Communication method, device and system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication, and discloses a communication method, device and system. The method comprises the steps that the terminal equipment determines a first lead code set according to the number of antenna ports of the terminal equipment and the incidence relation between the number of the antenna ports and the lead code set; according to the first random access opportunity, M lead codes are sent on M antenna ports of the terminal device, and the M lead codes belong to the first lead code set. Therefore, since the terminal equipment sends the lead codes on the plurality of antenna ports, the network equipment can more comprehensively measure the channel conditions; furthermore, by introducing the incidence relation between the number of the antenna ports and the preamble set, when the network equipment detects the preamble sent by the terminal equipment, the number of the antenna ports of the terminal equipment can be accurately determined, the channel can be accurately measured, and the terminal equipment can access the network in time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus and system. Background Technology

[0002] The random access process refers to the process from when a terminal device sends a random access preamble to attempt to access the network until a basic signaling connection is established with the network device. The random access preamble can be simply referred to as the preamble. The network device can periodically send synchronization signal blocks (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks (SS / PBCH blocks). The terminal device can then select a target SS / PBCH block from the multiple received SS / PBCH blocks and send the preamble using an antenna port at the random access timing corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block.

[0003] However, to conserve network equipment power, the current consideration is to extend the transmission period of the SS / PBCH block. With an extended SS / PBCH block transmission period, terminal devices need to perform random access without knowing the SS / PBCH block beam information. Without this beam information, network equipment needs to measure the channel based on the preamble. If the terminal device still uses only one antenna port to transmit the preamble, the channel conditions measured by the network device based on that preamble will be inaccurate, resulting in the terminal device being unable to access the network in a timely manner. Therefore, how to enable network equipment to accurately measure the channel based on the preamble is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system. By introducing a correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, or a correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing, the network device can accurately determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when it detects that the terminal device is sending a preamble on multiple antenna ports. This facilitates accurate channel measurement and enables the terminal device to access the network in a timely manner.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a first communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first communication device" in this application can refer to a communication device (e.g., a terminal device), a component within that communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. For example, in the method provided in the first aspect, the terminal device determines a first preamble set based on the number of antenna ports of the terminal device and the association between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set. The number of antenna ports of the terminal device is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. M preambles are transmitted on the M antenna ports of the terminal device, and the M preambles belong to the first preamble set.

[0006] Using the above method, the terminal device can send preambles on multiple antenna ports, enabling the network device to more comprehensively measure channel conditions. Furthermore, by introducing the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, the network device can accurately determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when it detects the preamble sent by the terminal device, thereby accurately measuring the channel and enabling the terminal device to access the network in a timely manner.

[0007] Based on the first aspect, in one possible design, the association relationship includes a one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q types of antenna ports and the Q sets of preambles, wherein the number of Q types of antenna ports includes the number of antenna ports M, and the Q sets of preambles include the first set of preambles, where Q is an integer greater than 1.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a first communication device, such as a terminal device. For example, in the method provided in the second aspect, the terminal device determines a first random access timing based on the number of antenna ports of the terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing, wherein the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is M, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; according to the first random access timing, M preambles are sent on the M antenna ports of the terminal device.

[0009] Using the above method, the terminal device can send preambles on multiple antenna ports, enabling the network device to more comprehensively measure channel conditions. Furthermore, by introducing the correlation between the number of antenna ports and random access timing, the network device can accurately determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when it detects the preamble sent by the terminal device, thereby accurately measuring the channel and enabling the terminal device to access the network in a timely manner.

[0010] Based on the second aspect, in one possible design, the relationship between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing satisfies at least one of the following: the random access timings corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports are located in different frequency domain resources; the random access timings corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports are located in different time domain resources.

[0011] Based on the second aspect, in one possible design, the method further includes: receiving indication information, the indication information being used to indicate a precoding matrix, the precoding matrix being obtained based on the measurement results of the M preambles; and sending uplink information based on the precoding matrix.

[0012] In this way, the terminal device sends uplink information (such as the third message of the random access procedure) according to the precoding matrix indicated by the network device, which facilitates the normal transmission of the third message.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second communication device" in this application can refer to a communication device (e.g., a network device), a component within that communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. For example, in the method provided in the third aspect, the network device receives M preambles from a terminal device; based on the preamble set to which the M preambles belong and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is determined to be M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0014] Since the third aspect corresponds to the first aspect, the beneficial effects of the third aspect can be described with reference to the description of the first aspect.

[0015] Based on the third aspect, in one possible design, the association relationship includes: a one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q antenna ports and the Q preamble sets, wherein the number of Q antenna ports includes the number of antenna ports M, the Q preamble sets include the first preamble set, the number of antenna ports M is associated with the first preamble set, and Q is an integer greater than 1.

[0016] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second communication device, such as a network device. For example, in the method provided in the fourth aspect, the network device receives M preambles from a terminal device at a first random access time; based on the first random access time and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access time, the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is determined to be M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0017] Since the fourth aspect corresponds to the second aspect, the beneficial effects of the fourth aspect can be described with reference to the description of the second aspect.

[0018] Based on the fourth aspect, in one possible design, the relationship between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing satisfies at least one of the following: the random access timings corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports are located in different frequency domain resources; the random access timings corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports are located in different time domain resources.

[0019] Based on the fourth aspect, in one possible design, the method further includes: determining a precoding matrix based on the measurement results of the M preambles; and sending indication information, the indication information being used to indicate the precoding matrix.

[0020] Based on any one of the first to fourth aspects mentioned above:

[0021] In one possible design, the M preambles are carried on different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity.

[0022] Thus, by using frequency division to distinguish the preamble transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device, it is easier to improve synchronization and channel measurement performance (if the network device cannot distinguish the preamble transmitted on different antenna ports of the same terminal device, it will cause the network device to be unable to accurately detect M preambles, thereby affecting synchronization and channel measurement performance).

[0023] In one possible design, the M preambles are carried in a comb-like manner on different frequency domain resources during the first random access event.

[0024] Thus, the comb-like distribution makes the M preambles more evenly distributed in the frequency domain, making it easier for network devices to better measure the frequency domain channel.

[0025] In one possible design, the first random access timing includes a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth; the length of the M preambles is 139, the first protection bandwidth includes 3*M subcarriers, and the second protection bandwidth includes 2*M subcarriers; or, the length of the M preambles is 839, the first protection bandwidth includes 13*M subcarriers, and the second protection bandwidth includes 12*M subcarriers.

[0026] In this way, the preamble design in the existing protocol can be reused, and the range of protection bandwidth can be expanded to ensure the access performance of terminal devices.

[0027] In one possible design, the first random access timing includes a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth; the length of the M preambles is maxprime(N / M), and the first protection bandwidth includes... One subcarrier, the second protection bandwidth includes There are 1 subcarrier, N is the predefined preamble length, N' is the number of subcarriers included in the first random access opportunity, and maxprime(N / M) represents the largest prime number not greater than N / M.

[0028] In this way, the frequency domain resources occupied by the terminal device can be guaranteed to be the same as those of the existing protocol, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the preamble while ensuring normal access.

[0029] In one possible design, the M preambles are carried on different time-domain resources during the first random access opportunity.

[0030] Thus, by using time division to distinguish the preamble transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device, it is easier to improve synchronization and channel measurement performance.

[0031] In one possible design, the M preambles are identical.

[0032] Thus, when the M preambles are the same, the network device can directly determine the other M-1 preambles after detecting one of the M preambles through relevant calculations, which helps to reduce the processing complexity of the network device.

[0033] In one possible design, the M preambles are different.

[0034] In this way, the preamble transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device can be distinguished by code division, which facilitates the improvement of synchronization and channel measurement performance.

[0035] In one possible design, the M preambles are related. For example, the M preambles belong to one of a set of predefined or preconfigured combinations; wherein, in the first or second aspect above, the multiple combinations are a subset of a first preamble set, and in the third or fourth aspect above, the multiple combinations are a subset of a cell's preamble set (e.g., a cell's preamble set includes 64 preambles).

[0036] Thus, when there is a correlation between the M preambles, after the network device detects one of the M preambles through relevant calculations, it can determine the other M-1 preambles based on the correlation, which helps to reduce the processing complexity of the network device.

[0037] In one possible design, the M preambles are obtained based on the same root sequence.

[0038] Thus, based on the characteristics of the ZC sequence, when M preambles are obtained from the same root sequence, the M preambles are completely orthogonal, thereby reducing mutual interference and improving channel measurement performance.

