Communication method, device, apparatus, chip, storage medium and program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to a communication method, device, apparatus, chip, storage medium and program product. In one aspect, a terminal device receives first information. The first information indicates one or more capability combinations for early reference signal measurement of the terminal device. The one or more capability combinations are ordered according to a predefined rule. The terminal device sends second information. The second information indicates a capability combination determined according to a capability of the terminal device from the one or more capability combinations, and the second information is sent through message 3 or message A in a random access process. The terminal device receives third information. The third information indicates configuration information of the early reference signal measurement. And the terminal device performs early reference signal measurement and reporting based on the third information. Thus, the capability of the terminal device can be reported, and more flexible and efficient early measurement can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically to communication methods, communication devices, communication apparatuses, communication systems, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for advance measurement. Background Technology

[0002] A communication system can be viewed as a facility that enables a communication session between two or more entities (such as communication equipment, terminal equipment, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing carrier waves between various entities involved in the communication path. A communication system can be a wireless communication system. A wireless communication system can be a system based on various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to systems based on standards provided by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0003] In the existing 5G communication standards, the measurement of Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) during the initial access phase of a terminal is subject to fixed signaling timing dependencies, thus hindering the rapid acquisition of channel state information. To address this, 3GPP has proposed a scheme for advance reference signal measurement. However, the network side needs to know the capabilities of the terminal device to configure advance measurement. Therefore, how to upload the terminal device's capability information to achieve more flexible and efficient reference signal measurement is a direction that requires further research. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication scheme for uploading capability information of terminal devices.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal device or a communication apparatus that supports the functions of the terminal device. The method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating one or more capability combinations for advance reference signal measurement of the terminal device, the one or more capability combinations being ordered according to a predefined rule; sending second information, the second information indicating a capability combination determined based on the capabilities of the terminal device from the one or more capability combinations, the second information being sent via message 3 or message A during a random access procedure; receiving third information, the third information indicating configuration information for advance reference signal measurement; and performing advance reference signal measurement and reporting based on the third information.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a network device or a communication apparatus that supports the functions of a network device. The method includes: sending first information, the first information indicating one or more capability combinations for advance reference signal measurement of a terminal device, the one or more capability combinations being ordered according to a predefined rule; receiving second information, the second information indicating a capability combination determined by the terminal device based on the capabilities of the terminal device from the one or more capability combinations, the second information being received via message 3 or message A during a random access procedure; and sending third information, the third information indicating configuration information for advance reference signal measurement.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication device is provided. The device includes components for performing the method according to the first or second aspect.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication device is provided. The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory including computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the method described according to the first or second aspect to be performed.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes: a first means configured to perform the communication method according to any one of the first aspects; and a second means configured to perform the communication method according to any one of the second aspects.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a chip is provided. The chip includes a processor connected to a memory located inside or outside the chip, the memory being used to store a computer program, and the processor being used to call and run the computer program from the memory to cause the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect to be executed.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium includes machine-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the method described according to the first or second aspect to be performed.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes computer program code that, when executed by a device, causes the method described according to the first or second aspect to be performed.

[0013] As will be understood from the following description of the example embodiments, according to the technical solution presented herein, more flexible and efficient advance measurement can be achieved by reporting the capabilities of the terminal device.

[0014] It should be understood that the description in the Summary Section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this application, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this application. Other features of this application will be readily understood from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this application will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example communication system that may be implemented in accordance with embodiments of this application is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic signaling interaction diagram of a communication process according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Schematic flowcharts of communication methods according to some embodiments of this application are shown respectively;

[0019] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Schematic block diagrams of communication devices according to some embodiments of this application are shown respectively; and

[0020] Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing embodiments of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this application. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] The term "terminal device" as used herein refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, UE, user station (SS), portable user station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, smartphones, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image acquisition terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), universal serial bus (USB) dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (such as remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (such as robots and / or other wireless devices in industrial and / or automated processing chain contexts), consumer electronics devices, and devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks. In the following description, the terms “terminal equipment”, “communication equipment”, “terminal”, “user equipment” and “UE” are used interchangeably.

[0023] In this document, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network, including radio access network (RAN) nodes (also known as RAN devices) and / or core network (CN) nodes (also known as CN devices). The term "network side" can refer to the RAN device and / or CN device side.

