A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and device are used to reduce signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration. The method can include: a terminal device receives downlink control information, the downlink control information is used to indicate time domain resources of a first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether an additional pilot is configured; and then the terminal device determines the time domain resources of the first channel according to the downlink control information, and whether the additional pilot is configured in the time domain resources of the first channel. Based on the above method, whether the additional pilot is configured can be dynamically indicated through the downlink control information, the signaling overhead of the additional pilot configuration is reduced, and communication interruption caused by RRC reconfiguration can also be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In 5G communication systems, additional pilots are special reference signals primarily used to enhance the accuracy and reliability of channel estimation. Unlike pre-pilots, additional pilots are designed for specific scenarios and needs, such as improving the performance of multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, supporting rapid channel change tracking in high-speed mobile environments, and improving channel estimation quality for edge users. By inserting additional pilots, the receiver can estimate channel state information more accurately, thereby optimizing signal demodulation and data recovery processes, and improving overall communication quality and user experience.

[0003] Currently, the additional pilots for DMRS are configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. If it is necessary to re-indicate whether the additional pilots need to be updated, it needs to be done through RRC reconfiguration, which results in a large signaling overhead. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce the signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a component within the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, component, module, or functional module). The method may include: receiving downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of a first channel and to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot; determining the time-domain resources of the first channel based on the downlink control information; and determining whether to configure the additional pilot in the time-domain resources of the first channel.

[0006] Based on the above method, downlink control information can dynamically indicate whether to configure additional pilots while indicating channel resource allocation, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0007] In one possible design, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot. This may include a start and length indicator value (SLIV) field. When the SLIV field takes a first value, it can be used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether to configure the additional pilot. This reuses existing SLIV fields to indicate both channel resource allocation and whether to configure the additional pilot, saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0008] In one possible design, the first value is contained in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition. This allows the use of redundant assignments in the current SLIV field to simultaneously indicate whether the additional pilot is configured, thus saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0009] In one possible design, the first condition may include: if L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; if L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); where L is greater than 0 and L is less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel. This allows for accurate determination of the values ​​in the second set of values, thus achieving the functionality of the values ​​in the corresponding first set of values.

[0010] In one possible design, the number of values ​​in the first set of values ​​is less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second set of values ​​is B, where A and B are positive integers.

[0011] In one possible design, A is 23 and B is 105. This is compatible with the current protocol and has low implementation complexity.

[0012] In one possible design, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel. This can include indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel by using a value from the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value. This allows the meaning of the current SLIV field value to be reused without affecting the indication of the time-frequency resources of the first channel.

[0013] In one possible design, the SLIV field, when set to a first value, indicates whether the additional pilot is configured. This can include: if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have already been configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the additional pilot is not configured; if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have not been configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the additional pilot is configured. This allows the existing SLIV field to simultaneously indicate whether the additional pilot is configured and the channel resource allocation, saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0014] In one possible design, the SLIV field, when set to a first value, indicates whether the additional pilot is configured. This can include: if the first value corresponds to a time-domain location of the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are configured with the additional pilot; if the first value does not correspond to a time-domain location of the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot. This allows for flexible configuration of whether the additional pilot is configured. Furthermore, by using the existing SLIV field, it indicates whether the additional pilot is configured while simultaneously indicating channel resource allocation, saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0015] In one possible design, one value in the second set of values ​​corresponds to at least one value in the first set of values, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to the at least one value in the first set of values ​​corresponding to one value in the second set of values ​​is different. This allows for flexible configuration of whether to configure the additional pilot, and when the configuration of the additional pilot is indicated, the corresponding time-domain position of the additional pilot can also be indicated.

[0016] In one possible design, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot. This may include: the downlink control information includes an SLIV field and a first bit, the value of the SLIV field indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit indicating whether to configure an additional pilot. This allows for direct indication of whether to configure an additional pilot using a single bit, simplifying the implementation. Furthermore, by dynamically indicating whether to configure an additional pilot while simultaneously indicating channel resource allocation, the signaling overhead of configuring the additional pilot is reduced, and communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration can be avoided.

[0017] In one possible design, the first bit is used to indicate whether an additional pilot is configured. This can include: when the first bit takes a second value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is configured; when the first bit takes a third value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is not configured. This allows for a simple implementation by directly indicating whether an additional pilot is configured using a single bit.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a communication device, which can be a network device or a component within the network device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, component, module, or functional module). The method may include: determining downlink control information and transmitting the downlink control information. The downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of a first channel, and the downlink control information is also used to indicate whether to configure additional pilot signals.