[0039] In one possible design, the M preambles are divided into K preamble groups, each preamble group including at least one of the M preambles, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than M; the K preamble groups satisfy at least one of the following: the preambles of different preamble groups in the K preamble groups are different; different preamble groups in the K preamble groups carry different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity; different preamble groups in the K preamble groups carry different time domain resources in the first random access opportunity.

[0040] Thus, by introducing K preamble groups, it is possible to distinguish the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device in a more flexible manner.

[0041] In one possible design, when the preambles of different preamble groups in the K preamble groups are different, the preambles in each preamble group of the K preamble groups are the same; the preambles in each preamble group carry different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity; and / or, the preambles in each preamble group carry different time domain resources in the first random access opportunity.

[0042] In one possible design, when different preamble groups among the K preamble groups carry different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity, the preamble in each of the K preamble groups carries the same frequency domain resources; the preambles in each of the K preamble groups are different; and / or, the preambles in each of the K preamble groups carry different time domain resources in the first random access opportunity.

[0043] In one possible design, when different preamble groups among the K preamble groups carry different time-domain resources in the first random access opportunity, the preamble in each of the K preamble groups carries the same time-domain resources; the preambles in each of the K preamble groups are different; and / or, the preambles in each of the K preamble groups carry different frequency-domain resources in the first random access opportunity.

[0044] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions involved in any of the first to fourth aspects described above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in any of the first to fourth aspects described above. The functions, units, or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the communication unit can be used to transmit and receive signals to enable communication between the communication device and other devices; the processing unit can be used to perform some internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the communication unit can correspond to the operations involved in any of the first to fourth aspects described above.

[0046] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor that can be coupled to a memory. The memory can store necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in any of the first to fourth aspects described above. The processor can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first to fourth aspects described above when the computer programs or instructions are executed.

[0047] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory of which may store necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in any of the first to fourth aspects described above. The processor may execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first to fourth aspects described above.

[0048] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices via the interface circuit and to execute the methods in any of the possible designs or implementations of the first to fourth aspects described above.

[0049] Understandably, in the third aspect described above, the processor can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. Furthermore, there can be one or more processors, and one or more memories. The memory can be integrated with the processor or separated from it. In specific implementations, the memory can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or disposed on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the arrangement of the memory and processor.

[0050] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication system, which may include a first communication device and a second communication device; wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method described in the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to perform the method described in the second aspect.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (or computer-readable instructions) in which, when a computer reads and executes some or all of the computer-readable instructions, the method in any of the possible designs in the first to fourth aspects described above is executed.

[0052] For example, a computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. This includes, but is not limited to, non-transient computer-readable media, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer.

[0053] Eighthly, this application provides a computer program product that, when read and executed by a computer, causes any of the possible designs in the first to fourth aspects described above to be performed.

[0054] Ninthly, this application provides a chip (or chip system) including a processor coupled to a memory storing a computer program; the processor is configured to invoke part or all of the computer program in the memory, such that any of the possible designs in the first to fourth aspects described above are executed. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the random access process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0058] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the comb-like distribution provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0060] Figure 6The following are possible exemplary block diagrams of the apparatus involved in the embodiments of this application;

[0061] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This application will focus on various aspects, embodiments, or features of a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these solutions may also be used.

[0063] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. 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.

[0064] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various wireless communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), short-range wireless communication systems (such as sidelink, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, etc.), wired networks, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems), LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems (such as New Radio (NR) systems), Future Communications systems, or other similar communication systems, and are not limited thereto. The embodiments of this application use... Figure 1 The communication system shown is used as an example for description. When the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applied to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc. in the embodiments can be replaced with corresponding devices, components, modules in other communication systems without limitation.

[0065] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes an access network 100. Optionally, the communication system may also include a core network 200 and an Internet 300. The access network 100 may include at least one network device, such as... Figure 1 110a and 110b may also include at least one terminal device, such as Figure 1The series consists of 120a-120j. Specifically, 110a is a base station, 110b is a micro-station, 120a, 120e, 120f, and 120j are mobile phones, 120b is a car, 120c is a fuel dispenser, 120d is a home access point (HAP) deployed indoors or outdoors, 120g is a laptop, 120h is a printer, and 120i is a drone. The same terminal device or network device can provide different functions in different application scenarios. For example... Figure 1 The mobile phones included are 120a, 120e, 120f, and 120j. Mobile phone 120a can access base station 110a, connect to car 120b, communicate directly with mobile phone 120e, and access HAP. Car 120b can access HAP and communicate directly with mobile phone 120a. Mobile phone 120f can connect to micro-station 110b, connect to laptop 120g, and connect to printer 120h. Mobile phone 120j can control drone 120i.

[0066] (1) Network equipment

[0067] A network device is a network-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. A network device can be a device in a radio access network (RAN) that provides wireless communication capabilities to terminal devices; this is called RAN equipment. The RAN can be an access network within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G, or future networks. The RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a communication network combining two or more of these.

[0068] RAN equipment can also be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc.

[0069] RAN equipment can also be modules or units that perform some of the functions of a base station. For example, it can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU performs the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and PDCP protocols of the base station, and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The CU can be further divided into a CU control plane (CP) (i.e., CU-CP) and a CU user plane (UP) (i.e., CU-UP). The DU performs the functions of the RLC and MA layers of the base station, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. CU and DU can be set up separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radiohead (RRH). In different systems, CU, 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, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU units in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. RA equipment can be a macro base station (such as...) Figure 1 110a in the text), can also be a micro base station or an indoor station (such as... Figure 1 In 110b), it can also be a relay node or a donor node, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the network equipment.

[0070] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the network device can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the network device, or by a control subsystem that includes the functions of the network device. This control subsystem, which includes the functions of the network device, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities.

[0071] (2) Terminal equipment

[0072] A terminal device is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. Terminal devices can also be called terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. In the embodiments of this application, the device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing that function, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components that can implement the functions of the terminal device. This device can be installed in the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used in the terminal device.

[0073] In this embodiment of the application, the functions of the terminal device can also be performed by modules (such as chips or modems) in the terminal device, or by a device containing the functions of the terminal device.

[0074] Network devices and terminal devices can be fixed in location or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the network devices and terminal devices.

[0075] The roles of network devices and terminal devices can be relative, for example, Figure 1 The helicopter or drone 120i can be configured as a mobile network device. For terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal device 120i is a network device; however, for network device 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a network device-to-network device interface protocol; in this case, 120i is also a network device relative to 110a. Therefore, both network devices and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. Figure 1110a and 110b can be referred to as communication devices with network equipment functions. Figure 1 The 120a-120j in the text can be referred to as communication devices with terminal equipment functions.

[0076] Network devices and terminal devices, network devices and network devices, and terminal devices can communicate through licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously, without limitation.

[0077] The network architecture and business scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0078] The relevant terms and technical features involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained below. These explanations are intended to make the embodiments of this application easier to understand and should not be regarded as strict limitations on the terms in the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0079] (1) Antenna Port

[0080] An antenna port, often simply called a port, is an identifier for a physical channel or signal based on the air interface environment. For the same antenna port, the channel state experienced by one time-domain symbol can be inferred from the channel state experienced by another time-domain symbol. In other words, if data and reference signals use the same antenna port, the receiving device can assume that the data and reference signals are transmitted using the same wireless channel. Therefore, the receiving device can estimate the wireless channel corresponding to a particular antenna port using the reference signal belonging to that antenna port, and the estimation result can be used to decode the data transmitted through that antenna port.

[0081] From a physical perspective, an antenna port can correspond to either a single antenna element or an array of antenna elements. If two signals transmitted on the same antenna element array use different beamforming weights, then these two signals will be considered to be transmitted on different wireless channels, corresponding to different antenna ports. Signal transmission requires a process of "codeword -> layer -> antenna port -> physical antenna." One antenna port can be mapped to one or more physical antennas, and each physical antenna corresponds to one radio frequency channel. Therefore, the "transmission of preamble on one or more antenna ports" involved in this application embodiment can be implemented by the baseband chip of the terminal device, and there is no specific limitation.

[0082] In this application embodiment, the antenna port can refer to an antenna port used for the physical random access channel (PRACH), such as the antenna port of the 4000 series, that is, an antenna port whose port number (or port index) starts from 4000. The number of antenna ports of different terminal devices may be the same or different; for example, terminal device 1 has 1 antenna port (i.e., terminal device 1 has 1 antenna port), terminal device 2 has 2 antenna ports, terminal device 3 has 4 antenna ports, and terminal device 4 has 8 antenna ports. The number of antenna ports of the terminal device can also be other possible values, such as 3, 16 or 32, etc., and is not specifically limited.

