Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a kind of communication method and device, it is related to communication field, it is favorable to reduce the interface flow between first device and second device and the calculation complexity of first device.The method comprises: second device receives the channel estimation information from first device, and according to channel estimation information, sends scheduling information to first device, scheduling information can indicate the terminal equipment corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource belongs to first group or second group, in addition, second device can provide pre-coding information to first device, pre-coding information can include the first pre-coding information for carrying out pre-coding processing to the downlink data of terminal equipment in first group, and / or, the second pre-coding information for carrying out pre-coding processing to the downlink data of terminal equipment in second group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for communication services, the number of terminal devices within a cell is also increasing, leading to significant interference problems between these devices. In Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology, base stations can reduce interference between terminal devices through precoding, thereby improving signal quality. The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Alliance defines a base station functional entity consisting of a control unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU). Reducing the traffic of the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU, and decreasing the computational complexity of the RU, is a technical problem worthy of further research. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and apparatus, which helps to reduce the interface traffic between the first device and the second device and the computational complexity of the first device.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a second device (such as a DU), or by components of the second device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system, or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the second device. The method includes: receiving channel estimation information from a first device; sending scheduling information to the first device based on the channel estimation information; the scheduling information indicating that a terminal device corresponding to a first frequency domain resource unit belongs to a first group or a second group; the first frequency domain resource unit being the scheduled frequency domain resource unit; and sending precoding information to the first device; the precoding information includes first precoding information and / or second precoding information; the first precoding information includes linear precoding information used to precode first downlink data, which is downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the first group; the second precoding information includes intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, which is used to precode second downlink data, which is downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the second group.

[0005] Based on this communication method, the second device can obtain channel estimation information provided by the first device and provide precoding information to the first device. This helps reduce the interface traffic between the first and second devices and the computational complexity of the first device. Furthermore, based on the channel estimation information, the second device can divide the terminal devices corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource units into a first group or a second group. Different groups can correspond to different precoding methods. Therefore, the second device can provide the first device with first precoding information (including linear precoding information) and / or second precoding information (including intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information), enabling the first device to perform linear precoding and / or nonlinear precoding. This achieves a flexible combination of linear and nonlinear precoding, which helps improve the anti-interference capability and system capacity of the communication system.

[0006] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: determining precoding information based on channel estimation information and scheduling information.

[0007] In this technical solution, the second device can determine the pre-encoded information in order to reduce the computational complexity of the first device.

[0008] In one possible design, the first precoding information further includes a first identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the linear precoding information; a data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; a frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; and a first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

[0009] In this technical solution, the second device sends a first identifier to the first device so that the first device can accurately perform precoding processing based on linear precoding information.

[0010] In one possible design, the intermediate information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0011] In this technical solution, the second device reduces the computational complexity of the first device by sending the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal equipment of the second group and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal equipment of the second group to the first device.

[0012] In one possible design, the second precoding information further includes a second identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a terminal device identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; and a second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

[0013] In this technical solution, the second device sends a second identifier to the first device so that the first device can more efficiently determine the nonlinear precoding information based on the intermediate information.

[0014] In one possible design, the scheduling information also indicates at least one of the following: the number N of first frequency domain resource units, where N is a positive integer; the number of terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; the number of data streams paired with each of the N first frequency domain resource units; and the size of each of the N first frequency domain resource units. Thus, the scheduling information helps the first device to complete the precoding process more efficiently.

[0015] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a first device (such as an RU), or by components of the first device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system, or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the first device. The method includes: sending channel estimation information to a second device; receiving scheduling information from the second device; the scheduling information is determined based on the channel estimation information, and the scheduling information indicates that a terminal device corresponding to a first frequency domain resource unit belongs to a first group or a second group; the first frequency domain resource unit is a scheduled frequency domain resource unit; receiving precoding information from the second device; the precoding information includes first precoding information and / or second precoding information; the first precoding information includes linear precoding information, used to precode first downlink data, the first downlink data being downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the first group; the second precoding information includes intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, the second precoding information being used to precode second downlink data, the second downlink data being downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the second group.

[0016] Based on this communication method, the first device can provide channel estimation information to the second device and obtain precoding information provided by the second device. This helps reduce the interface traffic between the first and second devices and the computational complexity of the first device. Furthermore, according to the scheduling information, the first device can determine whether the terminal device corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource unit belongs to the first group or the second group. Different groups can correspond to different precoding methods, thus achieving a flexible combination of linear and nonlinear precoding, which helps improve the anti-interference capability of the communication system.

[0017] In one possible design, the precoding information includes second precoding information; the method in the second aspect may further include: determining channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal devices of the first group and the terminal devices of the second group based on channel estimation information and scheduling information; and determining first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal devices of the first group.

[0018] In this technical solution, the first device can obtain the second precoding information provided by the second device and determine the first precoding information, which helps to reduce the computational complexity of the first device.

[0019] In one possible design, the intermediate information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0020] In this technical solution, the first device obtains the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal equipment of the second group provided by the second device, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal equipment of the second group, which helps to reduce the computational complexity of the first device.

[0021] In one possible design, the second precoding information further includes a second identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a terminal device identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; and a second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

[0022] In this technical solution, the first device receives a second identifier sent by the second device, so that the first device can determine the nonlinear precoding information more efficiently based on the intermediate information.

[0023] In one possible design, the precoding information includes first precoding information; the method in the second aspect may further include: determining channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal devices of the first group and the terminal devices of the second group based on channel estimation information and scheduling information; and determining second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal devices of the second group.

[0024] In this technical solution, the first device can obtain the first precoding information provided by the second device and determine the second precoding information, which helps to reduce the traffic of the interface between the first device and the second device.

[0025] In one possible design, the first precoding information further includes a first identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the linear precoding information; a data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; a frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; and a first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

[0026] In this technical solution, the first device receives a first identifier sent by the second device, so that the first device can accurately perform precoding processing based on linear precoding information.

[0027] In one possible design, the method described in the second aspect may further include: determining nonlinear precoding information based on channel estimation information, scheduling information, linear precoding information corresponding to the terminal devices of the second group and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal devices of the second group.

[0028] In this technical solution, the first device can reduce interference between terminal devices within the second group and reduce inter-group interference between terminal devices in the first group and terminal devices in the second group by determining nonlinear precoding information, thereby improving the anti-interference capability of the communication system.

[0029] In one possible design, the second precoding information includes the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; the method in the second aspect may further include: determining the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group and the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0030] In this technical solution, the first device can receive the intermediate weight matrix sent by the second device, and then determine the equivalent channel matrix based on the intermediate weight matrix and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal equipment of the second group. This helps to reduce the computational complexity of the first device.

[0031] In one possible design, the method in the second aspect may further include: performing precoding processing on the first downlink data according to linear precoding information; and / or, performing precoding processing on the second downlink data according to nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0032] In this technical solution, the first device uses different precoding methods based on downlink data from terminal devices belonging to different groups, achieving a flexible combination of linear and nonlinear precoding, which is beneficial to improving the anti-interference capability of the communication system.

[0033] In one possible design, the second precoding information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; the method in the second aspect may further include: determining the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0034] In this technical solution, the first device can receive the equivalent channel matrix sent by the second device, and then determine the intermediate weight matrix based on the equivalent channel matrix and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal equipment of the second group. This helps to reduce the traffic of the interface between the first device and the second device.