[0019] Based on the above method, downlink control information can dynamically indicate whether to configure additional pilots while indicating channel resource allocation, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0020] In one possible design, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot. This may include a start and length indicator value (SLIV) field. When the SLIV field takes a first value, it can be used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether to configure the additional pilot. This reuses existing SLIV fields to indicate both channel resource allocation and whether to configure the additional pilot, saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0021] In one possible design, the first value is contained in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition. This allows the use of redundant assignments in the current SLIV field to simultaneously indicate whether the additional pilot is configured, thus saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0022] In one possible design, the first condition may include: if L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; if L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); where L is greater than 0 and L is less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel. This allows for accurate determination of the values ​​in the second set of values, thus achieving the functionality of the values ​​in the corresponding first set of values.

[0023] In one possible design, the number of values ​​in the first set of values ​​is less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second set of values ​​is B, where A and B are positive integers.

[0024] In one possible design, A is 23 and B is 105. This is compatible with the current protocol and has low implementation complexity.

[0025] In one possible design, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel. This can include indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel by using a value from the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value. This allows the meaning of the current SLIV field value to be reused without affecting the indication of the time-frequency resources of the first channel.

[0026] In one possible design, the SLIV field, when set to a first value, indicates whether the additional pilot is configured. This can include: if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have already been configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the additional pilot is not configured; if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have not been configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the additional pilot is configured. This allows the existing SLIV field to simultaneously indicate whether the additional pilot is configured and the channel resource allocation, saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0027] In one possible design, the SLIV field, when set to a first value, indicates whether the additional pilot is configured. This can include: if the first value corresponds to a time-domain location of the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are configured with the additional pilot; if the first value does not correspond to a time-domain location of the additional pilot, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, indicates that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by a value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot. This allows for flexible configuration of whether the additional pilot is configured. Furthermore, by using the existing SLIV field, it indicates whether the additional pilot is configured while simultaneously indicating channel resource allocation, saving signaling overhead and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0028] In one possible design, one value in the second set of values ​​corresponds to at least one value in the first set of values, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to the at least one value in the first set of values ​​corresponding to one value in the second set of values ​​is different. This allows for flexible configuration of whether to configure the additional pilot, and when the configuration of the additional pilot is indicated, the corresponding time-domain position of the additional pilot can also be indicated.

[0029] In one possible design, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot. This may include: the downlink control information includes an SLIV field and a first bit, the value of the SLIV field indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit indicating whether to configure an additional pilot. This allows for direct indication of whether to configure an additional pilot using a single bit, simplifying the implementation. Furthermore, by dynamically indicating whether to configure an additional pilot while simultaneously indicating channel resource allocation, the signaling overhead of configuring the additional pilot is reduced, and communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration can be avoided.

[0030] In one possible design, the first bit is used to indicate whether an additional pilot is configured. This can include: when the first bit takes a second value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is configured; when the first bit takes a third value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is not configured. This allows for a simple implementation by directly indicating whether an additional pilot is configured using a single bit.

[0031] Thirdly, this application also provides a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a component within a terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, component, module, or functional module). This communication device has the functionality to implement the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the described functionality.

[0032] In one possible design, the communication device may include a processing unit, and optionally a transceiver unit, which may perform the functions of the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0033] In one possible design, the communication device includes one or more processors, and optionally also includes a memory and / or a transceiver. The transceiver is used to send and receive data, messages, or information, and to communicate with other devices in the system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect described above. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0034] Fourthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a network device or a component within a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, component, module, or functional module). This communication device has the functionality to implement the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the described functionality.

[0035] In one possible design, the communication device may include a processing unit, and optionally a transceiver unit, which may perform the functions of the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device includes one or more processors, and optionally also includes memory and / or a transceiver. The transceiver is used to send and receive data, messages, or information, and to communicate with other devices in the system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect described above. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0037] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system that may include a terminal device and a network device. The terminal device can be used to implement the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect. The network device can be used to implement the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect.

[0038] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect and any possible design of the embodiments of this application, or in the second aspect and any possible design. Exemplarily, the computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer. For example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium can include a non-transient computer-readable medium, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, to be performed.

[0040] Eighthly, this application also provides a chip or chip system including one or more processors, the processors being coupled to at least one memory for reading and executing program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip or chip system to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0041] For the various aspects of the third to eighth aspects mentioned above, and the technical effects that each aspect may achieve, please refer to the above description of the technical effects that can be achieved for the first aspect or the various possible solutions in the first aspect, or the second aspect or the various possible solutions in the second aspect, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application;

[0043] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0044] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application;

[0045] Figure 4 A structural diagram of a communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce the signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration. The method and apparatus described in this application are based on the same technical concept. Since the principles by which the method and apparatus solve the problem are similar, their implementations can be referred to interchangeably, and repeated details will not be repeated.

