Signal transmission method and device

Abstract

The present application provides a signal transmission method and apparatus, which can be applied to the communication field. The method includes a network device modulating a first information by using a first modulation scheme in a first signal, modulating the second information by using a second modulation scheme, and modulating the first information and the second information onto a first signal, where the first modulation scheme can be phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation. The network device transmits the first signal on a first time-frequency resource. According to the aforementioned method, the network device transmits information to two types of terminal devices on the same time-frequency resource by using different modulation schemes, improving the utilization of network resources.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a signal transmission method and apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202210470910.0, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on April 28, 2022, entitled "SIGNAL TRANSMISSION METHOD AND APPARATUS," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] A new radio (NR) system is a fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G), characterized by high rates, low latency, wide-area connectivity, etc., and is a network infrastructure for implementing interconnection between humans, machines, and things. In an NR system, a lower-capability terminal device is introduced, and the lower-capability terminal device may support features such as a smaller bandwidth and a lower-order modulation scheme. A smaller bandwidth indicates a smaller amount of data that needs to be processed by the terminal device, a shorter processing time, and a lower power consumption. Demodulation of a signal generated by using a lower-order modulation scheme not only reduces the cost more than demodulation of a signal corresponding to a higher-order modulation scheme in terms of hardware complexity, but also has a lower computational complexity in subsequent data processing. Thus, a lower-capability terminal device introduced in an NR system may be characterized by a narrower bandwidth and a lower-order modulation scheme. Thus, there are multiple types of terminal devices that support different modulation schemes in an NR system. When a network device needs to transmit signals to multiple types of terminal devices, the network device can only transmit the modulated signals by using different modulation schemes multiple times, resulting in a waste of network resources.

[0004] In conclusion, in NR systems, how to improve resource utilization has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a signal transmission method and apparatus for improving resource utilization by simultaneously transmitting signals to terminal devices that support different modulation schemes.

[0006] According to a first aspect, the present application provides a signal transmission method. The method is used to implement a function on a network device side. For example, the method can be applied to a network device or a chip in the network device. The specific implementation of the method is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the method can be jointly implemented by multiple functional modules on the network device side, and the method implemented by each functional module also falls within the protection scope of the present application. For example, the method is applied to a network device. In the method, the network device modulates first information and second information onto a first signal, the first modulation scheme for the first information is different from the second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation, and the network device transmits the first signal on a first time-frequency resource.

[0007] According to the above method, the network device transmits a first signal to both the first terminal device and the second terminal device by using the same time-frequency resource. Since the first signal may include different information modulated by using different modulation schemes, both the first terminal device and the second terminal device can obtain corresponding information by using the first signal to improve the utilization of network resources.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device receives at least one of a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and a reference signal received power from a first terminal device, and if the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is equal to or greater than a first threshold and / or the reference signal received power is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the network device determines to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal.

[0009] The signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and the reference signal received power are indicators for measuring signal quality. When the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is equal to or greater than a first threshold and / or the reference signal received power is equal to or greater than a second threshold, it indicates that the signal quality is good. Therefore, when the network device modulates a signal by using multiple modulation schemes, the effect on the signal received by the first terminal device is small, and the first terminal device can demodulate the information that needs to be received from the signal modulated by using multiple modulation schemes.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device receives first indication information from the first terminal device, the first indication information indicating modulating different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes, and the network device determines, based on the first indication information, to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device sends second indication information to the first terminal device, the second indication information indicating to the network device to modulate different information on the same signal by using different modulation schemes, and / or indicating a location of the first time-frequency resource.

[0012] According to the above method, when the second indication information indicates the location of the first time-frequency resource, the first terminal device can accurately receive a signal on the first time-frequency resource, thereby reducing the complexity of receiving the signal by the first terminal device.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than the maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

[0014] The bandwidth of the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and therefore it is possible to ensure that the first signal on the first time-frequency resource can be received by both the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and communication capacity can be improved.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device receives capability information from the second terminal device, where the capability information indicates a maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the first information is modulated into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into the amplitude or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the range of values ​​of ∇p is the open interval (0,P), and P is the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme.

[0018] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same.

[0019] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, it may include partial modulation in the time domain and partial modulation in the frequency domain. The partial modulation in the time domain means that the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same. The partial modulation in the frequency domain means that the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0020] In a possible implementation, when partial modulation in the time domain is used, all samples corresponding to each bit in the bits carrying the second information may be divided into two groups, and the power of one group of samples remains as P, and the power of the other group of samples is modulated to 2Q-P, where Q is the average value of the power of all samples corresponding to the bit.

[0021] In a possible implementation, when partial modulation in the frequency domain is used, all resource elements corresponding to each bit in the bits carrying the second information may be divided into two groups, where the power of one group of resource elements remains as P and the power of the other group of resource elements is modulated to 2Q-P, where Q is the average value of the powers of all resource elements corresponding to the bit.

[0022] The average value of the power of all samples corresponding to bit 0 may be P-∇p1, and the average value of the power of all samples corresponding to bit 1 may be P+∇p2. ∇p1 may or may not be equal to ∇p2.

[0023] According to the above method, when partial modulation is used, the power of some samples or resource elements among all samples or resource elements corresponding to each bit remains as P, thus the modulation complexity can be reduced and the modulation efficiency can be improved.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding. The downlink coverage performance of the second terminal can be improved by using line coding.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols contained on the first time-frequency resource is even.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the first information includes at least one of user-level control information, common control information, and data information.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the second information includes at least one of a broadcast message, a paging message, or a random access response message.