[0035] In one possible design, the scheduling information further indicates at least one of the following: the number N of first frequency domain resource units, where N is a positive integer; the number of terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; the number of data streams paired with each of the N first frequency domain resource units; and the size of each of the N first frequency domain resource units. Thus, the first device can perform precoding processing more efficiently based on the instructions of the scheduling information.

[0036] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for implementing the various methods described above. This communication device can be the second device described in the first aspect, or a device containing the second device, or a device included in the second device, such as a chip. The communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for implementing the methods described in the first aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0037] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing module and a communication module. The communication module is used to receive channel estimation information from a first device; the processing module is used to determine scheduling information based on the channel estimation information; the communication module is also used to send the scheduling information to the first device; the scheduling information indicates that the terminal device corresponding to the first frequency domain resource unit belongs to a first group or a second group; the first frequency domain resource unit is the scheduled frequency domain resource unit; and the communication module sends precoding information to the first device; the precoding information includes first precoding information and / or second precoding information; the first precoding information includes linear precoding information, which is used to precode first downlink data, the first downlink data being downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the first group; the second precoding information includes intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, the second precoding information being used to precode second downlink data, the second downlink data being downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the second group.

[0038] In one possible design, the processing module is also used to determine precoding information based on channel estimation information and scheduling information.

[0039] In one possible design, the first precoding information further includes a first identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the linear precoding information; a data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; a frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; and a first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

[0040] In one possible design, the intermediate information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0041] In one possible design, the second precoding information further includes a second identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a terminal device identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; and a second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

[0042] In one possible design, the scheduling information also indicates at least one of the following: the number of first frequency domain resource units N, where N is a positive integer; the number of terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; the number of data streams that have been paired with the terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; and the size of each of the N first frequency domain resource units.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module. The transmitting module implements the transmitting function of the communication device described in the third aspect, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of the communication device described in the third aspect.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a storage module storing programs or instructions. When the processing module executes the program or instructions, the communication device described in the third aspect can perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0045] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for implementing the various methods described above. This communication device can be the first device described in the second aspect, or a device containing the first device, or a device included in the first device, such as a chip. The communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for implementing the methods described in the second aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0046] In one possible design, the communication device includes a communication module and a processing module. The communication module is configured to: send channel estimation information to a second device; receive scheduling information from the second device; the scheduling information is determined based on the channel estimation information and indicates that the terminal device corresponding to the first frequency domain resource unit belongs to a first group or a second group; the first frequency domain resource unit is the scheduled frequency domain resource unit; and receive precoding information from the second device; the precoding information includes first precoding information and / or second precoding information; the first precoding information includes linear precoding information used to precode first downlink data, which is downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the first group; the second precoding information includes intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, which is used to precode second downlink data, which is downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the second group.

[0047] In one possible design, the precoding information includes second precoding information; the processing module is used to determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information; and to determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the first group.

[0048] In one possible design, the intermediate information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0049] In one possible design, the second precoding information further includes a second identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a terminal device identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; and a second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

[0050] In one possible design, the precoding information includes first precoding information; the processing module is further configured to determine, based on channel estimation information and scheduling information, the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal devices of the first group and the terminal devices of the second group; and to determine second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal devices of the second group.

[0051] In one possible design, the first precoding information further includes a first identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: a terminal device identifier associated with the linear precoding information; a data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; a frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; and a first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

[0052] In one possible design, the processing module is further configured to determine nonlinear precoding information based on the channel estimation information, scheduling information, linear precoding information corresponding to the terminal devices of the second group, and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal devices of the second group.

[0053] In one possible design, the second precoding information includes the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; the processing module is further configured to determine the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group and the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0054] In one possible design, the processing module is further configured to perform precoding processing on the first downlink data based on linear precoding information; and / or, perform precoding processing on the second downlink data based on nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0055] In one possible design, the second precoding information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; the processing module is further configured to determine the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

[0056] In one possible design, the scheduling information further indicates at least one of the following: the number of first frequency domain resource units N, where N is a positive integer; the number of terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; the number of data streams that have been paired with the terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; and the size of each of the N first frequency domain resource units.

[0057] In one possible design, the communication module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module. The transmitting module implements the transmitting function of the communication device described in the fourth aspect, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of the communication device described in the fourth aspect.

[0058] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a storage module storing programs or instructions. When the processing module executes the program or instructions, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can perform the method described in the second aspect.

[0059] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device (e.g., the communication device may be a chip or a chip system). The communication device includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data. A processor is coupled to the memory and is used to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0061] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fifth aspect and other communication devices.

[0062] In one possible design, the processor can be integrated with the memory.

[0063] In one possible design, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0064] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is used to implement the method as described in any possible implementation of the first and second aspects through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0065] It is understood that when the communication device provided by either the fifth or sixth aspect is a chip, the aforementioned sending action / function can be understood as an output, and the aforementioned receiving action / function can be understood as an input.

[0066] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication chip, wherein instructions are stored such that, when the chip is running on a communication device, the method described in either the first aspect or the second aspect is implemented.

[0067] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in either the first or second aspect.

[0068] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product including instructions, comprising computer program code, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in either the first or second aspect described above. Attached Figure Description

[0069] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a base station function splitting architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system applied in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a WDBF-based fronthaul architecture;

[0073] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a CIBF-based fronthaul architecture;

[0074] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0075] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between a DU and a RU via a fronthaul interface, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 9A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating another interaction between DU and RU via a fronthaul interface, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating another interaction between a DU and a RU via a fronthaul interface, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0083] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the following points are explained before introducing the embodiments of this application.

[0084] In this application embodiment, "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably. "At least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after 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, or C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and "at least one of A, B, and C" can also be understood as including A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in this application embodiment are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects.

[0085] In the embodiments of this application, "sending information to... (e.g., the first device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being the first device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the first device. "Receiving information from... (e.g., the second device)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., the second device)" or "receiving information sent (e.g., by the second device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being the second device. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the second 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 repeated here.

[0086] In this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0087] Finally, the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0088] The system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below first.

[0089] The technical solutions provided in 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, 5th Generation (5G) communication systems, or New Radio (NR) systems, as well as other future communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, etc.

[0090] See Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 The number and form of the devices are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 10 may include a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 101. 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 device (such as Figure 1 RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal device 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 101 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 101 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.

[0091] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4th generation (4G), 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access 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.

[0092] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as 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.

[0093] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 In CRAN scenarios, RAN nodes can be 110b, relay nodes, 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).

[0094] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CUs (control plane, CP), CUs (user plane, UP), or RUs, etc. CUs and DUs can be configured 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).

[0095] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the base station function can be divided into three functional modules: CU, DU, and RU. The CU and DU can be configured independently, connected via a midhaul interface, and connected to the RU via a fronthaul interface. Alternatively, the BBU can integrate the CU and DU functions, with the BBU and RRU connected via a fronthaul interface, and the core network connected to the BBU via a backhaul interface. The RRU is responsible for wireless communication with the UE. Of course, in future communication, the names of the interfaces can remain unchanged or be replaced with other names; this application does not limit this.

[0096] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called 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, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units in CU, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0097] Terminal equipment 120, also known as user equipment (UE), can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. Optionally, terminal equipment can also be referred to as an access terminal, terminal device, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless network equipment, user agent, or user device, etc. Terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. Terminals typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. They may also contain program instructions configured to perform these functions.

[0098] Core network 101 refers to equipment in the core network that provides service support to terminals. For example, it can be an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, with functions such as access control, mobility management, attach and detach, and gateway selection. Alternatively, the core network equipment can be a user plane function (UPF) entity, with functions such as data routing / forwarding and quality of service (QoS) processing. It should be noted that core network equipment can also be other types of core network equipment; this application does not specify any particular type.