[0047] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0048] In the description of this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0049] In the description of this application, "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. " / " means "or", for example, a / b means a or b.

[0050] To more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the communication methods and devices provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] The technical solutions in this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system (such as New Radio (NR) system), and future communication networks, etc.

[0052] The embodiments of this application can be applied to multiple input multiple output (MIMO) scenarios, low frequency (below 6 GHz) scenarios, or high frequency (above 6 GHz) scenarios, etc.

[0053] For example, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a possible communication system applicable to embodiments of this application is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 10 may include a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include the Internet 300.

[0054] RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as...) Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as Figure 1 RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal device 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0055] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems (such as 6G mobile communication systems). RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a WiFi system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0056] RAN node 110, sometimes referred to as RAN entity or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and assists terminal devices in achieving wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal equipment functions.

[0057] RAN nodes can also be described in different ways, such as network devices. Unless otherwise specified in this application, network devices will be used as the term.

[0058] In one possible scenario, network equipment can also be called access network equipment. Access network equipment can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a station (STA), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. Access network equipment can also be a macro base station (such as...). Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1The access network device can be a relay node or donor node (as described in 110b), or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the access network device can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the access network device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The access network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the access network device functions.

[0059] In another possible scenario, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with each access network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, the access network devices can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0060] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (O-RU). Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0061] Terminal equipment can also be called user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, wireless terminal equipment, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote station, user terminal, user agent, or user device. Terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. For example, terminal equipment can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, and smart home devices. Terminal devices used in vehicles can be called in-vehicle terminal devices, which are also known as on-board units (OBUs). The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the terminal device.

[0062] The communication system and scenario architecture described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0063] The relevant terms and technologies involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained below. It should be noted that these explanations are for the purpose of making the embodiments of this application easier to understand, and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0064] 1) Start and length indicator value (SLIV)

[0065] In 5G new radio (NR), SLIV represents a time-domain resource allocation mechanism for the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). SLIV defines the specific time-domain resources for signal transmission by using a coded value to indicate the start symbol (S) and the length (L) of consecutive symbols in the resource allocation. The role of SLIV is to optimize air interface data transmission in 5G networks, improving spectral efficiency by reducing overhead associated with transmission control information.

[0066] 2) Demodulation reference signal (DMRS)

[0067] In 5G communication technology, DMRS is used to assist coherent demodulation. It exists in multiple physical channels, which may include the downlink physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), PDSCH, and the uplink physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and PUSCH.

[0068] The primary function of DMRS is to provide a reference for channel estimation, enabling the receiver to accurately demodulate the transmitted data. In PBCH, DMRS is configured according to specific time-frequency resource mapping rules to ensure reliable transmission of broadcast information and can provide information for determining beam indices. In PDCCH, DMRS is also mapped according to fixed frequency and time domain rules to support accurate demodulation of control information. DMRS configuration in PDSCH is more flexible, supporting fronthaul design to reduce latency and allowing selection of different mapping types (such as Type A or Type B) and configurations (such as single-symbol or double-symbol) based on channel conditions and transmission requirements to balance the accuracy of channel estimation and the efficiency of data transmission. Overall, DMRS in 5G is designed to support various deployment scenarios and use cases, including low-latency transmission, high-speed scenarios, and multi-user MIMO transmission, ensuring the accuracy of channel estimation and the reliability of data transmission through flexible configuration and mapping methods.

[0069] 3) Additional pilot

[0070] In 5G communication systems, supplementary pilots are special reference signals primarily used to enhance the accuracy and reliability of channel estimation. Unlike pre-pilots, supplementary pilots are designed for specific scenarios and needs, such as improving the performance of multi-user MIMO systems, supporting rapid channel change tracking in high-speed mobile environments, and improving channel estimation quality for edge users. By inserting supplementary pilots into time-frequency resources, the receiver can more accurately estimate channel state information, thereby optimizing signal demodulation and data recovery processes, and improving overall communication quality and user experience.

[0071] Currently, DMRS additional pilots are configured via RRC signaling. If it's necessary to re-indicate whether the additional pilot needs updating, it must be done through RRC reconfiguration, which results in significant signaling overhead. Furthermore, this method can lead to latency and connection interruptions: the RRC reconfiguration process may temporarily interrupt the connection between the terminal device and the network, introducing latency. This can negatively impact user experience for applications requiring low latency (such as real-time video or online games). Therefore, this application provides a communication method that dynamically indicates whether to configure additional pilots using downlink control information (DCI), reducing the signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration.