[0083] (2) Precoding techniques

[0084] Based on the physical characteristics of radio waves, signals can be transmitted omnidirectionally or over a wide angle when using low- or mid-frequency bands. However, when using high-frequency bands, especially very high-frequency bands, antenna sizes are generally designed based on half the wavelength. As the carrier frequency increases, the antenna size decreases, allowing more antennas to be accommodated in the same space compared to low frequencies. This enables the deployment of antenna arrays consisting of numerous antenna elements in both transmitting and receiving equipment. Furthermore, the increased path loss and penetration loss due to higher carrier frequencies allow for the formation of narrow beams using precoding (or beamforming) techniques. These narrow beams scan and cover the entire cell, improving coverage, enhancing spatial multiplexing, reducing interference, and increasing spectral efficiency.

[0085] Taking uplink precoding as an example, the 3GPP standard defines multiple codebooks, each containing multiple precoding matrices (or codewords). The precoding matrices in the same codebook correspond to the same number of antenna ports and uplink transmission layers. The number of uplink transmission layers refers to the number of uplink data streams, or spatial streams.

[0086] In practice, network devices typically estimate the channel conditions of the wireless channel between the terminal device and the network device based on reference signals, such as sounding reference signals (SRS), sent by the terminal device for measuring the uplink channel. The network device then determines the uplink precoding matrix that the terminal device can use when transmitting uplink data, based on these channel conditions and the number of antenna ports on the terminal device (the maximum number of usable antenna ports reported by the terminal device). This calculated uplink precoding matrix is ​​related to the number of antenna ports on the terminal device and a specific uplink transport layer. The network device selects the precoding matrix closest to the calculated uplink precoding matrix from the codebook defined by the 3GPP standard, based on this specific uplink transport layer, and sends the corresponding transmitted precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) and uplink transport layer indicator to the terminal device. Then, the terminal device determines a codebook (e.g., codebook 1) from multiple codebooks based on the number of uplink transmission layers and the number of antenna ports of the terminal device. Then, it queries codebook 1 according to the TPMI indicated by the network device to obtain the precoding matrix, uses the precoding matrix to precode the uplink data, and sends the precoded uplink data.

[0087] It is understandable that the terminal device uses different precoding matrices to precode and transmit the uplink data, which is equivalent to the terminal device using different beams to transmit the uplink data.

[0088] (3) Random access procedure

[0089] The random access procedure refers to the process from when a terminal device sends a random access preamble to attempt to access the network until a basic signaling connection is established with the network device. The random access preamble is carried on the PRACH and is used to initiate the random access procedure. The random access preamble can be called a random access preamble sequence, a preamble sequence, or simply a preamble. The terminal device can exchange information with the network device through the random access procedure to achieve uplink synchronization with the network device.

[0090] Based on whether the preamble is selected by the terminal device itself, random access procedures can be divided into contention-based random access procedures and non-contention-based random access procedures. The following description uses a contention-based random access procedure as an example to illustrate one possible implementation of the random access procedure.

[0091] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a random access procedure provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0092] In step S200, the network device sends random access configuration information to the terminal device, and the terminal device can correspondingly receive the configuration information from the network device. This step can be considered preparatory work before executing the random access procedure and is not part of the random access procedure itself.

[0093] For example, a network device can send random access configuration information to a terminal device via system messages. This configuration information may include Message 1, which configures multiple PRACH occasions (ROs). An RO can be understood as a time-frequency resource used to transmit a preamble once. Each RO reserves a certain number of subcarriers as guard bandwidth to prevent out-of-band leakage from interfering with the uplink signals of other terminal devices. In the current protocol, taking a subcarrier spacing of 1.25 kHz for the RO as an example, the RO includes 864 subcarriers (with a preamble length of 839). Among them, the 13 subcarriers above the RO (i.e., the 13 subcarriers at the high-frequency edge) and the 12 subcarriers below the RO (i.e., the 12 subcarriers at the low-frequency edge) are guard bandwidths, and the remaining 839 subcarriers are used to carry the preamble. Alternatively, taking a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz for the RO as an example, the RO includes 144 subcarriers (with a preamble length of 139). Among them, the 3 subcarriers above the RO and the 2 subcarriers below the RO are guard bandwidths, and the remaining 139 subcarriers are used to carry the preamble.

[0094] The configuration information may also include information 2, such as the logical root index number. The logical root index number is used to determine multiple preambles (e.g., 64 preambles) of the current cell. See the description below for details.

[0095] In addition, the configuration information can also be used to configure other possible information, such as the correspondence between multiple ROs and SS / PBCH blocks.

[0096] S201, the terminal device sends a preamble to the network device. The preamble can be referred to as the first message or message 1 (Msg1) of the random access procedure.

[0097] Specifically, the terminal device can receive multiple SS / PBCH blocks sent by the network device and select a target SS / PBCH block from among them based on the measured values ​​of the multiple SS / PBCH blocks (such as the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of the multiple SS / PBCH blocks). Further, the terminal device selects a preamble from the 64 preambles of the current cell and then transmits the preamble on a RO corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block. If the terminal device already knows the SS / PBCH block beam information, it can use one antenna port to transmit the preamble; if the terminal device has multiple antenna ports, it can choose to use one of them.

[0098] In S202, after detecting the preamble sent by the terminal device, the network device sends a random access response (RAR) to the terminal device. This random access response can be referred to as message 2 or message 2 (Msg2) of the random access procedure.

[0099] For example, after the network device detects the preamble on the RO corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block, it can determine that the downlink beam communicating with the terminal device is the beam corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block, and then use the beam corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block to send the RAR to the terminal device.

[0100] For example, RAR includes timing advance (TA), which is used for uplink synchronization between terminal devices and network devices.

[0101] S203, the terminal device sends an uplink signaling message to the network device according to the TA. This uplink signaling message can be referred to as message 3 or message 3 (Msg3) of the random access procedure.

[0102] For example, the terminal device can send Msg3 to the network device using the uplink beam corresponding to the downlink beam (i.e., the beam corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block) based on uplink-downlink reciprocity.

[0103] In S204, the network device sends a contention resolution message to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the contention resolution message from the network device. If the contention resolution message determines that the random access conflict has been won, the random access is considered successful; otherwise, the terminal device determines that the random access has failed. The contention resolution message can be referred to as message 4 or message 4 (Msg4) in the random access procedure.

[0104] It is understandable that the above Figure 2 The random access procedure shown is only one possible example, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0105] (4) Generation of preamble

[0106] In wireless communication systems (such as LTE or NR), each cell has 64 preambles, or 64 sequences. These 64 sequences are obtained by cyclically shifting at least one root sequence, which is a Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence. It is understood that this embodiment uses a cell with 64 preambles as an example; in other examples, the number of preambles for a cell can also be other values, and no specific limitation is made.

[0107] For example, the 64 preambles can be divided into preambles for contention-based random access and preambles for non-contention-based random access. The preambles for contention-based random access can be further divided into Group A and Group B. Group B is used for scenarios where MSG3 has a large data volume but low path loss, while Group A is used for other scenarios unsuitable for Group B. Therefore, for... Figure 2 In the contention-based random access scenario, the terminal device can determine whether to use Group A or Group B based on the amount of data in MSG3 and the magnitude of path loss. If Group A is selected, a preamble is randomly chosen from Group A; if Group B is selected, a preamble is randomly chosen from Group B.

[0108] The following two steps (i.e., step 1 and step 2) describe how the terminal device obtains the 64 preambles of the cell.

[0109] Step 1: The terminal device generates a root sequence [X] u [(n)] serves as a baseline sequence.

[0110] For example, after receiving the logical root index number (denoted as i) from the network device, the terminal device can look up the physical root index number (denoted as u) in a predefined table based on the logical root index number, and then generate the root sequence based on the physical root index number. The specific generation formula (i.e., the generation formula of the ZC sequence) is as follows:

[0111]

[0112] Where L is the length of the root sequence. For example, the length of the root sequence is 139 or 839.

[0113] When the length of the root sequence is 139, the physical root index number ranges from 1 to 138. The predefined table is shown in Table 1.

[0114] Table 1: Correspondence between Logical Root Index Number and Physical Root Index Number

[0115]

[0116] Step 2: The terminal device processes the root sequence [X] u (n)] is cyclically shifted to generate a 64-bit preamble [X]. u,v (n)]. If for the root sequence [X] u If the number of sequences generated by cyclic shifting (n) is less than 64, then continue to generate the next root sequence and cyclically shift the next root sequence until 64 preambles are generated.