[0028] According to a second aspect, the present application provides a signal transmission method. The method is used to implement a function on a terminal device side. For example, the method can be applied to a terminal device or a chip in the terminal device. The specific implementation of the method is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the method can be jointly implemented by multiple functional modules on the terminal device side, and the method implemented by each functional module also falls within the scope of protection of the present application. For example, the method is applied to a first terminal device. In the method, the first terminal device receives a first signal from a network device on a first time-frequency resource, the first information and the second information are modulated onto the first information, the first modulation scheme for the first information is different from the second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation, and the first terminal device obtains the first information from the first signal.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first terminal device determines at least one of a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and a reference signal received power based on a reference signal from the network device, and when the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is equal to or greater than a first threshold and / or the reference signal received power is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the first terminal device sends first indication information to the network device, where the first indication information indicates modulating different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first terminal device determines at least one of a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and a reference signal received power based on a reference signal from the network device, and the first terminal device transmits at least one of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and the reference signal received power to the network device.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first terminal device receives second indication information from the network device, the second indication information indicating to the network device to modulate different information on the same signal by using different modulation schemes, and / or indicating a location of the first time-frequency resource.

[0032] According to a third aspect, the present application provides a signal transmission method. The method is used to implement a function on a terminal device side. For example, the method can be applied to a terminal device or a chip in the terminal device. The specific implementation of the method is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the method can be jointly implemented by multiple functional modules on the terminal device side, and the method implemented by each functional module also falls within the scope of protection of the present application. For example, the method is applied to a second terminal device. In the method, the second terminal device receives a first signal from a network device on a first time-frequency resource, and the first information and the second information are modulated onto the first information, the first modulation scheme for the first information is different from the second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation, and the second terminal device obtains the second information from the first signal.

[0033] Regarding the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, a bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to a maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than the maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

[0034] With regard to the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, the first information is modulated into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into the amplitude domain or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme.

[0035] With regard to the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, the modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the range of values ​​of ∇p is the open interval (0,P), and P is the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme.

[0036] With regard to the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same.

[0037] With regard to the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0038] With regard to the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding.

[0039] With respect to the second or third aspect, in a possible implementation, the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols included on the first time-frequency resource is an even number.

[0040] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device may be a network device, a module capable of implementing a function on the network device side, or a chip capable of being disposed in the network device. The communication device has the capability for implementing the method according to the first aspect. For example, the communication device includes a corresponding module, unit, or means for performing some or all of the operations in the first aspect. The module, unit, or means may be implemented by using software or hardware, or may be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software.

[0041] In a possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit. The communication unit may be configured to transmit and receive signals to implement communication between the communication device and another device. For example, the communication unit may be configured to receive uplink information from a terminal device, and the processing unit may be configured to perform some internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the communication unit may correspond to the operations in the first aspect.

[0042] In a possible design, the communication device may include a processor and may further include a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals, and the processor completes the method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the first aspect by using the transceiver. The communication device may further include one or more memories. The memory may be configured to be coupled to the processor, and the memory may store computer programs or instructions for implementing functions in the first aspect. The processor may execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device is enabled to implement the method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the first aspect.

[0043] In a possible design, the communication device includes a processor. The processor may be configured to be coupled to a memory. The memory may store a computer program or instructions for implementing the functions in the first aspect. The processor may execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device is enabled to implement a method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the first aspect.

[0044] In a possible design, the communications device includes a processor and an interface circuit, the processor configured to communicate with another device through the interface circuit and to perform a method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the first aspect.

[0045] It can be understood that the processor can be implemented by using hardware or software. When the processor is implemented by using hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc. When the processor is implemented by using software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor and is implemented by reading software code stored in a memory. Furthermore, there can be one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory can be integrated into the processor, or the memory and the processor are separately arranged. During a particular implementation, the memory and the processor can be integrated into one chip or arranged on different chips. The type of memory and the manner in which the memory and the processor are arranged are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0046] According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device may be a terminal device, a module capable of implementing a function on the terminal device side, or a chip capable of being disposed in the terminal device. The communication device has the capability for implementing the method according to the second aspect or the third aspect. For example, the communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for performing some or all of the operations in the second aspect or the third aspect. The modules, units, or means may be implemented by using software or hardware, or may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software.

[0047] In a possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit. The communication unit may be configured to transmit and receive signals to implement communication between the communication device and another device. For example, the communication unit may be configured to receive configuration information from a network device, and the processing unit may be configured to perform some internal operations of the communication device. Functions performed by the processing unit and the communication unit may correspond to operations in the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0048] In a possible design, the communication device may include a processor and may further include a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals, and the processor completes a method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the second or third aspect by using the transceiver. The communication device may further include one or more memories. The memory may be configured to be coupled to the processor, and the memory may store computer programs or instructions for implementing functions in the second or third aspect. The processor may execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device is enabled to implement a method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the second or third aspect.

[0049] In a possible design, the communication device includes a processor. The processor may be configured to be coupled to a memory. The memory may store a computer program or instructions for implementing the functions in the second aspect or the third aspect. The processor may execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device is enabled to implement a method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0050] In a possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, the processor configured to communicate with another device through the interface circuit and to perform a method according to any one of the possible designs or implementations of the second or third aspect.

[0051] According to a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the communication system including a communication device according to the fourth aspect and a communication device according to the fifth aspect.

[0052] According to a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, the computer storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, which when read and executed by a computer, enables the computer to implement a method according to any one of the possible designs of the first to third aspects.

[0053] According to an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which, when read and executed by a computer, enables the computer to implement a method according to any one of the possible designs of the first to third aspects.

[0054] According to a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, the chip including a processor, coupled to a memory, configured to read and execute a software program stored in the memory to implement a method according to any one of the possible designs of the first to third aspects.

[0055] According to a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive a signal from another communication device other than the communication device and transmit a signal to the processor or transmit a signal from the processor to another communication device other than the communication device. The processor is configured to implement the method according to the second aspect or the third aspect and any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect or the third aspect by using logic circuits or by executing computer programs or instructions.

[0056] According to an eleventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive a signal from another communication device other than the communication device and transmit a signal to the processor or transmit a signal from the processor to another communication device other than the communication device. The processor is configured to implement the method according to the first aspect and any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect by using logic circuits or by executing computer programs or instructions.

[0057] According to a twelfth aspect, there is provided a communications device, comprising a processor and a memory, the processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to enable the communications device to implement a method according to any one of the second or third aspect and possible implementations of the second or third aspect.