[0072] In the following embodiments, the communication method provided in this application is described in detail using network devices and terminal devices as examples. It should be understood that the operations performed by the network device can also be implemented by a processor, chip, chip system, or functional module in the network device, and the operations performed by the terminal device can also be implemented by a processor, chip, chip system, or functional module in the terminal device. This application does not limit these aspects.

[0073] Based on the above description, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the process of this method may include:

[0074] Step 201: The network device sends downlink control information, which indicates the time-domain resources of the first channel and whether to configure additional pilot signals. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the downlink control information.

[0075] Optionally, the network device first determines the downlink control information, and then sends the downlink control information.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first channel may be PDSCH, PUSCH, etc.

[0077] Additional pilots can be added to DMRS, etc.

[0078] Step 202: The terminal device determines the time domain resources of the first channel based on the downlink control information, and whether to configure additional pilots for the time domain resources of the first channel.

[0079] In some embodiments a1, when downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and when downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, it can be implemented by the following method: the downlink control information may include an SLIV field, where the value of the SLIV field is a first value used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether to configure additional pilots.

[0080] The SLIV field in the current downlink control information consists of 7 bits, meaning it can be assigned a value from 0 to 127. However, the number of SLIV values ​​that can be invoked in the current protocol is less than 128 (e.g., 105), indicating redundant assignment of values. Therefore, this application can reuse the SLIV field to indicate whether to configure additional pilots in the downlink control information, while retaining the original function of the SLIV field, namely, indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel.

[0081] In various embodiments of this application, the downlink control information sent by the network device may also be other downlink signaling (or described as other downlink information). The downlink control information or other downlink signaling may indicate the configuration of additional pilots. Alternatively, the downlink control information or other downlink signaling may be used to indicate that additional pilots are not configured.

[0082] The terminal device can determine, based on downlink control information or other downlink information, to configure additional pilots in the time domain resources of the first channel, or determine, based on downlink control information or other downlink information, not to configure additional pilots in the time domain resources of the first channel.

[0083] In one optional implementation, the first value may be included in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition.

[0084] The values ​​in the second value set are the SLIV values ​​that can be invoked in the protocol. The values ​​in the first value set are all the values ​​that the SLIV field can indicate, excluding the values ​​in the second value set. In other words, the values ​​in the first value set are redundant assignments to the SLIV field.

[0085] Understandably, the values ​​in the first set of values ​​serve two functions: one is to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the other is to indicate whether to configure additional pilots. The values ​​in the second set of values ​​serve only one function, namely, to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel.

[0086] This can also be understood as follows: when the value indicated by the SLIV field in a downlink control message belongs to the second set of values, the terminal device can operate according to the current protocol. When the value indicated by the SLIV field in a downlink control message belongs to the first set of values, the terminal device can operate according to the scheme proposed in this application.

[0087] Optionally, the number of values ​​in the first set of values ​​can be less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second set of values ​​can be B, where A and B are positive integers.

[0088] For example, A can be 23 and B can be 105. It should be understood that A and B are just examples here, and A and B can also be other values, which are not limited in this application.

[0089] In one optional implementation, the first condition may include: if L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; or, if L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); where L is greater than 0 and L is less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel.

[0090] Optionally, the first condition may further include: L and S corresponding to any value in the second set of values ​​must satisfy the constraints shown in Table 1 below:

[0091] Table 1

[0092]

[0093] In some embodiments, based on the first condition described above, the SLIV values ​​that satisfy the first condition are the second set of values. The second set of values ​​may include SLIV values ​​that satisfy the first condition when the first channel mapping type is mapping type A and / or SLIV values ​​that satisfy the first condition when the first channel mapping type is mapping type B.

[0094] For example, when the first channel mapping type is mapping type A, the SLIV values ​​that satisfy the first condition can include the values ​​shown in Table 2 below:

[0095] Table 2

[0096]

[0097]

[0098] In one alternative implementation, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel. This can be achieved by using a value from a second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel.

[0099] Since the values ​​in the second value set are SLIV values ​​that can be invoked in the protocol, meaning they have definite indicative meanings, this involves mapping the first value to a value in the second value set. The value corresponding to the first value indicates the time-domain resources of the first channel; that is, it can represent the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the first value. Alternatively, it can be understood as the first value being multiplexed with the corresponding value in the second value set indicating the meaning of the time-domain resources of the first channel.