[0024] The term "RAN equipment" refers to a RAN node through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology used, network equipment can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a New Radio (NR) NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a remote radiohead (RRH), a relay, a low-power node such as a pico or femtocell, and so on. In some embodiments, the BS or AP can be mobile, such as a satellite associated with a non-terrestrial network.

[0025] RAN equipment can be implemented as a central unit (CU)-distributed unit (DU) separation architecture. This CU-DU separation architecture can include one CU and one or more DUs. It should be understood that the CU can also be called gNB-CU, and the DU can also be called gNB-DU. The CU is used to carry the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP). The DU is used to carry the radio link control (RLC) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer. The CU controls the one or more DUs. Of course, RAN equipment can also be implemented as a non-separated architecture.

[0026] The term "CN device" refers to a CN node, which terminal devices can access and receive services from via RAN devices. A CN device can provide one or more CN functions, such as access and mobility management (AMF), location management (LMF), application function (AF), ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) function (AIOTF), network exposure function (NEF), authentication server function (AUSF), unified data management (UDM), session management function (SMF), and user plane function (UPF). It should be understood that a CN device can also provide any other known or future-developed CN functions.

[0027] In this document, the term "communication device" refers to a device that enables the functionality of a terminal device or network device. A communication device can be the terminal device or network device itself, or it can be a component of the terminal device or network device, such as a chip. A chip can be, for example, a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a modem, etc.

[0028] The term "comprising" or similar expressions in this document mean open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "this embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. The term "and / or" means at least one of the two items associated with it. For example, "a and / or b" means a, b, or "a and b". The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship. The term "at least one" means one or more items. The term "at least one of the following" or similar expressions mean any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or multiple items. For example, "at least one of a, b, c" may mean a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a, b and c". Other terms will be defined in the description below.

[0029] The principles and implementation of this solution will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example communication system 100 that may be implemented according to embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 may include at least one terminal device ( Figure 1 The diagram shows terminal devices 110-1 and 110-2 (hereinafter referred to as terminal device 110 for convenience) and at least one RAN device ( Figure 1 The diagram shows RAN devices 120-1 and 120-2, which, for convenience, will be collectively referred to as RAN device 120 below. RAN device 120 can provide one or more cells ( Figure 1 The diagram shows cell 121) used to serve one or more terminal devices.

[0031] Terminal device 110 can connect to RAN device 120 wirelessly. Terminal devices 110-1 and 110-2 can connect via wired or wireless means. RAN devices 120-1 and 120-2 can connect via wired or wireless means.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 may further include a CN 130. The terminal device 110 can communicate with one or more CN devices (not shown) in the CN 130 via the RAN device 120. The RAN device 120 can be connected to the CN 130 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The RAN device 120 can be implemented as a physical device independent of the CN devices, or it can be implemented as a physical device integrating some of the functions of the CN devices.

[0033] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number and type of terminal devices or network devices described are merely examples and do not imply any limitation on this application. Communication system 100 may involve any suitable number of terminal devices and / or network devices and / or cells suitable for implementing embodiments of this application.

[0034] The communication in communication system 100 can conform to any suitable communication standard, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal equipment and network equipment can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, or other existing or future suitable communication protocols.

[0035] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application can be applied to various suitable communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communication technology, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems, which this application may incorporate. Communication system 100 is merely an example and does not imply that the scope of this application is limited to a specific system.

[0036] In the existing 5G communication standard system, there are fixed signaling timing dependencies in the initial access phase of the terminal to enable CSI-RS measurement and realize closed-loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheduling. Specifically, when the terminal initiates network access from the idle state, it needs to complete the complete process of cell synchronization, random access, RRC connection establishment, capability query, and dedicated configuration distribution in sequence.

[0037] To address the issue of insufficient channel state information and the inability to quickly enable MIMO closed-loop transmission during the initial access phase, 3GPP proposed research on Early Channel State Information (Early CSI / SRS). Specifically, after random access is completed and before the traditional RRC reconfiguration and CSI configuration, channel state information can be quickly obtained, shortening access latency and enabling MIMO transmission. However, in the Early CSI / SRS scheme, the network side needs to obtain the terminal device's capability information before RRC configuration.