[0058] According to a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a communications device, comprising a processor and a memory, the processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to enable the communications device to implement a method according to any one of the first aspect and possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0059] According to a fourteenth aspect, a chip is provided. The chip includes a processor and may further include a memory. The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip system to implement a method according to any one of the second aspect or the third aspect and possible implementations of the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0060] According to a fifteenth aspect, a chip is provided. The chip includes a processor and may further include a memory. The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip system to implement the method according to any one of the first aspect and possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0061] The aspects of the present application or other aspects will become clearer and more understandable with the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0062] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic flowchart of a signal transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram of power modulation depth according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an overall modulation according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram of power modulation depth according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an overall modulation according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram of partial modulation in the time domain according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram of partial modulation in the frequency domain according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram of bandwidth according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is a diagram of signal modulation according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram of a structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram of a structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0063] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specification.

[0064] The communication methods provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to a 4th generation (4G) communication system, such as a long-term evolution (LTE), a 5th generation (5G) communication system, such as a 5G new radio (NR), or various future communication systems, such as a 6th generation (6G) communication system.

[0065] The method and the apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application are based on the same or similar technical concept. Because the problem-solving principles of the method and the apparatus are similar, cross-references can be made to the implementation of the apparatus and the method. No repeated description will be given.

[0066] The following explains some terms in the embodiments of the present application to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0067] Time-frequency resource: A time-frequency resource in an NR system includes one or more orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the time domain and one or more subcarriers in the frequency domain. The smallest time-frequency resource includes an OFDM symbol and a subcarrier and is called a resource element (RE).

[0068] Modulation: The process of loading a bit stream to be transmitted onto a physical signal is called modulation. The NR system includes multiple modulation schemes. In particular, both the uplink and downlink of the NR system support phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation. Phase shift keying modulation may include 2 phase shift keying, π / 2-2 phase shift keying, 4 phase shift keying (quadrature phase shift keying, QPSK) modulation, etc. Quadrature amplitude modulation may include modulation schemes such as 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64QAM, and 256QAM. As the NR system supports a wide range of application scenarios, it is likely that the supported modulation schemes will need to be further extended in the future. In the future, modulation schemes with modulation orders higher than 256QAM, for example, 1024QAM, will be supported. In this embodiment of the present application, amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation may be further supported.

[0069] The network device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device in a wireless network. For example, the network device may be a device that is deployed in a radio access network and provides a terminal device with a wireless communication function. For example, the network device may be a radio access network (RAN) node that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, and may also be referred to as an access network device. In the embodiment of the present application, the apparatus configured to implement the function of the network device may be a network device, a module or unit that can be used in a network device, or an apparatus, such as a chip system, that can support the network device to implement the function. The apparatus may be installed in the network device or used in a manner that is compatible with the network device.

[0070] The network device may include, but is not limited to, an evolved NodeB (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a NodeB (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., a home evolved NodeB, or home NodeB (HNB)), a baseband unit (BBU), an access point (AP), a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP), or a transmission reception point (TRP) in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, or may be a network device in a 5G mobile communication system, for example, a next generation NodeB (gNB), a transmission reception point (TRP) or TP in a NR system, or one antenna panel or one group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system. Alternatively, the network device may be a network node forming a gNB or a transmission point, e.g. a BBU, a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0071] In some deployments, the gNB may include a central unit (CU) and a DU. The gNB may further include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some functions of the gNB, and the DU implements some functions of the gNB. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and for implementing functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and for implementing functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the MAC layer, and the physical (PHY) layer. The AAU implements some processing functions in the physical layer, radio frequency processing, and functions related to active antennas. Information at the RRC layer is eventually modified to or from information at the PHY layer. Therefore, in the architecture, higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC layer signaling) may also be considered as being transmitted by the DU or by the DU and the AAU. It may be understood that the network device may be a device including one or more of a CU node, a DU node, and an AAU node. Furthermore, the CU may be classified as a network device in the RAN or a network device in the core network (CN). This is not limited in the present application.

[0072] The terminal device in the embodiment of the present application may be a wireless terminal device that can receive the scheduling and indication information of the network device. The terminal device may be a device that provides a user with voice and / or data connectivity, a handheld device with wireless connection capability, or another processing device connected to a wireless modem. In the embodiment of the present application, the apparatus configured to implement the function of the terminal device may be a terminal device, a module or unit that can be used in the terminal device, or an apparatus, such as a chip system, that can support the terminal device to implement the function. The apparatus may be installed in the terminal device or used in a manner that is compatible with the terminal device.

[0073] A terminal device may also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), etc. A terminal device is a device that includes a wireless communication function (providing voice / data connectivity to a user), such as a handheld device or a vehicle-mounted device with wireless connectivity. Currently, some examples of terminal devices include mobile phones, tablet computers, notebook computers, palmtop computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in the Internet of Vehicles, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, etc. For example, the wireless terminal in the Internet of Vehicles can be an in-vehicle device, a complete vehicle device, an in-vehicle module, a vehicle, etc. The wireless terminal in industrial control can be a camera, a robot, etc. The wireless terminal in smart home can be a television, an air conditioner, a sweeper, a speaker, a set-top box, etc.

[0074] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture according to an embodiment of the present application. In the network, a network device may serve multiple terminal devices. A first terminal device and a second terminal device are used as an example in the figure, but the specific quantity of the terminal devices is not limited. In a possible implementation, the first terminal device may be a legacy terminal device, and the second terminal device may be a low-capability terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth supported by the first terminal device is greater than the maximum bandwidth supported by the second terminal device. The first terminal device can demodulate a signal modulated by using a complex modulation scheme. For example, the first terminal device can demodulate a signal modulated by using 4-phase shift keying or 16-quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second terminal device can include a module that can demodulate a signal modulated by using amplitude shift keying or demodulate a signal modulated by using amplitude shift keying. The second terminal device described in this application can be a device or a module or unit in a device that can demodulate a signal modulated by using amplitude shift keying.