[0100] For example, if the first value is 105 and the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value is 97, and the value indicated by the SLIV field in the downlink control information is 105, then the terminal device can obtain the time-frequency resources of the first channel indicated by SLIV being 97.

[0101] In some embodiments, the correspondence between the values ​​in the first set of values ​​and the values ​​in the second set of values ​​can be predefined by the protocol, or it can be pre-configured by the network device and sent to the terminal device.

[0102] In an optional implementation b1, the SLIV field is used to indicate whether an additional pilot is configured when it takes a first value. The method can be as follows: if the time domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second value set corresponding to the first value have been configured with an additional pilot, then the SLIV field is used to indicate that no additional pilot is configured when it takes a first value; or, if the time domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second value set corresponding to the first value have not been configured with an additional pilot, then the SLIV field is used to indicate that an additional pilot is configured when it takes a first value.

[0103] For example, according to the current protocol, when the value indicated by the SLIV field is 97, the PDSCH mapping type is mapping type A, and the additional pilot position is configured as position 1 (position1, POS1), based on the aforementioned first condition, L is 9 (i.e., the symbol length l of the additional pilot). d As shown in Table 3, the time-frequency resources of the PDSCH are configured with additional pilots, and the additional pilot position is 7. In this application, when the value indicated by the SLIV field is 105, 105 can be mapped to 97 in the second value set. Since the time-frequency resources of the first channel indicated by 97 are configured with additional pilots, the value indicated by the SLIV field is 105, which can indicate that no additional pilots are configured.

[0104] Table 3

[0105]

[0106]

[0107] In Table 3, l0 represents the position of the first pilot, and l1 represents 11, or l1 = 12.

[0108] In an optional implementation b2, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots. The method can be as follows: if there is a corresponding additional pilot time domain position for the first value, then when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate that the time domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second value set corresponding to the first value are configured with additional pilots; if there is no corresponding additional pilot time domain position for the first value, then when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate that the time domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second value set corresponding to the first value are not configured with additional pilots.

[0109] For example, a correspondence between values ​​in the first set of values ​​and values ​​in the second set of values ​​can be predefined or configured in the network device configuration, and the correspondence can include the corresponding additional pilot time-domain position. Optionally, when a value in the first set of values ​​does not have a corresponding additional pilot time-domain position, it can be understood that the corresponding additional pilot time-domain position is default. For example, under POS0 of mapping type A in Table 3... d When the value is 3, there is no additional pilot time-domain location, which can be understood as the corresponding additional pilot time-domain location being the default. In the following description, "the additional pilot time-domain location is the default" means that there is no corresponding additional pilot time-domain location for the value.

[0110] For example, the correspondence can determine the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value and the corresponding time-domain location of the additional pilot. In other words, the correspondence shows that when the first value has a corresponding additional pilot location, it indicates that the time-domain location of the corresponding first channel resource is configured with an additional pilot, and it can also indicate the time-domain location of the configured additional pilot. When the time-domain location of the additional pilot corresponding to the first value is default, that is, when the first value does not have a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, it indicates that the time-domain location of the corresponding first channel resource is not configured with an additional pilot.

[0111] In some embodiments, a value in the second set of values ​​corresponds to at least one value in the first set of values, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to at least one value in the first set of values ​​corresponding to a value in the second set of values ​​is different.

[0112] In some embodiments, in the correspondence between the values ​​of the first set of values, the values ​​of the second set of values, and the additional pilot time-domain position in implementation b2, the additional pilot time-domain position can reuse the additional pilot time-domain position indicated in Table 3.

[0113] For example, according to the current protocol, when the value indicated by the SLIV field is 66, the PDSCH mapping type is mapping type A, and the additional pilot position is configured as position 1 (POS1), then based on the aforementioned first condition, L is 11 (i.e., the symbol length l of the additional pilot). d As shown in Table 3, the time-frequency resources of the PDSCH are configured with additional pilots, and the additional pilot position is 9. In this application, the correspondence between 66 in the second value set and the values ​​in the first value set and the time-domain position of the additional pilots can be shown in Table 4 below:

[0114] Table 4

[0115]

[0116] It should be understood that this explanation uses only the value 66 from the second set of values ​​as an example; the correspondences for other values ​​will not be listed one by one. The correspondences and their forms in Table 4 are also merely examples and are not intended to limit this application.