[0099] In this embodiment of the application, the base station function is mainly divided into three functional modules: CU, DU, and RU, as an example for illustration. Figure 3 As shown, the base station function can be divided into three functional modules: CU, DU, and RU. The core network can connect to at least one CU, one CU can connect to at least one RU, one DU can connect to at least one RU, and one RU can connect to at least one UE wirelessly.

[0100] In some implementation scenarios, the CU function and DU function can be deployed in the same physical device, and the CU function and DU function can be regarded as a functional entity. Alternatively, the DU function and RU function can be deployed in the same physical device, and the DU function and RU function can be regarded as a functional entity. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0101] 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.

[0102] For ease of understanding, the following is a description of the relevant terms, concepts, or technologies that may be involved in the embodiments of this application:

[0103] 1. Precoding

[0104] Precoding maps the transmitted signal onto multiple transmission channels of an antenna array, optimizing signal propagation. When combined with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, precoding enables spatial multiplexing and diversity, effectively reducing multi-user interference and thus improving signal transmission efficiency. Transmit signal precoding can be understood as the transmitter mapping different data streams to different physical transmit antennas according to certain rules based on channel state information. This preprocessing optimizes the transmission strategy and improves communication performance.

[0105] Based on whether nonlinear operations are introduced in the precoding algorithm, it can be divided into linear precoding and nonlinear precoding. The two precoding methods are introduced below:

[0106] (1) Linear precoding

[0107] Linear precoding maximizes the quality of the received signal by linearly combining the transmitted signal at the transmitter. Specifically, linear precoding maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or minimizes interference at the receiver by selecting appropriate weighting coefficients to linearly combine the transmitted signals. Common linear precoding algorithms in MIMO systems include zero-force precoding, matched filter (MF) precoding, and minimum mean square error (MMSE) precoding. While linear precoding has relatively low implementation complexity, it suffers from significant capacity degradation in scenarios with strong multi-user channel correlation (e.g., densely populated deployments).

[0108] (2) Nonlinear precoding

[0109] Nonlinear precoding can be considered as introducing a nonlinear processing step on top of linear precoding. Even in scenarios with strong multi-user channel correlation, nonlinear precoding can effectively reduce multi-user interference and has a significant performance gain compared to linear precoding, but it is more complex to implement.

[0110] For example, the principle of nonlinear precoding can be broken down into the following steps:

[0111] Taking a multi-user MIMO system as an example, assume that the number of base station transmit antennas is N. T The number of data streams transmitted by the base station to the k-th UE is N. k The total number of UEs is K, and the total number of data streams transmitted by the base station is The downlink channel matrix can then be represented as:

[0112]

[0113] in, Let represent the downlink channel matrix corresponding to the k-th UE, (·) H This represents the conjugate transpose of a matrix.

[0114] Step a: The base station performs LQ decomposition on the downlink channel matrix H, such that the downlink channel matrix is ​​decomposed into the product of a block lower triangular matrix and a unitary matrix, i.e.:

[0115] H = LQ H (2)

[0116] Wherein L is a block lower triangular matrix, which may also be referred to as an equivalent channel matrix. Q is a unitary matrix, satisfying Q×Q H =I. The equivalent channel matrix L may satisfy:

[0117]

[0118] Wherein each diagonal sub-block L k has a dimension of N k ×N k .

[0119] It can be seen from the structure of the equivalent channel matrix L that the channel matrix corresponding to each user (UE) is correlated with the preceding users, and is independent of the subsequent users. Specifically, since when i<j, L ij =0, which means the j-th user will not cause interference to the i-th user. For the k-th user, its equivalent channel matrix L k only contains the channel responses of the first k-1 users, and is independent of the k+1-th to K-th users. Therefore, each user only suffers interference from the preceding users, and will not suffer interference from the subsequent users.

[0120] By performing LQ decomposition on the downlink channel matrix, the base station can decompose the downlink channel matrix into two more manageable matrices. This decomposition manner can make the processing of the channel matrix more efficient, thereby facilitating the design of a more effective precoding matrix, so that the signal received by each user only contains its own data stream without interference from other users, achieving the purpose of optimizing signal transmission.

[0121] In step b, the base station may perform interference reduction on the transmitted data streams according to the equivalent channel matrix, to obtain interference-reduced data streams. The interference-reduced data stream transmitted by the base station to the k-th UE may satisfy:

[0122]

[0123] Wherein, denotes the interference-reduced data stream vector transmitted by the base station to the k-th UE, denotes the original data stream vector transmitted by the base station to the k-th UE, denotes the interference-reduced data stream vector transmitted by the base station to the i-th (i≤k-1) UE, mod(·) denotes a modulo operation, τ may be determined by the modulation order, (·)⁻¹ denotes a matrix inversion operation, l k is a positive integer.

[0124] In step c, the base station uses a forward filter Q (i.e., the unitary matrix Q in step a), so that the final transmitted signal x satisfies:

[0125] x=Qs′ (5)

[0126] in, s′ is the transmitted data stream vector obtained after interference reduction in step b above.

[0127] Thus, after the transmitted signal passes through the channel, the signal y received by the receiver can satisfy:

[0128]

[0129] Where n represents channel noise. As can be seen from formula (6), the signal received by each user only contains its own data stream, without interference from other users, and multi-user interference can be effectively reduced.

[0130] 2. Weight-based dynamic beamforming (WDBF)

[0131] The O-RAN protocol defines Weighted Dynamic Beamforming (WDBF). WDBF optimizes the direction and shape of the beam by adjusting the weights of the antenna array. Specifically, in this method, the DU (Distributed Array Controller) generates multiple precoding weights based on channel information and the RU (Remote Array Controller)'s antenna array information. The RU's antenna array information may include the number of antenna elements in the vertical and horizontal directions, as well as the spacing between the antenna elements. Each precoding weight corresponds to a beam ID. The DU can send multiple precoding weights and the beam ID corresponding to each precoding weight to the RU. These precoding weights can be dynamically updated based on channel state information to adapt to channel changes.

[0132] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a WDBF-based fronthaul architecture. Figure 4 As shown, under this fronthaul architecture, the interaction process between DU, RU, and UE may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0133] (1) The UE sends an SRS (sounding reference signal) to the DU via the RU. Correspondingly, the DU receives the SRS from the UE.

[0134] (2) DU can perform uplink channel estimation based on SRS to obtain uplink channel estimation results. Based on the reciprocity of uplink and downlink channels in a time division duplex (TDD) system, DU can further obtain downlink channel estimation results.

[0135] Here, the reciprocity of uplink and downlink channels in a time-division duplex system refers to the fact that uplink and downlink channels have the same propagation characteristics in the same frequency band and the same wireless environment. This means that under the same wireless propagation conditions, the channel state information of the uplink and downlink channels is the same. This characteristic allows the DU to infer the characteristics of the downlink channel by measuring the uplink channel, thereby achieving more efficient signal processing.

[0136] (3) The DU performs layer 2 (L2) scheduling based on the channel estimation results. Layer 2 scheduling is a resource management mechanism in wireless communication systems, responsible for allocating wireless resources among multiple users. Based on the channel estimation results of the SRS, the DU can determine which users can share the same time / frequency resources, realizing the multiple users (MU) pairing process.

[0137] (4) The DU calculates the precoding weights based on the channel estimation results and scheduling information, and sends the calculated precoding weights to the RU through the fronthaul interface.