[0038] On the other hand, in the initial 5G access system, SIB1 plays a core role in broadcasting cell-level public parameters and distributing access resource configurations. However, under the existing 5G standard system, no public CSI-RS resource broadcast information element is defined in the System Message (SI). Cell CSI-RS measurement resources can only be configured independently for terminals in the RRC connected state via dedicated signaling, and cannot be uniformly configured for all access terminals via broadcast. In addition, the current SI does not define any terminal MIMO capability templates or related extended fields in the capability index mapping table. The differentiated hardware characteristics of various terminals within the cell, such as the number of receiving antenna ports, maximum MIMO rank, codebook type, and Early CSI measurement support capabilities, lack public broadcast pre-configuration and lightweight interaction channels. They can only rely on RRC connected state dedicated signaling for post-reporting, which cannot meet the requirements of quickly completing capability matching and enabling Early CSI measurements during the random access phase.

[0039] Therefore, embodiments of this application propose a scheme for uploading capability information of terminal devices. This scheme enables the reporting of terminal device capabilities, allowing for more flexible and efficient advance measurement and improving communication efficiency.

[0040] The following is combined with Figure 2 The solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic signaling interaction diagram of a communication process 200 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. The communication process 200 may involve a terminal device 201 and a network device 202. The terminal device 201 may be implemented as follows: Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 202 shown can be implemented as follows: Figure 1 The RAN device 120 and / or CN device are shown. It should be understood that the communication process 200 can be performed between the terminal device 201 and the network device 202, or between a communication device supporting the functionality of the terminal device 201 and the network device 202, or between the terminal device 201 and the communication device supporting the functionality of the network device 202, or between the communication device supporting the functionality of the terminal device 201 and the communication device supporting the functionality of the network device 202. For example, the communication device can be a chip such as a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a modem, a baseband chip processor, etc.

[0042] like Figure 2As shown in step 210, network device 202 sends and terminal device 201 receives first information. This first information indicates one or more combinations of capabilities measured in advance for the terminal device's reference signal. The one or more capability combinations are ordered according to predefined rules. In some embodiments, network device 202 sends one or more combinations of the pre-measured terminal capabilities to terminal device 201. Exemplarily, these capability combinations can be organized into a table format and sent to terminal device 201 via a message, as shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. It should be noted that these capability combinations can also be organized into other forms and sent to terminal device 201 via a message; this application does not limit the presentation of these capability combinations or the format of the sent messages.

[0043] In some embodiments, each capability combination in one or more capability combinations includes one or more of the following: the number of receive antenna ports supported by the terminal device, the maximum downlink rank / stream number supported by the terminal device, the downlink codebook type supported by the terminal device, or whether the terminal device supports advance reference signal measurement. For example, as shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below, columns 2-5 represent the capability items in each capability combination. Each row represents a terminal physical layer capability combination. Each index number uniquely corresponds to a set of capability combinations. Alternatively, the combinations in the table may not include index numbers, and the index sequence number may be used instead of the default list entry order.

[0044] It should be noted that the above capabilities are merely examples. A capability combination may include all, some, or other capabilities listed above. Furthermore, the order of 'Support for Early CSI-RS Measurements', 'Number of Receive Antenna Ports', 'Supported Downlink MIMO Transmission Rank / Stream Number', and 'Supported Codebook Types' in Tables 1-3 can be arbitrary; that is, these capabilities can appear in any column in any order. Additionally, the number of capability combinations in Tables 1-3 is merely exemplary, and this application does not impose any limitations.

[0045] In some embodiments, a predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in ascending order, where later capability combinations are compatible with earlier capability combinations. For example, as shown in Table 1 below, capability combinations are sorted in ascending order of the number of receive antenna ports, and values ​​with higher index numbers are compatible with values ​​with lower index numbers. For instance, assuming the UE selects index 5, it also supports combinations with indices 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. It should be noted that while the capability sizes of later sequences are preferably arranged from low to high, this is not necessarily required. This application does not impose any limitations on this. Table 1

[0046] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not support early reference signal measurement, and the terminal device corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations. For example, the terminal corresponding to the lowest preset index number does not support early CSI-RS measurement, and the terminal corresponding to the highest preset index number cannot match any set of capability combinations in the capability index mapping table. As shown in Table 1 above, the terminal corresponding to index 0 does not support early CSI-RS measurement. Index 9 corresponds to no suitable configuration; therefore, the network can trigger a traditional UE capability query procedure. Alternatively, the functions of the lowest and highest index indicators can be interchanged, i.e., index 0 indicates no suitable configuration, triggering a traditional UE capability query procedure, while index 9 indicates that the terminal does not support early CSI-RS measurement.