[0117] Based on Table 4, 66 in the second value set corresponds to 107, 108, and 109 in the first value set. The following correspondences are possible: Correspondence 1: 107, 66, and the additional pilot time-domain position are default (i.e., 107 and 66 have no corresponding additional pilot time-domain positions); Correspondence 2: 108, 66, and the additional pilot time-domain position 9; Correspondence 3: 109, 66, and the additional pilot time-domain positions 6 and 9. Through the above examples, when the first value is 107, it can be indicated that the time-domain position of the first channel resource corresponding to 66 is not configured with an additional pilot; when the first value is 108, it can be indicated that the time-domain position of the first channel resource corresponding to 66 is configured with an additional pilot, and the additional pilot time-domain position is 9; when the first value is 109, it can be indicated that the time-domain position of the first channel resource corresponding to 66 is configured with an additional pilot, and the additional pilot time-domain position is 6 and 9. It should be understood that the above are merely examples, and there can be many other forms, which this application does not limit.

[0118] In some embodiments a2, when downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and when downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, it can be implemented by the following method: the downlink control information may include an SLIV field and a first bit, the value of the SLIV field is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots.

[0119] Optionally, when the first bit is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot, if the value of the first bit is the second value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is configured; if the value of the first bit is the third value, the first bit is used to indicate that no additional pilot is configured.

[0120] For example, the second value can be 0 and the third value can be 1. Accordingly, when the value of the first bit is 0, the first bit is used to indicate the configuration of additional pilots; when the value of the first bit is 1, the first bit is used to indicate that no additional pilots are configured.

[0121] Alternatively, the second value can be 1 and the third value can be 0. Accordingly, when the value of the first bit is 1, the first bit is used to indicate the configuration of additional pilots; when the value of the first bit is 0, the first bit is used to indicate that no additional pilots are configured.

[0122] Of course, the second and third values ​​can also be other values, and this application does not limit them.

[0123] In some possible approaches, the first bit can be merged into the SLIV field, which can be understood as adding one bit to the SLIV field. Based on the current SLIV field comprising 7 bits, adding one bit would allow the modified SLIV field to include 8 bits, thus enabling the SLIV field to be assigned values ​​from 0 to 255. In this case, the number of SLIV values ​​that can be invoked in the current protocol is less than 256 (e.g., 105), meaning there is redundant assignment in the SLIV field. Therefore, this application can reuse the SLIV field to indicate downlink control information for indicating whether to configure additional pilots, while retaining the original function of the SLIV field, i.e., indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel. The specific scheme is similar to that in embodiment a1 and will not be described in detail here.

[0124] It is understandable that when the SLIV field includes 8 bits, there is more redundant assignment than the SLIV field including 7 bits in embodiment a1, and the number of values ​​in the first value set can also be more than the number of values ​​in the first value set in embodiment a1. For example, A can be 150.

[0125] Based on the above communication method, downlink control information can be used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots while indicating channel resource allocation, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of additional pilot configuration and avoiding communication interruptions caused by RRC reconfiguration.

[0126] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, see below. Figure 3As shown, the communication device 300 may include a transceiver unit 301 and a processing unit 302. The transceiver unit 301 is used for communication by the communication device 300, such as receiving or sending information (signals or data). The processing unit 302 is used for controlling and managing the operation of the communication device 300. The processing unit 302 can also control the steps performed by the transceiver unit 301.

[0127] For example, the communication device 300 may specifically be a terminal device, a processor of the terminal device, a chip, a chip system, a component, a module, a functional module, etc., as described in the above embodiments. Alternatively, the communication device 300 may specifically be a network device (such as a base station), a processor of the network device, a chip, a chip system, a component, a module, a functional module, etc., as described in the above embodiments.

[0128] In one embodiment, when the communication device 300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the above embodiment, the transceiver unit 301 can be used to receive downlink control information, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot; the processing unit 302 can be used to determine the time domain resources of the first channel according to the downlink control information, and whether to configure the additional pilot in the time domain resources of the first channel.

[0129] In an optional implementation, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot, including: the downlink control information includes a start and length indication value (SLIV) field, the SLIV field being used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel when the value is a first value, and to indicate whether to configure the additional pilot.

[0130] For example, the first value is included in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition.

[0131] Optionally, the first condition includes: if L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; if L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); where L is greater than 0 and L is less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel.

[0132] In some embodiments, the number of values ​​in the first value set is less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second value set is B, where A and B are positive integers.

[0133] For example, A is 23 and B is 105.

[0134] In one possible approach, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, including: indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel by taking a value from the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value.

[0135] In one example, the SLIV field being set to a first value indicates whether the additional pilot is configured, comprising: if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have been configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field being set to the first value indicates that the additional pilot is not configured; if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have not been configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field being set to the first value indicates that the additional pilot is configured.