[0075] The present application provides a method, in which a network device can transmit a signal by using the same complete time-frequency resource, and the signal can be modulated by using a modulation scheme supported by a first terminal device and a modulation scheme supported by a second terminal device, so that the first terminal device and the second terminal device can receive the signal on the same time-frequency resource to reduce resources and improve system capacity.

[0076] In addition, it can be understood that the steps in the above embodiments of the present application are merely illustrative examples, which are not strictly limited in the present specification. Furthermore, the sequence numbers of the above steps do not mean the execution sequence. The execution sequence of the processes should be determined based on the functions and internal logic of the processes, and does not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0077] Furthermore, it may be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may be independent of other features in some scenarios or may be combined with other features in some scenarios. This is not limited.

[0078] In addition, it can be understood that the solutions in the embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined for use, and the explanations or descriptions of terms in the embodiments can be mutually referenced or explained in the embodiments. This is not limited.

[0079] The network architecture and service scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute limitations on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art may learn that with the development of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to similar technical problems.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present application, the interaction between a network device and a terminal device is used as an example for explanation. The operations performed by the network device may also be performed by a chip or module in the network device, and the operations performed by the terminal device may also be performed by a chip or module in the terminal device.

[0081] 2 is a schematic flowchart of a signal transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application. In the procedure, an interaction between a network device and a terminal device is used as an example for explanation. The network device may be the network device of FIG. 1, the first terminal device may be the first terminal device of FIG. 1, and the second terminal device may be the second terminal device of FIG. 1. The method includes the following steps:

[0082] S201: A network device modulates first information and second information onto a first signal.

[0083] The first modulation scheme for the first information is different from the second modulation scheme for the second information. In a possible implementation, the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation.

[0084] In this embodiment of the present application, the phase shift keying modulation may include 2 phase shift keying modulation, π / 2-2 phase shift keying modulation, QPSK modulation, etc. The modulation order of the quadrature amplitude modulation may be 16 or more, and the quadrature amplitude modulation may be a modulation scheme such as 16 quadrature amplitude modulation, 64 quadrature amplitude modulation, 256 quadrature amplitude modulation, or 512 quadrature amplitude modulation. The amplitude shift keying modulation may include on-off keying (OOK) modulation, 4 amplitude shift keying modulation, etc.

[0085] In this embodiment of the present application, the first information may be information transmitted to the first terminal device, i.e., the receiver of the first information is the first terminal device. The specific content of the first information is not limited. For example, the first information may include at least one of user-level control information, common control information, and data information. Correspondingly, the second information may be information transmitted to the second terminal device, i.e., the receiver of the second information is the second terminal device. The specific content of the second information is not limited. For example, the second information may include at least one of a broadcast message, a paging message, and a random access response message.

[0086] Optionally, before modulating the first signal, the network device may determine whether to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes according to actual circumstances. In this embodiment of the present application, the network device may determine to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes in the following two cases:

[0087] Case 1: A network device determines whether to modulate first and second information onto a first signal based on an indication of a first terminal device.

[0088] In particular, the network device may receive first indication information from a first terminal device. If the first indication information indicates modulating different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes, the network device determines to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes when transmitting a signal to the first terminal device. After receiving the first indication information, the network device may determine to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal based on the first indication information.

[0089] If the first indication information indicates modulating information onto the same signal by using a first modulation scheme, or if the first indication information indicates modulating information onto the same signal by using a modulation scheme, the network device decides to modulate information onto the same signal by using the modulation scheme when transmitting a signal to the first terminal device, for example, to modulate information onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme.

[0090] For example, the first indication information may include 1 bit. When the first indication information is 1, it indicates that different information is modulated onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes. When the first indication information is 0, it indicates that the information is modulated onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme. Details may be shown in Table 1.

[0091] [Table 1]

[0092] Table 1 is just an example. The first indication information may alternatively include multiple bits, and there may be other values ​​of the first indication information. Examples are not described one by one in this specification.

[0093] The specific case in which the first terminal device determines to receive a signal modulated by using multiple modulation schemes or to receive a signal modulated by using one modulation scheme is not limited in this application. For example, the first terminal device may measure a reference signal from a network device to obtain at least one of a reference signal received power (RSRP) and a signal to noise and interference ratio (SINR). The specific process in which the first terminal device measures a reference signal to obtain SINR and / or RSRP is not limited in this application. Details will not be described again in this specification. Furthermore, the first terminal device determines a specific modulation scheme to be used based on RSRP and / or SINR. For example, there are the following three implementations.

[0094] Implementation 1: If the SINR is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the first terminal device determines that a signal modulated by using a different modulation scheme can be received, and thus the first indication information may indicate modulating different information onto the same signal by using a different modulation scheme. If the SINR is smaller than the first threshold, the first terminal device determines that a signal modulated by using a different modulation scheme cannot be received, and thus the first indication information may indicate modulating information onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme. The specific value of the first threshold may be preconfigured by the network device, or may be independently determined or pre-set by the first terminal device. This is not limited in the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, "greater than" may be replaced with "greater than", and "less than" may be replaced with "less than". Correspondingly, "less than" may be replaced with "less than", and "greater than" may be replaced with "more than". Details will not be described again below.

[0095] For example, with respect to the example of Table 1, the first indication information determined by the first terminal device based on the SINR may be shown in Table 2.

[0096] [Table 2]

[0097] In Table 2, the first indication information is 1 when the SINR is equal to or greater than the first threshold, or is 0 when the SINR is less than the first threshold.

[0098] SINR is an indicator for measuring signal quality. When SINR is equal to or greater than a first threshold, it indicates that the signal quality is good. Therefore, when a network device modulates a signal by using multiple modulation schemes, the influence on the signal received by a first terminal device is small, and the first terminal device can demodulate the information that needs to be received from the signal modulated by using multiple modulation schemes.

[0099] Implementation 2: If the RSRP is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the first terminal device determines that a signal modulated by using a different modulation scheme can be received, and thus the first indication information may indicate modulating different information onto the same signal by using a different modulation scheme. If the RSRP is less than the second threshold, the first terminal device determines that a signal modulated by using a different modulation scheme cannot be received, and thus the first indication information may indicate modulating information onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme. The specific value of the second threshold may be preconfigured by the network device, or may be independently determined or pre-set by the first terminal device. This is not limited in the present application.

