Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: a first user equipment (UE) determining information of two or more transmission layers for downlink signal transmission, the downlink signal transmission at least comprising a first downlink signal transmission corresponding to a first communication device and a second downlink signal transmission corresponding to a second communication device; and the first UE receives a downlink signal from the transmission of the first downlink signal on one or more transmission layers in the two or more transmission layers, the downlink signal comprising a downlink control signal, or the downlink signal comprising a downlink control signal and data. According to the method, a plurality of transmission layers are used for transmitting the control signals of a plurality of UEs, so that the performance and the capacity of downlink signal transmission of the plurality of UEs are improved.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to patent application No. PCT / CN2023 / 124771 entitled “MU-MIMO MULTI-LAYER PDCCH TRANSMISSION”, filed on October 16, 2023 with the Patent Cooperation Treaty Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. For example, the communication method and communication device can be used for downlink transmission or sidelink transmission. Background Technology

[0003] Control signal transmissions (such as downlink control signal transmissions or sidelink control signal transmissions) are used to schedule data transmissions for communication, such as downlink, uplink, or sidelink communication. Any errors or missed detections in control signals can lead to false detections or misinterpretations in data transmission in the downlink, uplink, or sidelink. Therefore, downlink control signal transmissions require more effort to ensure robust / reliable performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device. The technical solution can improve the robustness and reliability of downlink signals from multiple UEs.

[0005] According to a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a communication device, which may be a communication equipment (e.g., user equipment (UE)) or a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the communication equipment. The method is applied to a first communication device and includes: determining information for two or more transport layers for downlink signal transmission, the downlink signal transmission including at least a first downlink signal transmission corresponding to the first communication device and a second downlink signal transmission corresponding to a second communication device; and receiving a downlink signal from the first downlink signal transmission on one or more of the two or more transport layers, the downlink signal including a downlink control signal, or the downlink signal including a downlink control signal and data.

[0006] According to the above technical solution, for multiple communication devices (e.g., a first communication device and a second communication device), multiple transmission layers (i.e., two or more transmission layers) can be used to transmit their respective downlink signals. That is, one or more transmission layers are added on top of a single transmission layer that provides time-frequency resources for downlink signal transmission. In other words, more time-frequency resources can be utilized to send and / or receive downlink signals. This can improve the performance (e.g., improve robustness and reliability) and capacity of downlink signal transmission for multiple communication devices.

[0007] In one possible design, downlink control signals and data can be transmitted on one or more transport layers. For example, downlink control signals and data can be transmitted on the same transport layer. As another example, downlink control signals and data can be transmitted on different transport layers.

[0008] In one possible design, two or more transport layers include a first transport layer and a second transport layer. The first transport layer carries a first downlink signal for a first communication device, and the second transport layer carries a second downlink signal for a second communication device. In other words, the first transport layer carries the first downlink signal transmitted from the first downlink signal, and the second transport layer carries the second downlink signal transmitted from the second downlink signal. Alternatively, the first transport layer carries the first downlink signal transmitted from the first downlink signal for the first communication device, and the second transport layer carries the second downlink signal transmitted from the second downlink signal for the second communication device.

[0009] According to the above technical solution, one or more transmission layers used for the first downlink signal transmission are different from one or more transmission layers used for the second downlink signal transmission, which can alleviate interference between the first communication device and the second communication device.

[0010] In one possible design, the first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal; or, the first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes data; or, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal; or, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another data; or, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal and another data.

[0011] In one possible design, the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port used for the first transport layer is orthogonal to the DMRS port used for the second transport layer.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the DMRS ports used for the first and second transmission layers are orthogonal, which can alleviate interference between the first and second communication devices.

[0013] In one possible design, the method further includes receiving information from a second DMRS port, which is used for a second downlink signal.

[0014] According to the above technical solution, the first communication device can be notified of the second DMRS port used for downlink signals of the second communication device. Therefore, the first communication device can measure the interference channel on the second DMRS port and apply UE interference cancellation / mitigation technology to cancel / mitigate UE interference.

[0015] In one possible design, the method further includes receiving information from a first DMRS port, which is used for a first downlink signal. For example, the information from the first DMRS port and the information from the second DMRS port can be carried on the same signaling or on different signaling.

[0016] In one possible design, receiving downlink signals on one or more of two or more transport layers includes: receiving downlink signals on one or more transport layers based on a second DMRS port.

[0017] In one possible design, the method further includes performing interference mitigation operations based on a second DMRS port.

[0018] In one possible design, the first resource is used for the first downlink signal transmission, and the second resource is used for the second downlink signal transmission. The first and second resources transition between any one or more of the following dimensions: time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain.

[0019] According to the above technical solution, the first resource and the second resource jump between time / frequency / layer dimensions, which can alleviate interference and obtain diversity gain.

[0020] In one possible design, determining the information for two or more transport layers used for downlink signal transmission includes receiving indication information indicating the information for two or more transport layers used for downlink signal transmission.

[0021] In one possible design, the indication information includes one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, transmission timing, one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device, information indicating that the downlink signal is repeatedly transmitted, demodulation reference signal ports on each transport layer for the first communication device, one or more demodulation reference signal ports on each transport layer for other communication devices, modulation and coding schemes for the downlink signal, or transition configurations of resources corresponding to each communication device. For example, the indication information includes information about a first DMRS port and information about a second DMRS port.

[0022] In one possible design, the indication information is carried by downlink control information and / or radio resource control signaling.

[0023] In one possible design, the indication information is carried by downlink control information, which is associated with another downlink control information carried by a downlink control signal. The downlink control information indicates the information for receiving the transmission of the other downlink control information.

[0024] According to the above technical solution, downlink signal transmission for multiple communication devices can be achieved through two-stage DCI. Specifically, for each communication device, information for receiving downlink signal transmission on multiple transmission layers can be carried in the first stage DCI (i.e., DCI#1) of the two-stage DCI, and the second stage DCI of the two-stage DCI can be carried in the downlink signal transmission, thus making more efficient use of resources.

[0025] In one possible design, the downlink control signal includes information about scheduling data transmission and / or downlink power control.

[0026] In one possible design, downlink signal transmission is physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, or downlink signal transmission includes PDCCH transmission and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

[0027] According to a second aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be executed by a network device, which may be a communication equipment (e.g., a base station). The method can also be executed by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the communication equipment. The method is applied in a network device and includes: transmitting indication information indicating information from two or more transport layers; downlink signal transmission including at least a first downlink signal transmission corresponding to a first communication device and a second downlink signal transmission corresponding to a second communication device; and transmitting downlink signals on one or more of the two or more transport layers, the downlink signals including downlink control signals, or the downlink signals including downlink control signals and data.

[0028] In one possible design, downlink control signals and data can be transmitted on one or more transport layers. For example, downlink control signals and data can be transmitted on the same transport layer. As another example, downlink control signals and data can be transmitted on different transport layers.

[0029] In one possible design, two or more transport layers include a first transport layer and a second transport layer, and transmitting downlink signals on one or more of the two or more transport layers includes: sending a first downlink signal to a first communication device on the first transport layer and sending a second downlink signal to a second communication device on the second transport layer.

[0030] In one possible design, the first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal; or, the first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes data; or, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal; or, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another data; or, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal and another data.

[0031] In one possible design, the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port used for the first transport layer is orthogonal to the DMRS port used for the second transport layer.

[0032] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending information about a first DMRS port to a first communication device, the first DMRS port being used for a first downlink signal.

[0033] In one possible design, information from a second DMRS port is sent to a first communication device; the second DMRS port is used for a second downlink signal.

[0034] In one possible design, the first resource is used for the first downlink signal transmission, and the second resource is used for the second downlink signal transmission. The first and second resources transition between any one or more of the following dimensions: time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain.