[0136] In another example, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate whether the additional pilot is configured, including: if the first value has a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are configured with the additional pilot; if the first value does not have a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot.

[0137] Optionally, one of the values ​​in the second set corresponds to at least one value in the first set, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to the at least one value in the first set that corresponds to one of the values ​​in the second set is different from that of the value in the second set.

[0138] In another optional implementation, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, including: the downlink control information includes an SLIV field and a first bit, the value of the SLIV field is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots.

[0139] For example, the first bit is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot, including: when the value of the first bit is a second value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is configured; when the value of the first bit is a third value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is not configured.

[0140] In another embodiment, when the communication device 300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the above embodiments, the processing unit 302 can be used to determine downlink control information, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots; the transceiver unit 301 can be used to send the downlink control information.

[0141] In an optional implementation, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot, including: the downlink control information includes a start and length indication value (SLIV) field, the SLIV field being used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel when the value is a first value, and to indicate whether to configure the additional pilot.

[0142] For example, the first value is included in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition.

[0143] The first condition may include: if L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; if L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); where L is greater than 0 and L is less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel.

[0144] In some embodiments, the number of values ​​in the first value set is less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second value set is B, where A and B are positive integers.

[0145] For example, A is 23 and B is 105.

[0146] In one possible approach, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, including: indicating the time-domain resources of the first channel by taking a value from the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value.

[0147] In one example, the SLIV field, when set to a first value, is used to indicate whether the additional pilot is configured, including: if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have been configured with additional pilots, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, is used to indicate that the additional pilot is not configured; if the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have not been configured with additional pilots, then the SLIV field, when set to the first value, is used to indicate that the additional pilot is configured.

[0148] In another example, when the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate whether the additional pilot is configured, including: if the first value has a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are configured with the additional pilot; if the first value does not have a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot.

[0149] Optionally, one of the values ​​in the second set corresponds to at least one value in the first set, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to the at least one value in the first set that corresponds to one of the values ​​in the second set is different from that of the value in the second set.

[0150] In another optional implementation, the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, including: the downlink control information includes an SLIV field and a first bit, the value of the SLIV field is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots.

[0151] Optionally, the first bit is used to indicate whether to configure an additional pilot, including: when the value of the first bit is a second value, the first bit is used to indicate that an additional pilot is configured; when the value of the first bit is a third value, the first bit is used to indicate that no additional pilot is configured.

[0152] It should be noted that the division of units in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0153] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0154] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, see below. Figure 4 As shown, the communication device 400 may include one or more processors 402. Optionally, the communication device 400 may also include one or more transceivers 401. Optionally, the communication device 400 may also include at least one memory 403. The memory 403 may be located inside or outside the communication device 400. The processor 402 may control the transceiver 401 to receive and send information, messages, or data.

[0155] Specifically, the processor 402 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor 402 may further include a hardware chip. This hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0156] The transceiver 401, processor 402, and memory 403 are interconnected. Optionally, the transceiver 401, processor 402, and memory 403 are interconnected via a bus 404; the bus 404 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 4 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0157] In one optional embodiment, the memory 403 is used to store programs, etc. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. The memory 403 may include RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices. The processor 402 executes the application program stored in the memory 403 to achieve the above-mentioned functions, thereby realizing the functions of the communication device 400.

[0158] For example, the communication device 400 can specifically implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above embodiments.

[0159] In one embodiment, when the communication device 400 implements the functions of the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments, the transceiver 401 can perform the send / receive operations executed by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments; the processor 402 can perform other operations besides the send / receive operations executed by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0160] In another embodiment, when the communication device 400 implements the functions of the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments, the processor 402 can implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments. For specific details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0161] In yet another embodiment, when the communication device 400 implements the functions of the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments, the transceiver 401 can perform the send / receive operations executed by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments; the processor 402 can perform other operations besides the send / receive operations executed by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0162] In yet another embodiment, when the communication device 400 implements the functions of the network device in the foregoing method embodiments, the processor 402 can implement the operations performed by the network device in the foregoing method embodiments. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0163] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a communication system, which may include the terminal devices and network devices involved in the above embodiments.