[0117] Wherein, sequence [X] u,v [n] can be generated using the following formula:

[0118] X u,v (n)=X u ((n+C v )mod L RA

[0119] The above C v For cyclic shift values, such as C v =vN CS , Indicates L / N CS Round down; N CS The cyclic shift interval is the specific value that can be configured by the network device.

[0120] The following example, with a root sequence length of 139, illustrates how to obtain 64 preambles.

[0121] The terminal device receives a logical root index number of 20, obtains a physical root index number of 11 by looking up Table 1, and can then generate the root sequence [X]. 11 (n)]. Further, assume N CS If the value is 4, then v = 0, 1, 2...34.

[0122] First preamble: v = 0, C v =vN CS =0,X 11,0 (n)=X 11 (n), that is, the first preamble is the root sequence [X]. 11 (n)];

[0123] Second preamble: v = 1, C v =vNCS =4,X 11,1 (n)=X 11 ((n+4) mod 139;

[0124] The third preamble: v = 2, C v =vN CS =8,X 11,2 (n)=X 11 ((n+8) mod 139;

[0125] And so on;

[0126] 35th preamble: v = 34, C v =vN CS =136, X 11,34 (n)=X 11 ((n+136)mod 139.

[0127] Due to the root sequence [X] 11 If the number of preambles generated by cyclic shifting [n] is less than 64, then the next root sequence is generated and cyclically shifted. The physical root index of the next root sequence is 128 (i.e., the logical root index is 21), therefore, the next root sequence is [X]. 128 (n)].

[0128] 36th preamble: v = 0, C v =vN CS =0,X 128,0 (n)=X 128 (n), that is, the 36th preamble is the root sequence [X]. 128 (n)];

[0129] 37th preamble: v = 1, C v =vN CS =4,X 128,1 (n)=X 128 ((n+4) mod 139;

[0130] And so on;

[0131] 64th preamble: v = 28, C v =vN CS =112, X 128,28 (n)=X 128 ((n+112)mod 139, thus obtaining 64 preambles.

[0132] It is understandable that the above description is based on the example of a terminal device generating 64 preambles. In other examples, the terminal device may also determine the physical root index number and cyclic shift value corresponding to each of the 64 preambles, without actually generating the preamble; after the terminal device selects one of the preambles, it generates the preamble based on the physical root index number and cyclic shift value corresponding to the preamble.

[0133] In the above Figure 2 In the illustrated random access process, the network device periodically transmits SS / PBCH blocks. The terminal device can then select a target SS / PBCH block from among the received blocks and transmit a preamble using an antenna port on the RO corresponding to the target SS / PBCH block. Thus, the network device can determine the downlink beam for communication with the terminal device based on the detected RO of the preamble; and the terminal device can transmit Msg3 using the uplink beam corresponding to the downlink beam based on uplink-downlink reciprocity.

[0134] However, to conserve network energy, the current consideration is to extend the transmission period of the SS / PBCH block. With an extended SS / PBCH block transmission period, the terminal device needs to perform random access without knowing the SS / PBCH block beam information. Since the terminal device is unaware of the SS / PBCH block beam information, the network device needs to measure the channel conditions based on the preamble sent by the terminal device, determine the uplink precoding matrix and other information based on the measured channel conditions, and then instruct the terminal device on the uplink precoding matrix so that the terminal device can transmit Msg3 according to the uplink precoding matrix indicated by the network device. If the terminal device still uses only one antenna port to send the preamble without knowing the SS / PBCH block beam information, the channel conditions measured by the network device based on the preamble will be inaccurate, affecting the transmission of Msg3 and preventing the terminal device from accessing the network in a timely manner. Therefore, how to enable the network device to accurately measure the channel based on the preamble is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0135] Based on this, this application will study the implementation of random access by terminal devices under the premise of unknown SS / PBCH block beam information.

[0136] In this embodiment, the terminal device can transmit preambles on multiple antenna ports, enabling the network device to more comprehensively measure channel conditions. However, considering that different terminal devices may have different numbers of antenna ports, and the network device needs to know the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when measuring the channel, this embodiment provides a communication method that introduces a correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, or a correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing. This allows the network device to accurately determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when it detects preambles transmitted by the terminal device on multiple antenna ports, thereby accurately measuring the channel and enabling the terminal device to access the network in a timely manner.

[0137] The communication method provided in this application will be described below with reference to Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. The communication method provided in this application involves a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is the transmitting side of the preamble, and the second communication device is the receiving side of the preamble. For example, the first communication device is a first terminal device or a component of the first terminal device, such as a chip (e.g., a baseband chip) or chip system disposed in the first terminal device; the second communication device is a network device or a component of a network device, such as a chip or chip system disposed in the network device. In this application, the example of "the first communication device being a first terminal device and the second communication device being a network device" will be used for description.

[0138] Example 1

[0139] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the process may include:

[0140] S301, the first terminal device determines the first preamble set based on the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set. The number of antenna ports of the first terminal device is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0141] For example, different numbers of antenna ports correspond to different preamble sets. For instance, the relationship between the number of antenna ports and the preamble sets includes a one-to-one correspondence between Q types of antenna port numbers and Q preamble sets. The Q types of antenna port numbers include the number of antenna ports M, and the Q preamble sets include a first preamble set, with the number of antenna ports M corresponding to the first preamble set. Q is an integer greater than 1.

[0142] Each of the Q preamble sets can include one or more preambles; for example, each preamble set may include one or more preambles from the 64 preambles of the cell. The number of preambles in different preamble sets can be the same or different, without any specific limitation. Furthermore, the preambles in the preamble sets can be derived from at least one root sequence.

[0143] The above relationships will be explained below with reference to examples a1 and a2.

[0144] Example a1

[0145] In example a1, the Q types of antenna port numbers include antenna port number 1, antenna port number 2, antenna port number 4, and antenna port number 8. Assuming the preamble length is 839, when the cyclic shift interval N... cs =26. Each root sequence can generate 32 preambles. To ensure that the number of usable preambles within the cell is 64, the first terminal device can select root sequences corresponding to two physical root index numbers (e.g., 1 and 838). Each root sequence generates 32 preambles (preamble indices from 0 to 31). In this case, the Q preamble sets can be {physical root index 1, preamble indices 0-15}, {physical root index 1, preamble indices 16-31}, {physical root index 838, preamble indices 0-15}, and {physical root index 838, preamble indices 16-31}. Here, {physical root index 1, preamble indices 0-15} represents the preambles with indices 0-15 among the 32 preambles generated by the root sequence corresponding to physical root index 1. The other preamble sets are understood similarly.

[0146] The one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q antenna ports and the Q preamble sets is shown in Table 2.

[0147] Table 2: Example of a one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q types of antenna ports and the Q sets of preambles

[0148] Number of antenna ports Preamble set 1 Preamble set a1: {Physical root index 1, preamble indices 0-15} 2 Preamble set b1: {Physical root index 1, preamble indices 16-31} 4 Preamble set c1: {Physical root index 838, preamble indices 0-15} 8 Preamble set d1: {Physical root index 838, preamble indices 16-31}

[0149] As can be seen, in example a1, the preambles in each preamble set are obtained based on the same root sequence (or the same physical root index number).

[0150] Example a2

[0151] In example a2, the Q types of antenna port numbers include antenna port number 1, antenna port number 2, antenna port number 4, and antenna port number 8. Assuming the preamble length is 839, when the cyclic shift interval N... cs=76, each root sequence can generate 11 preambles. To ensure that the number of usable preambles in the cell is 64, the first terminal device can select 6 physical root index numbers (e.g., 1, 838, 56, 783, 112, 727). The root sequences corresponding to the first 5 physical root index numbers generate 11 preambles each (preamble index 0-10), and the root sequence corresponding to the last physical root index number generates 9 preambles each (preamble index 0-8). In this case, the Q preamble sets can be {physical root index 1, preamble index 0-10}, {physical root index 838, preamble index 0-10}, {physical root index 56, preamble index 0-10; physical root index 783, preamble index 0-10}, {physical root index 112, preamble index 0-10; physical root index 727, preamble index 0-8}.

[0152] The one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q antenna ports and the Q preamble sets is shown in Table 3.

[0153] Table 3: Examples of one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q types of antenna ports and the Q sets of preambles

[0154]

[0155]

[0156] As can be seen, in example a2, the preambles in the preamble sets a1 or b2 are obtained based on the same root sequence, while the preambles in the preamble sets c2 or d2 are obtained based on two root sequences.