[0047] In some embodiments, a predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination from largest to smallest, wherein a capability combination ranked earlier is compatible with a capability combination ranked later. For example, as shown in Table 2 below, the capability combinations are sorted from largest to smallest according to the number of receive antenna ports supported by the UE, and values ​​with lower index numbers are compatible with values ​​with higher index numbers. It should be noted that while the capability sizes of later sequences should ideally be arranged from largest to smallest, this is not necessarily required. This application does not impose any limitations on this. Table 2

[0048] In some embodiments, the last ranked capability combination corresponds to the terminal not supporting early reference signal measurements, and the first ranked capability combination corresponds to the terminal device's capability not matching any of one or more capability combinations. For example, the highest preset index number corresponds to the terminal not supporting early CSI-RS measurements, and the lowest preset index number corresponds to the terminal's own capability not matching any set of capability combinations in the capability index mapping table. As shown in Table 2 above, index 9 corresponds to the terminal not supporting early CSI-RS measurements. Index 0 corresponds to no suitable configuration; therefore, the network can trigger a traditional UE capability query procedure. Alternatively, the functions of the highest and lowest index indicators can be interchanged, i.e., index 9 indicates no suitable configuration, triggering a traditional UE capability query procedure, while index 0 indicates the terminal does not support early CSI-RS measurements.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first information includes information indicating compatible capability combinations for each of one or more capability combinations. For example, as shown in Table 3 below, the last column indicates which other capability combinations are compatible with each index number's capability combination. Table 3

[0050] In some embodiments, the first information is sent via system messages. For example, the network side configures a mapping table of Early CSI-related capabilities supported by the cell in System Message 1 (SIB1) or a new SIBx. The network side may broadcast only a subset of Early CSI-related capabilities supported by the cell, without needing to broadcast all UE capabilities.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown in step 220, terminal device 201 sends and network device 202 receives second information. This second information indicates one or more capability combinations determined based on the capabilities of the terminal device. For example, the UE selects the appropriate index for reporting based on its own capability characteristics and the table above. It should be noted that, in addition to reporting using the index corresponding to the capability combination, the UE can also use other information to report the determined capability combination; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second information is sent via message 3 (MSG3) or message A (MSG A) during the random access procedure. For example, the UE may report a determined combination of capabilities during the random access procedure via MSG3 or MSG A.

[0053] In some embodiments, the second information is transmitted via one or more dedicated indication fields in MSG3 or MSGA corresponding to the second information. For example, the second information can be reported by adding a new indication field to MSG3 / MSGA.

[0054] In some embodiments, the second information is transmitted via one or more indicator fields in MSG3 or MSGA that reuse the second information with other information. For example, the second information can be reported by reusing existing indicator fields in MSG3 / MSGA.

[0055] In some embodiments, the second information may also be reported through one or more dedicated indicator fields corresponding to the second information and a combination of one or more indicator fields that reuse the second information with other information.

[0056] like Figure 2As shown in step 230, network device 202 sends and terminal device 201 receives third information. This third information indicates configuration information for advance reference signal measurement. For example, after the base station receives the second information, it schedules and allocates appropriate measurement resources to the UE, and instructs / activates the UE to begin RS measurement via the third information. This behavior is implemented through network-side self-scheduling or through AI-based scheduling.

[0057] In some embodiments, the third information includes one or more of the following: the number of transmit and receive antenna ports, uplink / downlink resources of the reference signal, uplink / downlink rank / stream number allocated to the terminal device, codebook type allocated to the terminal device, or resources (e.g., time-frequency resources, period, etc.) that provide feedback on the results of the advance reference signal measurement.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown in step 240, the terminal device 201 performs advance reference signal measurement and reporting based on the third information. For example, the UE starts measuring and reporting the reference signal according to the configuration information sent by the network side.