[0138] Under this WDBF architecture, the data format for transmitting precoding weights from DU to RU as defined in the current O-RAN protocol only supports the transmission of linear precoding weights, resulting in low flexibility.

[0139] 3. Channel-information-based beamforming (CIBF)

[0140] The O-RAN protocol also defines Channel Information-Based Beamforming (CIBF). CIBF is a technique that utilizes channel state information (CSI) to optimize signal transmission direction and power allocation. Specifically, in this method, the DU can provide scheduling information to the RU on a slot-by-slot basis, and periodically (usually less than per slot) provide the RU with channel information for each UE. The RU can then calculate precoding weights based on the channel information and scheduling information.

[0141] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a CIBF-based fronthaul architecture. Figure 5 As shown, under this fronthaul architecture, the interaction process between DU, RU, and UE may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0142] (1) The UE sends an SRS to the DU via the RU. Correspondingly, the DU receives the SRS from the UE.

[0143] (2) DU can perform uplink channel estimation based on SRS to obtain uplink channel estimation results. Based on the reciprocity of uplink and downlink channels in the TDD system, DU can further obtain downlink channel estimation results.

[0144] (3) The DU sends the channel estimation results to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the channel estimation results from the DU.

[0145] (4) The DU performs Layer 2 scheduling based on the channel estimation results, and Layer 2 scheduling involves MU pairing. Then, the DU sends scheduling information to the RU, and the RU receives the scheduling information from the DU.

[0146] (5) The RU calculates the precoding weights based on the channel estimation results and scheduling information.

[0147] In this CIBF architecture, the RU is responsible for calculating the precoding weights. The calculation of precoding weights involves complex mathematical operations (such as matrix LQ decomposition, matrix inversion, etc.), which makes the RU computationally complex and lacks flexibility.

[0148] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus, which on the one hand helps to reduce the traffic of the fronthaul interface between DU and RU and the computational complexity of RU; on the other hand, it can flexibly combine linear precoding and nonlinear precoding, which helps to improve the anti-interference capability and system capacity of the communication system.

[0149] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is described using communication between a first device and a second device as an example. Of course, the entity executing the action of the first device in this method can also be a device / module within the first device, such as a chip, processor, or processing unit within the first device; this is not limited. Similarly, the entity executing the action of the second device in this method can also be a device / module within the second device, such as a chip, processor, or processing unit within the second device; this is not limited. For example, the first device can be an RU, an RRU, or an O-RU. The second device can be a DU, a BBU, or an O-DU.

[0150] like Figure 6 As shown, this communication method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0151] S601, the first device sends channel estimation information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the channel estimation information from the first device.

[0152] Specifically, the first device can receive an uplink reference signal from the UE. This uplink reference signal can be, for example, an SRS. Based on the received uplink reference signal, the first device can perform uplink channel estimation to obtain uplink channel estimation information. Due to the channel reciprocity in TDD systems, the first device can directly use the uplink channel estimation information as downlink channel estimation information. This is because the propagation characteristics of the downlink channel are the same as those of the uplink channel. Furthermore, the first device can send the determined channel estimation information to the second device. Calculating the channel estimation information through the first device helps reduce the interface traffic between the first and second devices and the computational complexity of the first device.

[0153] S602, the second device sends scheduling information to the first device based on the channel estimation information. Correspondingly, the first device receives the scheduling information from the second device.

[0154] After receiving the channel estimation information, the second device can perform layer 2 scheduling based on the channel estimation information to determine how to allocate radio resources among multiple UEs, and send the scheduling information obtained from performing layer 2 scheduling to the first device.

[0155] In this embodiment, during the layer 2 scheduling process, the second device can group the serving UEs on the scheduled frequency domain resource units. These groups can include a first group and a second group. That is, the second device can determine whether a serving UE belongs to the first group or the second group on each scheduled frequency domain resource unit. UEs belonging to different groups can use different precoding methods; for example, UEs belonging to the first group can use linear precoding, while UEs belonging to the second group can use nonlinear precoding.

[0156] Furthermore, the grouping of UEs corresponding to different frequency domain resource elements may be different. For example, all UEs corresponding to frequency domain resource element 1 may belong to the first group, all UEs corresponding to frequency domain resource element 2 may belong to the second group, and some UEs corresponding to frequency domain resource element 3 may belong to the first group and some to the second group.

[0157] Optionally, a frequency domain resource element can be any one of a resource element (RE), a RE bundle, a resource block (RB), a physical resource block (PRB), or a PRB bundle.

[0158] In one possible implementation, for any scheduled frequency domain resource unit, the second device can determine the group to which the UE belongs based on the physical distribution of the UEs corresponding to that frequency domain resource unit. For densely distributed UEs, this implies potentially high inter-user interference. In this case, densely distributed UEs can be classified as belonging to the second group, i.e., UEs using nonlinear precoding, which helps reduce inter-user interference. Here, dense UE distribution can indicate that the number of UEs within a certain area is greater than or equal to a threshold. For uniformly distributed UEs, this implies potentially low inter-user interference. In this case, uniformly distributed UEs can be classified as belonging to the first group, i.e., UEs using linear precoding, which helps reduce computational complexity. Here, uniform UE distribution can indicate that there is no obvious concentration of UEs within a certain area. For example, this can be evaluated by obtaining UE location information and performing statistical analysis; a smaller standard deviation or variance of UE locations indicates a more uniform distribution. Optionally, for uniformly distributed UEs, some UEs can use linear precoding, while others use nonlinear precoding. The number of UEs using linear precoding can be greater than the number using nonlinear precoding. In other words, for a uniform distribution of UEs, some UEs can be classified into the first group and some into the second group. The number of UEs in the first group can be greater than the number of UEs in the second group.

[0159] In this embodiment, during the Layer 2 scheduling process, the second device can also perform multi-user (MU) pairing to enable data streams from different UEs to share radio resources more efficiently. After MU pairing, different UE data streams can be divided into different combinations. UE data streams within the same combination can use the same frequency domain resources, while UE data streams from different combinations can use different frequency domain resources, thereby avoiding mutual interference. Moreover, different UE data streams between different combinations can undergo frequency division multiplexing. Frequency division multiplexing allows multiple signals to be transmitted simultaneously on different frequencies, which helps improve spectrum efficiency.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the second device can first group the UEs and then perform MU pairing based on the grouping results. Specifically, for any scheduled frequency domain resource element, the second device can first determine the group to which the UE corresponding to that frequency domain resource element belongs, and then determine the UEs that can be successfully paired from the UEs corresponding to that frequency domain resource element. In this approach, the UEs that can be successfully paired may only be some of the UEs corresponding to that frequency domain resource element. For example, assuming that the UEs corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource element a include UE1, UE2, UE3, and UE4, the result of the second device grouping UE1, UE2, UE3, and UE4 could be that UE1 and UE2 belong to the first group, and UE3 and UE4 belong to the second group. The UEs that can be successfully paired from UE1, UE2, UE3, and UE4 could be, for example, UE1, UE2, and UE3.

[0161] In another possible implementation, the second device can first perform MU pairing, and then group the UEs based on the MU pairing results. Specifically, after the second device performs MU pairing, the UE corresponding to each scheduled frequency domain resource unit is a successfully paired UE, and then the successfully paired UEs are grouped. For example, assuming that after the second device performs MU pairing, the UEs corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource b include UE1, UE2, UE3, UE4, and UE5, the grouping result of the second device for UE1, UE2, UE3, UE4, and UE5 could be that UE3, UE4, and UE5 belong to the first group, and UE1 and UE2 belong to the second group.