[0035] In one possible design, the indication information includes one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, transmission timing, one or more transmission layers corresponding to each communication device, information indicating that the downlink signal is repeatedly transmitted, demodulation reference signal ports on each transmission layer for the first communication device, one or more demodulation reference signal ports on each transmission layer for other communication devices, modulation and coding schemes for downlink signals, or hopping configurations of resources corresponding to each communication device.

[0036] In one possible design, the indication information is carried by downlink control information and / or radio resource control signaling.

[0037] In one possible design, the indication information is carried by downlink control information, which is associated with another downlink control information carried by a downlink control signal. The downlink control information indicates the information for receiving the transmission of the other downlink control information.

[0038] In one possible design, the downlink control signal includes information about scheduling data transmission and / or downlink power control.

[0039] In one possible design, downlink signal transmission is physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, or downlink signal transmission includes PDCCH transmission and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

[0040] The various implementation methods of the second aspect correspond to the various implementation methods of the first aspect. The various implementation methods of the second aspect and their beneficial technical effects can be found in the descriptions of the relevant implementation methods of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0041] According to a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method in any possible implementation of the above aspects. Specifically, the apparatus includes units for performing the method in any possible implementation of the above aspects.

[0042] According to the fourth aspect, another communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to memory and can be used to execute one or more instructions in the memory to perform methods in any possible implementation of the various aspects. The memory can be an on-chip storage unit within the processor or an off-chip storage unit coupled to the memory and located outside the processor. In one possible implementation, the device further includes memory. In one possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface to which the processor is coupled.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device can be a UE, a chip, circuit or processing system configured in the UE, or a device that includes the UE.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device can be a base station, a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the base station, or a device that includes the base station.

[0045] According to a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the methods in any possible implementation of the foregoing aspects.

[0046] According to a sixth aspect, a computer program product comprising one or more instructions is provided. When executed by a computer, the instructions cause a communication device to perform any possible implementation of the methods described above.

[0047] According to the seventh aspect, a computer program is provided. When executed by a computer, the computer program causes a communication device to perform the methods in any possible implementation of the above aspects.

[0048] According to an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a first communication device and / or a second communication device, the first communication device being configured to perform the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the second communication device being configured to perform the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0049] According to the ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided for performing the method in any possible implementation of the above aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of this application; Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown; Figure 3 Another example of ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b and / or 170c is shown; Figure 4 These are examples of units or modules within a device; Figure 5 This is an example of a channel model for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system; Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This application provides an example of multiple UEs transmitting their PDCCHs at multiple transport layers. Figure 8 This is another example of the transmission of PDCCH of multiple UEs at multiple transport layers in this application; Figure 9 This is another example of the transmission of PDCCH of multiple UEs at multiple transport layers in this application; Figure 10 This application provides an example of the transmission of PDCCH and PDSCH of different UEs across multiple transport layers. Figure 11 This is an example of information shared by a DMRS port for MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission in this application; Figure 12 This is an example of resource hopping for downlink signal transmission in this application; Figure 13 This is an example of the detection of the DMRS port of the paired UE in this application; Figure 14 This is an example of a two-stage DCI in this application; Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 16 This is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solution of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] The technical solutions in this application embodiment can be applied to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. The technical solutions in this application embodiment can also be applied to various communication systems, such as fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication systems, new ratio (NR) wireless communication systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area networks (WLANs), satellite communication systems, or other evolved communication systems, such as sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems.

[0053] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Figures 1 to 4 The communication system shown is used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0054] refer to Figure 1 As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 can be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation, 6G, or later) radio access network or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110j (generally referred to as 110) can be interconnected with each other or connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, generally referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 can be part of the communication system and can depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. Furthermore, communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0055] refer to Figure 2An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. Typically, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. The communication system 100 can be used to provide content such as voice, data, video, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, and unicast. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.). The communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can create a heterogeneous network that can be viewed as comprising multiple layers. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching.

[0056] Terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems of a communication system. In the example shown, communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110d (collectively referred to as ED 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a and 120b, a non-terrestrial communication network 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RANs 120a and 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a and 170b, which are generally referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a and 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 120c, which are generally referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172.

[0057] Any ED 110 can be alternatively or additionally configured to interface, access, or communicate with any other T-TRP 170a and 170b and NT-TRP 172, Internet 150, core network 130, PSTN 140, other network 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can communicate uplink and / or downlink with T-TRP 170a via interface 190a. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, and 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can communicate uplink and / or downlink with NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c.

[0058] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any applicable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can utilize other high-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0059] The air interface 190c enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP172s via a wireless link (or simply link). In some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection for multicast transmission between a group of EDs and one or more NT-TRPs.

[0060] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice and data, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 120b and / or the core network 130 can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technologies as RANs 120a and / or RAN 120b. The core network 130 can also act as a gateway between (i) RANs 120a and 120b and / or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or other than wireless communication), ED 110a, 110b, and 110c can communicate with a service provider or exchange (not shown) and the Internet 150 via a wired communication channel. PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (internal networks) and integrate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating under various wireless access technologies and integrate multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0061] refer to Figure 3Examples of the ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c are shown. The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearable devices, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0062] Each ED 110 represents any applicable end-user equipment used for wireless operation, which may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics device, smart book, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chips). Future generations of ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs and will be referred to hereinafter as T-TRP 170. Figure 3 The diagram also shows NT-TRP, which will be referred to below as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connectivity availability or connectivity necessity.

[0063] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may, for example, be integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or via a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structures for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structures for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0064] ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and executed by one or more processing units 210. Each memory 208 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, processor cache, etc.

[0065] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to...). Figure 1 (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user, such as a speaker, microphone, numeric keypad, keyboard, display, or touch screen, including network interface communication.

[0066] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing operations including those related to: preparing a transmission for uplink transmission to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; and processing lateral link transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing the transmission for uplink transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. According to an embodiment, receiver 203 may receive downlink transmissions (possibly using receive beamforming), and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). For example, the signaling may be a reference signal transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indication (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0067] Although not shown, processor 210 may be part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown, memory 208 may be part of processor 210.

[0068] Processor 210 and the processing components of transmitter 201 and receiver 203 can all be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 210 and transmitter 201 and receiver 203 can be implemented using special-purpose circuitry such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0069] In some implementations, T-TRP 170 may be referred to by other names, such as: base station, basetransceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, Node B, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP) or wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device or ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), radio unit (RU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. T-TRP 170 can be a macro base station, pico base station, relay node, donor node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned equipment or a device within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0070] In some implementations, the CU (or CU control plane (CP) and CU user plane (UP)), DU, or RU may use other names. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, the CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), the CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), the CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-CP), and the RU can also be called an open RU (O-RU). Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU can be implemented using software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0071] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located at a remote location from the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170, and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link (not shown), sometimes referred to as a fronthaul, such as a common public radio interface (CPRI). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to modules on the network side that perform processing operations such as ED 110 location determination, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, and these modules are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, through cooperative multicast.

[0072] T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing operations including operations related to: preparing a transmission for downlink transmission to ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110; preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to NT-TRP 172; and processing transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. Processor 260 can also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB), generating system information, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 also generates a beam direction indicator, such as a BAI, which scheduler 253 can schedule for transmission. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110, determining the deployment location of NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 can generate signaling, such as for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. It should be noted that the term "signaling" as used herein may also be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in data packets transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0073] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included within T-TRP 170 or operate separately. This scheduler can schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring unscheduled (“configured authorization”) resources. T-TRP 170 also includes memory 258 for storing information and data. Memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by T-TRP 170. For example, memory 258 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by processor 260.

[0074] Although not shown, processor 260 may be part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Furthermore, although not shown, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown, memory 258 may be part of processor 260.

