively, N SRS resource patterns constituting an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern being equal to the pre-configured bandwidth, and N being greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports within the SRS resource where the N port groups are located; the transceiver module 1202 is also configured to transmit SRS according to the configuration information.

[0273] Optionally, the transceiver module 1202 is also used to send indication information, which is used to assist in determining the value of N.

[0274] Optionally, the frequency domain resource of each of the N SRS resource patterns is 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth.

[0275] Optionally, each of the N port groups includes at least one antenna port, and each antenna port in the at least one antenna port shares the SRS resource pattern corresponding to its port group.

[0276] Optionally, the time-domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns may overlap.

[0277] Optionally, the time-domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns are the same.

[0278] Optionally, the frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different.

[0279] Optionally, each of the N SRS resource patterns includes at least one SRS pattern block, and the frequency domain resources of at least one SRS pattern block are different.

[0280] Optionally, at least one SRS pattern block corresponds to a different value of the transmission counter.

[0281] Optionally, the SRS pattern block is related to the index of its corresponding port group and the number N of port groups.

[0282] Optionally, the time-frequency resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap.

[0283] Optionally, any two SRS pattern blocks in at least one SRS pattern block have the same size frequency domain resource.

[0284] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the functions of the aforementioned network-side communication device (such as a network device):

[0285] In some embodiments, the processing module 1201 is used to determine configuration information, the configuration information indicating the number N of port groups, N port groups corresponding to N SRS resource patterns, N port groups and N SRS resource patterns respectively, N SRS resource patterns constituting an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern is equal to the pre-configured bandwidth, and N is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports in the SRS resource where the N port groups are located; the transceiver module 1202 is used to send the configuration information.

[0286] Optionally, the transceiver module 1202 is also used to receive indication information, which is used to assist in determining the value of N; the processing module 1201 is also used to determine configuration information based on the indication information.

[0287] Optionally, the frequency domain resource of each of the N SRS resource patterns is 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth.

[0288] Optionally, each of the N port groups includes at least one antenna port, and each antenna port in the at least one antenna port shares the SRS resource pattern corresponding to its port group.

[0289] Optionally, the time-domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns may overlap.

[0290] Optionally, the time-domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns are the same.

[0291] Optionally, the frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different.

[0292] Optionally, the time-frequency resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap.

[0293] Optionally, each of the N SRS resource patterns includes at least one SRS pattern block, and the frequency domain resources of at least one SRS pattern block are different.

[0294] Optionally, at least one SRS pattern block corresponds to a different value of the transmission counter.

[0295] Optionally, the SRS pattern block is related to the index of its corresponding port group and the number N of port groups.

[0296] Optionally, any two SRS pattern blocks in at least one SRS pattern block have the same size frequency domain resource.

[0297] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0298] In this application, the communication device (i.e., the terminal-side communication device, as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The terminal equipment described above) or network-side communication device (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The network device 1200 described herein is presented in an integrated manner, divided into various functional modules. Here, "module" may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0299] In some embodiments, when Figure 12 When the communication device 1200 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1202 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1201 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0300] Since the communication device 1200 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can obtain can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0301] As another possible product form, the terminal-side communication device described in the embodiments of this application (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The terminal equipment described above) or network-side communication device (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The network devices mentioned above can all be adopted. Figure 13 The shown composition structure, or including Figure 13 The components shown. Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1300 can be a terminal-side communication device or a chip or system-on-a-chip within a terminal-side communication device; it can also be a network-side communication device or a chip or system-on-a-chip within a network-side communication device. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the communication device 1300 includes a processor 1301, a transceiver 1302, and a communication line 1303.

[0302] Furthermore, the communication device 1300 may also include a memory 1304. The processor 1301, the memory 1304, and the transceiver 1302 can be connected via a communication line 1303.

[0303] The processor 1301 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 1301 can also be other devices with processing capabilities, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0304] Transceiver 1302 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. These other communication networks can be Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. Transceiver 1302 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of enabling communication.

[0305] Communication line 1303 is used to connect different components in communication device 1300, enabling communication between them. Communication line 1303 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 13 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0306] The memory 1304 may be a device with storage function, used to store instructions and / or data. The instructions may be computer programs.

[0307] For example, the memory 1304 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it may also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it may also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0308] It should be noted that the memory 1304 can exist independently of the processor 1301, or it can be integrated with the processor 1301. The memory 1304 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data, etc. The memory 1304 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1300, without limitation. The processor 1301 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1304 to implement the communication method for configuring SRS provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0309] In one example, processor 1301 may include one or more CPUs, for example Figure 13 CPU0 and CPU1 in the CPU.

[0310] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 1200 can be implemented in hardware using... Figure 13 The communication device shown is in the form of 1300.

[0311] As an example, Figure 12 The function / implementation process of the processing module 1201 can be achieved through... Figure 13 The processor 1301 in the communication device 1300 shown calls computer execution instructions stored in memory 1304 to implement the function. Figure 12 The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1202 can be obtained through Figure 13 This is achieved through the transceiver 1302 in the communication device 1300 shown.

[0312] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1300 includes multiple processors, for example, besides Figure 13 In addition to processor 1301, it may also include processor 1307.