[0059] In this way, the embodiments of this application configure multiple UE capability schemes by the base station during the random access phase. After receiving relevant information through system information, the UE selects the most suitable scheme for itself to upload. This achieves the goal of uploading UE capabilities during the random access phase without significantly increasing the complexity of UE modulation and demodulation, thus realizing a lightweight and highly compatible solution.

[0060] Corresponding to the communication process 200 described above, various embodiments of this application also provide communication methods that can be implemented at terminal devices and network devices.

[0061] Figure 3 A flowchart of a communication method 300 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The method 300 can be implemented at a terminal device (e.g., terminal device 201) or a communication device that supports the functions of the terminal device. It should be understood that the method 300 may include other additional steps not shown, or some steps shown may be omitted. The scope of this application is not limited thereto.

[0062] In step 310, the terminal device receives first information indicating one or more capability combinations measured in advance for the terminal device reference signal, and the one or more capability combinations are ordered according to predefined rules.

[0063] In step 320, the terminal device sends second information, which indicates one or more capability combinations determined according to the capabilities of the terminal device, wherein the second information is sent via message 3 or message A during the random access process.

[0064] In step 330, the terminal device receives third information, which indicates the configuration information for the advance reference signal measurement.

[0065] In step 340, the terminal device performs advance reference signal measurement and reporting based on the third information.

[0066] In some embodiments, each of one or more capability combinations includes one or more of the following: the number of receive antenna ports supported by the terminal device; the maximum downlink rank / stream number supported by the terminal device; the downlink codebook type supported by the terminal device; or whether the terminal device supports advance reference signal measurement.

[0067] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in one or more capability combinations from smallest to largest, wherein the capability combinations sorted later are compatible with the capability combinations sorted earlier.

[0068] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not support advance reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0069] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in descending order, wherein the capability combination that is ranked higher is compatible with the capability combination that is ranked lower.

[0070] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not support early reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first information includes information indicating compatibility capability combinations related to each of the one or more capability combinations.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first information is received via a system message.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second information is sent via a combination of one or more of the following in message 3 or message A: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0074] In some embodiments, the third information includes one or more of the following: the number of transmit and receive antenna ports; uplink / downlink resources for the reference signal; uplink / downlink rank / stream number allocated to the terminal device; codebook type allocated to the terminal device; or resources for feeding back the results of the advance reference signal measurement.

[0075] In some embodiments, the third information is received via message 4 or message B during the random access process.

[0076] In some embodiments, the third information is received via a combination of one or more of the following in message 4 or message B: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0077] This method 300 can correspond to the operation at the terminal device 201 in the above-described communication process 200. Other embodiments and technical effects will not be described again.

[0078] Figure 4 A flowchart of a communication method 400 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. The method 400 can be implemented at a network device (e.g., network device 202) or a communication device that supports the functionality of the network device. It should be understood that the method 400 may include other additional steps not shown, or some steps shown may be omitted. The scope of this application is not limited thereto.

[0079] In step 410, the network device sends first information, which indicates one or more combinations of capabilities measured in advance for the terminal device reference signal, and the one or more combinations of capabilities are ordered according to predefined rules.

[0080] In step 420, the network device receives second information, which indicates one or more capability combinations determined by the terminal device based on its capabilities. The second information is received via message 3 or message A during the random access process.

[0081] In step 430, the network device sends third information, which indicates the configuration information for advance reference signal measurement.

[0082] In some embodiments, each of one or more capability combinations includes one or more of the following: the number of receive antenna ports supported by the terminal device; the maximum downlink rank / stream number supported by the terminal device; the downlink codebook type supported by the terminal device; or whether the terminal device supports advance reference signal measurement.

[0083] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in one or more capability combinations from smallest to largest, wherein the capability combinations sorted later are compatible with the capability combinations sorted earlier.

[0084] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not support advance reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0085] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in descending order, wherein the capability combination that is ranked higher is compatible with the capability combination that is ranked lower.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not support early reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first information includes information indicating compatibility capability combinations related to each of the one or more capability combinations.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first information is sent via a system message.

[0089] In some embodiments, the second information is received via a combination of one or more of the following in message 3 or message A: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0090] In some embodiments, the third information includes one or more of the following: the number of transmit and receive antenna ports; uplink / downlink resources for the reference signal; uplink / downlink rank / stream number allocated to the terminal device; codebook type allocated to the terminal device; or resources for feeding back the results of the advance reference signal measurement.