[0075] The processor 260, scheduler 253, and processing components of transmitter 252 and receiver 254 can all be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processor 260, scheduler 253, and processing components of transmitter 252 and receiver 254 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, GPU, or ASIC.

[0076] The NT-TRP 172 is illustrated using only a drone as an example. The NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form. Furthermore, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may be referred to by other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations, including operations related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmission to ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110; preparing transmissions for backhaul transmission to T-TRP 170; and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 170 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 may generate signaling, such as for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-level functions such as medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layer functions. Since this is only an example, more generally, NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0077] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown, a processor 276 may form part of the transmitter 272 and / or receiver 274. Although not shown, the memory 278 may form part of the processor 276.

[0078] Processor 276, as well as the processing components of transmitter 272 and receiver 274, can all be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 can actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, through cooperative multicast.

[0079] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0080] One or more steps of the methods provided in this embodiment can be derived from... Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module is executed.

[0081] refer to Figure 4 Examples of units or modules in devices such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are shown. For example, signals can be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or combinations thereof. For example, one or more units or modules can be integrated circuits such as FPGAs, GPUs, and ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented by, for example, a processor using software, then these modules can be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing, in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0082] Further details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0083] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, MIMO is briefly described below.

[0084] 1) MIMO MIMO technology enables antenna arrays consisting of multiple antennas to perform signal transmission and reception to meet high transmission rate requirements. The aforementioned ED 110, T-TRP 170, and / or NT-TRP use MIMO for communication via radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas at the transmitting and / or receiving devices to transmit radio resource blocks via parallel radio signals. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals for reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can also bond parallel radio signals carrying different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0085] In recent years, MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication systems using T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 antennas with a large number of antennas have received widespread attention from academia and industry. In massive MIMO systems, T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 are typically configured with more than ten antenna elements (e.g., 128 or 256) and serve dozens of ED 110s. The large number of antenna elements in T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 significantly increases the spatial freedom of wireless communication, greatly improves transmission rate, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and largely eliminates inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows each antenna element to be made smaller and less expensive. Utilizing the spatial freedom provided by the large number of antenna elements, each T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 in a cell can communicate with multiple ED 110s in the cell simultaneously on the same time-frequency resources, thereby significantly improving spectral efficiency. The numerous antenna elements of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 also provide each user with better spatial directivity during uplink and downlink transmissions, thereby reducing the transmit power of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 and ED 110, and significantly improving power efficiency. When the number of antennas in the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 is sufficiently large, the random channels between each ED110 and the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be nearly orthogonal, and the effects of interference and noise between the cell and the user can be eliminated. These numerous advantages make massive MIMO a promising technology for widespread applications.

[0086] A MIMO system may include a receiver connected to a receive (Rx) antenna, a transmitter connected to a transmit (Tx) antenna, and a signal processor connected to both the transmitter and receiver. Each of the Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, the Rx antenna may have a ULA antenna array, in which multiple antennas are arranged in a straight line at uniform intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through the Tx antenna, the Rx antenna may receive signals reflected and returned from a target in front. The receiver may be an ED (i.e., ED 110), and the transmitter may be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172), or the receiver may be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172), and the transmitter may be an ED (i.e., ED 110).

[0087] refer to Figure 5 As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified diagram of a communication scenario is provided. Specifically, Figure 5 This is an example of a channel model for a MIMO system. The transmitting unit is connected to four Tx antennas, x1 to x4, and the receiving unit is connected to four Rx antennas, y1 to y4. A transmission channel can be formed between each Tx antenna and each Rx antenna. For example, an RF signal transmitted through x1 can be received by y2 through channel h21. An RF signal transmitted through x3 can be received by y1 through channel h13.

[0088] In the following text, the base station is used as an example of T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172, and the UE is used as an example of ED 110. However, this document does not impose any limitations on this.

[0089] 2) PDCCH In the downlink, control signaling can be transmitted in a control channel, which may be referred to as PDCCH. Specifically, PDCCH is a physical downlink channel used to carry bit strings (e.g., downlink control information (DCI) bits). For example, PDCCH can be composed of a string consisting of encoded DCI bits plus cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits.

[0090] In some embodiments, the signal carried on the PDCCH may also be referred to as the PDCCH. Specifically, sending / receiving the PDCCH means sending / receiving the signal carried by the PDCCH.

[0091] 3) DCI DCI can be used to schedule data transmission or provide feedback on data transmission. For example, DCI may include information about scheduling data transmission (e.g., for downlink / uplink data transmission or sidelink (SL) data transmission) and / or power control (e.g., uplink power control, sidelink power control, or downlink power control).

[0092] The 400 MHz system bandwidth in the 10-13 GHz range is considered the most promising mid-band for achieving wide-area coverage and capacity enhancement in 6G systems. Using 400 MHz bandwidth in the 10-13 GHz band, approximately 1000 transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) antenna arrays can be deployed at the base station side, and approximately 30 Tx / Rx antenna arrays can be deployed at the UE side, significantly larger than the scale of 5G antenna arrays. MIMO is a technology applied in the 10 to 13 GHz frequency band. It can improve the peak rate of single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) through approximately 20 transmission layers and enhance the network's peak throughput through approximately 300 multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) layers, achieving terabit-level system throughput; therefore, this MIMO can also be called terabit MIMO (T-MIMO). On both the base station and UE sides, this ultra-large scale antenna generates a rich set of multiple transmission layers, which can be referred to as multiple spatial layers or multiple layers. These multiple transmission layers not only improve data transmission performance but can also be used to improve the transmission of control signals between the base station and the UE in the downlink and uplink directions. Where applicable, these multiple transmission layers can also be used in other links, such as the sidelink between two UEs.

[0093] Control signal transmission (e.g., downlink control signal transmission, or sidelink control signal transmission) plays one or more of the following roles: scheduling data transmission, providing feedback on data transmission results, and providing feedback on channel measurement results. On the one hand, any errors or missed detections in control signals can lead to false detections or misinterpretations in data transmission in the downlink, uplink, or sidelink. Errors in feedback can also lead to erroneous behavior at the transmitting end (e.g., base station or UE), thus affecting the receiving end (e.g., UE) and system performance. Therefore, the error rate tolerable for control signal transmission is very low, far lower than that tolerable for data transmission. For data channels, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process is used to support retransmissions and the mixing and merging of original and retransmitted data, thereby offsetting channel impairments and improving system robustness. However, there is no such mechanism to improve the performance of control channels. Another challenge in control signal (or control channel) transmission is that the receiving end cannot know the exact time and location of the control signal transmission; therefore, the receiving end can only rely on searching and blind decoding of the control signal, which increases the complexity of detection and decoding. Therefore, more resources need to be allocated to control signal transmission to ensure its robust and reliable performance. On the other hand, the capacity of the control signal is related to the overall system capacity; a larger control signal capacity allows for more schedulable data transmission and more feedback information to be delivered, thus increasing the overall system capacity. In short, the reliability, robustness, and capacity of the control signal directly affect the performance of the entire system.

[0094] In existing technologies, control signals in the physical (PHY) layer are transmitted on a single transport layer (or a single spatial layer or a single layer) within a time-frequency resource (or time-frequency resource set or time-frequency resource block) in both downlink and uplink. Time-frequency resources are typically shared by multiple UEs to balance performance and overhead. This can limit the capacity and reliability of control signal transmission. For example, in downlink, a CORESET is defined (or configured) and shared by multiple UEs for UE PDCCH transmission. The size of the CORESET and the number of UEs configured on it can directly affect the performance and capacity limitations of downlink control signals because the same time-frequency resources are shared among UEs. Trade-offs need to be made between performance, overhead, and capacity. Allocating more resources to a UE can improve its control signal performance. Conversely, fewer or no resources can be allocated to other UEs (since these UEs share the same CORESET), or the number of UEs using the time-frequency resources in the same CORESET can be reduced. Configuring more CORESETs or increasing the size of the CORESET can improve both downlink control signal performance and capacity. However, the increased overhead of downlink control signals may lead to a reduction in resources available for data transmission over the configured time-frequency resources. This could adversely affect overall system performance.