[0157] The relationship between the number of antenna ports and the preamble sets can be configured, preconfigured, or predefined. Taking the predefined method as an example, for instance, four types of antenna port numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 4, and 8, or 1, 2, 3, and 4) and four preamble sets (e.g., preamble set 1, preamble set 2, preamble set 3, and preamble set 4) can be predefined one-to-one, and the division rules of the preamble sets can be predefined so that the first terminal device (and network device) can determine the preambles included in the four preamble sets according to the division rules. One possible partitioning rule is as follows: Preamble set 1 includes the 1st to 16th preambles out of 64 preambles; preamble set 2 includes the 17th to 32nd preambles out of 64 preambles; preamble set 3 includes the 33rd to 48th preambles out of 64 preambles; and preamble set 4 includes the 49th to 64th preambles out of 64 preambles. This application does not limit the partitioning rule in its embodiments.

[0158] S302, the first terminal device transmits M preambles on the M antenna ports of the first terminal device; correspondingly, the network device receives the M preambles at the first random access time.

[0159] For example, the terminal device may transmit M preambles on M antenna ports of the first terminal device according to a first random access opportunity, that is, the M preambles are carried on the same random access opportunity. Alternatively, the terminal device may also transmit M preambles on M antenna ports of the first terminal device according to multiple random access opportunities (these multiple random access opportunities are continuous in the time domain and / or continuous in the frequency domain), that is, the M preambles are carried on multiple random access opportunities; for example, the terminal device transmits preamble 1 on antenna port 1 according to random access opportunity 1, and transmits preamble 2 on antenna port 2 according to random access opportunity 2. In this embodiment, the example of "M preambles carried on the same random access opportunity" will be used for description.

[0160] The first terminal device transmits M preambles on M antenna ports according to the first random access opportunity. This can also be described as: the first terminal device transmits M preambles using M antenna ports during the first random access opportunity. The first random access opportunity can be one of multiple random access opportunities configured by the network device. For example, when the terminal device needs to initiate random access, it can use the random access opportunity closest to the current time as the first random access opportunity.

[0161] It is understandable that the first random access opportunity can be shared by multiple terminal devices. That is, besides the first terminal device sending a preamble during the first random access opportunity, other terminal devices (such as the second terminal device) can also send a preamble during the first random access opportunity. The number of antenna ports of the second terminal device can be the same as or different from the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device. For example, if the first terminal device has 4 antenna ports, it will use 4 antenna ports to send 4 preambles during the first random access opportunity. These 4 preambles belong to the first preamble set (such as preamble set c1 in Table 2). If the second terminal device has 8 antenna ports, it will use 8 antenna ports to send 8 preambles during the first random access opportunity. These 8 preambles belong to the second preamble set (such as preamble set d1 in Table 2).

[0162] For example, the M preambles can satisfy certain conditions so that the network device can distinguish the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device. If the network device cannot distinguish the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the same terminal device, it will cause the network device to fail to accurately detect the M preambles, affecting synchronization and channel measurement performance. The M preambles are described below in conjunction with implementation method 1 and implementation method 2.

[0163] (1) Implementation method 1

[0164] The M preambles satisfy at least one of the following: ① The M preambles are different, that is, any two preambles are different; ② The M preambles are carried on different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity; ③ The M preambles are carried on different time domain resources in the first random access opportunity. This will be illustrated below with examples b1 to b3.

[0165] Example b1

[0166] In example b1, the M preambles are different, meaning that the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device are distinguished by code division. The M different preambles can mean that the root sequences corresponding to the M preambles are different, or that the root sequences corresponding to the M preambles are the same but the cyclic shift intervals are different.

[0167] Based on the characteristics of ZC sequences, multiple preambles generated from the same root sequence are completely orthogonal. Therefore, when M preambles correspond to the same root sequence but have different cyclic shift intervals, the M preambles are completely orthogonal, thereby reducing mutual interference and improving channel measurement performance. It can be understood that when the preambles in the first preamble set correspond to the same root sequence, the first terminal device can randomly select M preambles from the first preamble set; when the preambles in the first preamble set correspond to multiple root sequences, the first terminal device can select M preambles corresponding to the same root sequence from the first preamble set to improve channel measurement performance.

[0168] Optionally, the M preambles can be carried on the same frequency domain resources and / or the same time domain resources during the first random access opportunity, which facilitates improved resource utilization. Furthermore, the number of preambles in the first preamble set is greater than or equal to M, which facilitates the first terminal device in selecting M different preambles from the first preamble set to achieve code division.

[0169] For example, there is a correlation among the M preambles, or in other words, the M preambles include a first preamble, which is used to determine the remaining M-1 preambles among the M preambles. Thus, after the network device detects one of the M preambles through relevant calculations, it can determine the other M-1 preambles based on the correlation among the M preambles, thereby reducing the processing complexity of the network device.

[0170] There are various ways to specifically demonstrate the correlation between the M preambles. For example, the first preamble set corresponds to multiple combinations, and each of these combinations includes M preambles. These combinations can be preconfigured or predefined. Accordingly, the first terminal device can select one combination from the multiple combinations and, according to the first random access timing, transmit the M preambles in that combination on the M antenna ports. For example, if the first preamble set includes preambles 1 to 16, and M is 4, then the multiple combinations corresponding to the first preamble set are shown in Table 4.

[0171] Table 4: Combination Examples Corresponding to the First Preamble Set

[0172] Combination number combination 1 Preamble 1, Preamble 2, Preamble 3, Preamble 4 2 Preamble 5, Preamble 6, Preamble 7, Preamble 8 3 Preamble 9, Preamble 10, Preamble 11, Preamble 12 4 Preamble 13, Preamble 14, Preamble 15, Preamble 16

[0173] It is understandable that each combination of M preambles in Table 4 above corresponds one-to-one with M antenna ports (this correspondence can be predefined or preconfigured). For example, in combination 1 above, preamble 1 corresponds to antenna port 1 (that is, the terminal device sends preamble 1 on antenna port 1), preamble 2 corresponds to antenna port 2, preamble 3 corresponds to antenna port 3, and preamble 4 corresponds to antenna port 4.

[0174] Different combinations may or may not overlap. For example, taking the four combinations in Table 4 as examples, when the M preambles are different and they are carried on the same frequency domain resources and the same time domain resources in the first random access opportunity, there is no overlap between the different combinations. However, when the M preambles are different and they are carried on different frequency domain resources and / or different time domain resources in the first random access opportunity, there can be overlap between the different combinations. That is to say, even if there is overlap between the different combinations, the network device can determine the preambles on other antenna ports based on one detected preamble. For example, combination 1 includes preamble 1 and preamble 2, and combination 2 includes preamble 2 and preamble 3, meaning there is overlap between combination 1 and combination 2. If the first terminal device selects combination 1, it can transmit preamble 1 using antenna port 1 on resource 1 and preamble 2 using antenna port 2 on resource 2. Resources 1 and 2 are different frequency domain resources and / or different time domain resources (the correspondence between different antenna ports and different resources can be predefined or preconfigured). Accordingly, after the network device detects that the preamble on resource 1 is preamble 1 through relevant calculations, it can determine that the preamble transmitted on antenna port 2 is preamble 2 based on the predefined combination. If the first terminal device selects combination 2, it can transmit preamble 2 using antenna port 1 on resource 1 and preamble 3 using antenna port 2 on resource 2. Accordingly, after the network device detects that the preamble on resource 1 is preamble 2 through relevant calculations, it can determine that the preamble transmitted on antenna port 2 is preamble 3 based on the predefined combination.

[0175] Example b2

[0176] In example b2, the M preambles are carried on different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity, that is, the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device are distinguished by frequency division. Further optionally, the M preambles are identical, and / or, the M preambles are carried on the same time domain resources during the first random access opportunity. The M preambles being identical can mean that the M preambles correspond to the same root sequence and the same cyclic shift interval. Wherein, when the M preambles are identical, after the network device detects one of the M preambles through correlation calculations, it can directly determine the other M-1 preambles, thus reducing the processing complexity of the network device.

[0177] There are several ways to implement M preambles carrying different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity. For example, the M preambles can be carried in a comb-like manner, with the comb number being M. This comb-like distribution makes the M preambles more evenly distributed in the frequency domain, facilitating better measurement of the frequency domain channel by network devices.

[0178] For example, see Figure 4 As shown, the M preambles include preamble 1 and preamble 2. Preamble 1 and preamble 2 each include 139 sequence elements (i.e., sequence elements 0 to 138). Sequence element 0 in preamble 1 is carried by subcarrier i in the first random access opportunity. Sequence element 0 in preamble 2 is carried by subcarrier i+1 in the first random access opportunity. Sequence element 1 in preamble 1 is carried by subcarrier i+2 in the first random access opportunity. Sequence element 1 in preamble 2 is carried by subcarrier i+3 in the first random access opportunity, and so on.