[0091] In some embodiments, the third information is sent via message 4 or message B during the random access process.

[0092] In some embodiments, the third information is sent via a combination of one or more of the following in message 4 or message B: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0093] This method 400 can correspond to the operation at network device 202 in the above-described communication process 200. Other embodiments and technical effects will not be described again.

[0094] Corresponding to the above communication method, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, which is described below in conjunction with... Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 This will be described.

[0095] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 500 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. The communication device 500 may be implemented as the terminal device 110 discussed above, or a part of the terminal device 110 (such as a chip), etc., and this application does not limit it in this way. Figure 5As shown, the communication device 500 may include a receiving module 510 and a transmitting module 520. The communication device 500 may be configured to: receive first information indicating one or more capability combinations for advance reference signal measurement of a terminal device, the one or more capability combinations being ordered according to predefined rules; transmit second information indicating a capability combination among the one or more capability combinations determined based on the capabilities of the terminal device, the second information being transmitted via message 3 or message A during a random access procedure; receive third information indicating configuration information for advance reference signal measurement; and perform advance reference signal measurement and reporting based on the third information.

[0096] In some embodiments, each of one or more capability combinations includes one or more of the following: the number of receive antenna ports supported by the terminal device; the maximum downlink rank / stream number supported by the terminal device; the downlink codebook type supported by the terminal device; or whether the terminal device supports advance reference signal measurement.

[0097] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in one or more capability combinations from smallest to largest, wherein the capability combinations that are sorted later are compatible with the capability combinations that are sorted earlier.

[0098] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not support advance reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0099] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in descending order, wherein the capability combination that is ranked higher is compatible with the capability combination that is ranked lower.

[0100] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not support early reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first information includes information indicating compatibility capability combinations related to each of the one or more capability combinations.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first information is received via a system message.

[0103] In some embodiments, the second information is sent via a combination of one or more of the following in message 3 or message A: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0104] In some embodiments, the third information includes one or more of the following: the number of transmit and receive antenna ports; uplink / downlink resources for the reference signal; uplink / downlink rank / stream number allocated to the terminal device; codebook type allocated to the terminal device; or resources for feeding back the results of the advance reference signal measurement.

[0105] In some embodiments, the third information is received via message 4 or message B during the random access process.

[0106] In some embodiments, the third information is received via a combination of one or more of the following in message 4 or message B: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0107] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 600 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. The communication device 600 may be implemented as the network device 120 discussed above, or a part of the network device 120 (such as a chip), etc., and this application is not limited thereto. Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 may include a receiving module 610 and a transmitting module 620. The communication device 600 may be configured to: transmit first information indicating one or more capability combinations for advance reference signal measurement of a terminal device, the one or more capability combinations being ordered according to a predefined rule; receive second information indicating one or more capability combinations determined by the terminal device based on the capabilities of the terminal device, the second information being received via message 3 or message A during random access; and transmit third information indicating configuration information for advance reference signal measurement.

[0108] In some embodiments, each of one or more capability combinations includes one or more of the following: the number of receive antenna ports supported by the terminal device; the maximum downlink rank / stream number supported by the terminal device; the downlink codebook type supported by the terminal device; or whether the terminal device supports advance reference signal measurement.

[0109] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in one or more capability combinations from smallest to largest, wherein the capability combinations that are sorted later are compatible with the capability combinations that are sorted earlier.

[0110] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not support advance reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0111] In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to sort one or more capabilities of each capability combination in descending order, wherein the capability combination that is ranked higher is compatible with the capability combination that is ranked lower.

[0112] In some embodiments, the terminal corresponding to the last ranked capability combination does not support early reference signal measurement; and the terminal device corresponding to the first ranked capability combination does not match any of the capability combinations in one or more capability combinations.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first information includes information indicating compatibility capability combinations related to each of the one or more capability combinations.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first information is sent via a system message.

[0115] In some embodiments, the second information is received via a combination of one or more of the following in message 3 or message A: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0116] In some embodiments, the third information includes one or more of the following: the number of transmit and receive antenna ports; uplink / downlink resources for the reference signal; uplink / downlink rank / stream number allocated to the terminal device; codebook type allocated to the terminal device; or resources for feeding back the results of the advance reference signal measurement.