[0095] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a solution for control signal transmission (e.g., downlink control signal transmission, or sidelink control signal transmission) that can utilize multiple transport layers and is applicable to multiple UEs. In other words, for multiple UEs, their control signals can be transmitted on multiple transport layers. When multiple transport layers are available, the control signals (e.g., PDCCH) of multiple UEs can be transmitted simultaneously on multiple transport layers; that is, one or more transport layers are added above a single transport layer for time-frequency resources used for control signal transmission. This means that more time-frequency resources can be utilized to send and / or receive control signals. Compared to single-layer control signal transmission, this can significantly improve the performance and capacity of control signal transmission.

[0096] Specifically, in some scenarios (e.g., T-MIMO scenarios), the use of more antennas on both the base station and UE sides allows for the acquisition of more transport layers with high channel quality, opening up a new dimension (spatial dimension) for improving system performance. Control signal transmission can also benefit from the availability of multiple transport layers. If multiple transport layers are used for downlink control signal transmission between the base station and UE (e.g., PDCCH transmission) or for control signal transmission between two UEs on the sidelink, more time-frequency resources will be provided for control signals compared to a single transport layer. This can not only improve the reliability / robustness of control signal transmission (e.g., by allocating more time-frequency resources and using lower coding rates) but also increase the capacity of control signals (more time-frequency resources can accommodate more UEs to transmit their control signals, which have larger payloads).

[0097] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of description, the following description will use downstream transmission as an example.

[0098] In the embodiments of this application, the transport layer can be referred to as a spatial layer for carrying information (control information or data) for transmission, or as a layer for the same purpose. Information carried on the transport layer can be mapped to time-frequency resources using corresponding antenna ports before transmission. Multiple transport layers may enable multiple independent information streams (one stream per layer) to be wirelessly transmitted simultaneously from a transmitter (e.g., a base station, or a UE) to a receiver (e.g., a UE), thereby improving throughput or reliability. However, this is not a limitation herein. The term "transport layer" is used for ease of description only and does not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. For example, a transport layer can be shown in the form of a beam, therefore this embodiment can be applied to beams.

[0099] In the embodiments of this application, time-frequency resources may be referred to as any of the following: resources, time-frequency domain resources, time-frequency resource sets, or time-frequency resource blocks.

[0100] In this application embodiment, "and / or" describes the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally represents an "OR" relationship between related objects. "At least one" means one or more. "At least one of A and B" is similar to "A and / or B" in describing the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, at least one of A and B can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0101] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication method 600 can be executed by a communication device (e.g., a base station or a UE), or by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the communication device. The following embodiments are described using the example of the communication method 600 being executed by a UE.

[0102] In S610, the first UE determines information for two or more transport layers for downlink signal transmission, the downlink signal transmission including a first downlink signal transmission corresponding to a first communication device and a second downlink signal transmission corresponding to a second communication device.

[0103] The first or second communication device is a UE, or a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in a UE. For distinction, the first communication device is referred to as the first UE, and the second communication device is referred to as the second UE.

[0104] Downlink signal transmission includes at least a first downlink signal transmission and a second downlink signal transmission, which means that the first downlink signal transmission and the second downlink signal transmission can use two or more transmission layers, or the first UE and the second UE can use two or more transmission layers.

[0105] Downlink signal transmissions correspond to multiple communication devices. Specifically, for example, a first downlink signal transmission corresponds to a first communication device (i.e., a first UE), and a second downlink signal transmission corresponds to a second communication device (i.e., a second UE). The multiple communication devices (e.g., the first UE and the second UE) may be referred to as paired communication devices (e.g., paired UEs).

[0106] The first downlink signal transmission corresponding to the first UE (or the first downlink signal transmission for the first UE) means that the downlink signal with respect to (also referred to as relative to, from) the first downlink signal transmission is a downlink signal for the first UE; in other words, the first downlink signal transmission is destined for the first UE, or the first downlink signal transmission is targeted at the first UE. Similarly, the second downlink signal transmission corresponding to the second UE means that the downlink signal with respect to the second downlink signal transmission is a downlink signal for the second UE; in other words, the second downlink signal transmission is destined for the second UE, or the second downlink signal transmission is targeted at the second UE. In communication transmission, the base station can send multiple downlink signals, and multiple UEs receive their respective downlink signals. This application embodiment uses the downlink signal transmission of the first UE and the second UE as an example to describe the scheme of this application in detail.

[0107] Two or more transport layers can be referred to as multiple transport layers (multiple transport layers) or several transport layers. Similarly, one or more transport layers can be referred to as at least one transport layer.

[0108] For example, two or more transport layers are all the transport layers involved in the scheduling, or a subset of all the transport layers involved in the scheduling.

[0109] In S620, the first UE receives downlink signals regarding the transmission of a first downlink signal on one or more of two or more transport layers.

[0110] Accordingly, the base station transmits downlink signals regarding the transmission of the first downlink signal on one or more transport layers. For example, for a UE (e.g., the first UE), two or more transport layers are configured for downlink control signal transmission, while in actual communication, one or more of the two or more transport layers may be used to transmit downlink signals.

[0111] In addition, the base station can transmit downlink signals regarding the transmission of the second downlink signal on one or more transport layers, and correspondingly, the second UE receives downlink signals regarding the transmission of the second downlink signal on one or more transport layers.

[0112] Downlink signals may include downlink control signals, or downlink signals may include both downlink control signals and data. In some embodiments, downlink control signals may include information about scheduling data transmission (e.g., for downlink / uplink data transmission, or sidelink data transmission) and / or power control (e.g., uplink power control, sidelink power control, or downlink power control). For example, a downlink control signal may be a PDCCH.

[0113] In some embodiments, downlink signal transmission includes PDCCH transmission and / or PDSCH transmission. For example, a first downlink signal transmission includes PDCCH transmission and / or PDSCH transmission, and a second downlink signal transmission includes PDSCH transmission and / or PDCCH transmission.

[0114] / / MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission on multiple layers In some embodiments, the transport layer used for the first downlink signal transmission is different from the transport layer used for the second downlink signal transmission.

[0115] In one possible implementation, two or more transport layers include a first transport layer and a second transport layer. The first transport layer is used to carry a first downlink signal for a first UE, and the second transport layer is used to carry a second downlink signal for a second UE. The first transport layer and the second transport layer are different. This application embodiment does not limit the number of transport layers used to carry the first downlink signal and the second downlink signal.

[0116] The first downlink signal may include a downlink control signal (e.g., PDCCH) and / or data (e.g., PDSCH), and the second downlink signal may include another downlink control signal (e.g., another PDCCH) and / or another data (e.g., another PDSCH). For example, the first downlink signal is a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal is another downlink control signal. As another example, the first downlink signal is a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal is data. As another example, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal is another downlink control signal. As another example, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal is another data. As another example, the first downlink signal includes both a downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes another downlink control signal and another data.

[0117] The following section primarily uses PDCCH as the downstream control signal and PDSCH as the data signal to detail the scheme of this application. PDCCH and PDSCH are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application in any way.

[0118] When multiple transport layers are available, the PDCCH and / or PDSCH of multiple UEs (e.g., a first UE and a second UE) can be transmitted simultaneously on multiple transport layers. There are different scenarios for transmitting the PDCCH and / or PDSCH of multiple UEs across multiple transport layers, which will be described in detail below.

