A communication method, apparatus, and system

Abstract

This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: a terminal device sending first information to a network device; the network device determining a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and MPC; and the network device sending second information to the terminal device, the second information indicating the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. The first information indicates the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the MPC is associated with the location of the terminal device; the first pilot density indicates the number of resource units corresponding to the first antenna ports; and the first antenna ports are used to transmit reference signals. Using this method, different pilot densities and / or the number of antenna ports can be configured based on the number of streams required by the terminal device, enabling adaptive pilot configuration based on the number of streams, avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead, and improving communication performance.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] A radio frequency map (RF map) reflects the parameter values ​​of various locations within a wireless network. RF maps are widely used in wireless communication and networking, including network planning, interference control, power control, resource allocation, handover management, multi-hop routing, dynamic spectrum access, and cognitive radio network tasks.

[0003] For example, radio ground Figure 1 The input typically consists of user and base station information (such as location coordinates and environmental information), and the output is the multipath component (MPC) indicating the user's location when connected to the base station. However, current channel prediction using radio maps can predict the deterministic components of the multipath, such as the direction of departure (DoD), direction of arrival (DoA), power, and delay, but random phase information is unavailable. This prevents effective channel measurement and estimation. Therefore, providing an effective channel measurement and estimation method is a current challenge. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system that can achieve effective channel measurement and estimation, avoid unnecessary pilot overhead, and improve communication performance.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device. Unless otherwise specified, the network device in this application can refer to a network device, a component within the network device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0006] The method includes: receiving first information from a terminal device, the first information indicating the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; determining a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and multipath element (MPC), the first pilot density indicating the number of resource elements (REs) corresponding to the first antenna ports, the first antenna ports being used to transmit reference signals, and the MPC being associated with the location of the terminal device; and sending second information to the terminal device, the second information indicating the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0007] As an example, in a downlink transmission scenario, the network device can transmit a reference signal (e.g., a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS)) through its first antenna port. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the reference signal through its first antenna port, measure and estimate the reference signal to obtain channel state information, and feed it back to the network device for channel estimation. As another example, in an uplink transmission scenario, the terminal device can transmit a reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) through its first antenna port. Correspondingly, the network device can receive the reference signal through its first antenna port and perform channel estimation based on the reference signal.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined according to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the MPC (Multi-Path Context). That is, different pilot densities and / or antenna port numbers are configured based on the number of streams required by the terminal device. Further, the terminal device and network device can transmit pilot signals based on the first pilot density and / or the first antenna ports, obtain channel measurement results through channel measurement and estimation, and then correct the phase component of the multipath based on the channel measurement results. After phase correction, complete channel information can be obtained by combining the multipath elements (MPC), thus completing the channel measurement and estimation. It is understandable that, according to the number of streams required by the terminal device, the network device can adjust or configure different pilot densities and / or antenna port numbers to achieve adaptive pilot configuration for different number of streams, avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead and improving communication performance. Specifically, when the number of transmission streams required by the terminal device is low, a smaller pilot density and / or number of antenna ports can be used to transmit the reference signal, avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead. On the other hand, when the number of transmission streams required by the terminal device is high, a larger pilot density / number of ports can be used to transmit the reference signal, which can improve the accuracy of channel estimation, achieve effective channel measurement and estimation, and thus improve communication throughput.

[0009] In one possible design, the method further includes sending third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, by sending third information to the terminal device to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device, the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports can be determined according to the number of streams to be transmitted and MPC of the terminal device. This enables adaptive pilot configuration for different transmission stream requirements, avoids unnecessary pilot overhead, and improves communication performance.

[0011] In one possible design, determining the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and MPC includes: determining the number of first paths, the second pilot density, and / or the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; determining the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density; and / or determining the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, the network device can determine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports according to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, so as to realize adaptive pilot configuration based on the different transmission stream requirements of the terminal device, avoid unnecessary pilot overhead, and improve communication performance.

[0013] In one possible design, when the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is less than or equal to the second pilot density, and the number of first antenna ports is less than or equal to the number of second antenna ports; and / or, when the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density, and the number of first antenna ports is greater than the number of second antenna ports.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, by comparing the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, when the number of streams required by the terminal device is low, a smaller pilot density and / or number of antenna ports can be used to transmit the reference signal, thereby avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead. When the number of streams required by the terminal device is high, a larger pilot density / number of ports can be used to transmit the reference signal, which can improve the accuracy of communication channel estimation, achieve effective channel measurement and estimation, and thus improve communication throughput.

[0015] In one possible design, determining the first pilot density based on first information and MPC includes: determining the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; obtaining a first mapping relationship based on the first information, wherein the first mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset; determining the first pilot density offset based on the first mapping relationship and the number of first paths; and determining the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density.

[0016] Based on the above scheme, the network device can determine the first mapping relationship according to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and then determine the first pilot density according to the first mapping relationship, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on the different transmission stream requirements of the terminal device, avoids unnecessary pilot overhead, and improves communication performance.

[0017] In one possible design, determining the number of first antenna ports based on first information and MPC includes: determining the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; obtaining a second mapping relationship based on the first information, the second mapping relationship being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the offset of the number of first antenna ports; determining the offset of the number of first antenna ports based on the second mapping relationship and the number of first paths; and determining the number of first antenna ports based on the offset of the number of first antenna ports and the number of second antenna ports.

[0018] Based on the above scheme, the network device can determine the second mapping relationship according to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and then determine the number of first antenna ports according to the second mapping relationship, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on the different transmission stream requirements of the terminal device, avoids unnecessary pilot overhead, and improves communication performance.

[0019] In one possible design, the second information includes first indication information and a second pilot density, the first indication information indicating the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset; and / or, the second information includes second indication information and the number of second antenna ports, the second indication information indicating the correspondence between the number of first paths and the number of first antenna ports offset.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, by sending second information to the terminal device to indicate the first mapping relationship, the second mapping relationship, the second pilot density, and the number of second antenna ports, the terminal device can determine the first pilot density offset based on the first mapping relationship, and determine the first antenna port number offset based on the second mapping relationship. Then, it can determine the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density, and determine the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of second antenna ports. This facilitates the subsequent transmission of pilot signals through the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports to complete channel measurement and estimation, thereby obtaining complete channel information.

[0021] In one possible design, determining the first pilot density based on first information and MPC includes: determining the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; obtaining a third mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, the third mapping relationship being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset; determining the first pilot density offset based on the third mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; and determining the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, the network device can determine the third mapping relationship according to the number of first paths, and then determine the first pilot density according to the third mapping relationship, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and the second pilot density. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on the different transmission stream requirements of the terminal device, avoids unnecessary pilot overhead, and improves communication performance.

[0023] In one possible design, determining the number of first antenna ports based on first information and MPC includes: determining the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; obtaining a fourth mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, the fourth mapping relationship being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the offset of the number of first antenna ports; determining the offset of the number of first antenna ports based on the fourth mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; and determining the number of first antenna ports based on the offset of the number of first antenna ports and the number of second antenna ports.

[0024] Based on the above scheme, the network device can determine the fourth mapping relationship according to the number of first paths, and then determine the number of first antenna ports according to the fourth mapping relationship, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and the number of second antenna ports. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on the different transmission stream requirements of the terminal device, avoids unnecessary pilot overhead, and improves communication performance.

[0025] In one possible design, the second information includes third indication information and a second pilot density, the third indication information being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset; and / or, the second information includes fourth indication information and the number of second antenna ports, the fourth indication information being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first antenna port number offset.

[0026] Based on the above scheme, by sending the second information to the terminal device to indicate the third mapping relationship, the fourth mapping relationship, the second pilot density, and the number of the second antenna ports, the terminal device can determine the first pilot density offset based on the third mapping relationship, and determine the first antenna port number offset based on the fourth mapping relationship. Then, it can determine the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density, and determine the number of the first antenna ports based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of the second antenna ports. This facilitates the subsequent transmission of pilot signals through the first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports to complete channel measurement and estimation, thereby obtaining complete channel information.

[0027] In one possible design, the first information is also used to indicate the number of first paths, the power of the first path being greater than or equal to a first threshold. Based on the first information and MPC, the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined, including: determining the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC; determining the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density; and / or determining the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports.

[0028] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can report the number of first paths. In other words, the terminal device can maintain the radio map locally. At this time, the network device does not need to determine the number of first paths based on MPC, which can reduce the computational overhead and processing complexity of the network device.

[0029] Optionally, if the terminal device stores at least one of a first mapping relationship, a second mapping relationship, a third mapping relationship, or a fourth mapping relationship, the terminal device can further determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset by combining the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device. In this case, the terminal device can directly or indirectly indicate the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset to the network device. The network device determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports through MPC and feeds it back to the terminal device. Based on the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, and the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, the terminal device can determine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports, thereby aligning the pilot configuration for subsequent pilot signal transmission, completing channel measurement and estimation, and obtaining complete channel state information.

[0030] For ease of understanding and description, the first, second, third, or fourth mapping relationships can be presented in tabular form. Optionally, the first, second, third, or fourth mapping relationships can also be implemented using code, functions, text, strings, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information, without limitation.

[0031] For example, the terminal device directly or indirectly instructs the network device on the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, including: the terminal device directly sending the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset to the network device; or, the terminal device sending a table identifier (ID) and / or a row ID to the network device to indicate the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset. For example, the network device can determine one of a first mapping relationship, a second mapping relationship, a third mapping relationship, or a fourth mapping relationship based on the table ID, and then determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset based on the number of first paths or the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; or, for example, the network device can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset based on the row ID, the number of first paths, or the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, etc., without limitation.

[0032] In one possible design, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device is determined based on the terminal device's capability information and / or the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device. The terminal device's capability information is used to indicate the number of transmission streams supported by the terminal device.

[0033] Based on the above scheme, considering the number of transmission streams supported by the terminal device and / or the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device (or the local packet buffering situation of the terminal device), the transmission stream requirement of the terminal device is determined. That is, within the capability of the terminal device, the transmission stream requirement is indicated as much as possible to achieve efficient channel measurement and estimation.

[0034] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by the terminal device side. Unless otherwise specified, the terminal device side in this application can refer to the terminal device itself, or a component in the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system, such as a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal device side (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0035] The method includes: sending first information to a network device, the first information indicating the number of streams to be transmitted by a terminal device; receiving second information from the network device, the second information indicating a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports; wherein the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined based on the first information and multipath element (MPC), the first pilot density indicating the number of resource elements corresponding to the first antenna ports, the first antenna ports being used to transmit reference signals, and the MPC being associated with the location of the terminal device.

[0036] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device reports its transport stream number requirement to the network device. The network device then determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the terminal device's transport stream number requirement and MPC (Multi-Path Context). It then aligns the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports with the network device by receiving second information. In other words, different pilot densities and / or antenna port numbers are configured based on the terminal device's transport stream number requirement. Furthermore, the terminal device and network device can transmit pilot signals based on the first pilot density and / or the first antenna ports. Channel measurement results are obtained through channel measurement and estimation, and the phase component of the multipath propagation is corrected based on these results. After phase correction, complete channel information can be obtained by combining the multipath elements (MPC), thus completing channel measurement and estimation. This method enables adaptive pilot configuration for different transport stream number requirements, avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead and improving communication performance.

[0037] In one possible design, before sending the first information to the network device, the method further includes receiving third information from the network device, the third information being used to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device.

[0038] In one possible design, the second information is further used to indicate a first pilot density offset and a second pilot density, and / or, the second information is further used to indicate a first antenna port number offset and a second antenna port number, the method further comprising: determining a first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density; and / or, determining the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port number offset and the second antenna port number.

[0039] The second aspect and some of its implementation methods and their beneficial effects can be referred to in the relevant description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0040] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which has the functions of the first aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first aspect above. The modules, units or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0041] For example, the communication device can be the network device side, such as a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) that corresponds to the method, operation, step, or action described in the first aspect above.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes: a communication unit (or communication module), and a processing unit (or processing module) connected to the communication unit.

[0043] For example, the communication unit is configured to receive first information from the terminal device, the first information indicating the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the processing unit is configured to determine a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and multipath element (MPC), the first pilot density indicating the number of resource units corresponding to the first antenna ports, the first antenna ports being used to transmit reference signals, and the MPC being associated with the location of the terminal device; the communication unit is further configured to send second information to the terminal device, the second information indicating the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0044] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which has the functions of the second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units or means corresponding to the operations involved in the second aspect above. The modules, units or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0045] For example, the communication device can be the terminal device side, such as a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) that corresponds to the method, operation, step, or action described in the second aspect above.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes: a communication unit (or communication module), and a processing unit (or processing module) connected to the communication unit.

[0047] For example, the communication unit is configured to send first information to the network device, the first information indicating the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the communication unit is further configured to receive second information from the network device, the second information indicating the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports; wherein the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined based on the first information and the multipath element (MPC), the first pilot density indicating the number of resource units corresponding to the first antenna ports, the first antenna ports being used to transmit reference signals, and the MPC being associated with the location of the terminal device.

[0048] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. This communication device can be either a network device or a terminal device. The communication device includes a processor configured to retrieve and execute a computer program or instructions from a memory, causing the communication device to perform the method in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0049] Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver and / or a memory, wherein the processor controls the transceiver to transmit and receive signals, and the memory stores computer programs or instructions.

[0050] Optionally, there may be one or more processors, one or more memories, and one or more transceivers.

[0051] Alternatively, the memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory can be separate from the processor. In other words, the memory can be built into the processor or set up independently of the processor.

[0052] Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver.

[0053] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, the communication device including one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to execute a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0054] Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory for storing part or all of the computer program or instructions that implement the functions involved in the first or second aspect above.

[0055] Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit, through which the processor communicates with other devices or components.

[0056] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal device, a component within a terminal device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a terminal device.

[0057] The aforementioned communication device may be a network device, or a component within a network device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a network device, or a centralized unit (CU) or distributed unit (DU) within a network device.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a network device and / or a terminal device, wherein the network device is configured to execute the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above, and the terminal device is configured to execute the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0059] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer program code or instructions to cause the method in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect to be implemented. For example, when the computer program code or instructions are executed, the method in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect is implemented.

[0060] A ninth aspect provides a computer program product. This computer program product includes computer program code or instructions to cause the methods in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect to be implemented. For example, when a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the methods in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect are implemented.