[0179] Furthermore, the first random access timing may include a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth. For example, the lowest frequency of the first protection bandwidth is the lowest frequency of the first random access timing, meaning the first protection bandwidth is a bandwidth at the low-frequency edge of the first random access timing; the highest frequency of the second protection bandwidth is the highest frequency of the first random access timing, meaning the second protection bandwidth is a bandwidth at the high-frequency edge of the first random access timing. Alternatively, the highest frequency of the first protection bandwidth is the highest frequency of the first random access timing, and the lowest frequency of the second protection bandwidth is the lowest frequency of the first random access timing. Thus, since the first random access timing includes both a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth, it facilitates reducing out-of-band leakage interference to the uplink signals of other terminal devices.

[0180] One possible implementation is that the length of the M preambles is a predefined length, such as 139. In this case, the first protection bandwidth includes 3*M subcarriers (e.g., 3*M consecutive subcarriers), and the second protection bandwidth includes 2*M subcarriers (e.g., 2*M consecutive subcarriers). Alternatively, if the length of the M preambles is 839, the first protection bandwidth includes 13*M subcarriers (e.g., 13*M consecutive subcarriers), and the second protection bandwidth includes 12*M subcarriers (e.g., 12*M consecutive subcarriers). In this way, the preamble design in existing protocols can be reused, and the range of the protection bandwidth can be expanded to ensure the access performance of the terminal device.

[0181] As another possible implementation, the length of the M preambles is maxprime(N / M), and the first guard bandwidth includes One subcarrier, the second protection bandwidth includes There are M subcarriers, where N is a predefined preamble length, N' is the number of subcarriers included in the first random access event, and maxprime(N / M) represents the largest prime number not greater than N / M. It can be understood that the preamble length in the first preamble set can be N. After the terminal device selects M preambles of length N from the first preamble set, it can truncate these M preambles of length N to obtain M preambles of length axprime(N / M). The specific truncation method is not limited. In this way, the frequency domain resources occupied by the terminal device can be the same as those of existing protocols, improving the transmission efficiency of the preamble while ensuring normal access.

[0182] It is understandable that the above example uses "the first random access opportunity to carry M preambles". As described above, the first random access opportunity can be shared by multiple terminal devices. Since the number of antenna ports on multiple terminal devices may differ, the first random access opportunity may be used to carry various numbers of preambles. For example, the first random access opportunity may be used to carry 1 preamble, 2 preambles, 4 preambles, or 8 preambles. Therefore, network devices can configure the first random access opportunity according to the bandwidth required to carry the maximum number of preambles (e.g., 8 preambles). In this case, if M = 8, the above description can be directly applied. If M is less than 8, then in addition to the subcarriers occupied by the preambles and the subcarriers used as guard bandwidth, there are some remaining subcarriers on the first random access opportunity. Optionally, these remaining subcarriers can also be used as guard bandwidth. Example c2 below can also refer to this description.

[0183] Example b3

[0184] In example b3, the M preambles are carried on different time-domain resources during the first random access opportunity, that is, the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device are distinguished by time division. Further optionally, the M preambles are identical, and / or, the M preambles are carried on the same frequency-domain resources during the first random access opportunity. When the M preambles are identical, after the network device detects one of the M preambles through correlation calculations, it can directly determine the other M-1 preambles, thus reducing the processing complexity of the network device.

[0185] It is understood that, for example b1 or example b3, when M preambles are carried on the same frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity, the first random access opportunity may include a first guard bandwidth and a second guard bandwidth. The number of subcarriers included in the first guard bandwidth and the second guard bandwidth can be referred to the description of RO in S200.

[0186] (2) Implementation Method 2

[0187] The M preambles are divided into K preamble groups, where each preamble group includes at least one of the M preambles, and K is an integer greater than or equal to 1, where K is less than M. Since there is a one-to-one correspondence between the M antenna ports and the M preambles, it can also be described as follows: the M antenna ports are divided into K antenna port groups, where each antenna port group includes at least one of the M antenna ports. The K preamble groups or K antenna port groups can be configured, pre-configured, or predefined. For example, predefined: when M = 4, the 1st and 2nd preambles of the M preambles belong to one preamble group, and the 3rd and 4th preambles of the M preambles belong to another preamble group.

[0188] The K preamble groups satisfy at least one of the following: ① The preambles of the different preamble groups are different. For example, the K preamble groups include preamble group 1 and preamble group 2, and the preamble in preamble group 1 is different from the preamble in preamble group 2; ② The different preamble groups of the K preamble groups are carried by different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity; ③ The different preamble groups of the K preamble groups are carried by different time domain resources in the first random access opportunity. The following examples c1 to c3 illustrate this.

[0189] Example c1

[0190] In example c1, the preambles of the K preamble groups are different, while the preambles within each of the K preamble groups are the same. For instance, the K preamble groups include preamble group 1 and preamble group 2. Preamble group 1 includes preamble 1 and preamble 2, and preamble group 2 includes preamble 3 and preamble 4. The preamble in preamble group 1 is different from the preamble in preamble group 2, meaning that preamble 1 is different from both preamble 3 and preamble 4, and preamble 2 is different from both preamble 3 and preamble 4. The preambles within each preamble group are the same, meaning that preamble 1 and preamble 2 are the same, and preamble 3 and preamble 4 are the same.

[0191] In this scenario, the preamble in each preamble group carries different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity; and / or, the preamble in each preamble group carries different time domain resources during the first random access opportunity. That is, code division exists between different preamble groups, and frequency division and / or time division exists within the same preamble group, in order to distinguish the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device.

[0192] Example c2

[0193] In example c2, different preamble groups among the K preamble groups carry different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity, and the preambles in each of the K preamble groups carry the same frequency domain resources. For example, continuing the example above, preamble group 1 and preamble group 2 carry different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity; for example, the preamble in preamble group 1 carries frequency domain resource 1, and the preamble in preamble group 2 carries frequency domain resource 2. The preambles in each preamble group carrying the same frequency domain resources means that preamble 1 and preamble 2 in preamble group 1 carry the same frequency domain resources, and preamble 3 and preamble 4 in preamble group 2 carry the same frequency domain resources.

[0194] In this scenario, the preambles in each of the K preamble groups are different; that is, preamble 1 is different from preamble 2, preamble 3 is different from preamble 4, and preamble 1 and preamble 3 can be the same or different, as can preamble 2 and preamble 4. And / or, the preambles in each of the K preamble groups are carried on different time-domain resources during the first random access event. In other words, frequency division exists between different preamble groups, and code division and / or time division exist within the same preamble group, to facilitate the differentiation of preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device.

[0195] For example, taking "frequency division between different preamble groups and code division within the same preamble group" as an example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 5 As shown, the M preambles include preamble 1 to preamble 4, each of which includes 139 sequence elements (i.e., sequence elements 0 to 138). Sequence element 0 in preamble 1 is carried on subcarrier i in the first random access opportunity (since preamble 1 and preamble 2 are code-divided, they can be carried on the same frequency domain resources). Sequence element 0 in preamble 3 and sequence element 0 in preamble 4 are carried on subcarrier i+1 in the first random access opportunity. Sequence element 1 in preamble 1 and sequence element 1 in preamble 2 are carried on subcarrier i+2 in the first random access opportunity. Sequence element 1 in preamble 3 and sequence element 1 in preamble 4 are carried on subcarrier i+3 in the first random access opportunity, and so on.

[0196] Furthermore, the first random access opportunity may include a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth, the meanings of which can be referred to the description above.

[0197] As one possible implementation, the length of the M preambles is a predefined length, for example, the length of the M preambles is 139. In this case, the first guard bandwidth includes 3*K subcarriers, for example, the first guard bandwidth includes 3*K consecutive subcarriers, and the second guard bandwidth includes 2*K subcarriers, for example, the first guard bandwidth includes 2*K consecutive subcarriers. Alternatively, if the length of the M preambles is 839, in this case, the first guard bandwidth includes 13*K subcarriers, for example, the first guard bandwidth includes 13*K consecutive subcarriers, and the second guard bandwidth includes 12*K subcarriers, for example, the first guard bandwidth includes 12*K consecutive subcarriers.

[0198] As another possible implementation, the length of the M preambles is maxprime(N / K), and the first guard bandwidth includes One subcarrier, the second protection bandwidth includes There are N subcarriers, where N' is the number of subcarriers included in the first random access opportunity. It is understood that the length of the preamble in the first preamble set can be N. After the terminal device selects M preambles of length N from the first preamble set, it can truncate these M preambles of length N to obtain M preambles of length axprime(N / K). The specific truncation method is not limited.