[0119] In scenario #1, multiple UEs' PDCCHs are transmitted simultaneously at multiple transport layers using MU-MIMO. In this scenario, the first downlink signal mentioned above is a PDCCH, and the second downlink signal mentioned above is another PDCCH.

[0120] refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is an example of the transmission of PDCCH of multiple UEs at multiple transport layers in this application.

[0121] like Figure 7 As shown, PDCCH transmission uses two transmission layers, referred to as layer #0 and layer #1 respectively. Specifically, the first PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #1) of the first UE (e.g., UE #1) is transmitted on layer #0, and the second PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #2) of the second UE (e.g., UE #2) is transmitted on layer #1.

[0122] refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is another example of the transmission of PDCCH of multiple UEs at multiple transport layers in this application.

[0123] like Figure 8As shown, PDCCH transmission uses three transmission layers, referred to as layer #0, layer #1 and layer #2 respectively. Specifically, the first PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #1) of the first UE (e.g., UE #1) is transmitted on layers #0 and #1, and the second PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #2) of the second UE (e.g., UE #2) is transmitted on layer #2.

[0124] refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is another example of the transmission of PDCCH of multiple UEs at multiple transport layers in this application.

[0125] like Figure 9 As shown, PDCCH transmission uses three transmission layers, referred to as layer #0, layer #1 and layer #2 respectively. Specifically, the first PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #1) of the first UE (e.g., UE #1) is transmitted on layer #0, the second PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #2) of the first UE (e.g., UE #1) is transmitted on layer #1, and the third PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #3) of the second UE (e.g., UE #2) is transmitted on layer #2.

[0126] Case #2: PDCCH and PDSCH of different UEs are transmitted simultaneously on multiple transport layers.

[0127] refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is an example of the transmission of PDCCH and PDSCH of different UEs on multiple transport layers. Depending on the situation, the first downlink signal may be PDCCH and the second downlink signal may be PDSCH; or, the first downlink signal may be PDSCH and the second downlink signal may be PDCCH.

[0128] like Figure 10 As shown, downlink signal transmission (i.e., PDCCH transmission and PDSCH transmission) uses two transmission layers, referred to as layer #0 and layer #1, respectively. Specifically, the PDCCH of the UE (e.g., UE #1) is transmitted on layer #0, and the PDSCH of another UE (e.g., UE #2) is transmitted on layer #1.

[0129] A problem faced by MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission is inter-UE interference, because a UE may experience inter-UE interference caused by the PDCCH / PDSCH of one or more UEs transmitted on other transport layers. Some embodiments of this application disclose several methods to mitigate inter-UE interference.

[0130] Method #1 allows the use of orthogonal DMRS ports to demodulate PDCCH / PDSCH on different transport layers. For example, the base station sends information from the first DMRS port to the first UE and information from the second DMRS port to the second UE. Accordingly, the first UE receives information from the first DMRS port, the second UE receives information from the second DMRS port, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are orthogonal.

[0131] Specifically, for example, the DMRS port used for the first transport layer is orthogonal to the DMRS port used for the second transport layer. In other words, the DMRS port used for the first downlink signal transmitted on the first transport layer is orthogonal to the DMRS port used for the second downlink signal transmitted on the second transport layer.

[0132] Method #2 allows UEs to share information about DMRS ports configured for downlink signaling transmission for different UEs. For example, DMRS port information may include one or more of the following: DMRS port number, DMRS mode, and DMRS sequence.

[0133] Specifically, if the downlink signal transmission of multiple UEs is in MU-MIMO mode, the information of the DMRS ports configured for the downlink signal transmission of these multiple UEs can be shared among these UEs. That is, each UE can be notified of the DMRS port information of other UEs. For example, a first UE receives first indication information indicating the information of a second DMRS port used for a second downlink signal. Alternatively, for example, the first indication information may include the information of the second DMRS port.

[0134] refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is an example of information regarding the shared DMRS port for MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission in this application.

[0135] like Figure 11 As shown, PDCCH transmission uses two transport layers, referred to as layer #0 and layer #1. Specifically, the first PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #1) of the first UE (e.g., UE #1) and the second PDCCH (e.g., PDCCH #2) of the second UE (e.g., UE #2) are transmitted in MU-MIMO mode, as follows. Figure 11As shown, PDCCH#1 is transmitted on layer #0, and PDCCH#2 is transmitted on layer #1. PDCCH#1 and PDCCH#2 are different. A first DMRS port (e.g., DMRS port #1) is assigned / configured for demodulating PDCCH#1, and a second DMRS port (e.g., DMRS port #2) is assigned / configured for demodulating PDCCH#2. To mitigate interference between UE#1 and UE#2, DMRS port information can be shared between UE#1 and UE#2. That is, UE#2 can be notified of the information of DMRS port #1, and UE#1 can be notified of the information of DMRS port #2. The information of DMRS port #1 is also notified to UE#1, and the information of DMRS port #2 is also notified to UE#2.

[0136] The following describes several methods for sharing DMRS port information between a first UE and a second UE.

[0137] In method #1, the base station sends information about a first DMRS port and a second DMRS port to a first UE. Correspondingly, the first UE receives the information about the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port. The first DMRS port is used for a first downlink signal, and the second DMRS port is used for a second downlink signal. Similarly, the base station sends information about the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port to a second UE. Correspondingly, the second UE receives the information about the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port.

[0138] For example, with Figure 11 For example, the base station sends information about DMRS port #1 and DMRS port #2 to UE#1, and the base station sends information about DMRS port #2 and DMRS port #1 to UE#2.

[0139] In method #2, the base station sends information about the first DMRS port to the first UE and information about the second DMRS port to the second UE, and the second UE sends information about the second DMRS port to the first UE. Correspondingly, the first UE receives information about the first DMRS port from the base station and information about the second DMRS port from the second UE. Similarly, the first UE sends information about the first DMRS port to the second UE, and correspondingly, the second UE receives information about the second DMRS port from the base station and information about the first DMRS port from the first UE.

[0140] For example, with Figure 11 For example, the base station sends information about DMRS port #1 to UE#1, and UE#1 sends information about DMRS port #1 to UE#2. Similarly, the base station sends information about DMRS port #2 to UE#2, and UE#2 sends information about DMRS port #2 to UE#1.

[0141] The above implementation methods are merely examples, and this article does not impose any restrictions on them.

[0142] In some embodiments, in S620, the first UE receives downlink signals at one or more transport layers based on both the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port. For example, the first UE can perform demodulation of interference cancellation / mitigation operations (also known as anti-interference operations) based on both the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port. Therefore, the first UE can demodulate its own downlink signal based on the first DMRS port and perform interference mitigation operations based on the second DMRS port.

[0143] Specifically, from the UE's perspective, the UE measures the interference channels on the DMRS ports configured for other UEs and applies a method to cancel or mitigate inter-UE interference. For example, methods to cancel or mitigate inter-UE interference include one or more of the following: minimum mean square error (MMSE), interference rejection combining (IRC), or successive interference cancellation (SIC).

[0144] If a UE's PDCCH / PDSCH is not transmitted at the transport layer, other UEs can detect this lack of transmission by measuring the corresponding DMRS port. Furthermore, if a UE determines that another UE's PDCCH / PDSCH is not transmitted at the transport layer, it will not consider that other UE as an interfering UE.

[0145] Furthermore, information about DMRS ports configured for downlink signal transmission of different UEs can be shared among UEs that support interference cancellation / mitigation. In other words, information about DMRS ports configured for different UEs can be shared based on UE capabilities. Specifically, since not all UEs support interference cancellation / mitigation, DMRS port information can be shared among UEs with the capability to facilitate inter-UE interference cancellation / mitigation. For one or more UEs that do not have this capability, one or more UEs may treat inter-UE interference as noise during demodulation and decoding.