[0061] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided. When the computer program is run, it causes the method in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect to be implemented.

[0062] The beneficial effects of the third to tenth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the first or second aspects mentioned above and any possible implementation thereof, which will not be elaborated here. Attached Figure Description

[0063] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to this application;

[0064] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a process for channel measurement and estimation using radio maps;

[0065] Figures 4 to 8 This is an interactive flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture applicable to this application;

[0067] Figure 10 This is a possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0069] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] Before introducing the scheme of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0071] First, in this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0072] Second, in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. 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. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "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, and c can mean: a, or, b, or, c, or, a and b, or, a and c, or, b and c, or, a, b, and c. Here, a, b, and c can each be single or multiple.

[0073] Third, in this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations (e.g., #1, #2, etc.) indicate distinctions made for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they distinguish different messages, rather than describing a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such descriptions can be interchanged where appropriate to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application.

[0074] Fourth, in this application, "instruction" or "for instruction" can include both direct and indirect instruction. When describing instruction information as being used to instruct A, it can include whether the instruction information directly or indirectly instructs A, but does not necessarily mean that the instruction information carries A.

[0075] The indication methods involved in the embodiments of this application should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately. Moreover, the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. This application does not limit the sending method, for example.

[0076] The "instruction information" in the embodiments of this application can be an explicit instruction, that is, a direct instruction through signaling, or an instruction obtained by combining other rules or parameters with the parameters indicated by the signaling, or by deduction. It can also be an implicit instruction, that is, an instruction obtained based on rules or relationships, or based on other parameters, or by deduction. This application does not specifically limit it in this regard.

[0077] Fifth, in this application, "protocol" can refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as 5th generation (5G) protocols, new radio (NR) protocols, and related protocols applied to future communication systems; this application does not limit this term. "Predefined" can include predefined terms, such as protocol definitions. "Preconfiguration" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device; this application does not limit the implementation method, for example.

[0078] Sixth, in this application, "communication" can also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," "data processing," etc. "Transmission" includes "sending" and / or "receiving." "Transmission" can be described as "output."

[0079] Seventh, in this application, "sending information to XX (device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being that device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to that device. "Receiving information from XX (device), or receiving information from XX (device)" can be understood as the source of the information being that device, and can include receiving information directly or indirectly from that device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0080] Eighth, in this application, the words "exemplarily," "for example," etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the word "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0081] Ninth, in this application, when comparing A and B, the description "when A is greater than or equal to B, execute method A; when A is less than or equal to B, execute method B" can be implemented in a way that is "when A is greater than or equal to B, execute method A; when A is less than B, execute method B"; or it can be "when A is greater than B, execute method A; or when A is less than or equal to B, execute method B". This application does not limit this. For ease of description, the implementation methods provided in this application are all illustrated using "when A is greater than or equal to B, execute method A; or when A is less than B, execute method B" as an example. In other words, "<" means less than, "≤" means less than or equal to, and "<" and "≤" can be interchanged without limitation. Similarly, ">" means greater than, "≥" means greater than or equal to, and ">" and "≥" can be interchanged without limitation. The examples provided in this application are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on this application.

[0082] The communication system to which this application applies will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5G systems, or New Radio (NR) and future communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems.

[0084] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application are applicable to both homogeneous and heterogeneous network scenarios, and there are no restrictions on the transmission points. They can be applied to systems such as multi-point collaborative transmission between macro base stations, micro base stations, and macro base stations. The embodiments of this application are applicable to both low-frequency and high-frequency scenarios, including terahertz and optical communications.

[0085] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals may include reference signals, information, signaling, or data. In this application, "device" can be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, or communication node.

[0086] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 RAN100, denoted as RAN100, comprises RAN nodes 120a-120j, collectively referred to as RAN120. RAN100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal 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.

[0087] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G mobile communication system, a 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radioaccess network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0088] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as network equipment, access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1Network 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. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0089] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station (BS), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 In CRAN scenarios, RAN nodes can be 110b), relay nodes or donor nodes, or wireless controllers. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network equipment can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0090] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CU-CP), a CU-user plane (CU-UP), a radio unit (RU), or a CU-radio unit (CU-RU), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0091] In different systems, CU (including open CU-CP (O-CU-CP) and open CU-UP (O-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 central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the 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.

[0092] Terminal 120 can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, user device, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal unit, terminal station, terminal device, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication functions. The terminal may also be configured with program instructions for performing these communication functions.

[0093] For example, the terminal in this application embodiment can be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a drone, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home (e.g., game consoles, smart TVs, smart speakers, smart refrigerators, and fitness equipment), a transport vehicle with wireless communication capabilities, a communication module, or a roadside unit (RSU) with terminal capabilities.

[0094] RAN 100 and terminal 120 can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which RAN 100 and terminal 120 are located.

[0095] Communication between access network devices and terminal devices follows a specific protocol layer structure. This protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc.

[0096] The correspondence between network elements and their achievable protocol layer functions in the ORAN system can be found in Table 1 below.

[0097] Table 1

[0098] ORAN network elements 3GPP protocol layer functions O-CU-CP RRC+PDCP-Control Plane (PDCP-C) O-CU-UP SDAP+PDCP - User Plane (PDCP-U) O-DU RLC+MAC+PHY-high O-RU PHY-low

[0099] CN 200 can be a 5G core network or an evolved 5G core network. Taking a 5G core network as an example, CN 200 includes access and mobility management (AMF) network elements responsible for mobility management and access management services; session management (SMF) network elements responsible for session management; user plane (UPF) network elements responsible for user plane packet routing and forwarding and quality of service (QoS) control; and policy control (PCF) network elements. These core network elements can operate independently or be combined to implement certain control functions; for example, AMF, SMF, and PCF can be combined into a single core network device.

[0100] The communication system 10 provided in this application may further include artificial intelligence (AI) network elements for implementing some or all AI-related operations. AI network elements may also be referred to as AI nodes, AI devices, AI entities, AI modules, AI models, or AI units, etc. The AI ​​network elements may be built into the network elements of the communication system. For example, an AI network element may be an AI module built into access network equipment, core network equipment, cloud servers, or operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) systems to implement AI-related functions. The OAM system may function as the network management system for core network equipment and / or access network equipment. Alternatively, the AI ​​network element may be an independently configured network element within the communication system. Optionally, the terminal or its built-in chip may also include an AI entity for implementing AI-related functions.

[0101] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a possible application framework in a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 2As shown, network elements in a communication system are connected via interfaces (e.g., NG, Xn) or air interfaces. These network element nodes, such as core network equipment, access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminals, or one or more devices in the OAM, are equipped with one or more AI modules (for clarity, ...). Figure 2 (Only one is shown in the image). The access network node can be a single RAN node or can include multiple RAN nodes, such as CU and DU. The CU and / or DU can also be configured with one or more AI modules. Optionally, the CU can also be split into CU-CP and CU-UP. One or more AI models are configured in CU-CP and / or CU-UP.

[0102] The AI ​​module is used to implement corresponding AI functions. AI modules deployed in different network elements can be the same or different. Depending on the parameter configuration, the AI ​​module can implement different functions. The AI ​​module model can be configured based on one or more of the following parameters: structural parameters (e.g., at least one of the following: number of neural network layers, neural network width, inter-layer connections, neuron weights, neuron activation function, or bias in the activation function), input parameters (e.g., type and / or dimension of input parameters), or output parameters (e.g., type and / or dimension of output parameters). The bias in the activation function can also be referred to as the neural network bias.

[0103] An AI module can have one or more models. A model can infer an output, which includes one or more parameters. The learning, training, or inference processes of different models can be deployed on different nodes or devices, or they can be deployed on the same node or device.

[0104] It should be understood that the above naming is defined solely for the purpose of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of using other naming conventions in 5G networks and other future networks. For example, in future networks, some or all of the above-mentioned network elements may use the terminology from 5G, or they may use other names, etc.

[0105] Understandable. Figure 1 or Figure 2 The examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The communication methods provided in the embodiments of this application may also involve... Figure 1 or Figure 2 The network elements not shown in the diagram may also include, of course, the communication method provided in this application embodiment. Figure 1 or Figure 2 Some of the network elements are shown.

[0106] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the basic concepts involved in this application will be explained first.

[0107] 1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI enables machines to possess human-like intelligence, such as allowing machines to use computer hardware and software to simulate certain intelligent human behaviors. To achieve AI, machine learning methods can be employed. In machine learning, machines learn (or train) models using training data. This model represents the mapping between inputs and outputs. The learned model can be used for reasoning (or prediction), that is, it can be used to predict the output corresponding to a given input. This output can also be called the reasoning result (or prediction result).

[0108] 2. Radio Frequency Map (RF Map): Also known as a wireless map, an RF map is a map used to display the coverage area and signal strength distribution of wireless signals, reflecting the parameter values ​​of various locations within a wireless network. Common RF maps include channel gain maps, received signal strength maps, and power spectral density maps. RF maps are widely used in wireless communication and networking, including network planning, interference control, power control, resource allocation, handover management, multi-hop routing, dynamic spectrum access, and cognitive radio network tasks.

[0109] Here are some common uses and functions of radio frequency maps:

[0110] (1) Wireless signal coverage analysis: Radio frequency (RF) maps can display the signal coverage range of wireless devices, helping users understand the signal coverage strength and quality in each area. Through RF maps, users can assess whether the signal coverage meets their needs and whether there are blind spots or insufficient coverage.

[0111] (2) Signal strength distribution: The radio frequency map can display the signal strength distribution in different areas, visually representing the signal strength level using colors and other methods. Users can use the radio frequency map to view the trend of signal strength changes, helping to optimize network performance.

[0112] (3) Network planning and optimization: Based on the analysis of the radio frequency map, wireless network planning and optimization can be carried out. Users can adjust the layout of network equipment, signal coverage and power according to the data of the radio frequency map to improve network performance and coverage quality.

[0113] (4) Troubleshooting: By monitoring and analyzing the RF map, users can promptly identify and resolve faults or problems in the wireless network. For example, changes in signal coverage can be observed through the RF map to pinpoint the cause of network faults. RF maps are typically generated using professional RF testing equipment and software. Specialized RF testing instruments can be used for on-site testing, and the RF map is generated through data processing. Through the RF map, users can better understand the propagation of wireless signals, helping to improve network performance and user experience.

[0114] 3. Channel Information: Channel information represents channel-related information between the network device side and the terminal device side. It is information that reflects channel characteristics and channel quality, and includes at least one of the following: channel state information, channel precoding information, channel environment information, beam information, beam angle information, beam power information, beam indication information, channel feature vector, channel eigenvalue, channel amplitude information, or channel phase information. The channel involved in this application can be an uplink channel, downlink channel, or sidelink channel, etc., and is not limited thereto.

[0115] Channel state information indicates the state of the channel. Channel precoding information indicates the precoding matrix of the channel, etc. Beam information indicates the beam used for transmitting or receiving signals, such as including the beam index. Beam angle information includes, for example, at least one of beam pointing, beamwidth, or beamforming method. Beam pointing includes, for example, the direction of the main lobe formed by beamforming. Beamwidth refers to the degree to which the main lobe formed by beamforming is broadened in space. Beamforming method refers to the method of beamforming, such as numerical methods, etc. Beam power information indicates the power of the beam. Beam indication information refers to the parameters required for beamforming. The channel eigenvector is a vector used to represent the transmission characteristics of the channel. The channel eigenvalue refers to the eigenvalue of the channel matrix. Channel amplitude information refers to the amplitude changes of the signal during transmission. Channel phase information refers to the phase changes of the signal during transmission.

[0116] 4. Reference signals: The reference signals involved in this application include, but are not limited to:

[0117] Pilot reference signals (e.g., Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS) and / or Sounding Reference Signals (SRS), demodulation reference signals (DMRS), tracking reference signals (TRS), phase tracking reference signals (PT-RS), positioning reference signals (PRS), or sensing reference signals (SeRS), etc. Optionally, the pilot reference signal may be referred to as a pilot or pilot signal, wherein the pilot signal is used for channel measurement. The reference signal in this application may also be a reference signal other than those listed above that can be carried in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, which will not be described further here.

[0118] Taking FDD communication as an example, since uplink and downlink channels lack reciprocity or cannot guarantee reciprocity, network devices need to obtain downlink CSI through uplink feedback from terminal devices. Network devices typically send a downlink reference signal to the terminal device, which receives this signal. Since the terminal device knows the transmission information of the downlink reference signal, it can perform channel measurements and interference measurements based on the received signal to estimate the downlink channel traversed by the downlink reference signal. The terminal device then generates the downlink CSI based on this measurement and the resulting downlink channel matrix.

[0119] 5. Port: A port, also known as an antenna port, can include transmit ports and receive ports. An antenna port is a logical concept; one antenna port can correspond to one physical transmit antenna or multiple physical transmit antennas. In both cases, the terminal's receiver will not decompose signals from the same antenna port. From the terminal's perspective, regardless of whether the channel is formed by a single physical transmit antenna or by combining multiple physical transmit antennas, the reference signal (RS) corresponding to this antenna port defines it. For example, the antenna port corresponding to the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is the DMRS port. The terminal can obtain the channel estimate for the corresponding antenna port based on the reference signal. Each antenna port corresponds to a time / frequency resource grid and has its own independent reference signal. One antenna port is one channel, and the terminal performs channel estimation and data demodulation based on the reference signal corresponding to that antenna port.

[0120] Optionally, a port refers to a port after beamforming and / or phase rotation.

[0121] An antenna port is typically associated with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot signal), and its meaning can be understood as a transmit / receive interface on the channel through which the reference signal passes. In low-frequency systems, an antenna port may correspond to one or more antenna elements that jointly transmit the reference signal; the receiver can treat them as a whole without distinguishing between individual elements. In high-frequency systems, an antenna port may correspond to a beam; similarly, the receiver only needs to treat this beam as an interface and does not need to distinguish between individual elements.

[0122] 6. Time-frequency resources: Data or information can be carried through time-frequency resources. These resources can include resources in the time domain (i.e., time-domain resources) and resources in the frequency domain (i.e., frequency-domain resources).

[0123] In the time domain, time-domain resources can include one or more time-domain units (or time units). Time-domain units can include radio frames (RF), subframes, frames, half-subframes, half-frames, slots, mini-slots, partial slots, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, etc.