[0100] For example, with respect to the example of Table 1, the first indication information determined by the first terminal device based on the RSRP may be shown in Table 3.

[0101] [Table 3]

[0102] In Table 3, when the RSRP is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the first indication information is 1, or when the RSRP is less than the second threshold, the first indication information is 0.

[0103] RSRP is also an indicator for measuring signal quality. When RSRP is equal to or greater than a second threshold, it indicates that the signal quality is good. Therefore, when a network device modulates a signal by using multiple modulation schemes, the effect on the signal received by the first terminal device is small, and the first terminal device can demodulate the information that needs to be received from the signal modulated by using multiple modulation schemes.

[0104] Implementation 3: If the SINR is equal to or greater than a first threshold and the RSRP is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the first terminal device determines that a signal modulated by using a different modulation scheme can be received, and thus the first indication information may indicate modulating different information onto the same signal by using a different modulation scheme. If the SINR is smaller than the first threshold and the RSRP is smaller than a second threshold, the first terminal device may indicate modulating information onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme by using the first indication information. If the SINR is smaller than the first threshold and the RSRP is equal to or greater than a second threshold, or if the SINR is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the RSRP is smaller than a second threshold, the first terminal device may indicate modulating information onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme by using the first indication information, or may indicate modulating different information onto the same signal by using a different modulation scheme by using the first indication information.

[0105] For example, with respect to the example of Table 1, the first indication information determined by the first terminal device based on the SINR and RSRP may be shown in Table 4.

[0106] [Table 4]

[0107] In Table 4, when the SINR is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the RSRP is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the first indication information is 1; when the SINR is less than the first threshold and the RSRP is less than the second threshold, the first indication information is 0; or when the SINR is less than the first threshold and the RSRP is greater than or equal to the second threshold, or when the SINR is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the RSRP is less than the second threshold, the first indication information may be 0 or 1.

[0108] Case 2: A network device autonomously determines whether to modulate first and second information onto a first signal.

[0109] In particular, the network device may receive at least one of the SINR and the RSRP from the first terminal device. At least one of the SINR and the RSRP may be obtained by the first terminal device by measuring a reference signal from the network device. The specific process is not limited in this specification.

[0110] Implementation 1: When the SINR is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the network device determines to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes, so that the first information and the second information can be modulated onto the first signal. When the SINR is less than a first threshold, the network device determines to modulate information onto one signal by using a modulation scheme, so that the first information and the second information can be separately modulated onto different signals.

[0111] Implementation 2: When the RSRP is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the network device determines to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes, so that the first information and the second information can be modulated onto the first signal. When the RSRP is less than a second threshold, the network device determines to modulate information onto one signal by using a modulation scheme, so that the first information and the second information can be separately modulated onto different signals.

[0112] Implementation 3: If the SINR is equal to or greater than a first threshold and the RSRP is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the network device determines to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes, so that the first information and the second information can be modulated onto the first signal. If the SINR is less than the first threshold and the RSRP is less than the second threshold, the network device can modulate information onto the same signal by using the first modulation scheme. If the SINR is less than the first threshold and the RSRP is equal to or greater than a second threshold, or if the SINR is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the RSRP is less than a second threshold, the network device can modulate information onto one signal by using a modulation scheme, or modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes.

[0113] In case 1, when the first terminal device determines, based on the SINR and / or the RSRP, to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes, the complexity of the operation of the network device may be reduced. If the network device determines, based on the SINR and / or the RSRP, to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes, the signaling overhead may be reduced.

[0114] Optionally, in Case 1 or Case 2, the network device may further transmit second indication information to the first terminal device, where the second indication information indicates at least one of: that the network device modulates different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes; and a location of the first time-frequency resource including at least one of a starting location and a bandwidth size of the first time-frequency resource.

[0115] Optionally, if the second indication information indicates to the network device to modulate different information onto the same signal by using different modulation schemes, the first terminal device may receive the signal by using a performance enhancement method, for example, by increasing the amount of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) combination times or increasing the amount of antennas for receiving the signal, and thus the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal may be improved.

[0116] When the second indication information indicates the location of the first time-frequency resource, the first terminal device can accurately receive a signal on the first time-frequency resource, thereby reducing the complexity of receiving the signal by the first terminal device.

[0117] In this embodiment of the present application, when the network device modulates the first information and the second information onto the first signal, the first information and the second information may be located separately in different regions of the first signal. For example, the first information is modulated into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into the amplitude domain or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme. In other words, when modulating the first information and the second information, the network device implements hybrid modulation by using multiple different modulation schemes, and modulates the first information and the second information into different regions of the first signal, respectively. In particular, the network device may modulate the first information into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and when modulating the first information, the network device may further modulate the second information into the amplitude domain or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme. The network device may modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal in parallel. The network device does not first modulate the first information onto the first signal and then modulate the second information onto the first signal, nor does it first modulate the second information onto the first signal and then modulate the first information onto the first signal.

[0118] In this embodiment of the present application, the specific process of the network device modulating the first information by using the first modulation scheme is not limited. The following mainly describes how the network device modulates the second information by using the second modulation scheme.

[0119] The second modulation scheme mainly relates to the transmission power of the modulated signal. In particular, when the first signal is transmitted on the first time-frequency resource, the first signal corresponds to one transmission power in each resource element on the first time-frequency resource. In order to distinguish bit 1 from bit 0 by using the power of the signal, the average power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 and the average power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 may be set to different powers. Therefore, the parameter mainly related to the second modulation scheme is the modulation depth. The modulation depth may be understood as the power that needs to be reduced by the average power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 based on a reference power, or the power that needs to be increased by the average power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 based on a reference power. The reference power may be the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first information is modulated by using the first modulation scheme. Optionally, after the second modulation is used, the ratio of the average power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 to the average power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 in the bits carrying the second information is equal to or greater than 20 dB.

[0120] In a first possible implementation, when using the second modulation scheme, the network device may perform an overall modulation on the first signal.