[0146] Method #3 can use a hopping operation for downlink signal transmission to mitigate interference.

[0147] Specifically, for example, a first resource is used for a first downlink signal transmission, and a second resource is used for a second downlink signal transmission, wherein the first resource and / or the second resource transitions in any one or more of the time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain. The first resource or the second resource includes time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources.

[0148] refer to Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is an example of resource transitions for downlink signal transmission in this application.

[0149] like Figure 12 As shown, downlink signal transmission uses two transport layers, referred to as Layer #0 and Layer #1. A set of resources can be configured for each UE for its MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission, and resources can be configured for each UE hop between time / frequency / layer dimensions to mitigate interference and obtain diversity gain. For example... Figure 12 As shown, three sets of resources (or resource blocks) can be configured for three UEs (e.g., UE#1, UE#2, and UE#3). These UEs are paired for downlink signal transmission. The resources (or resource blocks) configured for each UE (or the downlink signal transmission corresponding to each UE) hop between the time domain, frequency domain, and spatial domain. Compared to using adjacent resources to transmit downlink signals, using hopped resources to transmit downlink signals can reduce interference between UEs (e.g., UE#1, UE#2, and UE#3). Resource hopping can refer to existing technologies, but is not limited to them, and will not be described herein.

[0150] / / MU-MIMO on multiple layers of PDCCH / PDSCH In some embodiments, where the UE (e.g., a first UE) supports reception of multiple transport layers and one or more of the transport layers are used for downlink control signal transmission, the other one or more transport layers can be used for other transmissions, such as data (e.g., PDSCH). For example, in S620, the first UE receives downlink control signals on a first transport layer and receives data on a second transport layer. The data may or may not be associated with the downlink control signals. For example, the data may be scheduled by the downlink control signals on one of the transport layers. As another example, the data may be scheduled by other control signals.

[0151] Specifically, PDCCH transmissions may not occur at every transmission opportunity, especially when transmission opportunities are configured in a semi-static manner. Therefore, PDCCH transmissions and other transmissions (e.g., data transmissions) by multiple UEs (e.g., a first UE and a second UE) can share the same time-frequency resources at the same transport layer, thus saving time-frequency resources when PDCCH transmissions are not performed. For example, if a PDCCH is not transmitted for a UE at a configured transmission opportunity, data transmission can be performed instead. Data transmission can be scheduled earlier than the assumed PDCCH transmission.

[0152] In some embodiments, the UE can determine whether downlink signal transmissions (e.g., PDSCH transmissions and / or PDCCH transmissions) for other UEs (e.g., paired UEs) exist on a transport layer (e.g., an adjacent transport layer). For example, a first UE can determine whether a second downlink signal transmission exists on a transport layer configured for a second UE. The first UE can detect the DMRS port of the PDCCH / PDSCH allocated / configured for demodulating the second UE to determine whether a second downlink signal transmission exists.

[0153] Specifically, assuming that downlink signal transmissions of multiple UEs are transmitted in MU-MIMO mode on multiple transport layers, a UE (e.g., the first UE) may not be able to decode the scheduling of PDSCH / PDCCH from one or more paired UEs (e.g., the second UE), while the UE may detect one or more DMRS ports configured for one or more paired UEs to determine whether downlink signal transmissions exist on the transport layer configured for one or more paired UEs.

[0154] refer to Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is an example of the detection of the DMRS port of the paired UE in this application.

[0155] like Figure 13As shown, downlink signal transmission uses two transport layers, referred to as Layer #0 and Layer #1. If UE #1 and UE #2 are paired for downlink signal transmission in MU-MIMO mode on multiple transport layers, the DMRS ports configured / assigned to each UE for its downlink signals (PDCCH and / or PDSCH) on each transport layer can be shared with each other. That is, DMRS port #1 for UE #1 can be shared with UE #2, and DMRS port #2 for UE #2 can be shared with UE #1. The fact that DMRS port #1 for UE #1 can be shared with UE #2 means that information about DMRS port #1 can be communicated to UE #2, and the fact that DMRS port #2 for UE #2 can be shared with UE #1 means that information about DMRS port #2 can be communicated to UE #1. Each UE can detect the DMRS ports configured / assigned to paired UEs to determine whether there is PDCCH / PDSCH transmission for the paired UE. For example, UE #1 can detect DMRS port #2, and UE #2 can detect DMRS port #1. If the detection shows DMRS transmissions on those DMRS ports, the UE can perform inter-UE interference cancellation / mitigation while decoding its own PDCCH / PDSCH. Otherwise, the UE may not consider interference cancellation / mitigation. Each UE is not actually concerned about whether one or more paired UEs send one or more PDCCH / PDSCHs, because one or more PDCCH / PDSCHs are interference to that UE. The UE is more concerned about whether there are transmissions (considered as interference) targeting one or more paired UEs.

[0156] / / Configuration / Instructions for MU-MIMO PDCCH Transmission Downlink signal transmission that can be carried on two or more transport layers can be configured by the base station or dynamically indicated by the base station. Specifically, for example, the base station can determine that multiple UEs are carrying out their own PDCCH transmissions on two or more transport layers in MU-MIMO mode, and therefore the base station can notify multiple UEs of the PDCCH transmission information.

[0157] In some embodiments, at S610, the first UE receives indication information indicating information for two or more transport layers used for downlink control signal transmission.

[0158] In some embodiments, the indication information includes one or more of the following: time-domain resource information, frequency-domain resource information, transmission timing information, one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device, information indicating that the downlink signal is repeatedly transmitted, demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port information configured for each communication device on each transport layer, transition configuration of resources corresponding to each communication device, or information on the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the downlink signal. This information will be described in detail below.

[0159] 1) Time-domain resources Time-domain resources are used for downlink signal transmission; specifically, downlink signals are transmitted using time-domain resources.

[0160] The time dimension can be represented using time-domain units, which may include, but are not limited to, symbols, OFDM symbols, time slots, and transmission time intervals (TTI). Time-domain resources include one or more time-domain units.

[0161] 2) Frequency domain resources Frequency domain resources are used for downlink signal transmission; specifically, downlink signals are transmitted using frequency domain resources.

[0162] Frequency dimension can be represented using frequency domain units, which may include, but are not limited to, subcarriers, subbands, resource blocks (RBs), and resource block groups (RBGs). Frequency domain resources consist of one or more frequency domain units.

[0163] 3) Transmission timing Downlink signal transmission (e.g., PDCCH transmission) can be periodic or aperiodic.

[0164] If downlink signal transmission is periodic, the transmission timing information can be the period and offset time slot (or symbol) of the transmission timing.

[0165] If the downlink signal transmission is aperiodic, the information about the transmission timing can be the number of offset time slots (or symbols) and aperiodic time slots (or symbols).

[0166] Information on transmission timing indicates to the UE the potential timing for downlink signal transmission. For example, whether a base station sends downlink control signals (e.g., PDCCH) depends on data and resource availability as well as other scheduling considerations, and the UE can perform blind detection and decoding of actual PDCCH transmissions.

[0167] 4) One or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device (e.g., the first UE or the second UE). In one possible implementation, the information of one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device includes one or more of the following: one or more indices of one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device, the number of one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device, the associated PDCCH, or the associated communication device.

[0168] In addition, the information of one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device may also include other indication and associated information. For example, if different downlink control signals carrying different DCIs are transmitted on multiple transport layers, the information of one or more transport layers corresponding to each communication device may also include one or more of the following: information related to the TRP, information related to the CC, or information related to the service, etc.

[0169] 5) Information indicating that the downlink signal is being repeatedly transmitted. This information is used to configure downlink signals (e.g., PDCCH) to be repeatedly transmitted on different transport layers.