[0124] In the frequency domain, frequency domain resources can include one or more frequency domain units. Frequency domain units can include subcarriers, component carriers (CCs), resource units (REs), resource blocks (RBs), subchannels, resource pools, bandwidth, bandwidth parts (BWPs), channels, or an interlaced RB, etc.

[0125] In this application, time-frequency resources include time-frequency points, and a time-frequency point can be regarded as an RE. For example, a time-frequency point includes a symbol and a subcarrier, and the symbol and the subcarrier correspond. Alternatively, a time-frequency point can also be regarded as an RB, without limitation.

[0126] 7. Random Phase: In signal processing, random phase usually refers to the phase of a signal changing randomly. This randomness may be caused by multipath effects, changes in the signal propagation environment, or uncertainties in the signal source. Random phase affects the time-frequency characteristics of a signal, thus affecting signal propagation and reception.

[0127] In wireless communication, random phase can lead to signal fading and multipath interference, which need to be compensated for through techniques such as channel estimation and equalization.

[0128] Random phase is a factor that needs to be considered in the construction and use of radio maps. For example, in multipath environments, the phase of a signal can change randomly due to different propagation paths, which can affect the accuracy of the radio map. Therefore, when creating a radio map, it may be necessary to use statistical methods to handle the impact of random phase, or to use machine learning techniques to predict and compensate for these randomnesses.

[0129] The above description of the terminology is for ease of understanding only and does not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0130] When using radio maps for channel prediction, the input of AI-based radio maps is usually information about users and base stations (such as location coordinates or environmental information). The output can be the multipath element (MPC) of the user's location when connected to the base station, such as the number of paths, DoD, DoA, power, or delay of each path. However, the phase of the multipath cannot be obtained, so complete channel information cannot be obtained, and therefore effective channel measurement and estimation cannot be performed.

[0131] Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating a method for channel measurement and estimation using radio maps. (Example) Figure 3 As shown, the multipath element (MPC) can be determined using a radio map. The number of parameters N to be acquired is estimated using the MPC and a time-frequency conversion module. Based on the number of parameters N, pilot density and / or the number of antenna ports for transmitting and receiving pilot signals are configured (this can be referred to as the basic pilot density and / or the basic number of antenna ports, or, in other words, the second pilot density and / or the second number of antenna ports, as described below), ensuring that the basic pilot density * the basic number of antenna ports is not less than the number of parameters N. Then, the network device can configure a pilot pattern for the terminal device. This pilot pattern indicates the pilot density and / or the number of antenna ports, and pilot signals are placed according to this pattern. Channel measurement results are obtained through channel measurement and estimation, and the phase portion of the multipath is corrected based on these results. After phase correction, complete channel information can be obtained by combining the multipath element (MPC). The time-frequency conversion module can convert the MPC into channel state information (CSI). The number of parameters N to be acquired is N = n * N. path N path This indicates the number of paths determined by MPC, where n is an integer greater than 0. The time-frequency domain conversion module can convert MPC to Channel State Information (CSI). The time-frequency domain conversion module can be implemented through mathematical models, simulation models, or AI models.

[0132] However, in this implementation, the configuration of pilot patterns typically only considers the accuracy of channel recovery, without taking into account the communication stream requirements (or transmission stream requirements) of the terminal device. For example, when the communication stream requirements of the terminal device are low, using the basic pilot density and / or basic antenna port number may introduce unnecessary pilot overhead; when the communication stream requirements of the terminal device are high, using the basic pilot density and / or basic antenna port number may reduce the communication throughput of weak streams.

[0133] In view of this, this application provides a communication method and apparatus that determines a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted and the MPC of the terminal device, i.e., configuring different pilot densities and / or antenna port numbers based on the number of streams required by the terminal device. Furthermore, the terminal device and network device can transmit pilot signals through the first pilot density and / or the first antenna ports to complete channel measurement and estimation. This method enables adaptive pilot configuration based on the number of streams required by the terminal device, avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead and improving communication performance.

[0134] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and can be applied to the above-mentioned... Figure 1 or Figure 2The communication system shown is illustrated. It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are applicable to scenarios involving communication between the sending and receiving ends. Specifically, the technical solutions of this application are applicable to uplink transmission, downlink transmission, or sidelink transmission scenarios, etc.

[0135] It should also be understood that the embodiments shown below do not specifically limit the structure of the execution entity of the method provided in the embodiments of this application, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application by running the code or program that records the method provided in the embodiments of this application. For example, the method provided in the embodiments of this application can be executed by the network device side and the terminal device side. Unless otherwise specified, "network device side" in this application can refer to the network device, or a component in the network device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system, etc.), or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. "Terminal device side" in this application can refer to the terminal device, or a component in the terminal device, or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0136] For ease of description, the following embodiments use the interaction between a network device and a terminal device as the main entities for execution. Additionally, the terminal device side in these embodiments can also be referred to as the "UE side" or "UE part." The network device side can also be referred to as the "Network side" or "Network part," and the specific names are not limited.

[0137] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the method 400 includes the following steps; for details not covered, please refer to the relevant descriptions in existing solutions.

[0138] S410, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the first information from the terminal device.

[0139] The first piece of information is used to indicate the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device (or, the communication stream requirement, or the transmission stream requirement).

[0140] For example, the number of transport streams supported by the terminal device may be 1 stream, 2 streams, 4 streams, or 16 streams, or other numbers of streams, without specific limitation.

[0141] It should be noted that the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device is different from the rank index (RI) fed back in channel measurement. For example, during downlink channel measurement, after the terminal device completes channel measurement and estimation, it can report the RI to the network device to reflect the number of effective data streams in the downlink channel. In contrast, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device in this embodiment is reported by the terminal device to the network device before the terminal device performs channel measurement and estimation, and is used to reflect the number of data streams required by the terminal device.

[0142] The following is an example illustrating the representation of the number of streams to be transmitted (i.e., the first information) on the terminal device.

[0143] In one implementation, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device can be determined by whether the first information carries bit information, and / or by the value of the bit information carried in the first information.

[0144] For example, the terminal device's requirement for a certain number of transmission streams is determined based on the bit information carried in the first information. For instance, bit "00" indicates that the terminal device has no specific requirement for the number of transmission streams, bit "01" indicates that the terminal device requires a single-stream transmission, bit "10" indicates that the terminal device requires dual-stream (or 2-stream) transmission, and bit "11" indicates that the terminal device requires 3 transmission streams. For example, assuming the terminal device requires 2 transmission streams, it can send bit "10" through the first information. Correspondingly, the network device, after receiving the first information, parses bit "10" and thus determines that the terminal device requires 2 transmission streams.

[0145] For example, the presence or absence of bit information in the first information determines whether the terminal device has a transmission stream requirement. For instance, if the first information does not carry bit information, it indicates that the terminal device has no specific transmission stream requirement; if the first information carries bit information, it indicates that the terminal device has a transmission stream requirement, the specific requirement being determined by the value of the bit information. For example, assuming the terminal device has 0 streams to transmit, the first information sent by the terminal device does not carry bit information. Correspondingly, after receiving the first information, the network device parses it and does not obtain any bit information, thus determining that the terminal device has 0 streams to transmit, indicating that the terminal device has no local packet buffer. As another example, assuming the terminal device has 1 stream to transmit, the first information sent by the terminal device can carry bit information, such as bit "1" or bit "01". Correspondingly, after receiving the first information, the network device parses it and obtains bit "1" or bit "01", thus determining that the terminal device has 1 stream to transmit, indicating that the terminal device has a local packet buffer.

[0146] It is understood that the above are merely examples for ease of understanding, and other solutions are not excluded. Optionally, this application does not limit the representation of the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device (i.e., the first information). In addition, this application does not limit the value of the first information.

[0147] The following is an example illustrating how to determine the number of streams to be transmitted on a terminal device.

[0148] In one implementation, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device is determined based on the terminal device's capability information and / or the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device (or, in other words, the number of service packets locally cached by the terminal device). The terminal device's capability information indicates the number of transmission streams it supports. Specifically, when the terminal device has a large number of locally cached service packets, it can report a larger number of transmission stream requests; when the terminal device has no locally cached service packets, it can report a smaller number of transmission stream requests.

[0149] For example, suppose the terminal device's capability information indicates that the terminal device supports 4 transmission streams. If the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device is 0, the terminal device can indicate that the number of transmission streams to be transmitted is 0 through the first information. If the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device requires 4 transmission streams, the terminal device can indicate that the number of transmission streams to be transmitted is 4 through the first information. If the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device requires 2 transmission streams, the terminal device can indicate that the number of transmission streams to be transmitted is 2 through the first information. There is no limitation on this.

[0150] In this application, the terminal device reports the number of streams to be transmitted to the network device. This can be done proactively by the terminal device, for example, in uplink channel measurement scenarios; or it can be based on the network device's request message #1, for example, in downlink channel measurement scenarios. There is no limitation on this.

[0151] In one example, before receiving the first information from the terminal device, the network device may request the terminal device to report the number of streams to be transmitted on the terminal device. That is, before performing step S410, the method 400 may also include the following step S401 (not shown in the figure).

[0152] S401, the network device sends third information to the terminal device, which is used to request the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device. Correspondingly, after receiving the third information, the terminal device indicates the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device to the network device.

[0153] Optionally, the method further includes: the network device obtaining the location information of the terminal device, specifically implemented in ways including but not limited to: the terminal device actively reporting its location information; or, the terminal device reporting its location information based on the network device's request message #2. Optionally, the location information of the terminal device can be reported to the network device simultaneously with the first information, or the location information of the terminal device can be reported independently of the first information; there is no limitation on this. Optionally, the aforementioned request message #1 and request message #2 can be sent simultaneously or separately; there is no limitation on this.

[0154] S420, the network device determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and MPC.

[0155] The first pilot density is used to indicate the number of resource elements (REs) corresponding to the first antenna port, and the first antenna port is used to transmit reference signals (or pilot signals).

[0156] It is understood that the antenna port (e.g., the first antenna port or the second antenna port) involved in the technical solution of this application may refer to the port for transmitting pilot signals. Therefore, the antenna port can be replaced by a transmitting antenna port or a transmitting antenna port. For example, the first antenna port can be replaced by a first transmitting antenna port or a first transmitting antenna port, and the second antenna port can be replaced by a second transmitting antenna port or a second transmitting antenna port. The names are not specifically limited. For ease of description, the following description uses the antenna port (e.g., the first antenna port or the second antenna port) as an example.

[0157] For example, assuming the first pilot density is 2 RE / port, it can represent that one first antenna port corresponds to two time-frequency points, such as 2 REs. If the number of first antenna ports is 2, such as antenna port 1 and antenna port 2, the first pilot density indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 1 is 2, such as RE 1 and RE 2, and indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 2 is 2, such as RE 3 and RE 4, without limitation. For example, assuming the first pilot density is 1 RE / port, it can represent that one first antenna port corresponds to one time-frequency point, such as 1 RE. If the number of first antenna ports is 2, such as antenna port 1 and antenna port 2, the first pilot density indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 1 is 1, such as RE 1, and indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 2 is 1, such as RE 2, without limitation.

[0158] It should be noted that this application does not specifically limit the magnitude of the first pilot density or the number of first antenna ports. For example, assuming the number of first antenna ports (e.g., first transmit / receive antenna ports) is 4, the magnitude of the first pilot density can be used to indicate the number of REs corresponding to each of the 4 first antenna ports. Optionally, the number of REs corresponding to each antenna port can be the same or different, and this is not limited.

[0159] In this application, the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports can be regarded as two variables. The network device can adapt to the different transmission stream requirements of the terminal device by adjusting the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports, thereby avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead and improving communication performance.

[0160] It is understood that the MPC associated with the location of the terminal device in this application embodiment means that the MPC can be regarded as the MPC of the terminal device's location. For example, the location information of the terminal device and the information of the network device (such as location coordinates or a wireless environment map) can be used as input to the radio map, and the output of the radio map is the MPC. The MPC can include the number of paths, and at least one of the following for each path: DoD, DoA, power, elevation angle, azimuth angle, or delay. DoD refers to the angle at which the path originates from the transmitter, including the horizontal (also known as azimuth) departure angle and the vertical (also known as elevation) departure angle. DoA refers to the angle at which the path arrives at the receiver, including the horizontal (also known as azimuth) arrival angle and the vertical (also known as elevation) arrival angle. Delay refers to the time consumed from the transmission at the transmitter to the reception at the receiver, also known as the time of flight.

[0161] In one example, the network device obtains the MPC before determining the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and the MPC. That is, before performing step S420, the method 400 may further include step S402 (not shown in the figure).

[0162] S402, Network device obtains MPC.

[0163] For example, a network device can obtain the MPC based on a radio map. For instance, the location information of the terminal device and the network device's information (e.g., location coordinates or a wireless environment map) can be used as input to the radio map, and the output of the radio map is the MPC. The radio map can be an AI model, which can use techniques such as ray tracing to simulate the radio propagation process to obtain training data. The training data is then used to train an AI-based radio map. Alternatively, the network device can also obtain the MPC using ray tracing technology. This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the network device obtaining the MPC.

[0164] As is understood, a radio map refers to a map used to display the coverage area and signal strength distribution of wireless signals, reflecting the parameter values ​​of various locations of terminal devices in a wireless network. Optionally, the radio map in this application embodiment can be implemented through mathematical models, simulation models, or AI models, etc., and there is no limitation thereto.

[0165] The following is an example illustrating the specific implementation of step S420 above, in which the network device determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and MPC. Specifically, in conjunction with case one or case two, the example illustrates the deployment of a radio map on the network device side or the terminal device side, that is, determining the number of first paths on the network device side or the terminal device side.

[0166] It should be noted that this application does not limit the number of first diameters. For example, the number of first diameters can be one or more.