[0162] In this embodiment, the scheduling information sent by the second device to the first device can indicate whether the UE corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource unit belongs to the first group or the second group. Specifically, the scheduling information can indicate the UE identifier corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource unit, and whether the group corresponding to each UE is the first group or the second group, or it can indicate whether the precoding method corresponding to each UE is linear precoding or nonlinear precoding.

[0163] Optionally, the scheduling information sent by the second device to the first device may also indicate at least one of the following: the number N of scheduled frequency domain resource units (which may also be described as first frequency domain resource units), where N is a positive integer; the number of UEs corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; the number of data streams that have been paired with each of the N first frequency domain resource units; and the size of each of the N first frequency domain resource units.

[0164] It should be noted that the period for the scheduling information sent by the second device to the first device can be a short period. For example, when the subcarrier spacing is 30kHz and the corresponding time slot is 0.5ms, the period for sending the scheduling information can be 0.5ms or 0.2ms. In addition, besides indicating the above-mentioned content, the scheduling information can also indicate other information related to radio resource allocation, such as information used to notify the UE when to send or receive data, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0165] S603, the second device sends precoded information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the precoded information from the second device.

[0166] In this embodiment, the second device can determine precoding information based on channel estimation information and scheduling information, and send the precoding information to the first device. The precoding information may include first precoding information and / or second precoding information. The first precoding information may include linear precoding information, which can be used to precode first downlink data, which can be understood as downlink data for UEs belonging to a first group. The second precoding information may include intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, which can be used to precode second downlink data, which can be understood as downlink data for UEs belonging to a second group.

[0167] In one possible implementation, the precoding information may include first precoding information, and the second device may send the first precoding information to the first device. Specifically, the second device may determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group based on channel estimation information and scheduling information, and then determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group. Here, the first precoding information may include linear precoding information; that is, the second device may determine the linear precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group, which can be understood as the linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the first group. The second device may determine the linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the first group by determining the linear precoding information corresponding to each UE based on the channel estimation information corresponding to each UE in the first group, and then orthogonalizing the linear precoding information corresponding to each UE to obtain the linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the first group.

[0168] The linear precoding information can be a precoding matrix, which may include multiple elements. Each element in the precoding matrix may correspond to a frequency domain resource element identifier. The number of elements in the precoding matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource element identifier can be the product of the number of data streams allocated to the UE belonging to the first group on the frequency domain resource element corresponding to the first frequency domain resource element identifier and the number of transmit antennas. The first frequency domain resource element identifier can be the identifier of any scheduled frequency domain resource element.

[0169] Optionally, the first precoding information sent by the second device to the first device may further include a first identifier, which may indicate at least one of the following: the UE identifier associated with the linear precoding information; the data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; the frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; and the first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

[0170] In this context, the UE identifier associated with the linear precoding information can be understood as the UE identifier associated with each element in the precoding matrix. Similarly, the data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information can be understood as the data stream identifier corresponding to each element in the precoding matrix. The frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information can be understood as the frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to each element in the precoding matrix. The first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information can be understood as an identifier used to represent the inherent attributes of the precoding matrix itself; for example, the first precoding identifier can indicate that the precoding matrix is ​​used for linear precoding.

[0171] It should be noted that the period of the first precoding information sent by the second device to the first device can be a short period. For example, when the subcarrier spacing is 30kHz and the corresponding time slot is 0.5ms, the period of sending the first precoding information can be 0.5ms or 0.2ms.

[0172] In another possible implementation, the precoding information may include second precoding information, which the second device may send to the first device. Specifically, the second device may determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the first group and the UEs of the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information, and thus determine the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group. Here, the second precoding information may include intermediate information for determining the nonlinear precoding information. That is, the second device may determine the intermediate information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group. The intermediate information may include the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group. The channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group may be the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group. The second device may obtain the equivalent channel matrix L and the intermediate weight matrix Q corresponding to the UEs of the second group by performing LQ decomposition on the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group. For the process of performing LQ decomposition on the channel estimation matrix, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the aforementioned formulas (2) and (3), which will not be repeated here.

[0173] The equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group can include multiple elements, each of which can correspond to a frequency domain resource element identifier. The number of elements in the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource element identifier can be the square of the number of data streams allocated to the UEs in the second group on the frequency domain resource element corresponding to the first frequency domain resource element identifier. Since the equivalent channel matrix has a block-lower triangular structure, meaning all blocks above the main diagonal are zero matrices and non-zero elements are in the blocks below the main diagonal, let's assume the number of data streams allocated to the UEs in the second group on the frequency domain resource element f corresponding to the first frequency domain resource element identifier is N. f Then, the number of non-zero elements corresponding to the first frequency domain resource element identifier in the equivalent channel matrix can be... The identifier of the first frequency domain resource unit can be the identifier of any frequency domain resource unit that is scheduled.

[0174] Similarly, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group may include multiple elements, each of which may correspond to a frequency domain resource unit identifier. The number of elements in the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource unit identifier may be the product of the number of data streams allocated to the UEs in the first group on the frequency domain resource unit corresponding to the first frequency domain resource unit identifier and the number of transmit antennas. The first frequency domain resource unit identifier may be the identifier of any scheduled frequency domain resource unit.

[0175] Optionally, the second precoding information sent by the second device to the first device may further include a second identifier, which may indicate at least one of the following: a UE identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; a UE identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; a data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; a frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; and a second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

[0176] In this context, the UE identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix can be understood as the UE identifier associated with each element in the equivalent channel matrix. The data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix can be understood as the data stream identifier corresponding to each element in the equivalent channel matrix. The frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix can be understood as the frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to each element in the equivalent channel matrix. The first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix can be understood as an identifier used to represent the inherent attributes of the equivalent channel matrix itself. That is, when the second device sends the equivalent channel matrix and the first matrix identifier corresponding to the UE of the second group to the first device, the first device can determine that the received matrix is ​​the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group based on the first matrix identifier. Similarly, the UE identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix can be understood as the UE identifier associated with each element in the intermediate weight matrix. The data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix can be understood as the data stream identifier corresponding to each element in the equivalent channel matrix. The frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix can be understood as the frequency domain resource element identifier corresponding to each element in the intermediate weight matrix. The second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix can be understood as an identifier used to represent the inherent attributes of the intermediate weight matrix itself. That is, when the second device sends the intermediate weight matrix and the second matrix identifier corresponding to the UE of the second group to the first device, the first device can know from the second matrix identifier that the received matrix is ​​the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0177] Optionally, the period of the second precoded information sent by the second device to the first device can be a short period. For example, the period of sending the second precoded information can be equal to or less than the length of a time slot.

[0178] In another possible implementation, the precoding information may include first precoding information and second precoding information, and the second device may send the first and second precoding information to the first device. Specifically, the second device may determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the first group and the UEs of the second group based on channel estimation information and scheduling information, and thus determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the first group, and determine the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group. Here, the first precoding information may include linear precoding information, and the second precoding information may include intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information.

[0179] In some embodiments, where the first precoding information includes a first identifier and / or the second precoding information includes a second identifier, the first identifier and / or the second identifier may implicitly indicate a portion of the scheduling information. The first device may determine this portion of the scheduling information based on the first identifier and / or the second identifier. For example, the first identifier and / or the second identifier may implicitly indicate the number of scheduled frequency domain resource elements, the number of UEs corresponding to each scheduled frequency domain resource element, and the number of data streams paired with each UE corresponding to each scheduled frequency domain resource element. In this way, this portion of the scheduling information sent by the second device to the first device can be omitted, thus saving signaling overhead.