[0121] Global modulation means that the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same or the modulation depth for all time domain data corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same. In particular, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 carrying the second information is the same and the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 carrying the second information is the same or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to bit 0 carrying the second information is the same and the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to bit 1 carrying the second information is the same.

[0122] In other words, when global modulation is used, for a bit carrying second information, the power of each resource element (or sample) among all resource elements (or samples) corresponding to bit 0 is a first power, and the power of each resource element (or sample) among all resource elements (or samples) corresponding to bit 1 is a second power, and the first power is not equal to the second power.

[0123] Implementation 1: The modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p. In this way, the modulation depth for all resource elements (or samples) corresponding to bit 0 carrying the second information is the same as the modulation depth for all resource elements (or samples) corresponding to bit 0 carrying the second information. The value range of ∇p is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to P. P may be the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme.

[0124] For example, it is assumed that each bit carrying the second information corresponds to Y OFDM symbols, where Y is an integer greater than 0. When global modulation is implemented, as shown in FIG. 3, when the first signal is modulated by using a first modulation scheme, the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource is assumed to be P. When the first signal is modulated by using a second modulation scheme, for the bits carrying the second information, the power of each of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 may be modulated to P-∇p, and the power of each of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 may be modulated to P+∇p.

[0125] For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the first time-frequency resource includes four OFDM symbols in the time domain, i.e., symbol 0 to symbol 3, and six resource elements in the frequency domain, with corresponding frequency domain locations f0 to f5. For example, each bit carrying the second information corresponds to two OFDM symbols, the first two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 0, and the last two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 1. Assuming that P=1 and ∇p=0.5, the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0, in other words, each of the resource elements included in symbol 0 and symbol 1, may be modulated to 0.5, and the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1, in other words, each of the resource elements included in symbol 2 and symbol 3, may be modulated to 1.5.

[0126] Implementation 2: A first modulation depth for all resource elements (or samples) corresponding to bit 1 carrying the second information is different from a second modulation depth for all resource elements (or samples) corresponding to bit 0 carrying the second information. The first modulation depth is ∇p1, and the value range of ∇p1 is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to P. The second modulation depth is ∇p2, and the value range of ∇p2 is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to P. ∇p1 may or may not be equal to ∇p2.

[0127] For example, it is assumed that each bit carrying the second information corresponds to Y OFDM symbols. When global modulation is performed, for the bit carrying the second information, the power of each of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 may be modulated to P-∇p1, and the power of each of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 may be modulated to P+∇p2, as shown in FIG.

[0128] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the first time-frequency resource includes four OFDM symbols in the time domain, i.e., symbol 0 to symbol 3, and six resource elements in the frequency domain, with corresponding frequency domain locations f0 to f5. For example, each bit carrying the second information corresponds to two OFDM symbols, the first two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 0, and the last two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 1. Assuming that P=1, ∇p1=0.5, and ∇p2=0.8, the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0, in other words, each of the resource elements included in symbol 0 and symbol 1, may be modulated to 0.5, and the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1, in other words, each of the resource elements included in symbol 2 and symbol 3, may be modulated to 1.8.

[0129] In a second possible implementation, when using the second modulation scheme, the network device may partially modulate the first signal.

[0130] Partial modulation means that the modulation depth for all resource elements or samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same. Partial modulation can be classified into two types: partial modulation in the time domain and partial modulation in the frequency domain. Partial modulation in the time domain means that the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same, i.e., the modulation depth for at least two samples among all samples corresponding to each bit is different. In particular, when partial modulation in the frequency domain is used, all samples corresponding to each bit can be divided into multiple groups. Each group of samples includes at least one sample, and each group of samples may include the same amount of samples or may include different amounts of samples. The power of the samples in each group of samples is the same, and the power of the samples in different groups of samples is different.

[0131] With respect to the above description, in this embodiment of the present application, when partial modulation in the time domain is used, all samples corresponding to each bit in the bits carrying the second information can be divided into two groups, the power of one group of samples remains as P, and the power of the other group of samples is modulated to 2Q-P, where Q is the average value of the power of all samples corresponding to the bit. The average value of the power of all samples corresponding to bit 0 can be P-∇p1, and the average value of the power of all samples corresponding to bit 1 can be P+∇p2. ∇p1 may or may not be equal to ∇p2.

[0132] For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the first time-frequency resource includes four OFDM symbols in the time domain, i.e., symbol 0 to symbol 3, and each OFDM symbol includes six samples, respectively represented by S0 to S5. For example, each bit carrying the second information corresponds to two OFDM symbols, the first two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 0, and the last two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 1. Assuming that P=1 and ∇p1=∇p2=0.5, the average value of the power of all samples corresponding to bit 0, in other words, the 12 samples included in symbol 0 and symbol 1, is 0.5, and the average value of the power of all samples corresponding to bit 1, in other words, the 12 samples included in symbol 2 and symbol 3, is 1.5. The network device may divide all samples corresponding to bit 0 into two groups, and each group of samples includes six samples. For example, the samples included in symbol 1 are used as one group, and the samples included in symbol 0 are used as another group. The power of each sample included in symbol 1 remains as 1, and the power of each sample included in symbol 0 is modulated to 0. In this way, the average power of all samples corresponding to bit 0 is 0.5. Similarly, the network device may divide all samples corresponding to bit 1 into two groups, each group of samples including six samples. For example, the samples included in symbol 3 are used as one group, and the samples included in symbol 2 are used as another group. The power of each sample included in symbol 3 remains as 1, and the power of each sample included in symbol 2 is modulated to 2. In this way, the average power of all samples corresponding to bit 0 is 1.5. In the above example, ∇p1=∇p2 is used only as an example for explanation, and ∇p1 may not be equal to ∇p2.

[0133] Partial modulation in the frequency domain means that the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same, i.e., the modulation depth for at least two resource elements among all resource elements corresponding to each bit is different. In particular, when partial modulation in the frequency domain is used, all resource elements corresponding to each bit can be divided into multiple groups. Each group of resource elements includes at least one resource element, and each group of resource elements may include the same amount of resource elements or may include different amounts of resource elements. The power of the resource elements in each group of resource elements is the same, and the power of the resource elements in different groups of resource elements is different.