[0170] Additionally, if the downlink signal (e.g., PDCCH) is repeatedly transmitted, the indication information may include, for example, information about one or more transport layers used for repeatedly transmitting the downlink signal (e.g., an index of the transport layer used for repeatedly transmitting the downlink signal). Alternatively, the one or more transport layers used for repeatedly transmitting the downlink signal may be predefined; for example, there may be two or more transport layers used for repeatedly transmitting the downlink signal.

[0171] Additionally, if downlink signals (e.g., PDCCH) are repeatedly transmitted, the manner in which they are repeatedly transmitted can be configured, such as by creating redundant versions of the downlink information or by applying cyclic precoding to the same downlink signal at each transport layer. The manner in which downlink signals are repeatedly transmitted can be predefined or carried by indication information.

[0172] 6) Information on the DMRS port for each communication device (e.g., the first UE or the second UE) at each transport layer. This information is used to configure the DMRS port for each of two or more transport layers. Specifically, it is used to configure the DMRS port for demodulating PDCCH / PDSCH transmitted on a particular transport layer. For example, the DMRS port information includes one or more of the following: DMRS port number, DMRS mode, and DMRS sequence.

[0173] For example, DMRS ports used for different transport layers can be orthogonal.

[0174] For the first UE, the information of the DMRS port for each communication device on each transport layer includes at least: the information of the DMRS port for the first UE on each transport layer, and the information of one or more DMRS ports for other communication devices (e.g., the second UE) on each transport layer.

[0175] Specifically, as described above, to facilitate interference cancellation / mitigation between UEs, the DMRS ports of paired UEs performing their respective PDCCH transmissions in MU-MIMO mode can also notify / indicate each other. For example, if a UE supports interference cancellation / mitigation, it can notify the DMRS ports of other UEs. If DMRS ports are configured, the configuration of DMRS ports can include the DMRS ports used by all paired UEs (including the UE itself) for MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission. Furthermore, if the information of the DMRS ports used for each communication device at each transport layer is dynamically indicated, for example, the DMRS ports used for MU-MIMO downlink signal transmission for the UE itself and the DMRS ports used for other paired UEs can be indicated separately.

[0176] 7) Information on the MCS used for downlink signals This information is used to configure the MCS for each of two or more transport layers.

[0177] For example, if the CQI is different on each transport layer, the MCS information includes more MCSs for each of two or more transport layers.

[0178] For example, if the CQIs on each transport layer are close to each other, the MCS information includes an MCS for two or more transport layers. Alternatively, this information could be an MCS plus a set of MCS offsets to indicate the MCSs for different transport layers.

[0179] 8) Switching configuration of resources (e.g., time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources) corresponding to each communication device (e.g., the first UE or the second UE). For example, the hopping configuration of resources corresponding to each communication device includes one or more of the following: hopping mode or hopping cycle.

[0180] In some embodiments, the indication information is carried by downlink control information (e.g., referred to as DCI#1) and / or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the indication information is carried by RRC signaling. Specifically, this information can be semi-statically configured by higher-level signaling (e.g., RRC signaling).

[0182] In another possible implementation, the indication information is carried by DCI#1. Specifically, this information can be dynamically indicated by lower-layer signaling (e.g., DCI). According to this implementation, since the base station can coordinate all transmissions, conflicts or waste of time and frequency resources are reduced.

[0183] In some embodiments, DCI#1 is carried by the downlink control signal received by the UE at S610. Furthermore, DCI#1 is associated with DCI#2, which is carried by the downlink control signal received by the UE at S620. According to this embodiment, the mechanism regarding DCI#1 and DCI#2 can be referred to as two-stage DCI. The "two-stage DCI" mechanism can improve resource utilization. Specifically, if the base station dynamically instructs the PDCCH transmission of multiple UEs, then for each UE (e.g., the first UE), this dynamic instruction (e.g., the instruction information described above) can be carried by the first-stage DCI (i.e., DCI#1) in the two-stage DCI, and the UE receives the second-stage DCI (i.e., DCI#2) in the two-stage DCI based on the first-stage DCI.

[0184] refer to Figure 14 , Figure 14 This is an example of a two-stage DCI in this application. For example... Figure 14 As shown, UE#1 and UE#2 respectively detect / decode their respective first-stage DCI. UE#1 and UE#2 can determine the information (e.g., time-frequency resources and / or transport layer) for their respective PDCCHs carrying one or more corresponding second-stage DCIs. Accordingly, the second-stage DCIs of UE#1 and UE#2 are transmitted in MU-MIMO mode on different transport layers, that is, the second-stage DCI of UE#1 is transmitted on layer #0, and the second-stage DCI of UE#2 is transmitted on layer #1.

[0185] In some of the above embodiments, for example Figures 7 to 14 Taking layers #0, #1, and #2 as examples, this application does not limit the number of transmission layers used for downlink signal transmission, nor does it limit the number of transmission layers carrying downlink signals. The transmission layers used for downlink signal transmission include the transmission layers that actually carry the downlink signals, and... Figures 7 to 14 For example, the two or more transport layers at S620 include layer #0, layer #1 and layer #2.

[0186] In some of the above embodiments, downlink transmission is used as an example for illustration. The above embodiments can be used for sidelink transmission. For example, in S610, the UE determines information of two or more transport layers for receiving sidelink control signal transmission; in S620, the UE receives sidelink control signals on one or more of the two or more transport layers, and correspondingly, another UE transmits sidelink control signals on one or more transport layers.

[0187] The above text combined Figures 6 to 14 A method according to embodiments of this application is described in detail below. Figures 15-16 The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail. The description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, any content not described in detail can be referred to the above method embodiments. For the sake of brevity, further details are omitted here.

[0188] refer to Figure 15 This diagram illustrates a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1500 includes a transceiver unit 1510 and a processing unit 1520. The transceiver unit 1510 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 1510 is used to perform data processing. The transceiver unit 1510 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0189] In some embodiments, the communication device 1500 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 1520 may read the instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the communication device to implement the method embodiments described above.

[0190] The communication device 1500 can be used to perform the actions performed by the UE in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device 1500 can be the UE or a component that can be configured in the UE. The transceiver unit 1510 is used to perform the receive / transmit related operations on the UE side in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1520 is used to perform the processing related operations on the UE side in the above method embodiments.

[0191] The communication device 1500 can implement the embodiments of this application. Figures 6 to 14 The steps or processes executed by the UE in the communication device 1500. Figures 6 to 14 The unit is responsible for implementing the method of the UE. Additionally, each unit in the communication device 1500 and the other operations and / or functions described above are used to implement... Figures 6 to 14 The corresponding process in the text.

[0192] Alternatively, the communication device 1500 can be used to perform the actions performed by the base station in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device 1500 can be a base station or a component that can be configured in the base station. The transceiver unit 1510 is used to perform the receive / transmit related operations on the base station side in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1520 is used to perform the processing related operations on the base station side in the above method embodiments.

[0193] The communication device 1500 can implement the embodiments of this application. Figures 6 to 14 The steps or processes performed by the base station in the communication device 1500. Figures 6 to 14 The base station in the communication device 1500 is a unit that executes the method. Furthermore, each unit in the communication device 1500 and the other operations and / or functions described above are used to implement... Figures 6 to 14 The corresponding process in the text.

[0194] The specific process by which each unit performs the corresponding steps described above has been explained in detail in the above method embodiments. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0195] refer to Figure 16 The diagram illustrates a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1600 includes a processor 1610. The processor 1610 is coupled to a memory 1620. The memory 1620 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 1610 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 1620 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0196] In some embodiments, the communication device 1600 includes one or more processors 1610.

[0197] In the example, such as Figure 16 As shown, the communication device 1600 may also include a memory 1620.

[0198] In some embodiments, the communication device 1600 may include one or more memories 1620.