[0180] S604, the first device performs precoding processing on the first downlink data according to linear precoding information; and / or performs precoding processing on the second downlink data according to nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0181] In this embodiment, the first device can perform precoding processing on the first downlink data based on linear precoding information, or it can perform precoding processing on the second downlink data based on nonlinear precoding information. The first downlink data refers to downlink data for UEs belonging to a first group, and the second downlink data can refer to downlink data for UEs belonging to a second group. In other words, the first device can use a combination of linear and nonlinear precoding to precode the downlink data. Different precoding methods can be selected for downlink data belonging to UEs in different groups, which helps improve anti-interference capabilities among multiple users and reduces computational complexity.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the precoding information received by the first device from the second device may include first precoding information, which may include linear precoding information. In this case, the first device can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information received from the second device, and then determine the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group. That is, in this implementation, the linear precoding information can be determined by the second device, and the intermediate information used to determine the nonlinear precoding information can be determined by the first device. The intermediate information may include the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group. The channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs of the second group may be the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group. The first device can obtain the equivalent channel matrix L and the intermediate weight matrix Q corresponding to the UEs of the second group by performing LQ decomposition on the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UEs of the second group. For the process of performing LQ decomposition on the channel estimation matrix, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the aforementioned formulas (2) and (3), which will not be repeated here.

[0183] In another possible implementation, the precoding information received by the first device from the second device may include second precoding information, which may include intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information. In this case, the first device can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information received from the second device, and then determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group. That is, in this implementation, the intermediate information used to determine the nonlinear precoding information can be determined by the second device, and the linear precoding information can be determined by the first device.

[0184] Optionally, if the intermediate information received by the first device includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, the first device can also determine the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group. The intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group can satisfy:

[0185] Q = (L -1 HB) H (7)

[0186] Where Q represents the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, L represents the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and H represents the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group. B This indicates the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group.

[0187] Similarly, if the intermediate information received by the first device includes the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, the first device can also determine the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and the intermediate weight matrix. The equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group can satisfy:

[0188] L = H B Q (8)

[0189] In another possible implementation, the precoding information received by the first device from the second device may include both first precoding information and second precoding information. That is, in this approach, both the linear precoding information and the intermediate information used to determine the nonlinear precoding information can be determined by the second device.

[0190] In this embodiment, after the first device obtains the linear precoding information and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, it can determine the nonlinear precoding information based on the channel estimation information, scheduling information, linear precoding information, and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group. The nonlinear precoding information may include the interference-reduced data stream transmitted by the UEs belonging to the second group. It is assumed that the identifiers of the UEs belonging to the first group include 1 to L. A The identifiers of UEs belonging to the second group include 1+L A ,…,L A +L B Then, the interference-reduced data stream sent to the UE identified as i in the second group can satisfy:

[0191]

[0192] in, s represents the interference-reduced data stream vector sent to the UE identified as i in the second group. i s represents the vector of the original data stream (i.e., before interference reduction) sent to the UE identified as i in the second group. j ' represents the interference-reduced data stream vector sent to the UE identified as j (j<=i-1) in the first group, s j This represents the original data stream vector sent to the UE identified as j (j<=i-1) in the first group. H represents the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the second group. B The conjugate transpose of the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UE with internal identifier i, where L represents the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the second group, is obtained by modifying the channel estimation matrix H corresponding to the second group. Bw is obtained by performing LQ decomposition on the matrix. A,j This represents the linear precoding information corresponding to the UE identified as j in the first group. mod(·) represents the modulo operation, and τ can be determined by the modulation order. -1 This represents the matrix inversion operation.

[0193] In formula (9) This can be understood as interference between multiple UEs within the second group. This can be understood as the inter-group interference generated by the UE in the first group to the UE in the second group. In other words, by introducing the nonlinear operation of formula (9), the intra-group interference of the second group and the inter-group interference of the first group to the second group can be taken into account, which is beneficial to improving the anti-interference capability of the communication system.

[0194] Furthermore, the first device can perform linear precoding and / or nonlinear precoding on the scheduled frequency domain resource units based on linear precoding information, nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group. Specifically, if all UEs corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource units belong to the first group, the first device can perform precoding processing on the downlink data for UEs belonging to the first group based on the linear precoding information. If all UEs corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource units belong to the second group, the first device can perform precoding processing on the downlink data for UEs belonging to the second group based on the nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group. If the UEs corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource units include UEs belonging to both the first and second groups, the first device can perform precoding processing not only on the downlink data for UEs belonging to the first group based on the linear precoding information, but also on the downlink data for UEs belonging to the second group based on the nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group. Optionally, the first device may also use scheduling information in the process of performing linear precoding and / or nonlinear precoding, which is not limited in this application.

[0195] based on Figure 6The communication method shown allows the first device to provide channel estimation information to the second device after determining the channel estimation information, while the second device can provide precoding information to the first device. This reduces the interface traffic between the first and second devices and the computational complexity of the first device. Furthermore, based on the channel estimation information, the second device can divide the UEs corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource units into a first group or a second group. Different groups can correspond to different precoding methods. The second device can then provide the first device with first precoding information (including linear precoding information) and / or second precoding information (including intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information), enabling the first device to perform linear and / or nonlinear precoding. This achieves a flexible combination of linear and nonlinear precoding, improving the anti-interference capability and system capacity of the communication system.

[0196] The above Figure 6 The overall flow of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described. In the embodiments of this application, depending on the executing entity determining the first precoding information and the second precoding information, various implementation methods may be included, which are described below.

[0197] See Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This mainly describes how the second device determines the first precoding information and the second precoding information to implement the embodiments of this application. The method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0198] S701, the first device sends channel estimation information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the channel estimation information from the first device.

[0199] S702, the second device sends scheduling information to the first device based on the channel estimation information. Correspondingly, the first device receives the scheduling information from the second device.

[0200] The specific implementation process of steps S701 and S702 can be found in the relevant descriptions of steps S601 and S602 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0201] S703, the second device determines the first precoded information.

[0202] The first precoding information may include linear precoding information. The second device can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group and the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information, and thus determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group.

[0203] S704, the second device sends first precoded information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first precoded information from the second device.

[0204] Optionally, the first precoding information may also include a first identifier, the details of which can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here. The period during which the second device sends the first precoding information to the first device can be a short period. For example, when the subcarrier spacing is 30kHz and the corresponding time slot is 0.5ms, the period for sending the first precoding information can be 0.5ms or 0.2ms.

[0205] S705, the second device determines the second pre-coded information.

[0206] The second precoding information may include intermediate information for determining the nonlinear precoding information. This intermediate information may include the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group. The second device can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information. The channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group may be the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group. By performing LQ decomposition on the channel estimation matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, the equivalent channel matrix L corresponding to the UEs in the second group and the intermediate weight matrix Q corresponding to the UEs in the second group can be obtained.

[0207] S706, the second device sends second precoded information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the second precoded information from the second device.

[0208] Optionally, the second precoding information may also include a second identifier, the details of which can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here. The period during which the second device sends the second precoding information to the first device can be a short period; for example, the period during which the second precoding information is sent can be equal to or less than the length of one time slot.