[0117] In some embodiments, the third information is sent via message 4 or message B during the random access process.

[0118] In some embodiments, the third information is sent via a combination of one or more of the following in message 4 or message B: one or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; one or more indication fields multiplexed by the second information and other information; or reserved bits.

[0119] It should be understood that the communication devices 500 and 600 mentioned above correspond to the communication methods 300 and 400 mentioned above, respectively, and correspond to the description in the communication process 200 mentioned above. Therefore, other details will not be repeated.

[0120] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of an example device 700 that can be used to implement embodiments of this application is shown. Device 700 may be implemented as or included in terminal device 110. As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to processors 710, and a communication module 740 coupled to processors 710.

[0121] The communication module 740 can be used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 may have at least one communication interface for communication. The communication interface may include any interface necessary for communication with other devices.

[0122] Processor 710 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), or a controller-based multi-core controller architecture. Device 1200 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0123] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: Read-Only Memory (ROM) 724, Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), Flash Memory, Hard Disk, Compact Disc (CD), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), or other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: Random Access Memory (RAM) 722, or other volatile memories that do not persist during the duration of a power outage.

[0124] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by associated processor 710. Program 730 may be stored in ROM 724. Processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0125] The embodiments of this application can be implemented using program 730, enabling device 700 to perform any of the processes discussed above. Embodiments of this application can also be implemented in hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0126] Program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 700 (such as in memory 720) or other storage device accessible by device 700. Program 730 may be loaded from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0127] In some embodiments, the communication module 740 in device 700 can be implemented as a transmitter and receiver (or transceiver), which can be configured to transmit / receive transmission signals, etc. Additionally, device 700 may further include one or more of a scheduler, controller, and radio frequency / antenna, which will not be described in detail here.

[0128] For example, Figure 7 The device 700 can be implemented as a communication device, or as a chip or chip system in a communication device, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0129] As used in this document, the term "circuit" refers to one or more of the following:

[0130] • Hardware circuit implementation only, such as implementation of analog and / or digital circuits only; and

[0131] • Combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as: 1) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, 2) any part of a hardware processor with software, including digital signal processors, software and memory (these components work together to enable devices such as terminal devices or network devices to perform various functions), and 3) hardware circuits and / or processors that require software / firmware to operate.

[0132] The term “circuit” as used herein also covers an implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor, or a portion thereof, along with its accompanying software / firmware.

[0133] Generally, the various exemplary embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. When aspects of the embodiments of this application are illustrated or described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it will be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented as non-limiting examples in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof. Examples of hardware devices that can be used to implement the embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to: field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard parts (ASSPs), SoCs, complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

[0134] As an example, embodiments of this application can be described in the context of machine-executable instructions, such as program modules that execute on a device running on a real or virtual processor of the target. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., which perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data structures. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules may be combined or divided among the described program modules. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0135] The computer program code used to implement the methods of this application may be written in one or more programming languages. This computer program code may be provided to the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a computer, partially on a computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server.