[0199] Example c3

[0200] In example c3, different preamble groups among the K preamble groups carry different time-domain resources during the first random access opportunity, and the preamble in each of the K preamble groups carries the same time-domain resources. In this case, the preambles in each of the K preamble groups are different; and, or, the preambles in each of the K preamble groups carry different frequency-domain resources during the first random access opportunity. That is, time division exists between different preamble groups, and code division and / or frequency division exists within the same preamble group, in order to distinguish the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device.

[0201] In the above implementation method 2, by introducing K preamble groups (or K antenna port groups), it is possible to distinguish the preambles transmitted on different antenna ports of the first terminal device in a more flexible way.

[0202] S303, the network device determines the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device to be M based on the preamble set to which the M preambles belong and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set.

[0203] For example, a network device can detect M preambles through relevant calculations. After detecting M preambles, if the M preambles belong to a first preamble set, the number of antenna ports associated with the first preamble set is determined according to the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set. The number of antenna ports associated with the first preamble set is the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device.

[0204] The network device's detection of M preambles through correlation calculation can refer to the following: For one of the M received sequences, the network device performs correlation calculations between its local 64 preambles and the received sequence. The preamble with the highest correlation value is the preamble actually transmitted by the terminal device. As mentioned earlier, when the M preambles are different (or some of the M preambles are different), there can be correlations between these different preambles. This allows the network device to determine the remaining preambles based on these correlations after detecting one preamble, thus reducing the processing complexity of the network device.

[0205] Optionally, the above method further includes:

[0206] S304, the network device sends indication information to the first terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate the precoding matrix; correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the indication information.

[0207] For example, the network device sends a random access response to the terminal device, the random access response including indication information. The network device may determine narrow beam information based on channel measurement results and send the random access response using the narrow beam.

[0208] The precoding matrix is ​​obtained based on the measurement results of M preambles. For example, the network device can measure the channel conditions based on the detected M preambles, and then determine the uplink precoding matrix based on the channel conditions and the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device, and send indication information to the first terminal device. The indication information can be TPMI or other information that can indicate the precoding matrix; there is no specific limitation. The indication information is used to indicate the precoding matrix, or it can be described as indicating the uplink beam.

[0209] For example, the network device performs channel measurement based on M preambles, determines Channel State Information (CSI) based on the channel measurement results, and sends the CSI to the first terminal device. The CSI includes indication information and may also include other possible information, such as layer indication (used to indicate the number of uplink transmission layers), channel quality indicator (CQI), modulation and coding scheme (MCS), etc.

[0210] S305, the first terminal device sends uplink information to the network device according to the precoding matrix.

[0211] For example, the first terminal device uses a precoding matrix to precode the uplink information and sends the precoded uplink information, such as Msg3.

[0212] Using the above method, the terminal device can transmit preambles on multiple antenna ports, enabling the network device to more comprehensively measure channel conditions. Furthermore, by introducing the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, the network device can accurately determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when it detects the preamble transmitted by the terminal device, thereby accurately measuring the channel. Based on the measured channel conditions and the number of antenna ports of the terminal device, the uplink precoding matrix can be accurately determined to ensure the normal transmission of Msg3 and enable the terminal device to access the network device in a timely manner.

[0213] Example 2

[0214] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the process may include:

[0215] S501, the first terminal device determines the first random access opportunity based on the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access opportunity. The number of antenna ports of the first terminal device is M.

[0216] Here, the first random access opportunity is one of the random access opportunities associated with the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device. For example, when the terminal device needs to initiate random access, it can use the random access opportunity closest to the current time among the random access opportunities associated with the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device as the first random access opportunity.

[0217] For example, random access opportunities corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports reside in different frequency domain resources; and / or, random access opportunities corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports reside in different time domain resources. One number of antenna ports can correspond to one or more random access opportunities. For example, a network device is configured with Q sets of random access opportunities, each set including multiple random access opportunities that occur periodically. The relationship between the number of antenna ports and random access opportunities includes a one-to-one correspondence between Q types of antenna ports and Q sets of random access opportunities.

[0218] S502, the first terminal device sends M preambles on M antenna ports of the first terminal device according to the first random access opportunity; correspondingly, the network device receives the M preambles on the first random access opportunity.

[0219] Example 2 describes the scenario where "M preambles are carried on the same random access opportunity (i.e., the first random access opportunity)". However, the M preambles can also be carried on multiple random access opportunities (these multiple random access opportunities are continuous in the time domain and / or frequency domain). For instance, in S501, the first terminal device determines multiple random access opportunities based on the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and random access opportunities. Then, in S502, the first terminal device transmits M preambles on M antenna ports according to the multiple random access opportunities. Alternatively, the "first random access opportunity" in this embodiment can be one random access opportunity or multiple random access opportunities.

[0220] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the first random access opportunity can be shared by multiple terminal devices. That is, in addition to the first terminal device sending the preamble during the first random access opportunity, other terminal devices (such as the second terminal device) can also send the preamble during the first random access opportunity. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that in Embodiment 2, the number of antenna ports on the second terminal device is the same as the number of antenna ports on the first terminal device.

[0221] In the first embodiment described above, the first terminal device selects M preambles from the first preamble set associated with the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device; while in the second embodiment, the first terminal device can select M preambles from the 64 preambles of the cell, and the specific selection is not limited.

[0222] Apart from the differences mentioned above, the specific implementation of S502 can be found in the description of S302.

[0223] S503, the network device determines the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device based on the first random access opportunity and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access opportunity.

[0224] The number of antenna ports associated with the first random access opportunity is the same as the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device.

[0225] Optionally, the above method further includes:

[0226] S504, the network device sends indication information to the first terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate the precoding matrix; correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the indication information.

[0227] For example, the network device can detect M preambles through relevant calculations, measure the channel conditions based on the detected M preambles, determine the uplink precoding matrix based on the channel conditions and the number of antenna ports of the first terminal device, and send indication information to the first terminal device.

[0228] S505: The first terminal device sends uplink information to the network device according to the precoding matrix.

[0229] For example, the specific implementation of S504 and S505 can be referred to the description of S304 and S305 in Embodiment 1.

[0230] Using the above method, the terminal device can send preambles on multiple antenna ports, enabling the network device to more comprehensively measure channel conditions. Furthermore, by introducing the correlation between the number of antenna ports and random access timing, the network device can accurately determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device when it detects the preamble sent by the terminal device, thereby accurately measuring the channel. Based on the measured channel conditions and the number of antenna ports of the terminal device, the uplink precoding matrix can be accurately determined to ensure the normal transmission of Msg3 and enable the terminal device to access the network device in a timely manner.

[0231] Regarding the above embodiments, it is understood that:

[0232] (1) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships. In addition, different implementations or different examples in the same embodiment can also be referenced or referenced by each other.

[0233] (2) The various numerical designations used in this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The step numbers in the above flowcharts are only examples of the execution process and do not constitute a restriction on the order of execution of the steps. That is, the size of each step number does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each step should be determined by its function and internal logic. Furthermore, not all steps shown in the flowcharts are mandatory steps; some steps may be added or deleted based on actual needs.

[0234] The above mainly describes the solution provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of the interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the first communication device and the second communication device may include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the embodiments of 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.

[0235] In this application embodiment, the first communication device and the second communication device can be divided into functional units according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0236] When using integrated units, Figure 6 A possible exemplary block diagram of the apparatus involved in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 6 As shown, device 600 may include a processing unit 602 and a communication unit 603. The processing unit 602 is used to control and manage the operation of device 600. The communication unit 603 is used to support communication between device 600 and other devices. Optionally, the communication unit 603, also called a transceiver unit, may include a receiving unit and / or a sending unit, respectively used to perform receiving and sending operations. Device 600 may also include a storage unit 601 for storing the program code and / or data of device 600.

[0237] (1) The device 600 can be the first communication device in the above embodiments. The processing unit 602 can support the device 600 in performing the actions of the first communication device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 602 mainly performs the internal actions of the first communication device in the method embodiments, and the communication unit 603 can support communication between the device 600 and other devices.

[0238] For example, in one embodiment, the processing unit 602 is used to: determine a first preamble set based on the number of antenna ports of the terminal device and the association between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, wherein the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is M, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the communication unit 603 is used to: send M preambles on the M antenna ports of the terminal device, wherein the M preambles belong to the first preamble set.