[0209] S707, the first device performs precoding processing on the first downlink data according to linear precoding information; and / or performs precoding processing on the second downlink data according to nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0210] The specific implementation process of step S707 can be found in the relevant description in step S604 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0211] based on Figure 7The communication method shown has the following advantages: on the one hand, the first device can provide channel estimation information to the second device after determining the channel estimation information, so as to reduce the interface traffic between the first device and the second device and the computational complexity of the first device; on the other hand, the second device can provide the first device with first precoding information and second precoding information so that the first device can perform linear precoding and / or nonlinear precoding, thereby realizing a flexible combination of linear precoding and nonlinear precoding, which is beneficial to improving the anti-interference capability and system capacity of the communication system.

[0212] For example, the first device is referred to as RU and the second device as DU, and the following describes the process. Figure 7 The communication method shown is described below. See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between a DU and a RU via a fronthaul interface, provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0213] like Figure 8 As shown, the steps may include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0214] (1) The RU receives the uplink reference signal (such as SRS) from the UE and determines the channel estimation information based on the received uplink reference signal.

[0215] (2) The RU sends channel estimation information to the DU. Correspondingly, the DU receives channel estimation information from the RU.

[0216] (3) The DU determines the scheduling information based on the channel estimation information. The scheduling information can indicate whether the UE corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource element belongs to the first group or the second group.

[0217] (4) The DU sends scheduling information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the scheduling information from the DU.

[0218] (5) The DU determines the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group. Specifically, the DU can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information.

[0219] (6) The DU sends the first precoding information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the first precoding information from the DU.

[0220] (7) DU determines the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group.

[0221] (8) The DU sends the second precoding information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the second precoding information from the DU.

[0222] (9) The RU determines the nonlinear precoding information. Specifically, the RU can determine the nonlinear precoding information based on the channel estimation information, scheduling information, linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group.

[0223] (10) The RU performs precoding processing. Specifically, the RU can perform precoding on downlink data belonging to the UE of the first group based on linear precoding information; and / or, perform precoding on downlink data belonging to the UE of the second group based on nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0224] The above Figure 7 and Figure 8 The document describes a specific implementation method in which a second device (such as a DU) determines first precoding information and second precoding information, and provides the first precoding information and second precoding information to a second device (such as a RU).

[0225] See Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 The communication method shown is compared to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The communication methods shown differ in that Figure 9 The second device determines the second precoding information, and the first device determines the first precoding information. This method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0226] S901, the first device sends channel estimation information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the channel estimation information from the first device.

[0227] S902, the second device sends scheduling information to the first device based on the channel estimation information. Correspondingly, the first device receives the scheduling information from the second device.

[0228] The specific implementation process of steps S901 and S902 can be found in the relevant descriptions of steps S601 and S602 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0229] S903, the first device determines the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information.

[0230] Specifically, the first device can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group and the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information, and then determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group. The first precoding information may include linear precoding information, which can be understood as the linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the first group. The first device can determine the linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the first group by determining the linear precoding information corresponding to each UE based on the channel estimation information corresponding to each UE in the first group, and then orthogonalizing the linear precoding information corresponding to each UE to obtain the linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the first group.

[0231] S904, the second device determines the second precoded information.

[0232] S905, the second device sends second precoded information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the second precoded information from the second device.

[0233] S906, the first device performs precoding processing on the first downlink data according to linear precoding information; and / or performs precoding processing on the second downlink data according to nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0234] The specific implementation process of steps S904 to S906 can be found in the relevant descriptions in steps S705 to S707 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0235] based on Figure 9 The communication method shown has two advantages. On the one hand, the first device can provide channel estimation information to the second device after determining the channel estimation information, while the second device can provide the first device with second precoding information. This helps to reduce the interface traffic between the first and second devices and the computational complexity of the first device. On the other hand, the first device can use different precoding methods for downlink data of UEs belonging to different groups, realizing a flexible combination of linear precoding and nonlinear precoding, which helps to improve the anti-interference capability and system capacity of the communication system.

[0236] For example, the first device is referred to as RU and the second device as DU, and the following describes the process. Figure 9 The communication method shown is described below. See also Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another interaction between a DU and a RU via a fronthaul interface, provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0237] like Figure 10 As shown, the steps may include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0238] (1) The RU receives the uplink reference signal (such as SRS) from the UE and determines the channel estimation information based on the received uplink reference signal.

[0239] (2) The RU sends channel estimation information to the DU. Correspondingly, the DU receives channel estimation information from the RU.

[0240] (3) The DU determines the scheduling information based on the channel estimation information. The scheduling information can indicate whether the UE corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource element belongs to the first group or the second group.

[0241] (4) The DU sends scheduling information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the scheduling information from the DU.

[0242] (5) The RU determines the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information. Specifically, the RU can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information, and thus determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group.

[0243] (6) The DU determines the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information. Specifically, the DU can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information, and thus determine the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group.

[0244] (7) The DU sends the second precoding information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the second precoding information from the DU.

[0245] (8) The RU determines the nonlinear precoding information. Specifically, the RU can determine the nonlinear precoding information based on the channel estimation information, scheduling information, linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group.

[0246] (9) The RU performs precoding processing. Specifically, the RU can perform precoding on downlink data belonging to the UE of the first group based on linear precoding information; and / or, perform precoding on downlink data belonging to the UE of the second group based on nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0247] The above Figure 9 and Figure 10 The description refers to a second device (such as DU) providing second precoding information to a first device (such as RU), wherein the first device determines the specific implementation of the first precoding information.

[0248] See Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 The communication method shown is compared to Figure 9 The communication methods shown differ in that Figure 11 The second device determines the first precoding information, and the first device determines the second precoding information. This method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0249] S1101, the first device sends channel estimation information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the channel estimation information from the first device.

[0250] S1102, the second device sends scheduling information to the first device based on the channel estimation information. Correspondingly, the first device receives the scheduling information from the second device.

[0251] The specific implementation process of steps S1101 and S1102 can be found in the relevant descriptions of steps S601 and S602 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0252] S1103, the first device determines the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information.

[0253] Specifically, the first device can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the first group and the UEs in the second group based on the channel estimation information and scheduling information, and then determine the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UEs in the second group. The second precoding information may include intermediate information for determining the nonlinear precoding information, and the intermediate information may include the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group.

[0254] S1104, the second device determines the first precoded information.

[0255] S1105, the second device sends first precoded information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first precoded information from the second device.

[0256] The specific implementation process of steps S1104 and S1105 can be found in the relevant descriptions of steps S703 and S704 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] S1106, the first device performs precoding processing on the first downlink data according to linear precoding information; and / or performs precoding processing on the second downlink data according to nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0258] The specific implementation process of step S1106 can be found in the relevant description in step S707 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0259] based on Figure 11 The communication method shown has the following advantages: First, the first device can provide channel estimation information to the second device after determining the channel estimation information, while the second device can provide the first precoding information to the first device. This helps to reduce the interface traffic between the first and second devices and the computational complexity of the first device. Second, the first device can use different precoding methods for downlink data of UEs belonging to different groups, realizing a flexible combination of linear precoding and nonlinear precoding, which helps to improve the anti-interference capability and system capacity of the communication system.

[0260] For example, the first device is referred to as RU and the second device as DU, and the following describes the process. Figure 11 The communication method shown is described below. See also Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another interaction between a DU and a RU via a fronthaul interface, provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0261] like Figure 12 As shown, the steps may include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0262] (1) The RU receives the uplink reference signal (such as SRS) from the UE and determines the channel estimation information based on the received uplink reference signal.

[0263] (2) The RU sends channel estimation information to the DU. Correspondingly, the DU receives channel estimation information from the RU.

[0264] (3) The DU determines the scheduling information based on the channel estimation information. The scheduling information can indicate whether the UE corresponding to the scheduled frequency domain resource element belongs to the first group or the second group.