[0136] In the context of this application, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, and the like. Examples of signals may include electrical, optical, radio, sound, or other forms of propagated signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, etc. A machine-readable medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program for or relating to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More detailed examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, RAM, ROM, EPROM, or flash memory, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0137] Furthermore, although the operations are depicted in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or to execute all illustrated operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking or parallel processing may be beneficial. Similarly, although the foregoing discussion includes certain specific implementation details, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of any invention or claim, but rather as a description of specific embodiments that may be implemented with respect to a particular invention. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0138] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, said method being performed by a terminal device or a communication device supporting the functions of the terminal device, said method comprising: Receive first information, the first information indicating one or more combinations of capabilities measured in advance for reference signals of the terminal device, the one or more combinations of capabilities being ordered according to predefined rules; Send a second message, the second message indicating a capability combination determined based on the capabilities of the terminal device from the one or more capability combinations, wherein the second message is sent via message 3 or message A during random access procedure; Receive third information, the third information indicating the configuration information for the advance reference signal measurement; and The advance reference signal measurement and reporting are performed based on the third information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more capability combinations comprises one or more of the following: The terminal device supports the number of receiving antenna ports; The maximum downlink rank / stream count supported by the terminal device; The terminal device supports the following downlink codebook types; or Does the terminal device support advance reference signal measurement? 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predefined rule is: The abilities are sorted in ascending order according to one or more abilities in each of the one or more ability combinations, wherein the ability combinations that are sorted later are compatible with the ability combinations that are sorted earlier.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The first-ranked capability combination corresponds to the terminal not supporting the advance reference signal measurement; and The last capability combination in the sorting corresponds to a capability of the terminal device that does not match any of the one or more capability combinations.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predefined rule is: The capabilities are sorted from largest to smallest according to one or more capabilities in each of the one or more capability combinations, wherein the capability combinations that are sorted first are compatible with the capability combinations that are sorted later.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The last combination of capabilities in the sorting corresponds to the terminal not supporting early reference signal measurements; and The capability combination ranked first corresponds to a capability of the terminal device that does not match any of the one or more capability combinations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes information indicating compatibility capability combinations related to each of the one or more capability combinations.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information is received via a system message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information is sent via one or more of the following in message 3 or message A: One or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; The second information is reused with one or more indication fields; or Reserved bits.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third information comprises one or more of the following: Number of transmit and receive antenna ports; Uplink / downlink resources for reference signals; Uplink / downlink rank / stream count allocated to the terminal device; The codebook type assigned to the terminal device; or Resources that provide feedback on the results of the prior reference signal measurements.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third information is received via message 4 or message B during random access.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the third information is received via one or more of the following in message 4 or message B: One or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; The second information is reused with one or more indication fields; or Reserved bits.

13. A communication method, the method being performed by a network device or a communication apparatus supporting the functions of a network device, the method comprising: Send a first message, the first message indicating one or more combinations of capabilities measured in advance for a terminal device based on a reference signal, the one or more combinations of capabilities being ordered according to a predefined rule; Receive second information, the second information indicating the capability combination determined by the terminal device based on the capabilities of the terminal device in the one or more capability combinations, wherein the second information is received via message 3 or message A during random access procedure; A third message is sent, which indicates the configuration information for the advance reference signal measurement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more capability combinations comprises one or more of the following: The terminal device supports the number of receiving antenna ports; The maximum downlink rank / stream count supported by the terminal device; The terminal device supports the following downlink codebook types; or The terminal device supports whether or not it supports the measurement of reference signals in advance.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the predefined rule is: The abilities are sorted in ascending order according to one or more abilities in each of the one or more ability combinations, wherein the ability combinations that are sorted later are compatible with the ability combinations that are sorted earlier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: The first-ranked capability combination corresponds to the terminal not supporting early reference signal measurements; and The last capability combination in the sorting corresponds to a capability of the terminal device that does not match any of the one or more capability combinations.

17. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the predefined rule is: The capabilities are sorted from largest to smallest according to one or more capabilities in each of the one or more capability combinations, wherein the capability combinations that are sorted first are compatible with the capability combinations that are sorted later.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein: The last combination of capabilities in the sorting corresponds to the terminal not supporting early reference signal measurements; and The capability combination ranked first corresponds to a capability of the terminal device that does not match any of the one or more capability combinations.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information includes information indicating compatibility capability combinations related to each of the one or more capability combinations.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information is sent via a system message.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the second information is received via one or more of the following in message 3 or message A: One or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; The second information is reused with one or more indication fields; or Reserved bits.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the third information comprises one or more of the following: Number of transmit and receive antenna ports; Uplink / downlink resources for reference signals; Uplink / downlink rank / stream count allocated to the terminal device; The codebook type assigned to the terminal device; or Resources that provide feedback on the results of the prior reference signal measurements.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the third information is sent via message 4 or message B during the random access process.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the third information is sent via one or more of the following in message 4 or message B: One or more dedicated indication fields corresponding to the second information; The second information is reused with one or more indication fields; or Reserved bits.

25. A communication apparatus comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute computer-executable instructions to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 24.

26. A communication device, comprising: At least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; as well as At least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the communication device to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 24.

27. A communication system, comprising: A first device is configured to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; as well as The second device is configured to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

28. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 24.

29. A computer program product storing instructions that, when executed, cause the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 24 to be performed.

30. A chip including processing circuitry configured to perform a communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 24.

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