[0167] It should be noted that this application does not limit the definition or determination method of the first path. As an example, the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to the first threshold. For example, assuming the first threshold is 20dB, and the MPC output by the wireless point map includes 5 paths (e.g., path 1, path 2, path 3, path 4, and path 5), the power corresponding to these 5 paths are -10dB, 10dB, 20dB, 30dB, and 40dB respectively, then the first path can be considered to include path 3, path 4, and path 5, that is, the number of first paths is 3. As another example, the first path refers to the path whose power is less than or equal to the difference between the power of the strongest path and the first threshold. For example, assuming the first threshold is 10dB, the MPC output by the wireless point map includes 4 paths (e.g., path 1, path 2, path 3, and path 4). The power corresponding to these 4 paths is -20dB, -10dB, 10dB, and 20dB respectively. Then the strongest path is path 4. The power of the strongest path minus 10dB equals 10dB, which means that the path with a power less than 10dB is the first path. That is, the first path includes path 1, path 2, and path 3, and the number of the first paths is 3.

[0168] Optionally, the first threshold can be predefined or preconfigured, or configured by the network device to the terminal device via signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC), which is not limited. Predefinition can include pre-defined features, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications. Preconfiguration can be vendor-preconfigured, implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the first threshold) in the network device and / or terminal device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0169] Scenario 1: The network device deploys a radio map, and the network device determines the number of first paths.

[0170] Understandably, since the network device maintains the radio map, after obtaining the location information of the terminal device, the network device can use the location information of the terminal device and the information of the network device (such as location coordinates or wireless environment map) as input to the radio map and output multipath element MPC.

[0171] In the first implementation, the network device determines the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on MPC, and determines the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density.

[0172] For example, the MPC includes the number of paths, and the network device determines the number of the first path based on the MPC. The definition or determination method of the first path can be found above, and will not be repeated here.

[0173] For example, the network device determines the second pilot density (or, the basic pilot density) based on the MPC, including: the network device determining the number of parameters to be acquired based on the MPC, determining the time-frequency domain feedback dimension (e.g., P time-frequency points) based on the number of parameters to be acquired, and selecting P time-frequency points from pre-configured time-frequency resources based on the time-frequency domain feedback dimension, i.e., determining the second pilot density. The number of parameters to be acquired can be phase; phase and MPC belong to channel information, and this application does not limit the specific form of the number of parameters to be acquired. The time-frequency point can be a RE; a time-frequency point can be considered as an RE determined by a symbol and a subcarrier, and this application does not limit the size or form of the time-frequency point.

[0174] It is understood that the above example of determining the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on MPC is only for ease of understanding, and other solutions are not excluded. This application does not limit the specific implementation method of determining the number of first paths and the second pilot density for network devices.

[0175] For example, the network device determines the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density, including: when the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is less than or equal to the second pilot density; when the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density.

[0176] For example, the specific implementation method for determining the first pilot density by network devices may include the following steps, and for details not covered, please refer to the relevant descriptions of existing solutions.

[0177] Step 1: The network device determines the current channel matrix based on MPC and a set of random phases.

[0178] Step 2: When the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the network device determines the current pilot density = second pilot density - minimum pilot density adjustment. When the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the network device determines the current pilot density = second pilot density + minimum pilot density adjustment. Further, using... Channel estimation under the current pilot density is obtained. The estimated value

[0179] Step 3: Utilize and Estimate the channel estimation performance index corresponding to the current pilot density, and determine the first pilot density by comparing the channel estimation performance index with the threshold (e.g., threshold #1, threshold #2).

[0180] As an example, the channel estimation performance index can be represented by the cosine similarity of the first K flows, where K represents the number of flows to be transmitted reported by the terminal device. Specifically, when the number of first paths is less than the number of flows to be transmitted by the terminal device, if the channel estimation performance index is greater than the threshold #1, the network device can determine the current pilot density as the first pilot density; if the channel estimation performance index is less than or equal to the threshold #1, the network device can increase the current pilot density again, at which point the current pilot density = the second pilot density + the minimum pilot density adjustment amount * 2, and repeat steps 2 and 3, and so on, until the channel estimation performance index is greater than or equal to the threshold #1, at which point the current pilot density can be determined as the first pilot density. When the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, if the channel estimation performance index is less than the threshold #2, the network device can determine the current pilot density plus the minimum pilot density adjustment as the first pilot density; if the channel estimation performance index is greater than or equal to the threshold #2, the network device can reduce the current pilot density again, at which point the current pilot density = the second pilot density - the minimum pilot density adjustment * 2, and repeat steps 2 and 3, and so on, until the channel estimation performance index is less than the threshold #2, at which point the current pilot density plus the minimum pilot density adjustment is determined as the first pilot density.

[0181] Optionally, threshold #1 and threshold #2 can be the same or different, and there is no limitation on this.

[0182] Optionally, the minimum pilot density adjustment amount (e.g., 3RE / Port, which can mean that one antenna port corresponds to 3 REs) or threshold (e.g., threshold #1, threshold #2) can be predefined or preconfigured, or configured by the network device to the terminal device through signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC), which is not limited. Predefinition can include predefined features, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications, while preconfiguration can be vendor preconfiguration, achieved by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the minimum pilot density adjustment amount or threshold (e.g., threshold #1, threshold #2)) in the network device and / or terminal device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0183] In the second implementation, the network device determines the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on MPC, and determines the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports.

[0184] For example, the MPC includes the number of paths, and the network device determines the number of the first path based on the MPC. The definition or determination method of the first path can be found above, and will not be repeated here.

[0185] For example, the network device determines the number of second antenna ports (or, the number of basic antenna ports) based on the MPC, including: the network device determining the number of parameters to be acquired based on the MPC, determining the spatial feedback dimension (e.g., Q antenna ports) based on the number of parameters to be acquired, and selecting Q antenna ports from pre-configured antenna ports based on the spatial feedback dimension, i.e., determining the number of second antenna ports. The number of parameters to be acquired may be phase; phase and MPC belong to channel information, and this application does not limit the specific form of the number of parameters to be acquired. The minimum value of the spatial feedback dimension may be determined based on the rank of the channel, or it may be determined based on the number of strong currents; this is not limited.

[0186] Understandably, the above example of determining the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on MPC is merely for ease of understanding and does not exclude other solutions. This application does not limit the specific implementation method for determining the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports in network devices.

[0187] For example, the network device determines the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports, including: when the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first antenna ports is less than or equal to the number of second antenna ports; when the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first antenna ports is greater than the number of second antenna ports.

[0188] For example, determining the specific implementation method of the first antenna port by a network device may include the following steps; for details not covered, please refer to the relevant descriptions in existing solutions.

[0189] Step 1: The network device determines the current channel matrix based on MPC and a set of random phases.

[0190] Step 2: When the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the network device determines the current number of antenna ports = the number of second antenna ports - the minimum antenna port adjustment amount. When the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the network device determines the current number of antenna ports = the number of second antenna ports + the minimum antenna port adjustment amount. Further, using... Simulate the channel estimation under the current antenna port to obtain The estimated value

[0191] Step 3: Utilize and Estimate the channel estimation performance index corresponding to the current antenna port, and determine the number of the first antenna ports by comparing the channel estimation performance index with a threshold (e.g., threshold #3 or threshold #4).

[0192] As an example, the channel estimation performance index can be represented by the cosine similarity of the first K flows, where K represents the number of flows to be transmitted reported by the terminal device. Specifically, when the number of the first path is less than the number of flows to be transmitted by the terminal device, if the channel estimation performance index is greater than the threshold #3, the network device can determine that the current number of antenna ports is the number of the first antenna ports; if the channel estimation performance index is less than or equal to the threshold #3, the network device can increase the current number of antenna ports again, at which point the current number of antenna ports = the number of the second antenna ports + the minimum antenna port adjustment amount * 2, and repeat steps 2 and 3, and so on, until the channel estimation performance index is greater than or equal to the threshold #3, at which point the current number of antenna ports can be determined as the number of the first antenna ports. When the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, if the channel estimation performance index is less than the threshold #4, the network device can determine the number of the first antenna ports as the current number of antenna ports plus the minimum antenna port adjustment amount. If the channel estimation performance index is greater than or equal to the threshold #4, the network device can reduce the current number of antenna ports again. At this time, the current number of antenna ports = the number of the second antenna ports - the minimum antenna port adjustment amount * 2. Steps 2 and 3 are executed again, and so on, until the channel estimation performance index is less than the threshold #4. Then the current number of antenna ports plus the minimum antenna port adjustment amount can be determined as the number of the first antenna ports.

[0193] Optionally, threshold #3 and threshold #4 can be the same or different, and there is no limitation on this.

[0194] Optionally, the minimum antenna port adjustment amount (e.g., two) or threshold (e.g., threshold #3, threshold #4) can be predefined or preconfigured, or configured by the network device to the terminal device via signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC), which is not limited. Predefinition can include predefined features, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications. Preconfiguration can be vendor preconfiguration, achieved by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the minimum antenna port adjustment amount or threshold (e.g., threshold #3, threshold #4)) in the network device and / or terminal device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0195] In the third implementation, the network device determines the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on MPC, obtains a first mapping relationship based on first information, determines a first pilot density offset based on the first mapping relationship and the number of first paths, and determines the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. The first mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset.

[0196] For details on how network devices determine the number of first paths and the density of second pilots based on MPC, please refer to the description of the first implementation method above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0197] As an example, the first information may include indication information #1, which indicates a table ID. Understandably, a table ID identifies a table, such as Table 2 below. It is also understood that a table corresponds to the number of streams to be transmitted by a terminal device; that is, the indication information #1 indicates the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device. Furthermore, a table may correspond to a first mapping relationship. For example, assuming the terminal device has 6 streams to be transmitted, the corresponding table ID1 is used to identify the number of streams to be transmitted, as shown in Table 2 below. Optionally, the value of the indication information #1 carried in the first information can be a bit "01", used to indicate table ID 1. That is, the terminal device can implicitly indicate that the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device is 6 through the table ID 1. In other words, after receiving the first information, the network device can obtain table ID 1 by parsing it, and then determine Table 2 below, thus determining the first mapping relationship.

[0198] The first mapping relationship is illustrated in the following table. As shown in Table 2, when the number of first paths x (x is an integer) is 1≤x≤4, the corresponding first pilot density offset is -a; when the number of first paths x is 5≤x≤8, the corresponding first pilot density offset is 0; when the number of first paths x is 9≤x≤16, the corresponding first pilot density offset is a; and when the number of first paths x is 16<x, the corresponding first pilot density offset is b.

[0199] Table 2

[0200]

[0201]

[0202] For example, assuming the terminal device has 6 streams to be transmitted, according to Table 2 above, further, if the network device can determine the number of the first path and the second pilot density based on MPC, for example, 10 and A respectively, then according to Table 2, the first pilot density offset can be determined to be -a (assuming a is a positive integer), and thus the first pilot density can be determined to be Aa. Since the number of the first path is greater than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is less than the second pilot density, that is, Aa is less than A. If the network device can determine the number of the first path and the second pilot density based on MPC, for example, 4 and A' respectively, then according to Table 2, the first pilot density offset can be determined to be a, and thus the first pilot density can be determined to be A'+a. Since the number of the first path is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density, that is, A'+a is greater than A'.

[0203] It is understood that the first mapping relationship in the embodiments of this application may be predefined or preconfigured, or it may be indicated or configured by the network device to the terminal side through signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC). Predefinition may include pre-defined terms, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications. Preconfiguration may be vendor pre-configuration, implemented by pre-storing corresponding code, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the first mapping relationship) on the network device side and / or the terminal device side. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0204] It should be noted that the first mapping relationship in Table 2 above is merely an example for ease of understanding, and other solutions are not excluded. Optionally, this application does not limit the number of first mapping relationships in Table 2 above (e.g., one row in the table), such as adding or removing one or more rows. Optionally, Table 2 above can be split into multiple independent tables, and this application does not limit the splitting method; for example, the first two rows and the last two rows in Table 2 can be formed into independent new tables.

[0205] In the fourth implementation, the network device determines the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on MPC, obtains a second mapping relationship based on first information, determines the first antenna port number offset based on the second mapping relationship and the number of first paths, and determines the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of second antenna ports. The second mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first antenna port number offset.

[0206] For details on how network devices determine the number of the first path and the number of the second antenna ports based on MPC, please refer to the description of the second implementation method above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0207] As an example, the first information may include indication information #2, which indicates a table ID. Understandably, a table ID identifies a table, such as Table 3 below. It is also understood that a table corresponds to the number of streams to be transmitted by a terminal device; that is, the indication information #2 indicates the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device. Additionally, a table may correspond to a second mapping relationship. For example, assuming the terminal device has 8 streams to be transmitted, the corresponding table ID2 is used to identify the number of streams to be transmitted, as shown in Table 3 below. Optionally, the value of the indication information #2 carried in the first information can be bit "10", indicating table ID 2. That is, the terminal device can implicitly indicate that it has 8 streams to be transmitted by submitting table ID 2. In other words, after receiving the first information, the network device can obtain table ID 2 through parsing, and then determine Table 3 below, thus determining the second mapping relationship.

[0208] The second mapping relationship is illustrated in the table below. As shown in Table 3, when the number of first paths x (x is an integer) is 1≤x≤4, the corresponding offset of the number of first antenna ports is -a; when the number of first paths x is 5≤x≤8, the corresponding offset of the number of first antenna ports is 0; when the number of first paths x is 9≤x≤16, the corresponding offset of the number of first antenna ports is a; when the number of first paths x is 17≤x≤32, the corresponding offset of the number of first antenna ports is b; when the number of first paths x is 32<x, the corresponding offset of the number of first antenna ports is c.

[0209] Table 3

[0210] Line ID Number of first paths x First antenna port number offset 0 1≤x≤4 a 1 5≤x≤8 0 2 9≤x≤16 -a 3 17≤x≤32 -b 4 32＜x -c

[0211] For example, assuming the terminal device has 8 streams to be transmitted, corresponding to Table 3 above, further, if the network device can determine the number of the first path and the number of the second antenna ports based on MPC, for example, 10 and B respectively, then according to Table 3, the offset of the number of the first antenna ports can be determined as -a (assuming a is a positive integer), and thus the number of the first antenna ports can be determined as Ba. Since the number of the first path is greater than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of the first antenna ports is less than the number of the second antenna ports, i.e., Ba is less than B. If the network device can determine the number of the first path and the number of the second antenna ports based on MPC, for example, 4 and B' respectively, then according to Table 2, the offset of the number of the first antenna ports can be determined as a, and thus the number of the first antenna ports can be determined as B'+a. Since the number of the first path is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of the first antenna ports is greater than the number of the second antenna ports, i.e., B'+a is greater than B'.