[0239] In another embodiment, the processing unit 602 is configured to: determine a first random access timing based on the number of antenna ports of the terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing, wherein the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is M, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and send M preambles on the M antenna ports of the terminal device according to the first random access timing.

[0240] (2) The device 600 can be the second communication device in the above embodiments. The processing unit 602 can support the device 600 in performing the actions of the second communication device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 602 mainly performs the internal actions of the second communication device in the method embodiments, and the communication unit 603 can support communication between the device 600 and other devices.

[0241] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 603 receives M preambles from the terminal device; the processing unit 602 is used to determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device as M based on the preamble set to which the M preambles belong and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set.

[0242] In another embodiment, the communication unit 603 receives M preambles from the terminal device at a first random access time; the processing unit 602 is configured to determine the number of antenna ports of the terminal device as M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, based on the first random access time and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access time.

[0243] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, all units in the device can be implemented entirely through software calls from processing elements; all units can be implemented entirely in hardware; or some units can be implemented through software calls from processing elements, and some units can be implemented in hardware. For example, each unit can be a separate processing element, or it can be integrated into a chip within the device. Alternatively, it can be stored as a program in memory, called and executed by a processing element of the device. Moreover, these units can be fully or partially integrated together, or implemented independently. The processing element mentioned here can also be called a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, the operations of the above methods or the various units mentioned above can be implemented through integrated logic circuits in the processor element or through software calls from processing elements.

[0244] In one example, a unit in any of the above devices can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the methods described above, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these forms of integrated circuits. As another example, when a unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), or other processor capable of calling programs. Furthermore, these units can be integrated together and implemented as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

[0245] The receiving unit described above is an interface circuit of the device, used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the receiving unit is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices. The transmitting unit described above is an interface circuit of the device, used to transmit signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the transmitting unit is an interface circuit for the chip to transmit signals to other chips or devices.

[0246] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, which is used to implement the functions of the first or second communication device in the above embodiments. For example... Figure 7As shown, the device can be a communication device or a component within a communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system). The device includes a processor 701 and a communication interface 702, and optionally, a memory 703. The memory 703 can be independent of the processor 701 or integrated into the processor 701; no specific limitation is made. It is understood that... Figure 7 Only the main components of the communication device are shown. Furthermore, the communication device may further include input / output devices (not shown in the figure).

[0247] The processor 701 is used to execute the program code stored in the memory 703, specifically to perform the actions of the processing unit 602 described above, which will not be described in detail here. The communication interface 702 is specifically used to perform the actions of the communication unit 603 described above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0248] Processor 701 can be a CPU, a digital processing unit, etc. Processor 701 can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data, such as, but not limited to, baseband-related processing. Communication interface 702 can be used for transmitting and receiving signals, such as, but not limited to, radio frequency transceiver. The above-mentioned devices can be disposed on separate chips, or at least partially or entirely on the same chip. For example, processor 701 can be further divided into an analog baseband processor and a digital baseband processor. The analog baseband processor can be integrated with the transceiver on the same chip, while the digital baseband processor can be disposed on a separate chip. With the continuous development of integrated circuit technology, more and more devices can be integrated on the same chip. For example, a digital baseband processor can be integrated with multiple application processors (such as, but not limited to, graphics processors, multimedia processors, etc.) on the same chip. Such a chip can be called a system-on-a-chip (SoC). Whether to dispose of the devices independently on different chips or integrate them on one or more chips often depends on the specific needs of the product design. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the specific implementation of the above-mentioned devices.

[0249] The communication interface 702 can be a transceiver, an interface circuit such as a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver chip, etc. Optionally, the communication interface 702 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. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used for receiving user input data and outputting data to the user.

[0250] Memory 703 is used to store programs executed by processor 701. Memory 703 can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). Memory 703 can be any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to this.

[0251] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 701 can read the software program in the memory 703, 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 701 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 701. The processor 701 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0252] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0253] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the communication interface 702, processor 701, and memory 703. This application embodiment... Figure 7 The memory 703, processor 701, and communication interface 702 are connected via a bus 704. Figure 7 The connections between other components are shown in bold lines only and are not intended to be limiting. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 7 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.

[0254] Optionally, the communication device described above can be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device can be:

[0255] (1) An independent integrated circuit (IC), or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0256] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and instructions;

[0257] (3) Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), such as modem;

[0258] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0259] (5) Receivers, smart terminals, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc.;

[0260] (6) Others, etc.

[0261] In this application embodiment, "multiple" can refer to two or more. Therefore, in this application embodiment, "multiple" can also be understood as "at least two". "At least one" can be understood as one or more, such as one, two, or more. For example, "including at least one" means including one, two, or more. For example, including at least one of A, B, and C, then it could include A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C. "And / or" describes the association relationship between related objects. Specifically, there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / ", unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0262] Furthermore, the terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably, as can "according to" and "based on". The ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are generally used to distinguish different objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first communication device and the second communication device in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish between two communication devices, and do not limit the priority or importance of these two communication devices.

[0263] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0264] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0265] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0266] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The first preamble set is determined based on the number of antenna ports of the terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set. The number of antenna ports of the terminal device is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. M preambles are transmitted on the M antenna ports of the terminal device, and the M preambles belong to the first preamble set.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The association relationship includes a one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q types of antenna ports and the Q sets of preambles, wherein the number of Q types of antenna ports includes the number of antenna ports M, and the Q sets of preambles include the first set of preambles, where Q is an integer greater than 1.

3. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The first random access opportunity is determined based on the number of antenna ports of the terminal device and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access opportunity. The number of antenna ports of the terminal device is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Based on the first random access timing, M preambles are transmitted on the M antenna ports of the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The relationship between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing satisfies at least one of the following: Different numbers of antenna ports correspond to random access opportunities located in different frequency domain resources; The random access opportunities corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports are located in different time domain resources.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive indication information, the indication information being used to indicate a precoding matrix, the precoding matrix being obtained based on the measurement results of the M preambles; Uplink information is sent according to the precoding matrix.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive M preambles from the terminal device; Based on the preamble set to which the M preambles belong and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the preamble set, the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is determined to be M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The association includes a one-to-one correspondence between the number of Q antenna ports and the Q preamble sets. The number of Q antenna ports includes the number of antenna ports M. The Q preamble sets include the first preamble set. The number of antenna ports M is associated with the first preamble set. Q is an integer greater than 1.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive M preambles from the terminal device during the first random access opportunity; Based on the first random access opportunity and the correlation between the number of antenna ports and the random access opportunity, the number of antenna ports of the terminal device is determined to be M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The relationship between the number of antenna ports and the random access timing satisfies at least one of the following: Different numbers of antenna ports correspond to random access opportunities located in different frequency domain resources; The random access opportunities corresponding to different numbers of antenna ports are located in different time domain resources.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the measurement results of the M preambles, the precoding matrix is ​​determined; Send indication information, which is used to indicate the precoding matrix.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The M preambles are carried by different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The M preambles are carried in a comb-like manner on different frequency domain resources during the first random access opportunity.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first random access opportunity includes a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth; The length of the M preambles is 139, the first guard bandwidth includes 3*M subcarriers, and the second guard bandwidth includes 2*M subcarriers; or... The length of the M preambles is 839, the first protection bandwidth includes 13*M subcarriers, and the second protection bandwidth includes 12*M subcarriers.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first random access opportunity includes a first protection bandwidth and a second protection bandwidth; The length of the M preambles is maxprime(N / M), and the first protection bandwidth includes... One subcarrier, the second protection bandwidth includes There are 10 subcarriers. N is the predefined preamble length, N′ is the number of subcarriers included in the first random access opportunity, and maxprime(N / M) represents the largest prime number not greater than N / M.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The M preambles carry different time-domain resources during the first random access opportunity.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The M preambles are identical.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, The M preambles are different.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, There is a correlation among the M preambles.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that, The M preambles are obtained based on the same root sequence.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The M preambles are divided into K preamble groups, and each preamble group includes at least one preamble from the M preambles, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than M. The K preamble groups satisfy at least one of the following: The preambles of the K preamble groups are different; Different preamble groups among the K preamble groups carry different frequency domain resources in the first random access opportunity; The different preamble groups in the K preamble groups carry different time-domain resources in the first random access opportunity.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory in which a computer program is stored; the processor is configured to invoke part or all of the computer program in the memory such that the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 20 is executed.

23. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and the second communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 6 to 10.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that, when some or all of the computer program is executed by a computer, causes the method described in any one of claims 1 to 20 to be performed.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer reads and executes the computer program product, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 20 is performed.

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