[0134] With respect to the above description, in this embodiment of the present application, when partial modulation in the frequency domain is used, all resource elements corresponding to each bit in the bits carrying the second information can be divided into two groups, the power of one group of resource elements remains as P, and the power of the other group of resource elements is modulated to 2Q-P, where Q is the average value of the power of all resource elements corresponding to the bit. The average value of the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 can be P-∇p1, and the average value of the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 can be P+∇p2. ∇p1 may or may not be equal to ∇p2.

[0135] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first time-frequency resource includes four OFDM symbols in the time domain, i.e., symbol 0 to symbol 3, and six resource elements in the frequency domain, with corresponding frequency domain locations f0 to f5. For example, each bit carrying the second information corresponds to two OFDM symbols, the first two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 0, and the last two OFDM symbols correspond to bit 1. Assuming that P=1 and ∇p1=∇p2=0.5, the average value of the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0, i.e., the 12 resource elements included in symbol 0 and symbol 1, is 0.5, and the average value of the power of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1, i.e., the 12 resource elements included in symbol 2 and symbol 3, is 1.5. The network device may divide all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 into two groups, with each group of resource elements including six resource elements. For example, resource elements at frequency domain locations f0 to f2 in symbols 0 and 1 are used as one group, and resource elements at frequency domain locations f3 to f5 in symbols 0 and 1 are used as another group. The power of each resource element at frequency domain locations f0 to f2 in symbols 0 and 1 remains as 1, and the power of each resource element at frequency domain locations f3 to f5 in symbols 0 and 1 is modulated to 0. In this way, the average value of all resource elements corresponding to bit 0 is 0.5. Similarly, the network device may divide all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 into two groups, with each group of resource elements including six resource elements. For example, resource elements at frequency domain locations f0 to f2 in symbols 2 and 3 are used as one group, and resource elements at frequency domain locations f3 to f5 in symbols 2 and 3 are used as another group.The power of each resource element at frequency domain locations f0 to f2 in symbols 2 and 3 remains as 1, and the power of each resource element at frequency domain locations f3 to f5 in symbols 2 and 3 is modulated to 2. In this way, the average value of all resource elements corresponding to bit 1 is 1.5. In the above example, ∇p1=∇p2 is used only as an example for illustration, and ∇p1 may not be equal to ∇p2.

[0136] The above is just an example. When using the second modulation scheme, the network device may also modulate the power of the resource elements in another manner. This is not limited in this application.

[0137] Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding. The line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and differential Manchester coding. The downlink coverage performance of the second terminal can be improved by using line coding. When the original bits of the second information are coded by using line coding to obtain coded bits, the amount of symbols included on the first time-frequency resource is an even number. In this way, it can be ensured that the first time-frequency resource does not have redundant symbols and the network resource is reduced.

[0138] S202: The network device transmits a first signal on a first time-frequency resource. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first signal from the network device on the first time-frequency resource, and the second terminal device receives the first signal from the network device on the first time-frequency resource.

[0139] In this embodiment of the present application, the bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource may be equal to or less than the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is smaller than the maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device. How the network device determines the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is not limited in the present application. For example, the network device may receive capability information from the second terminal device, and the capability information indicates the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device.

[0140] By setting the bandwidth of the first time-frequency resource to be equal to or less than the maximum bandwidth capability of the second terminal device, it is possible to ensure that the first signal on the first time-frequency resource is received by both the first terminal device and the second terminal device, thereby improving communication capacity.

[0141] The network device may pre-configure a first bandwidth part (BWP) for the first terminal device and the second terminal device. In the implementation, the bandwidth of the first bandwidth part may be equal to or less than the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device. For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 9, the bandwidth of the first bandwidth part BWP1 configured by the network device is equal to the maximum bandwidth X1 of the second terminal device, and the bandwidth X2 of the first time-frequency resource is equal to or less than the bandwidth X1 of BWP1. In this way, it can be ensured that the first signal on the first time-frequency resource can be received by both the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0142] Furthermore, if the bandwidth X2 of the first time-frequency resource is equal to the bandwidth X1 of BWP1, the network device may not need to further indicate information such as the bandwidth and location of the first time-frequency resource to the first terminal device and the second terminal device to reduce signaling overhead.

[0143] In another implementation, the bandwidth of the first bandwidth portion may be larger than the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device. For example, as shown in (b) of FIG. 9, the bandwidth X3 of the first bandwidth portion BWP2 is larger than the maximum bandwidth X1 of the second terminal device. In this case, the network device sets the bandwidth X2 of the first time-frequency resource to be smaller than the bandwidth of BWP2 and equal to or smaller than the maximum bandwidth X1 of the second terminal device. Furthermore, for the first terminal device, in the first bandwidth portion, a time-frequency resource other than the first time-frequency resource may be used to transmit other information of the first terminal device. This is not limited in the present application.

[0144] With respect to the above description, it is assumed that the first modulation scheme is QPSK and the second modulation scheme is ASK. As shown in FIG. 10, the network device determines the maximum bandwidth supported by the second terminal device by using the capability information reported by the second terminal device. If the network device determines to modulate both the first information and the second information onto the first signal by using a hybrid modulation scheme, the network device may modulate the first information into the frequency domain of the first signal by using QPSK and modulate the second information into the amplitude domain or power domain of the first signal by using ASK by using the hybrid modulation scheme to obtain a first signal including the first information and the second information. The network device transmits the first signal on a first time-frequency resource, and the bandwidth of the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth supported by the second terminal device.

[0145] S203: The first terminal device acquires first information from the first signal.

[0146] The first terminal device may demodulate the first signal by using a demodulation method corresponding to the first modulation method to obtain the first information. The specific demodulation process is not limited in this application. The details will not be described again in this specification.

[0147] S204: The second terminal device acquires second information from the first signal.

[0148] The second terminal device may demodulate the first signal by using a demodulation method corresponding to the second modulation method to obtain the second information. The specific demodulation process is not limited in this application. The details will not be described again in this specification.