[0313] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1300 also includes an output device 1305 and an input device 1306. Exemplarily, the input device 1306 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. For example, the input device 1306 can be a keyboard, mouse, microphone, joystick, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc. The output device 1305 is a display screen, a speaker, etc.

[0314] It should be noted that the communication device 1300 can be a desktop computer, laptop computer, network server, mobile phone, tablet computer, wireless terminal, embedded device, chip system, or other device. Figure 13 Equipment with a similar structure. Furthermore... Figure 13 The structural composition shown does not constitute a limitation on the communication device, except... Figure 13 In addition to the components shown, the communication device may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0315] In this embodiment of the application, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0316] As another possible product form, the terminal-side communication device described in the embodiments of this application (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The terminal equipment described above) or network-side communication device (as described above) Figures 6 to 11 The network devices described herein can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For clarity, see [link to documentation]. Figure 14 , Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1400 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1400 includes a processor 1401 and a transceiver 1402. The communication device 1400 can be a terminal-side communication device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1400 can be a network-side communication device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 14 Only the main components of the communication device 1400 are shown. In addition to the processor 1401 and transceiver 1402, the communication device may further include a memory 1403.

[0317] Optionally, the processor 1401 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 1403 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1402 may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry and an antenna. The RF circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves.

[0318] Optionally, the processor 1401, transceiver 1402, and memory 1403 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0319] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1401 can read the software program in the memory 1403, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1401 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1401. The processor 1401 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0320] In some embodiments, transceiver 1402 may include a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter is used to implement the transmission operation in the above method embodiments; and the receiver is used to implement the reception operation in the above method embodiments.

[0321] For example, when the communication device is a chip, the chip may not include the memory 1403; that is, the communication device includes a processor 1401 and a transceiver 1402. In this case, the transceiver 1402 is the input / output interface of the chip, wherein the transmitter in the transceiver corresponds to the output interface of the chip, and the receiver in the transceiver corresponds to the input interface of the chip.

[0322] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0323] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs or instructions. The processor can invoke the computer programs or instructions in the memory to cause the communication device to execute the methods in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may be external and not located within the communication device.

[0324] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0325] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0326] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0327] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0328] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0329] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0330] It is understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application can also be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0331] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0332] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0333] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive (SSD)). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0334] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

Claims

1. A communication method for configuring SRS, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive configuration information, the configuration information indicating the number N of port groups, N port groups corresponding to N sounding reference signal (SRS) resources respectively, the N SRS resource patterns constitute an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern, N is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports in the SRS resources where the N port groups are located; Based on the configuration information, send the SRS.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before receiving the configuration information, the method further includes: Send an instruction message, which is used to assist in determining the value of N.

3. A communication method for configuring SRS, characterized in that, The method includes: The configuration information is determined, which indicates the number N of port groups. The N port groups correspond to N SRS resource patterns, and the N SRS resource patterns constitute an SRS resource frequency hopping pattern. N is greater than 1 and less than or equal to the total number of antenna ports in the SRS resource where the N port groups are located. Send the configuration information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Before determining the configuration information, the method further includes: Receive indication information, which is used to assist in determining the value of N; The determination of configuration information includes: determining the configuration information based on the indication information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource of each of the N SRS resource patterns is 1 / N of the pre-configured bandwidth, and the pre-configured bandwidth is greater than or equal to the frequency domain resource of the SRS resource frequency hopping pattern.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Each of the N port groups includes at least one antenna port, and each antenna port shares the SRS resource pattern corresponding to its port group.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The time-domain resources of the N SRS resource patterns overlap.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The N SRS resource patterns have the same time-domain resources.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The frequency domain starting positions of the N SRS resource patterns are different.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, Each of the N SRS resource patterns includes at least one SRS pattern block, and the frequency domain resources of the at least one SRS pattern block are different.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The at least one SRS pattern block corresponds to a different value of the transmission counter.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The SRS pattern block is related to the index of its corresponding port group and the number N of the port groups.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The SRS pattern block, its corresponding port group index, and the number N of port groups satisfy the following relationship: Where, n b Indicates the frequency domain starting position of the SRS pattern block, n SRS This indicates the value of the transmission counter corresponding to the SRS pattern block, PortIdx represents the index of the port group corresponding to the SRS pattern block, and B SRS For the pre-configured bandwidth, N b′ B SRS The number of pre-configured bandwidths when the value is b′, N portNum N, n represents the number of port groups. RRC m is the frequency domain start position index of the SRS resource. SRS,b This indicates the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the pre-configured bandwidth.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The time-frequency resources of the N SRS resource patterns do not overlap.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, The frequency domain resources of any two SRS pattern blocks in the at least one SRS pattern block are of the same size.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is used to perform the receiving or sending behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 1-2 and 5-15, or to perform the receiving or sending behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 3-15. The processing module is configured to perform the processing behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 1-2 and 5-15, or to perform the processing behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 3-15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-2, 5-15, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 3-15.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The communication device further includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions required for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-2, 5-15, or for storing computer programs or instructions required for performing the method as described in any one of claims 3-15.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-2, 5-15 to be performed, or the method described in any one of claims 3-15 to be performed.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, the method described in any one of claims 1-2, 5-15 is performed, or the method described in any one of claims 3-15 is performed.

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