[0164] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are executed by a computer, the computer can implement the communication methods provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0165] This application also provides a computer program product for storing computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a computer, the computer can implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0166] This application also provides a chip or chip system, including logic circuitry, which is used to execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0167] This application also provides a chip or chip system, including one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are coupled to at least one memory, for calling a program in the memory to enable the chip or chip system to implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0168] This application also provides a chip or chip system coupled to at least one memory, which is used to implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0169] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0170] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0171] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0172] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0173] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Receive downlink control information, the downlink control information being used to indicate the time domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information being used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots; The time-domain resources of the first channel are determined based on the downlink control information, and whether the additional pilot is configured in the time-domain resources of the first channel.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, including: The downlink control information includes a start and length indication value (SLIV) field. When the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether the additional pilot is configured.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first value is contained in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first condition includes: If L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; If L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); Where L is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel.

5. The method as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The number of values ​​in the first set of values ​​is less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second set of values ​​is B, where A and B are positive integers.

6. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A is 23, and B is 105.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3-6, characterized in that, When the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, including: The time-domain resources of the first channel are indicated by the values ​​in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, When the SLIV field takes the first value, it indicates whether the additional pilot is configured, including: If the time domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have been configured with the additional pilot, then the value of the SLIV field is the first value, which is used to indicate that the additional pilot is not configured. If the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot, then the SLIV field is used to indicate the configuration of the additional pilot when it is the first value.

9. The method according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, When the SLIV field takes the first value, it indicates whether the additional pilot is configured, including: If the first value has a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resource configuration of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value; If the first value does not have a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, One of the values ​​in the second set corresponds to at least one value in the first set, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to the at least one value in the first set that corresponds to one of the values ​​in the second set is different from that of the value in the second set.

11. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, including: The downlink control information includes an SLIV field and a first bit. The value of the SLIV field is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit is used to indicate whether an additional pilot is configured.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The first bit is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilot signals, including: When the value of the first bit is the second value, the first bit is used to indicate the configuration of additional pilots; When the first bit takes the third value, the first bit is used to indicate that no additional pilot is configured.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Determine downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and wherein the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots; Send the downlink control information.

14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, including: The downlink control information includes a start and length indication value (SLIV) field. When the SLIV field takes a first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel and to indicate whether the additional pilot is configured.

15. The method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The first value is contained in a first set of values, any value in the first set of values ​​corresponds to a value in a second set of values, and any value in the second set of values ​​satisfies a first condition.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The first condition includes: If L-1 is less than or equal to 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(L-1)+S; If L-1 is greater than 7, then any value in the second set of values ​​is equal to 14(14-L+1)+(14-1-S); Where L is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 14-S; L represents the time-domain symbol length of the first channel, and S represents the symbol start position of the first channel.

17. The method as described in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The number of values ​​in the first set of values ​​is less than or equal to A, and the number of values ​​in the second set of values ​​is B, where A and B are positive integers.

18. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, A is 23, and B is 105.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15-18, characterized in that, When the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, including: The time-domain resources of the first channel are indicated by the values ​​in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15-19, characterized in that, When the SLIV field takes the first value, it indicates whether the additional pilot is configured, including: If the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value have been configured with additional pilots, then the SLIV field is used to indicate that the additional pilots are not configured when the value is the first value. If the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value indicates that the time-domain resources of the first channel have not been configured with additional pilots, then the SLIV field is used to indicate the configuration of the additional pilots when it is the first value.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15-19, characterized in that, When the SLIV field takes the first value, it indicates whether the additional pilot is configured, including: If the first value has a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate the time-domain resource configuration of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value; If the first value does not have a corresponding additional pilot time-domain location, then when the SLIV field takes the first value, it is used to indicate that the time-domain resources of the first channel indicated by the value in the second set of values ​​corresponding to the first value are not configured with the additional pilot.

22. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, One of the values ​​in the second set corresponds to at least one value in the first set, and the time-domain position of the additional pilot corresponding to the at least one value in the first set that corresponds to one of the values ​​in the second set is different from that of the value in the second set.

23. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The downlink control information is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the downlink control information is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilots, including: The downlink control information includes an SLIV field and a first bit. The value of the SLIV field is used to indicate the time-domain resources of the first channel, and the first bit is used to indicate whether an additional pilot is configured.

24. The method as described in claim 23, characterized in that, The first bit is used to indicate whether to configure additional pilot signals, including: When the value of the first bit is the second value, the first bit is used to indicate the configuration of additional pilots; When the first bit takes the third value, the first bit is used to indicate that no additional pilot is configured.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-11, or includes units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for executing computer programs or instructions to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-11, or to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 13-24.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-11, or the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-11 to be implemented, or the method as described in any one of claims 13-24 to be implemented.

29. A chip or chip system, characterized in that, The chip or chip system includes a processor configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or to perform the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

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