[0265] (4) The DU sends scheduling information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the scheduling information from the DU.

[0266] (5) The RU determines the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information. Specifically, the RU can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information, and thus determine the second precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group.

[0267] (6) The DU determines the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information. Specifically, the DU can determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the second group based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information, and thus determine the first precoding information based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE in the first group.

[0268] (7) The DU sends the first precoding information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the first precoding information from the DU.

[0269] (8) The RU determines the nonlinear precoding information. Specifically, the RU can determine the nonlinear precoding information based on the channel estimation information, scheduling information, linear precoding information corresponding to the UEs in the second group, and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the UEs in the second group.

[0270] (9) The RU performs precoding processing. Specifically, the RU can perform precoding on downlink data belonging to the UE of the first group based on linear precoding information; and / or, perform precoding on downlink data belonging to the UE of the second group based on nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the UE of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the UE of the second group.

[0271] In the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the first device can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the first device; the methods and / or steps implemented by the second device can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the second device.

[0272] The foregoing mainly describes the solutions provided in this application. Accordingly, this application also provides a communication device for implementing various methods in the above method embodiments. This communication device can be the first device in the above method embodiments, or a device containing the first device, or a component that can be used in the first device, such as a chip or chip system. Alternatively, the communication device can be the second device in the above method embodiments, or a device containing the second device, or a component that can be used in the second device, such as a chip or chip system.

[0273] In some embodiments, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to achieve the above-described functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0274] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0275] Taking a communication device as an example, which is either the first or second device in the above method embodiments, Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 13 As shown, the communication device 1300 includes a processing module 1301 and a communication module 1302. The processing module 1301 is used to execute the processing functions of the first or second device in the above method embodiments. The communication module 1302 is used to execute the communication functions of the first or second device in the above method embodiments.

[0276] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0277] In one possible design, in this embodiment of the application, the communication module 1302 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module. Figure 9 (Not shown in the image). The transmitting module and receiving module are used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 1300, respectively.

[0278] In one possible design, the communication device 1300 may further include a storage module. Figure 13 (Not shown in the image), this storage module stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1301 executes the program or instructions, it enables the communication device 1300 to perform operations. Figures 6-14 The function of the first or second device in any of the methods shown.

[0279] In some embodiments, the processing module 1301 involved in the communication device 1300 may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and may be a processor or processing unit; the communication module 1302 may be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and may be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0280] For example, Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device can be the first or second device in the above method embodiments, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the first or second device. Figure 14 As shown, the communication device 1400 may include a processor 1401, a bus 1402, a communication interface 1403, and a memory 1404. The processor 1401, the memory 1404, and the communication interface 1403 communicate with each other via the bus 1402. The communication device 1400 may be either the first device or the second device described above. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the communication device 1400.

[0281] Bus 1402 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 14 The bus 1402 may be represented by a single line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus 1402 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the communication device 1400 (e.g., memory 1404, processor 1401, communication interface 1403).

[0282] Processor 1401 may include any one or more processors such as CPU, graphics processing unit (GPU), microprocessor (MP), or digital signal processor (DSP).

[0283] Memory 1404 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). Processor 1401 may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD).

[0284] The communication interface 1403 uses transceiver modules such as, but not limited to, network interface cards and transceivers to enable communication between the communication device 1400 and other devices or communication networks.

[0285] The memory 1404 stores executable program code, and the processor 1401 executes the executable program code to implement the functions of the first device or the second device in the aforementioned method embodiments, respectively. That is, the memory 1404 stores instructions for executing the above-described communication method.

[0286] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product containing instructions, including computer program code, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0287] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0288] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs).

[0289] 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.

[0290] Those skilled in the art will 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 repeated here.

[0291] 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.

[0292] 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 embodiment according to actual needs.

[0293] 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.

[0294] 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 the prior art, 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, a server, or an access 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, portable hard drives, ROM, random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0295] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0296] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of this application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive channel estimation information from the first device; Based on the channel estimation information, scheduling information is sent to the first device; the scheduling information indicates that the terminal device corresponding to the first frequency domain resource unit belongs to the first group or the second group; the first frequency domain resource unit is the scheduled frequency domain resource unit; The first device is sent precoding information; the precoding information includes first precoding information and / or second precoding information; the first precoding information includes linear precoding information, which is used to precode first downlink data, the first downlink data being downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the first group; the second precoding information includes intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, the second precoding information being used to precode second downlink data, the second downlink data being downlink data for a terminal device belonging to the second group.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The precoding information is determined based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first precoding information further includes a first identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: The terminal device identifier associated with the linear precoding information; The data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; The frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; The first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The intermediate information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The second precoding information also includes a second identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: The terminal device identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; The data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; The frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; The first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; The terminal device identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; The data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; The frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; The second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The scheduling information also indicates at least one of the following: The number of the first frequency domain resource units is N, where N is a positive integer; The number of terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; The number of data streams that have been paired with the terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; The size of each first frequency domain resource unit in N first frequency domain resource units.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send channel estimation information to the second device; The system receives scheduling information from the second device; the scheduling information is determined based on the channel estimation information, and the scheduling information indicates that the terminal device corresponding to the first frequency domain resource unit belongs to the first group or the second group; the first frequency domain resource unit is the scheduled frequency domain resource unit. The device receives precoding information from the second device; the precoding information includes first precoding information and / or second precoding information; the first precoding information includes linear precoding information, which is used to precode first downlink data, the first downlink data being downlink data belonging to a terminal device in the first group; the second precoding information includes intermediate information for determining nonlinear precoding information, the second precoding information being used to precode second downlink data, the second downlink data being downlink data belonging to a terminal device in the second group.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The precoding information includes the second precoding information; the method further includes: Based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information, determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; The first precoding information is determined based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the first group.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The intermediate information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and / or the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The second precoding information also includes a second identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: The terminal device identifier associated with the equivalent channel matrix; The data stream identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; The frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; The first matrix identifier corresponding to the equivalent channel matrix; The terminal device identifier associated with the intermediate weight matrix; The data stream identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; The frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix; The second matrix identifier corresponding to the intermediate weight matrix.

11. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The precoding information includes the first precoding information; the method further includes: Based on the channel estimation information and the scheduling information, determine the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the first group and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; The second precoding information is determined based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The first precoding information further includes a first identifier, which indicates at least one of the following: The terminal device identifier associated with the linear precoding information; The data stream identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; The frequency domain resource unit identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information; The first precoding identifier corresponding to the linear precoding information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, the scheduling information, the linear precoding information, and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, the nonlinear precoding information is determined.

14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The second precoding information includes the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; the method further includes: Based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group and the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group is determined.

15. The method as described in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Precoding processing is performed on the first downlink data based on the linear precoding information; and / or, Based on the nonlinear precoding information, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, and the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, precoding processing is performed on the second downlink data.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The second precoding information includes the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group; the method further includes: Based on the channel estimation information corresponding to the terminal device of the second group and the equivalent channel matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group, the intermediate weight matrix corresponding to the terminal device of the second group is determined.

17. The method according to any one of claims 7-16, characterized in that, The scheduling information also indicates at least one of the following: The number of the first frequency domain resource units is N, where N is a positive integer; The number of terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; The number of data streams that have been paired with the terminal devices corresponding to each of the N first frequency domain resource units; The size of each first frequency domain resource unit in N first frequency domain resource units.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-17.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-17.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program code, which, when run on a communication device, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-17.

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