[0199] In the example, memory 1620 can be integrated with processor 1610 or set up separately from processor 1610.

[0200] In the example, such as Figure 16 As shown, the communication device 1600 may further include a transceiver 1630, wherein the transceiver 1630 is used to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 1610 may be used to control the transceiver 1630 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0201] In some embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be a UE or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, or processing system) that can be configured in a UE; the communication device 1600 may also be a base station or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, or processing system) that can be configured in a base station.

[0202] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 is used to perform the operations performed by the UE in the above method embodiment.

[0203] For example, processor 1610 can be used to perform processing-related operations performed by the UE in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 1630 can be used to perform receiving / transmitting-related operations performed by the UE in the above method embodiments.

[0204] In another embodiment, the communication device 1600 is used to perform the operations performed by the base station in the above method embodiment.

[0205] For example, processor 1610 can be used to perform processing-related operations performed by the base station in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 1630 can be used to perform receiving / transmitting-related operations performed by the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0206] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the UE or the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0207] For example, when a computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method executed by the UE or the method executed by the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0208] This application also provides a computer program product including instructions. When the instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements the method executed by the UE or the method executed by the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0209] This application also provides a communication system. The communication system includes the UE and base station described in the above embodiments.

[0210] The explanation and beneficial effects of any of the communication devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above. Further details are omitted here.

[0211] The processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU). The processor can also be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or another programmable logic device, discrete gate, transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or the processor can be any conventional processor.

[0212] The memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM can include a variety of forms, such as: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0213] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, another programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0214] It should also be noted that the memory described in this specification is intended to include, but is not limited to, these memories and any other suitable types of memory.

[0215] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the units and methods, can be implemented in electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be outside the scope of protection of this application.

[0216] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the above-described apparatus and units can be referred to the corresponding process in the above method embodiments. Further details will not be repeated here.

[0217] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the described apparatus embodiments are merely examples. For example, dividing into units is merely a logical functional division and may be other divisions in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted or not performed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or described can be implemented through some interface. Indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units can be implemented in electronic, mechanical or other forms.

[0218] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to implement the solution provided in this application, depending on actual needs.

[0219] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into one unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0220] All or part of the above embodiments can be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When an embodiment is implemented using software, all or part of the embodiment can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of them generate a process or function according to the embodiments of this application. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or another programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, a network device, etc. Computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, and microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer, or it can be a data storage device integrating one or more available media, such as a server or data center. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), a semiconductor medium (e.g., SSD), etc. For example, the available media can include, but are not limited to, any media that can store program code, such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, ROM, RAM, disks, or optical discs.

[0221] The above description is merely some specific implementations of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that are readily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application are within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims and the specification.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied in a first communication device, and the method includes: Determine information for two or more transport layers used for downlink signal transmission, the downlink signal transmission including at least a first downlink signal transmission corresponding to the first communication device and a second downlink signal transmission corresponding to the second communication device; The downlink signal transmitted from the first downlink signal is received on one or more of the two or more transport layers.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two or more transport layers include a first transport layer and a second transport layer, wherein the first transport layer is used to carry a first downlink signal for the first communication device, and the second transport layer is used to carry a second downlink signal for the second communication device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first downlink signal includes a first downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes a second downlink control signal; or, The first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes data; or, The first downlink signal includes a first downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes a second downlink control signal; or, The first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal and first data, and the second downlink signal includes second data; or, The first downlink signal includes a first downlink control signal and first data, and the second downlink signal includes a second downlink control signal and second data.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port used for the first transport layer is orthogonal to the DMRS port used for the second transport layer.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive information from the first DMRS port, which is used for the first downlink signal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive information from the second DMRS port, which is used for the second downlink signal.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, Receiving downlink signals on one or more of the two or more transport layers includes: The downlink signal is received on one or more transport layers based on the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Interference mitigation operations are performed based on the second DMRS port.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first resource is used for the first downlink signal transmission, and the second resource is used for the second downlink signal transmission. The first resource and the second resource transition in any one or more of the following dimensions: time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The information used to determine two or more transport layers for downlink signal transmission includes: Receive indication information indicating the information of the two or more transport layers used for the downlink signal transmission.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The indication information includes one or more of the following: Time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, transmission timing, one or more transmission layers corresponding to each communication device, information indicating that the downlink signal is repeatedly transmitted, demodulation reference signal ports on each transmission layer for the first communication device, one or more demodulation reference signal ports on each transmission layer for other communication devices, modulation and coding schemes for the downlink signal, or hopping configurations of resources corresponding to each communication device.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The indication information is carried by first downlink control information and / or radio resource control signaling.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, the indication information is carried by the first downlink control information, the first downlink control information is associated with the second downlink control information carried by the downlink control signal, and the first downlink control information indicates information for receiving the transmission of the second downlink control information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, which includes information about scheduling data transmission and / or downlink power control.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The downlink signal transmission is physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, or the downlink signal transmission includes PDCCH transmission and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

16. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied in a network device, and the method includes: Transmission indication information, the indication information indicating information of two or more transmission layers for downlink signal transmission, the downlink signal transmission including at least a first downlink signal transmission corresponding to a first communication device and a second downlink signal transmission corresponding to a second communication device; Downlink signals are transmitted on one or more of the two or more transport layers.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The two or more transport layers include a first transport layer and a second transport layer; Transmitting the downlink signal on one or more of the two or more transport layers includes: A first downlink signal is sent to the first communication device on the first transmission layer, and a second downlink signal is sent to the second communication device on the second transmission layer.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first downlink signal includes a first downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes a second downlink control signal; or, The first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, and the second downlink signal includes data; or, The first downlink signal includes a first downlink control signal and data, and the second downlink signal includes a second downlink control signal; or, The first downlink signal includes a downlink control signal and first data, and the second downlink signal includes second data; or, The first downlink signal includes a first downlink control signal and first data, and the second downlink signal includes a second downlink control signal and second data.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port used for the first transport layer is orthogonal to the DMRS port used for the second transport layer.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first DMRS port is sent to the first communication device, and the first DMRS port is used for the first downlink signal.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: The information of the second DMRS port is sent to the first communication device, and the second DMRS port is used for the second downlink signal.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, characterized in that, The first resource is used for the first downlink signal transmission, and the second resource is used for the second downlink signal transmission. The first resource and the second resource transition in any one or more of the following dimensions: time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, characterized in that, The indication information includes one or more of the following: Time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, transmission timing, one or more transmission layers corresponding to each communication device, information indicating that the downlink signal is repeatedly transmitted, demodulation reference signal ports on each transmission layer for the first communication device, one or more demodulation reference signal ports on each transmission layer for other communication devices, modulation and coding schemes for the downlink signal, or hopping configurations of resources corresponding to each communication device.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that, The indication information is carried by first downlink control information and / or radio resource control signaling.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, the indication information is carried by the first downlink control information, the first downlink control information is associated with the second downlink control information carried by the downlink control signal, and the first downlink control information indicates information for receiving the transmission of the second downlink control information.

26. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 25, characterized in that, The downlink signal includes a downlink control signal, which includes information about scheduling data transmission and / or downlink power control.

27. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 26, characterized in that, The downlink signal transmission is physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, or the downlink signal transmission includes PDCCH transmission and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

28. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute one or more instructions stored in a memory, causing the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or 16 to 27.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that, The device includes the memory.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that, The device includes a communication interface for inputting and / or outputting information.

31. The apparatus according to any one of claims 28 to 30, characterized in that, The device is a communication device, a chip, or a circuit.

32. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes functions or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or for performing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27.

33. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes one or more instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27.

34. A computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27.

35. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes one or more instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause a communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27.

36. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the second communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27.

37. An apparatus, characterized in that, Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or 16 to 27.

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