[0212] It is understood that the second mapping relationship in the embodiments of this application may be predefined or preconfigured, or it may be indicated or configured by the network device to the terminal side through signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC). Predefinition may include pre-defined terms, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications. Pre-configuration may be vendor pre-configuration, implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the second mapping relationship) on the network device side and / or the terminal device side. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0213] It should be noted that the second mapping relationship in Table 3 above is merely an example for ease of understanding, and other solutions are not excluded. Optionally, this application does not limit the number of second mapping relationships in Table 3 above (e.g., one row in the table), such as adding or removing one or more rows. Optionally, Table 3 above can be split into multiple independent tables, and this application does not limit the splitting method; for example, the first three rows and the last two rows in Table 3 can be formed into a new independent table.

[0214] In the fifth implementation, the network device determines the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on MPC, obtains a third mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, determines the first pilot density offset based on the third mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and determines the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. The third mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset.

[0215] For details on how network devices determine the number of first paths and the density of second pilots based on MPC, please refer to the description of the first implementation method above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0216] As an example, the number of first paths corresponds to a table, such as Table 4 below. A table can correspond to a third mapping relationship; that is, after determining the number of first paths, the network device can determine the corresponding table. For example, assuming the number of first paths is 6, corresponding to Table 4 below, the third mapping relationship can also be determined.

[0217] The third mapping relationship is illustrated in the table below. As shown in Table 4, when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y (where y is an integer), is 1 ≤ x ≤ 4, the corresponding first pilot density offset is -a; when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 5 ≤ ​​x ≤ 8, the corresponding first pilot density offset is 0; when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 9 ≤ x ≤ 16, the corresponding first pilot density offset is a; and when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 16 < x, the corresponding first pilot density offset is b.

[0218] Table 4

[0219] Line ID Number of streams to be transmitted on the terminal device y First pilot density bias 0 1≤x≤4 -a 1 5≤x≤8 0 2 9≤x≤16 a 3 16＜x b

[0220] For example, assuming the number of first paths determined by the network device based on MPC is 6, corresponding to Table 4 above, when the first information indicates that the terminal device has 2 streams to be transmitted, the first pilot density offset can be determined to be -a (assuming a is a positive integer) according to Table 4. Furthermore, assuming the second pilot density determined by the network device based on MPC is C, the first pilot density can be determined to be Ca. Since the number of first paths is greater than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is less than the second pilot density, i.e., Ca is less than C. When the first information indicates that the terminal device has 10 streams to be transmitted, the first pilot density offset can be determined to be a according to Table 4. Furthermore, assuming the second pilot density determined by the network device based on MPC is C', the first pilot density can be determined to be C'+a. Since the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density, i.e., C'+a is greater than C'.

[0221] It is understood that the third mapping relationship in the embodiments of this application may be predefined or preconfigured, or it may be indicated or configured by the network device to the terminal side through signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC). Predefinition may include pre-defined terms, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications. Pre-configuration may be vendor pre-configuration, implemented by pre-storing corresponding code, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the third mapping relationship) on the network device side and / or the terminal device side. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0222] It should be noted that the third mapping relationship in Table 4 above is merely an example for ease of understanding, and other solutions are not excluded. Optionally, this application does not limit the number of third mapping relationships in Table 4 above (e.g., one row in the table), such as adding or removing one or more rows. Optionally, Table 4 above can be split into multiple independent tables, and this application does not limit the splitting method; for example, the first two rows and the last two rows in Table 4 can be formed into independent new tables.

[0223] In the sixth implementation, the network device determines the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on MPC, obtains a fourth mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, determines the first antenna port number offset based on the fourth mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and determines the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of second antenna ports. The fourth mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first antenna port number offset.

[0224] For details on how network devices determine the number of the first path and the number of the second antenna ports based on MPC, please refer to the description of the second implementation method above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0225] As an example, the number of first paths corresponds to a table, such as Table 5 below. A table can correspond to a fourth mapping relationship; that is, after determining the number of first paths, the network device can determine the corresponding table. For example, assuming the number of first paths is 8, corresponding to Table 5 below, the fourth mapping relationship can be determined.

[0226] The fourth mapping relationship is illustrated in the table below. As shown in Table 5, when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y (where y is an integer), is 1 ≤ x ≤ 4, the corresponding first antenna port number offset is -a; when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 5 ≤ ​​x ≤ 8, the corresponding first antenna port number offset is 0; when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 9 ≤ x ≤ 16, the corresponding first antenna port number offset is a; when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 17 ≤ x ≤ 32, the corresponding first antenna port number offset is b; and when the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, y, is 32 < x, the corresponding first antenna port number offset is c.

[0227] Table 5

[0228] Line ID Number of streams to be transmitted on the terminal device y First antenna port number offset 0 1≤x≤4 -a 1 5≤x≤8 0 2 9≤x≤16 a 3 17≤x≤32 b 4 32＜x c

[0229] For example, assuming the number of first paths determined by the network device based on MPC is 8, corresponding to Table 5 above, when the first information indicates that the terminal device has 16 streams to be transmitted, then according to Table 5, the offset of the number of first antenna ports can be determined as 'a' (assuming 'a' is a positive integer). Furthermore, assuming the number of second antenna ports determined by the network device based on MPC is 'D', then the number of first antenna ports can be determined as 'D+a'. Since the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first antenna ports is greater than the number of second antenna ports, i.e., 'D+a' is greater than 'D'. When the first information indicates that the terminal device has 4 streams to be transmitted, according to Table 5, the offset of the number of first antenna ports can be determined as '-a'. Furthermore, assuming the number of second antenna ports determined by the network device based on MPC is 'D', then the number of first antenna ports can be determined as 'D'-a'. Since the number of first paths is greater than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first antenna ports is less than the number of second antenna ports, i.e., 'D'-a' is less than 'D'.

[0230] It is understood that the fourth mapping relationship in the embodiments of this application may be predefined or preconfigured, or it may be indicated or configured by the network device to the terminal side through signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling RRC). Predefinition may include pre-defined features, such as protocol definitions or standard specifications. Pre-configuration may be vendor pre-configuration, implemented by pre-storing corresponding code, tables, functions, text, strings, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information (e.g., the fourth mapping relationship) on the network device side and / or the terminal device side. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0231] It should be noted that the fourth mapping relationship in Table 5 above is merely an example for ease of understanding, and other solutions are not excluded. Optionally, this application does not limit the number of fourth mapping relationships in Table 3 above (e.g., one row in the table), such as adding or removing one or more rows. Optionally, Table 5 above can be split into multiple independent tables, and this application does not limit the splitting method; for example, the first three rows and the last two rows in Table 5 can be formed into a new independent table.

[0232] Optionally, the above multiple tables can be merged into one table (for example, Table 2 and Table 4 can be merged, or Table 3 and Table 5 can be merged, or Table 2 and Table 3 can be merged, or Table 4 and Table 5 can be merged). For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0233] Scenario 2: The terminal device deploys a radio map, and the terminal device determines the number of the first path.

[0234] Understandably, since the terminal device maintains the radio map, it can use its location information and network device information (such as location coordinates or wireless environment map) as input to the radio map, output multipath element (MPC), and then determine the number of paths contained in the MPC, which in turn determines the number of first paths. For the definition of the first path or the specific implementation of the terminal device in determining the number of first paths, please refer to the relevant description above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0235] In the seventh implementation, the first information is also used to indicate the number of first paths. The network device determines the second pilot density based on MPC and determines the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density.

[0236] In one example, the terminal device can directly report the number of first paths. In this case, the network device determines the first pilot density based on the number of first paths reported by the terminal device, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and the second pilot density determined by the network device. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the first, third, or fifth implementation methods mentioned above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described here.

[0237] In another example, the terminal device can implicitly indicate the number of first paths by reporting table IDs and row IDs. For example, assuming the terminal device has a first mapping relationship and / or a third mapping relationship configured locally, after determining the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, it can determine the first pilot density offset based on the first mapping relationship and / or the third mapping relationship, and then indicate the first pilot density offset to the network device by reporting table IDs and row IDs. Further, the network device can determine the first pilot density offset based on the received table IDs and row IDs, and then determine the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the third or fifth implementation methods above; for brevity, they will not be described here.

[0238] After determining the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the implementation method for determining the first pilot density offset based on the first mapping relationship and / or the third mapping relationship can be referred to the relevant descriptions of the third or fifth implementation methods mentioned above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0239] In the eighth implementation, the first information is also used to indicate the number of first paths, determine the number of second antenna ports according to MPC, and determine the number of first antenna ports according to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports.

[0240] In one example, the terminal device can directly report the number of first paths. In this case, the network device determines the number of first antenna ports based on the number of first paths reported by the terminal device, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, and the number of second antenna ports determined by the network device. For specific implementation details, please refer to the descriptions of the second, fourth, or sixth implementation methods mentioned above. For the sake of brevity, these details will not be elaborated here.

[0241] In another example, the terminal device can implicitly indicate the number of first paths by reporting table IDs and row IDs. For instance, assuming the terminal device has a second mapping relationship and / or a fourth mapping relationship configured locally, after determining the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted, the terminal device can determine the first antenna port offset based on the second mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship, and then indicate the first antenna port offset to the network device by reporting table IDs and row IDs. Further, the network device can determine the first antenna port offset based on the received table IDs and row IDs, and then determine the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port offset and the number of second antenna ports. For specific implementation details, please refer to the descriptions of the fourth or sixth implementation methods above; for brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0242] After determining the number of first paths and the number of transmission streams required by the terminal device, the implementation method for determining the first antenna port offset based on the second mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship can be found in the relevant descriptions of the fourth or sixth implementation method above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0243] It should be noted that, regarding the seventh or eighth implementation method described above, the network device determining the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the number of first paths indicated by the terminal device can be understood as the network device agreeing to or accepting the configuration request from the terminal device. Optionally, the network device may send indication information to the terminal device to indicate that the network device agrees to or accepts the configuration request for the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports implicitly indicated by the terminal device.

[0244] Optionally, the network device may also reject the configuration request from the terminal device regarding the number of first paths directly or indirectly indicated by the terminal device, or regarding the number of first pilot densities and / or first antenna ports implicitly indicated by the terminal device. For example, the network device may send a rejection indication message, that is, the network device refuses to configure the number of pilot densities and / or antenna ports requested by the terminal device; and / or, the network device may adjust the configuration requirements for the terminal device according to the current network load and configuration requests from other terminal devices, that is, the network device may redetermine the number of first pilot densities and / or first antenna ports and indicate the number of first pilot densities and / or first antenna ports to the terminal device, without limitation.

[0245] For example, assuming that based on the number of first paths reported by the terminal device, or based on the table ID and row ID indicated by the terminal device, the network device can determine the first pilot density offset and the first antenna port offset as X1 and Y1, respectively. Considering that the current network load is too high, the network device can adjust the first pilot density offset and the first antenna port offset as X1-X2 and Y1-Y2, respectively, and then send indication information to the terminal device to indicate that the adjusted first pilot density offset and the first antenna port offset are X1-X2 and Y1-Y2, respectively. Furthermore, based on the second pilot density and the number of second antenna ports determined and indicated by the network device as x and y, respectively, the network device can align the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports to X1-X2+x and Y1-Y2+y, respectively.

[0246] S430, the network device sends the second information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information from the network device.

[0247] The second information is used to indicate the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0248] Example 1: Corresponding to at least one of the first to eighth implementations above, the second information includes the first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports, that is, directly indicating the first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports.

[0249] Example 2, corresponding to the third implementation method above, assume that the terminal device is configured with a first mapping relationship, and the second information includes the second pilot density and the row ID. Since the first information reported by the terminal device includes the indication information #1, it means that the terminal device determines the first mapping relationship (e.g., Table 2). Then, combined with the row ID, the first pilot density offset can be determined. And based on the second pilot density and the first pilot density offset, the first pilot density can be determined.

[0250] Example 3, corresponding to the fourth implementation method above, assume that the terminal device is configured with a second mapping relationship. The second information includes the number of second antenna ports and the row ID. Since the first information reported by the terminal device includes indication information #2, it means that the terminal device determines the second mapping relationship (e.g., Table 3). Then, combined with the row ID, the offset of the first antenna port can be determined. Based on the number of second antenna ports and the offset of the first antenna port, the number of first antenna ports can be determined.

[0251] Example 4, corresponding to the fifth implementation above, assumes that the terminal device is configured with a third mapping relationship. The second information includes the second pilot density, table ID and row ID. The terminal device can determine the third mapping relationship (e.g., Table 4) based on the table ID, and then determine the first pilot density offset based on the row ID. Finally, the first pilot density can be determined based on the second pilot density and the first pilot density offset.

[0252] Example 5, corresponding to the sixth implementation above, assumes that the terminal device is configured with a fourth mapping relationship. The second information includes the number of second antenna ports, table ID, and row ID. The terminal device can determine the fourth mapping relationship based on the table ID (e.g., Table 5), and then determine the first antenna port offset based on the row ID. Finally, the number of first antenna ports can be determined based on the number of second antenna ports and the first antenna port offset.

[0253] Based on the above implementation, the terminal device and the network device can align the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. It is understood that the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined based on the transmission stream requirements of the terminal device, which can realize adaptive pilot configuration for transmission stream requirements, avoid unnecessary pilot overhead, and improve communication performance.

[0254] Furthermore, network devices and terminal devices can perform effective channel measurement and estimation by transmitting pilot signals (e.g., CSI-RS or SRS) to obtain complete channel information. As an example, in a downlink channel measurement scenario, the network device can send CSI-RS to the terminal device based on a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the pilot signal based on the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports, performs channel measurement and estimation based on the pilot signal, obtains the channel measurement result, and then sends the channel measurement result to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device performs phase correction based on the received channel measurement result to obtain complete channel information. As another example, in an uplink channel measurement scenario, the terminal device can send SRS to the network device based on a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. Correspondingly, the network device receives the pilot signal based on the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports, performs channel measurement and estimation based on the pilot signal, obtains the channel measurement result, and then performs phase correction based on the received channel measurement result to obtain complete channel information.

[0255] It should be noted that for the parts of the technical solution not detailed in this application, the relevant descriptions of existing solutions can be referred to. For example, this application does not limit the specific implementation method of phase correction of network devices, and the relevant descriptions of existing solutions can be referred to. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0256] Based on the above scheme, the network device can determine and configure the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports according to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the multipath element (MPC). Then, it transmits pilot signals through the first pilot density and / or the first antenna ports, and completes channel measurement and estimation based on the pilot signals to obtain complete channel information. It is understandable that, according to the number of streams required by the terminal device, the network device can adjust or configure different pilot densities and / or the number of antenna ports to achieve adaptive pilot configuration for different stream requirements, avoiding unnecessary pilot overhead and improving communication performance.

[0257] For ease of understanding, the specific processes applicable to the embodiments of this application are described below in conjunction with different scenarios. In the examples below, the network device side is taken as the core network (network, NW), and the terminal device is taken as the UE. It should be understood that the processes described below are only illustrative examples, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. The contents not described in detail below can be referred to the description in method 400, and will not be repeated here.

[0258] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of description, the NW and UE are used as the execution entities for illustrative purposes. Figure 5 As shown, the method 500 includes the following steps.

[0259] S501, NW local maintenance radio map.

[0260] S502, optionally, NW sends information #1 (i.e., third information) to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives information #1 from NW.

[0261] Specifically, information #1 is used to instruct the UE to report its location information and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE (i.e., the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device).

[0262] S503, the UE sends its location information and the number of streams to be transmitted to the NW.

[0263] Optionally, the UE's location information and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE can be sent simultaneously or separately, or they can be carried in the same signaling or sent independently, for example, carried in different signaling, without limitation.

[0264] The specific interpretation, determination method, and representation of the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE can be found in the implementation of steps S502 and S503 above. For the sake of brevity, these will not be explained here.

[0265] It should be noted that this application is applicable to uplink, downlink or side-channel measurement scenarios. For example, for downlink channel measurement scenarios, the above step S502 can be performed; for uplink channel measurement scenarios, the above step S502 may not be performed.

[0266] S504, NW obtains the MPC of the UE's location.

[0267] This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the NW to obtain the MPC of the UE's location. For example, the NW can use a locally maintained radio map or use ray tracing and other technologies to obtain the MPC of the UE's location. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant description of step S402 of the above method 400. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here.

[0268] S505, NW obtains the number of the first diameters based on MPC.

[0269] For the definition of the first path, the number of first paths, and the specific implementation of obtaining the number of first paths according to MPC, please refer to the relevant description of step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0270] S506, NW determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on MPC.

[0271] For the specific implementation method, please refer to the relevant description of step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0272] S507, NW determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the number of first paths, the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE.

[0273] For example, the NW determines the first pilot density based on the number of first paths, the second pilot density, and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE. Specifically, the NW determines the first pilot density by comparing the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE. For instance, when the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is less than or equal to the second pilot density; when the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the first implementation of step S420 of method 400 above; for brevity, it will not be described here.

[0274] For example, the NW determines the number of first antenna ports based on the number of first paths, the number of second antenna ports, and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE. Specifically, the NW determines the number of first antenna ports by comparing the number of first paths with the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE. For instance, when the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first antenna ports is less than or equal to the number of second antenna ports; when the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first antenna ports is greater than the number of second antenna ports. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the second implementation of step S420 in method 400 above; for brevity, it will not be described here.

[0275] S508, NW sends (or indicates) the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports from NW.

[0276] At this point, the NW and UE are aligned to determine the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports used for transmitting reference signals.

[0277] Below, examples of uplink channel measurement and downlink channel measurement scenarios will be provided, combining Method 1 and Method 2 respectively.

[0278] Method 1: Uplink channel measurement scenario.

[0279] S509, the UE sends a pilot signal (e.g., SRS) to the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the NW receives the pilot signal from the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0280] For example, assuming the first pilot density is 2RE / port, meaning that one first antenna port corresponds to two time-frequency points, such as 2 REs, if the number of first antenna ports is 2, such as antenna port 1 and antenna port 2, the first pilot density indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 1 is 2, such as RE 1 and RE 2, and indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 2 is 2, such as RE 3 and RE 4, then the UE can send SRS#1 to the NW through antenna port 1 on RE 1 and RE 2, and send SRS#2 to the NW through antenna port 2 on RE 3 and RE 4. Correspondingly, the NW can use one or more antenna ports to receive pilot signals (e.g., SRS#1 and / or SRS#2), which is not limited.

[0281] The S510 and NW perform measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0282] S511, NW performs phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes phase and MPC.

[0283] Method 2: Downlink channel measurement scenario.

[0284] S512, the NW sends pilot signals (e.g., CSI-RS) to the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the UE receives the pilot signals from the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0285] For example, assuming the first pilot density is 1RE / port, meaning that one first antenna port corresponds to one time-frequency point, such as 1 RE, if the number of first antenna ports is 2, such as antenna port 1 and antenna port 2, the first pilot density indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 1 is 1, such as RE 1, and indicates that the number of REs corresponding to antenna port 2 is 1, such as RE 2, then the NW can send CSI-RS#1 to the UE through antenna port 1 on RE1, and send CSI-RS#2 to the UE through antenna port 2 on RE2. Correspondingly, the UE can use one or more antenna ports to receive pilot signals (e.g., CSI-RS#1 and / or CSI-RS#2), without limitation.

[0286] S513, the UE performs measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; reference can be made to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0287] S514, the UE sends the channel measurement results to the NW, and correspondingly, the NW receives the channel measurement results from the UE.

[0288] The S515 and NW perform phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes MPC and phase.

[0289] Based on the above scheme, during uplink or downlink channel estimation, the NW can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset based on the number of transmission streams reported by the UE and the number of the first path. Furthermore, based on the number of the second pilot density and / or the number of the second antenna ports, the NW can determine the first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on the number of transmission streams, which can improve communication performance and avoid unnecessary pilot overhead.

[0290] Figure 6This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of description, the NW and UE are used as the execution entities for illustrative purposes. Figure 6 As shown, the method 600 includes the following steps.

[0291] S601, NW and UE are pre-configured with a first mapping relationship and / or a second mapping relationship.

[0292] The first mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset, and the second mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first antenna port number offset.

[0293] For specific interpretations and representations of the first and / or second mapping relationships, as well as the methods for determining them, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the third and fourth implementation methods in step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here. The following explanation uses a table as an example to illustrate the representations of the first and / or second mapping relationships.

[0294] S602, NW local maintenance radio map.

[0295] S603, optionally, NW sends information #a (i.e., third information) to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives information #a from NW.

[0296] The information #a is used to instruct the UE to report its location information and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE (i.e., the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device).

[0297] S604, the UE sends its location information and table ID to the NW.

[0298] The table ID is used to indicate the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE.

[0299] Understandably, a table ID is used to identify a table, and a table corresponds to the number of streams to be transmitted for a UE. For example, Table 2 corresponds to 6 streams to be transmitted for a UE, and Table 3 corresponds to 8 streams to be transmitted for a UE.

[0300] Optionally, the UE's location information and table ID can be sent simultaneously or separately, or they can be carried in the same signaling message or sent independently, for example, carried in different signaling messages; there is no limitation on this.

[0301] The specific interpretation, determination method, and representation of the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE can be found in the implementation of steps S603 and S604 above. For the sake of brevity, these will not be explained here.

[0302] It should be noted that this application is applicable to uplink, downlink or side-channel measurement scenarios. For example, for downlink channel measurement scenarios, step S603 can be performed above; for uplink channel measurement scenarios, step S604 can be omitted.

[0303] S605, NW obtains the MPC of the UE's location.

[0304] S606, NW obtains the number of the first path according to MPC.

[0305] S607, NW determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on MPC.

[0306] The specific implementation of steps S605-S607 above can be found in the description of steps S604-S606 of method 500 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0307] S608, NW determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the table ID, the number of first paths, the second pilot density, and / or the number of second antenna ports.

[0308] For example, the NW determines the first pilot density based on the table ID, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density. Specifically, the NW determines the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE based on the table ID, and determines the first mapping relationship. Further, it determines the first pilot density offset based on the number of first paths and the first mapping relationship, and then determines the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the third implementation of step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here.

[0309] For example, the NW determines the number of first antenna ports based on the table ID, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports. Specifically, the NW determines the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE based on the table ID and determines the second mapping relationship. Further, it determines the first antenna port offset based on the number of first paths and the second mapping relationship, and then determines the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port offset and the number of second antenna ports. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the fourth implementation of step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here.

[0310] S609, NW sends (or indicates) the line ID, the second pilot density and / or the number of second second antenna ports to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the line ID, the second pilot density and / or the number of second second antenna ports from NW.

[0311] S610, the UE determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the line ID, the second pilot density, and / or the number of second antenna ports.

[0312] For example, the UE determines the first pilot density offset based on the row ID and the first mapping relationship, and then determines the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. The UE determines the first antenna port offset based on the row ID and the second mapping relationship, and then determines the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port offset and the number of second antenna ports. For specific implementation details, please refer to the description of the fourth implementation of step S430 of method 400 above. For simplicity, it will not be described here.

[0313] At this point, the NW and UE are aligned to determine the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports used for transmitting reference signals.

[0314] Below, examples of uplink channel measurement and downlink channel measurement scenarios will be provided, combining Method 1 and Method 2 respectively.

[0315] Method 1: Uplink channel measurement scenario.

[0316] S611, the UE sends a pilot signal (e.g., SRS) to the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the NW receives the pilot signal from the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0317] S612, NW performs measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0318] S613, NW performs phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes phase and MPC.

[0319] Method 2: Downlink channel measurement scenario.

[0320] S614, NW sends pilot signals (e.g., CSI-RS) to UE according to the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports, and correspondingly, UE receives pilot signals from NW according to the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports.

[0321] S615, the UE performs measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; reference can be made to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0322] S616, the UE sends the channel measurement results to the NW, and correspondingly, the NW receives the channel measurement results from the UE.

[0323] S617, NW performs phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes MPC and phase.

[0324] The specific implementation of steps S611-S617 above can be found in the description of steps S509-S515 of method 500 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained further.

[0325] Based on the above scheme, during uplink or downlink channel estimation, the NW can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset based on the transmission stream number requirement reported by the UE, combined with the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship. Furthermore, it can determine the first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports based on the second pilot density and / or the number of the second antenna ports. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on transmission stream number requirements, which can improve communication performance and avoid unnecessary pilot overhead.

[0326] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of description, the NW and UE are used as the execution entities for illustrative purposes. Figure 7 As shown, the method 700 includes the following steps.

[0327] S701, NW and UE are pre-configured with a third and / or fourth mapping relationship.

[0328] The third mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset, and the fourth mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first antenna port number offset.

[0329] For specific interpretations and representations of the third and / or fourth mapping relationships, as well as their determination methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the fifth and sixth implementation methods in step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be explained here. The following explanation uses a table as an example to illustrate the representations of the third and / or fourth mapping relationships.

[0330] S702, NW local maintenance radio map.

[0331] S703, optionally, NW sends information #A (i.e., third information) to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives information #A from NW.

[0332] The information #A is used to instruct the UE to report its location information and the number of streams to be transmitted (i.e., the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device).

[0333] S704, the UE sends its location information and the number of streams to be transmitted to the NW.

[0334] Understandably, a table ID is used to identify a table, and a table corresponds to a number of first paths. For example, Table 4 corresponds to 6 first paths, and Table 5 corresponds to 8 first paths.

[0335] Optionally, the UE's location information and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE can be sent simultaneously or separately, or they can be carried in the same signaling or sent independently, for example, carried in different signaling, without limitation.

[0336] The specific interpretation, determination method, and representation of the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE can be found in the implementation of steps S703 and S704 above. For the sake of brevity, these will not be explained here.

[0337] It should be noted that this application is applicable to uplink, downlink or side-channel measurement scenarios. For example, for downlink channel measurement scenarios, step S703 can be performed; for uplink channel measurement scenarios, step S704 can be omitted.

[0338] S705, NW obtains the MPC of the UE's location.

[0339] S706, NW obtains the number of the first path according to MPC.

[0340] S707, NW determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on MPC.

[0341] For details on the specific implementation of steps S705-S707 above, please refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S605-S607 in method 600 above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be explained here.

[0342] S708, NW determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, the number of first paths, the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports.

[0343] For example, the NW determines the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density. Specifically, the NW determines the third mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, further determines the first pilot density offset based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE and the third mapping relationship, and then determines the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the fifth implementation of step S420 of method 400 above; for brevity, it will not be described here.

[0344] For example, the NW determines the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports. Specifically, the NW determines the fourth mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, further determines the first antenna port offset based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE and the fourth mapping relationship, and then determines the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port offset and the number of second antenna ports. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the sixth implementation of step S420 of method 400 above; for brevity, it will not be described here.

[0345] S709, NW sends (or indicates) table ID, row ID, second pilot density and / or the number of second second antenna ports to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives table ID, row ID, second pilot density and / or the number of second second antenna ports from NW.

[0346] S710, the UE determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the table ID, row ID, second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports.

[0347] For example, the UE determines the third mapping relationship based on the table ID, determines the first pilot density offset based on the third mapping relationship and the row ID, and then determines the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the fifth implementation of step S430 of method 400 above; for brevity, it will not be described here.

[0348] For example, the UE determines the fourth mapping relationship based on the table ID, determines the first antenna port offset based on the fourth mapping relationship and the row ID, and then determines the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port offset and the number of second antenna ports. For a detailed implementation, please refer to the description of the sixth implementation of step S430 of method 400 above; for brevity, it will not be described here.

[0349] At this point, the NW and UE are aligned to determine the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports used for transmitting reference signals.

[0350] Below, examples of uplink channel measurement and downlink channel measurement scenarios will be provided, combining Method 1 and Method 2 respectively.

[0351] Method 1: Uplink channel measurement scenario.

[0352] S711, the UE sends a pilot signal (e.g., SRS) to the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the NW receives the pilot signal from the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0353] The S712 and NW perform measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0354] S713, NW performs phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes phase and MPC.

[0355] Method 2: Downlink channel measurement scenario.

[0356] S714, the NW transmits pilot signals (e.g., CSI-RS) to the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the UE receives the pilot signals from the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0357] S715, the UE performs measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; reference can be made to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0358] S716, the UE sends the channel measurement results to the NW, and correspondingly, the NW receives the channel measurement results from the UE.

[0359] The S717 and NW perform phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes MPC and phase.

[0360] For the specific implementation of steps S711-S717 above, please refer to the relevant description of steps S611-S617 in method 600 above. For the sake of brevity,

[0361] Based on the above scheme, during uplink or downlink channel estimation, the NW can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset based on the transmission stream number requirement reported by the UE, combined with the third mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship. Furthermore, it can determine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports. This enables adaptive pilot configuration based on transmission stream number requirements, which can improve communication performance and avoid unnecessary pilot overhead.

[0362] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, primarily applicable to downlink communication scenarios. For ease of description, CSI-RS is used as an example to illustrate the reference signal (or pilot signal) transmitted between the NW and UE. This reference signal is used for channel measurement and estimation. Figure 8 As shown, the method 800 includes the following steps.

[0363] S801, Optionally, the NW and UE are pre-configured with at least one of a first mapping relationship, a second mapping relationship, a third mapping relationship, or a fourth mapping relationship.

[0364] The first mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset; the second mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first antenna port number offset; the third mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset; and the fourth mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first antenna port number offset.

[0365] For specific interpretations and representations of the first, second, third, and fourth mapping relationships, as well as their determination methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth implementation methods in step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here. The following explanation uses a table as an example to illustrate the representations of the first, second, third, and fourth mapping relationships.

[0366] S802, NW and UE local maintenance radio map.

[0367] S803, the UE obtains the MPC of the UE's location.

[0368] This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the UE obtaining the MPC of the UE's location. For example, the UE can use a locally maintained radio map or use ray tracing and other technologies to obtain the MPC of the UE's location. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant description of NW side obtaining MPC in step S402 of the above method 400. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here.

[0369] S804, the UE obtains the number of the first path according to the MPC.

[0370] For the definition of the first path, the number of first paths, and the specific implementation of obtaining the number of first paths according to MPC, please refer to the relevant description of obtaining the number of first paths on the NW side in step S420 of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0371] S805, optionally, NW sends information #Aa (i.e., third information) to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives information #Aa from NW.

[0372] The information #Aa is used to instruct the UE to report its location information and the number of streams to be transmitted (i.e., the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device).

[0373] S806, the UE sends at least one of the following to the NW: UE location information, number of first paths, number of UE streams to be transmitted, row ID, or table ID. Correspondingly, the NW receives at least one of the following: UE location information, number of first paths, number of UE streams to be transmitted, row ID, or table ID.

[0374] In one example, assuming step S801 is not executed, then in step S806 the UE reports the UE's location information, the number of first paths, and the number of UE's pending transmission streams.

[0375] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE is pre-configured with a first mapping relationship and / or a second mapping relationship, then in step S806 the UE reports the UE's location information, the number of first paths, the number of UE's pending transmission streams, or a table ID, which is used to indicate the number of UE's pending transmission streams, or in other words, the table ID is used to indicate the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship.

[0376] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE is pre-configured with a third mapping relationship and / or a fourth mapping relationship, then in step S806 the UE reports the UE's location information, the number of first paths, the number of UE's pending transmission streams, table ID, or row ID. The table ID is used to indicate the number of first paths, or in other words, the table ID is used to indicate the third mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship.

[0377] Optionally, the UE location information, the number of first paths, the number of UE streams to be transmitted, the row ID, or the table ID can be sent simultaneously or separately, or they can be carried in the same signaling or sent independently, for example, carried in different signaling. There is no limitation on this.

[0378] For a detailed explanation of the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE and the number of first paths, as well as their determination methods and representations, please refer to the relevant description of method 400 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0379] It should be noted that this application is applicable to uplink, downlink or side-channel measurement scenarios. For example, for downlink channel measurement scenarios, the above step S805 can be executed; for uplink channel measurement scenarios, the above step S805 may not be executed.

[0380] S807, NW obtains the MPC of the UE's location.

[0381] S808, NW determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on MPC.

[0382] For details on the specific implementation of steps S807-S808 above, please refer to the relevant descriptions of steps S705 and S707 in method 700 above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be explained here.

[0383] S809, optionally, NW determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, the number of first paths, the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports.

[0384] In one example, assuming step S801 is not executed, then in step S806, the UE reports its location information, the number of first paths, and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE. Further, the NW determines the MPC based on the UE's location information, and then determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC. Combining this with the number of first paths reported by the UE and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, the NW determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. For specific implementation details, please refer to the descriptions of the first and / or second implementation methods in step S420 of method 400 above. For simplicity, these details are not elaborated here.

[0385] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE is pre-configured with a first mapping relationship, or a second mapping relationship, or a third mapping relationship, or a fourth mapping relationship, in step S806 the UE reports the UE's location information, table ID, and row ID. This indicates that the UE can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset on its own. Therefore, after executing step S808, the NW can skip executing step S809, that is, instruct the UE on the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, for the UE to determine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0386] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE is pre-configured with a first mapping relationship and / or a second mapping relationship, then in step S806 the UE reports the UE's location information, the number of first paths, the number of UE's pending transmission streams, or a table ID, which is used to indicate the number of UE's pending transmission streams, or in other words, the table ID is used to indicate the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship. Furthermore, the NW determines the MPC based on the UE's location information, and then determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC. Combined with the table ID or the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, it determines the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship. Based on the number of first paths and the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship, it determines the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset. Finally, based on the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset and the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, it determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the third and / or fourth implementation methods in step S420 of method 400 above. For simplicity, they will not be described here.

[0387] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE is pre-configured with a third mapping relationship and / or a fourth mapping relationship, then in step S806 the UE reports the UE's location information, the number of first paths, the number of UE's pending transmission streams, table ID, or row ID. The table ID is used to indicate the number of first paths, or in other words, the table ID is used to indicate the third mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship. Furthermore, the NW determines the MPC based on the UE's location information, then determines the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC, and then determines the third mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship in conjunction with the table ID. Based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE and the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship or the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, the NW determines the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset. Finally, based on the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset and the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, the NW determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the fifth and / or sixth implementation methods in step S420 of the above method 400. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described here.

[0388] S810, NW sends (or indicates) table ID, row ID, second pilot density and / or the number of second second antenna ports to UE, and correspondingly, UE receives table ID, row ID, second pilot density and / or the number of second second antenna ports from NW.

[0389] S811, the UE determines the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the table ID, row ID, second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports.

[0390] In one example, assuming step S801 is not executed, then in step S806, the UE reports its location information, the number of first paths, and the number of streams to be transmitted. At this time, in step S810, the NW sends the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, as well as the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, to the UE for determining the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0391] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE has a pre-configured first mapping relationship and / or second mapping relationship, then in step S806, the UE reports its location information, the number of first paths, the number of streams to be transmitted, or a table ID. This table ID indicates the number of streams to be transmitted, or in other words, it indicates the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship. At this time, in step S810, the NW sends the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, as well as a row ID, to the UE. This row ID, based on the row ID and the first mapping relationship and / or the second mapping relationship, allows the UE to determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, thereby determining the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0392] In one example, assuming step S801 is executed and the UE is pre-configured with a third mapping relationship and / or a fourth mapping relationship, then in step S806, the UE reports its location information, the number of first paths, the number of streams to be transmitted, table ID, or row ID. The table ID is used to indicate the number of first paths, or in other words, the table ID is used to indicate the third mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship. At this time, in step S810, the NW sends the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports, table ID, and row ID to the UE. The UE uses the table ID to determine the third mapping relationship and / or the fourth mapping relationship, and uses the row ID to determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, thereby determining the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0393] At this point, the NW and UE are aligned to determine the first pilot density and the number of first antenna ports used for transmitting reference signals.

[0394] Below, examples of uplink channel measurement and downlink channel measurement scenarios will be provided, combining Method 1 and Method 2 respectively.

[0395] Method 1: Uplink channel measurement scenario.

[0396] S812, the UE sends a pilot signal (e.g., SRS) to the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the NW receives the pilot signal from the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0397] The S813 and NW perform measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0398] S814, NW performs phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes phase and MPC.

[0399] Method 2: Downlink channel measurement scenario.

[0400] S815, the NW sends pilot signals (e.g., CSI-RS) to the UE according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports, and correspondingly, the UE receives the pilot signals from the NW according to the first pilot density and the number of the first antenna ports.

[0401] S816, the UE performs measurements and channel estimation based on pilot signals to obtain channel measurement results. The specific implementation method is not limited; reference can be made to existing descriptions of channel measurement and estimation.

[0402] S817, the UE sends the channel measurement results to the NW, and correspondingly, the NW receives the channel measurement results from the UE.

[0403] S818, NW performs phase correction based on channel measurement results to obtain complete channel information. The specific implementation method is not limited; refer to existing descriptions of phase correction. The complete channel information includes MPC and phase.

[0404] The specific implementation of steps S812-S818 can be found in the description of steps S611-S617 of method 600 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained further.

[0405] It should be noted that, regarding the terminal device storing at least one of the first mapping relationship, second mapping relationship, third mapping relationship, or fourth mapping relationship in step S801 above, and since the UE locally maintains a radio map, the UE can determine the number of first paths. Based on the determined number of first paths, the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, and at least one of the aforementioned first mapping relationship, the UE can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, and can directly indicate or report the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset to the NW. Further, if the NW agrees to or accepts the UE's configuration request, it can send the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports to the UE. Optionally, the NW can send indication information to the UE to indicate that the NW agrees to or accepts the UE's configuration request. This implementation can reduce signaling overhead and lower the processing complexity and power consumption on the NW side.

[0406] Optionally, if the NW does not agree to or accept the UE's configuration request, the NW may directly send an indication message to instruct the NW to reject the UE's configuration request, that is, the NW will not configure the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports for the UE.

[0407] Optionally, if the NW disagrees with or does not accept the UE's configuration request, the NW may redetermine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port number offset, or in other words, redetermine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports. For example, the NW may adjust the configuration requirements for the UE based on the current network load and configuration requests from other UEs. That is, the NW may redetermine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports and indicate the adjusted first pilot density offset and / or first antenna port number offset to the UE. In other words, the adjusted first pilot density and / or first antenna port number is not limited in this respect.

[0408] Based on the above scheme, during uplink or downlink channel estimation, the UE locally maintains a radio map to obtain and indicate the number of first paths to the NW. Optionally, the UE can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset based on a pre-configured first, second, third, or fourth mapping relationship, combined with the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE, and then indicate the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset to the NW to reduce the computational overhead and processing complexity on the NW side. Correspondingly, the NW can determine and indicate the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports to the UE based on the number of streams reported by the UE, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports determined by itself. Optionally, the NW can determine the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset based on a pre-configured first mapping relationship, or a second mapping relationship, or a third mapping relationship, combined with the number of first paths and the number of streams to be transmitted by the UE. Then, it can send the first pilot density offset and / or the first antenna port offset to the UE, that is, indicate the number of first pilot densities and / or first antenna ports. This can realize adaptive pilot configuration based on different transmission stream requirements of terminal devices, which can improve communication performance and avoid unnecessary pilot overhead.

[0409] As mentioned above, the RAN involved in the technical solution of this application can be O-RAN. Under the O-RAN architecture, the RIC can directly control either the gNB-CU or the gNB-DU, requiring the "network device" or "RAN" in the above communication method to be extended to "CU" and "DU". Optionally, in various embodiments of this application, if the RAN is a CU-DU separated architecture, after the CU receives information from a core network element (e.g., AMF), it can forward the information to the DU; or, after the DU receives information from the UE, it can forward the information to the CU. The remaining steps can be referred to the relevant description of the above communication method, and will not be repeated here.

[0410] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture applicable to this application. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the O-RAN architecture includes: a first network unit, a second network unit, a third network unit, an O-eNB, an O-CU-CP, an O-CU-UP, an O-DU, an O-RU, and an O-cloud.

[0411] The aforementioned network elements (also referred to as nodes) can be interconnected. For example, the first network unit connects to the O-cloud via the O2 interface; the first network unit connects to the third network unit, O-eNB, O-CU-CP, O-CU-UP, O-DU, and O-RU via the O1 interface; the first network unit connects to the O-RU via the open fronthaul M-Plane interface; the O-DU connects to the O-RU via the open fronthaul M-Plane interface and the open fronthaul C / U / S-Plane interface; the third network unit connects to the O-eNB, O-CU-CP, O-CU-UP, and O-DU via the E2 interface; the O-CU-CP connects to the O-DU via the F1-c interface; the O-CU-UP connects to the O-DU via the F1-u interface; and the O-CU-CP connects to the O-CU-UP via the E1 interface. Figure 9 For a detailed description of the interface shown, please refer to the existing standards; it will not be repeated here.

[0412] For example, the first network unit can be a service management and orchestration framework (SMO), or a network unit with similar functionality to an SMO; there is no limitation in this regard. The second network unit can be a Non-RT RIC, or a network unit with similar functionality to a Non-RT RIC; there is no limitation in this regard. The third network unit can be a Near-RT RIC, or a network unit with similar functionality to a Near-RT RIC; there is no limitation in this regard.

[0413] O-RAN aims to achieve an intelligent and open access network. A key feature of the O-RAN architecture is the separation of hardware and software, enabling the virtualization of network functions and the standardization of hardware. Furthermore, O-RAN incorporates artificial intelligence (AI).

[0414] The above combination Figures 1 to 9 The communication method embodiments of this application are described in detail below, and will be combined with... Figures 10 to 11 This application describes in detail the communication device-side embodiments. It should be understood that the descriptions of the device embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the method embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be found in the preceding method embodiments.

[0415] Figure 10 This is a possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the communication device 1000 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described in the embodiments above. In one possible design, the communication device 1000 includes a communication unit 1003 and a processing unit 1002. Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage unit 1001 for storing device program code and / or data. The communication unit 1003 may also be referred to as a communication interface, transceiver unit, or interface unit.

[0416] The communication device 1000 can be the terminal device side in the above embodiments, such as a terminal device or a communication module (e.g., circuit, chip or chip system) in the terminal device, or a logic node or logic module that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0417] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 1003 is used to receive first information from the terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the processing unit 1002 is used to determine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports based on the first information and MPC, the first pilot density being used to indicate the number of resource units corresponding to the first antenna ports, the first antenna ports being used to transmit reference signals, and the MPC being associated with the location of the terminal device; the communication unit 1003 is also used to send second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports.

[0418] In one possible design, the communication unit 1003 is also used to send third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device.

[0419] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first paths, the second pilot density, and / or the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density; and / or, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports.

[0420] In one possible design, when the number of first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is less than or equal to the second pilot density, and the number of first antenna ports is less than or equal to the number of second antenna ports; and / or, when the number of first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density, and the number of first antenna ports is greater than the number of second antenna ports.

[0421] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to obtain a first mapping relationship based on first information, wherein the first mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the first pilot density offset based on the first mapping relationship and the number of first paths; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density.

[0422] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to obtain a second mapping relationship based on first information, wherein the second mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of first paths and the offset amount of the number of first antenna ports; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the offset amount of the number of first antenna ports based on the second mapping relationship and the number of first paths; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first antenna ports based on the offset amount of the number of first antenna ports and the number of second antenna ports.

[0423] In one possible design, the second information includes first indication information and a second pilot density, the first indication information indicating the correspondence between the number of first paths and the first pilot density offset; and / or, the second information includes second indication information and the number of second antenna ports, the second indication information indicating the correspondence between the number of first paths and the number of first antenna ports offset.

[0424] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first paths and the second pilot density based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to obtain a third mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, wherein the third mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the first pilot density offset based on the third mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density.

[0425] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to obtain a fourth mapping relationship based on the number of first paths, the fourth mapping relationship being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the offset of the number of first antenna ports; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the offset of the number of first antenna ports based on the fourth mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the processing unit 1002 is further configured to determine the number of first antenna ports based on the offset of the number of first antenna ports and the number of second antenna ports.

[0426] In one possible design, the second information includes third indication information and a second pilot density, the third indication information being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset; and / or, the second information includes fourth indication information and the number of second antenna ports, the fourth indication information being used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first antenna port number offset.

[0427] In one possible design, the first information is further used to indicate the number of first paths, the power of the first path being greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the processing unit 1002 is further used to determine the second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports based on MPC; the processing unit 1002 is further used to determine the first pilot density based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the second pilot density; and / or, the processing unit 1002 is further used to determine the number of first antenna ports based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of first paths, and the number of second antenna ports.

[0428] In one possible design, the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device is determined based on the terminal device's capability information and / or the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device. The terminal device's capability information is used to indicate the number of transmission streams supported by the terminal device.

[0429] In one possible design, when the communication device 1000 is a terminal device or a communication module within a terminal device, the function of the processing unit 1002 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 1003 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

[0430] In one possible design, when the communication device 1000 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a terminal device, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 1002 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 1003 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0431] The communication device 1000 can be the network device side in the above embodiments, such as a network device or a communication module (e.g., circuit, chip or chip system) in a network device, or a logic node or logic module that can realize all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0432] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 1003 is used to send first information to the network device, the first information being used to indicate the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; the communication unit 1003 is also used to receive second information from the network device, the second information being used to indicate the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports; wherein, the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined based on the first information and the multipath element MPC, the first pilot density is used to indicate the number of resource units corresponding to the first antenna port, the first antenna port is used to transmit reference signals, and the MPC is associated with the location of the terminal device.

[0433] In one possible design, the communication unit 1003 is also used to receive third information from the network device, the third information being used to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device.

[0434] In one possible design, the second information is further used to indicate the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density, and / or, the second information is further used to indicate the first antenna port number offset and the number of second antenna ports, and the processing unit 1002 is used to determine the first pilot density based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density; and / or, the processing unit 1002 is further used to determine the number of first antenna ports based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of second antenna ports.

[0435] In one possible design, when the communication device 1000 is a network device or a communication module within a network device, the function of the processing unit 1002 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a chip. The function of the communication unit 1003 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

[0436] In one possible design, when the communication device 1000 is a circuit or chip in a network device responsible for communication functions, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the chip.

[0437] It is understandable that the division of units in the above-mentioned device is merely a logical functional division. One function can correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into one physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the above-mentioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0438] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microprocessor units (MPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0439] In one example, storage unit 1001 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0440] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal 2000 can correspond to... Figure 1 The terminal shown is used to implement the operations of the terminal in the above embodiments. Figure 11 As shown in (a), the terminal 2000 includes: one or more antennas 2010, a radio frequency processing system 2020, and a processor system 2030.

[0441] In the downlink or sidelink direction, the RF processing system 2020 receives RF signals through the antenna 2010 and sends the RF-processed signals to the processor system 2030 for further processing. In the uplink or sidelink direction, the processor system 2030 processes the terminal-side information and sends it to the RF processing system 2020, which then processes the signal and transmits it through the antenna 2010.

[0442] In one example, the radio frequency (RF) processing system 2020 serves as the communication interface for external communication of the terminal and may include a radio frequency front end (RFFE) 2021 and an RF transceiver 2022. The RFFE 2021 is primarily used for one or more processing operations, such as shaping, passband selection, or gain adjustment, on the RF signals received by the antenna or those to be transmitted through the antenna. It may include one or more components such as RF switches, duplexers, filters, power amplifiers, antenna tuning, and low-noise amplifiers. The RFFE 2021 can be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete components or integrated into one or more chips. The RF transceiver 2022 processes the RF signals received by the RFFE into baseband / IF signals for further processing by the processor system 2030, and processes the baseband / IF signals provided by the processor system 2030 into RF signals for transmission to the RFFE 2021. The baseband / IF signals transmitted between the RF transceiver 2022 and the processor system 2030 can be digital or analog signals. An RF transceiver 2022 can be implemented by one or more chips, which are commonly referred to as RF chips.

[0443] In one example, the processor system 2030 may include one or more processors for processing signals and executing one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the processor system 2030 may also include a memory 2036. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 2031 (also known as a modem processor). The memory 2036 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, the processor system 2030 may also include one or more application processors 2032 for implementing processing of the terminal operating system and application layer. Optionally, the processor system 2030 may also include one or more of a voice subsystem 2033, a multimedia subsystem 2034, or an interface circuit 2035. The voice subsystem 2033 is used to process voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 2034 is used to handle multimedia-related operations, such as video encoding / decoding, image processing, etc., and the interface circuit 2035 is used to implement communication with other terminal components, such as a display 2040, an input device 2050, a memory 2060, etc. The above-mentioned components in the processor system 2030 can communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0444] In one example, the processor system 2030 can be packaged as a single processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, the processor system 2030 can be a system composed of multiple chips; for example, the baseband processor 2031 can be packaged as a single chip, or packaged with part or all of the circuitry of the radio frequency processing system into a single chip.

[0445] In one example, memory 2036 can be on-chip memory, i.e., located on the processor system 2030 chip. In another example, memory 2060 can be off-chip memory, i.e. located outside the processor system 2030 chip.

[0446] In one example, such as Figure 11As shown in (b), the baseband processor 2031 in the terminal 2000 provided in this application embodiment may include one or more processor cores 20311 and interface circuitry 20314. The one or more processor cores 20311 are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the baseband processor 2031 may also include a memory 20312, which is used to store at least a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores 20311 implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments by executing the computer program instructions stored in the memory 20312. In this application, the memory 20312 is used to store corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. This can mean that the memory 20312 stores all corresponding computer program instructions and / or data for execution by the processor core 20311; or it can mean that the memory 20312 stores a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data, including the computer program instructions and / or data currently required to be executed by the processor core 20311. The memory 20312 can store different portions of computer program instructions and / or data multiple times for execution by the processor core 20311 to implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments. The interface circuit 20314 serves as a communication interface for communication with other components, such as transmitting signals with the radio frequency processing system 2020, communicating with other subsystems and related components of the processor system 2030 via a bus, such as transmitting data control signals with the application processor 2032, and transmitting data or computer program instructions with the memory 2036 or memory 2060. Optionally, in order to reduce the load on the processor core, a baseband signal processing circuit 20313 can be set to perform at least some baseband signal processing, including one or more of signal demodulation, modulation, encoding or decoding.

[0447] In one example, the communication device provided in this application may be a terminal 2000, a communication module including a processor system 2030 and a radio frequency system 2020, the processor system 2030, or a baseband processor 2031.

[0448] The processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit or processor core mentioned above can be collectively referred to as a processor. The processor may include one or more of the following: CPU, DSP, MPU, MCU, GPU, FPGA, ASIC, artificial intelligence (AI) processor or neural network processing unit (NPU).

[0449] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), cache, register, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments may be stored on non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the aforementioned memory 2060 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or hard disk). When the terminal is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded onto a memory with a faster transfer speed than the processor, such as at least a portion of memory 2036 and / or memory 20312 (e.g., one or more of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, PCM, RERAM, MRAM, FRAM, cache, or register), for the processor to execute in order to implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0450] In one example, the RF transceiver 2022 and the RF front-end 2021 can also be packaged in a single chip. In another example, the RF transceiver 2022, the RF front-end 2021, and the baseband processor 2031 can also be packaged in a single chip.

[0451] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by a communication device (e.g., a terminal device and / or a network device) in the above-described method embodiments.

[0452] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods described above that are executed by a communication device (e.g., a terminal device and / or a network device).

[0453] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and / or network device described in the above embodiments.

[0454] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0455] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0456] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0457] In this application, examples may reference each other without logical contradiction. For example, methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, and functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples may reference each other.

[0458] It should be understood that the above embodiments are mainly illustrated using devices in existing network architectures as examples, and the specific form of the devices is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, any device that can achieve the same function in the future is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0459] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein 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 beyond the scope of this application.

[0460] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be described again here.

[0461] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0462] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this implementation scheme according to actual needs.

[0463] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0464] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they 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 existing solutions, or a portion 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.) 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, external hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0465] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included 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.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to the network device side, including: Receive first information from the terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the number of streams to be transmitted on the terminal device; Based on the first information and the multipath element MPC, a first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined. The first pilot density is used to indicate the number of resource elements corresponding to the first antenna port. The first antenna port is used to transmit reference signals. The MPC is associated with the location of the terminal device. Send a second message to the terminal device, the second message being used to indicate the first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before receiving the first information from the terminal device, the method further includes: Send a third message to the terminal device, the third message being used to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Based on the first information and MPC, determine the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports, including: The number of first paths, the second pilot density, and / or the number of second antenna ports are determined based on the MPC, wherein the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold. The first pilot density is determined based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of the first paths, and the second pilot density; and / or, The number of the first antenna ports is determined based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of the first paths, and the number of the second antenna ports.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the number of the first paths is greater than or equal to the number of streams to be transmitted, the first pilot density is less than or equal to the second pilot density, and the number of the second antenna ports is less than or equal to the number of the second antenna ports; and / or, When the number of the first paths is less than the number of streams to be transmitted, the first pilot density is greater than the second pilot density, and the number of the first antenna ports is greater than the number of the second antenna ports.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Based on the first information and MPC, the first pilot density is determined, including: The number of first paths and the second pilot density are determined based on the MPC, and the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold. A first mapping relationship is obtained based on the first information. The first mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of the first paths and the first pilot density offset. The first pilot density offset is determined based on the first mapping relationship and the number of the first paths; The first pilot density is determined based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Based on the first information and MPC, the number of first antenna ports is determined, including: The number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports are determined based on the MPC, and the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold. A second mapping relationship is obtained based on the first information. The second mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of the first path and the offset of the number of the first antenna ports. Based on the second mapping relationship and the number of the first path, determine the first antenna port number offset; The number of the first antenna ports is determined based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of the second antenna ports.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The second information includes first indication information and second pilot density, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of the first paths and the first pilot density offset; And / or, The second information includes second indication information and the number of the second antenna ports. The second indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of the first path and the offset of the number of the first antenna ports.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Based on the first information and MPC, the first pilot density is determined, including: The number of first paths and the second pilot density are determined based on the MPC, and the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold. A third mapping relationship is obtained based on the number of the first paths. The third mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset. The first pilot density offset is determined based on the third mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; The first pilot density is determined based on the first pilot density offset and the second pilot density.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Based on the first information and MPC, the number of first antenna ports is determined, including: The number of first paths and the number of second antenna ports are determined based on the MPC, and the power corresponding to the first path is greater than or equal to a first threshold. A fourth mapping relationship is obtained based on the number of the first paths. The fourth mapping relationship is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the offset of the number of the first antenna ports. Based on the fourth mapping relationship and the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the offset of the number of first antenna ports is determined; The number of the first antenna ports is determined based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of the second antenna ports.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The second information includes third indication information and the second pilot density, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the first pilot density offset; And / or, The second information includes fourth indication information and the number of the second antenna ports. The fourth indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device and the offset of the number of the first antenna ports.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate the number of first paths, the power of which is greater than or equal to a first threshold. Based on the first information and MPC, the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports are determined, including: The second pilot density and / or the number of second antenna ports are determined based on the MPC. The first pilot density is determined based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of the first paths, and the second pilot density; and / or, The number of the first antenna ports is determined based on the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device, the number of the first paths, and the number of the second antenna ports.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device is determined based on the terminal device's capability information and / or the amount of service data to be transmitted by the terminal device. The terminal device's capability information is used to indicate the number of transmission streams supported by the terminal device.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the terminal device side, including: Send first information to the network device, the first information being used to indicate the number of streams to be transmitted by the terminal device; Receive second information from the network device, the second information being used to indicate the first pilot density and / or the number of first antenna ports; The first pilot density and / or the number of the first antenna ports are determined based on the first information and the multipath element (MPC). The first pilot density is used to indicate the number of resource units corresponding to the first antenna ports. The first antenna ports are used to transmit reference signals. The MPC is associated with the location of the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Before sending the first information to the network device, the method further includes: The third information is received from the network device, which is used to request the number of streams to be transmitted from the terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate a first pilot density offset and a second pilot density, and / or, the second information is further used to indicate a first antenna port number offset and a second antenna port number, the method further comprising: The first pilot density is determined based on the first pilot density bias and the second pilot density; and / or, The number of the first antenna ports is determined based on the first antenna port number offset and the number of the second antenna ports.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions in memory to cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 12 to be performed, or to cause the method of any one of claims 13 to 15 to be performed.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15 to be performed.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15 to be performed.

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