[0149] According to the above method, the first signal transmitted by the network device by using the time-frequency resource, i.e., the first time-frequency resource, includes first information and second information modulated by using different modulation schemes, and thus the information is transmitted to multiple terminal devices on the same time-frequency resource by using different modulation schemes to improve the utilization of network resources.

[0150] In the above embodiments provided in the present application, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in terms of interaction between devices. To implement the functions in the method provided in the above embodiments of the present application, the network device or the terminal device may include a hardware structure and / or a software module, and the functions are implemented in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a combination of a hardware structure and a software module. Whether the functions in the above functions are implemented by using a hardware structure, a software module, or a combination of a hardware structure and a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0151] In the embodiment of the present application, the module division is an example and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, another division method may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processor, or may exist physically alone, or two or more modules may be integrated into one module. The integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module.

[0152] Similar to the above concept, FIG. 11 is a diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device is configured to implement the functions of a network device or a terminal device during the aforementioned method. For example, the device may be a software module or a chip system. In this embodiment of the present application, the chip system may include a chip, or may include a chip and another individual component. The communication device 1100 may include a processing unit 1101 and a communication unit 1102.

[0153] In this embodiment of the present application, the communication unit may also be referred to as a transceiver unit and may include a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit, which are respectively configured to perform the transmitting and receiving steps of the network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0154] The following describes in detail the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application with reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for the content that is not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiment. For the sake of brevity, the details are not described again in this specification.

[0155] The communication unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver machine, a transceiver device, etc. The processing unit may also be referred to as a processor, a processing board, a processing module, a processing device, etc. Optionally, a component configured to implement a receiving function in the communication unit 1102 may be considered as a receiving unit, and a component configured to implement a transmitting function in the communication unit 1102 may be considered as a transmitting unit. In other words, the communication unit 1102 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The communication unit may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver machine, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, etc. The receiving unit may also be sometimes referred to as a receiver machine, a receiver, a receiver circuit, etc. The transmitting unit may also be sometimes referred to as a transmitter machine, a transmitter, a transmitter circuit, etc.

[0156] When the communication device 1100 performs the function of the network device in the procedure shown in FIG. 2 in the above embodiment, The processing unit is configured to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal, a first modulation scheme for the first information being different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme being phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme being amplitude shift keying modulation; The communication unit is configured to transmit a first signal on a first time-frequency resource.

[0157] In a possible implementation, the communication unit is further configured to receive first indication information from a first terminal device, the first indication information indicating modulating different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes; The processing unit is further configured to determine, based on the first indication information, to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal.

[0158] In a possible implementation, the processing unit receives at least one of a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and a reference signal received power from a first terminal device; and determining to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal if the signal to interference and noise ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold and / or the reference signal received power is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0159] In a possible implementation, the communication unit is further configured to transmit second indication information to the first terminal device, where the second indication information indicates to the network device to modulate different information onto the same signal by using a different modulation scheme and / or indicates a location of the first time-frequency resource.

[0160] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than the maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

[0161] In a possible implementation, the communication unit is further configured to receive capability information from the second terminal device, the capability information indicating a maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device.

[0162] In a possible implementation, the first information is modulated into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into the amplitude or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme.

[0163] In a possible implementation, the modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the range of values ​​of ∇p is the open interval (0,P), and P is the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme.

[0164] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same.

[0165] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0166] In a possible implementation, the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding.

[0167] In a possible implementation, the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols contained on the first time-frequency resource is even.

[0168] In a possible implementation, the first information includes at least one of user-level control information, common control information, and data information.

[0169] In a possible implementation, the second information includes at least one of a broadcast message, a paging message, or a random access response message.

[0170] When the communication device 1100 performs the function of the first terminal device in the procedure shown in FIG. 2 in the above embodiment, The communication unit is configured to receive a first signal from the network device on a first time-frequency resource, where the first information and the second information are modulated onto the first information, a first modulation scheme for the first information is different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation; The processing unit is configured to obtain first information from the first signal.

[0171] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to determine at least one of a signal to interference and noise ratio and a reference signal received power based on a reference signal from the network device; The communication unit is further configured to: send first indication information to the network device when the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold and / or the reference signal received power is greater than or equal to a second threshold, where the first indication information indicates modulating different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes.

[0172] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to determine at least one of a signal to interference and noise ratio and a reference signal received power based on a reference signal from the network device; The communication unit is further configured to transmit at least one of the signal to interference and noise ratio and the reference signal received power to the network device.

[0173] In a possible implementation, the communication unit comprises: The wireless communication device may further be configured to receive second indication information from the network device, the second indication information indicating to the network device to modulate different information onto a same signal by using a different modulation scheme and / or indicating a location of the first time-frequency resource.

[0174] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than the maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

[0175] In a possible implementation, the first information is modulated into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into the amplitude or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme.

[0176] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same.

[0177] In a possible implementation, the modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the value range of ∇p being an open interval from 0 to P, where P is the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0178] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using a second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0179] In a possible implementation, the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding.

[0180] In a possible implementation, the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols contained on the first time-frequency resource is even.

[0181] When the communication device 1100 performs the function of the second terminal device in the procedure shown in FIG. 2 in the above embodiment, The communication unit is configured to receive a first signal from the network device on a first time-frequency resource, where the first information and the second information are modulated onto the first information, a first modulation scheme for the first information is different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation; The processing unit is configured to obtain second information from the first signal.

[0182] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than the maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

[0183] In a possible implementation, the first information is modulated into the frequency domain of the first signal by using a first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into the amplitude or power domain of the first signal by using a second modulation scheme.

[0184] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same.

[0185] In a possible implementation, the modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the value range of ∇p being an open interval from 0 to P, where P is the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0186] In a possible implementation, when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, the modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

[0187] In a possible implementation, the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding.

[0188] In a possible implementation, the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols contained on the first time-frequency resource is even.

[0189] The above is only an example. The processing unit 1101 and the communication unit 1102 may further implement other functions. For more detailed description, please refer to the related description of the method embodiment shown in Figure 2. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0190] Figure 12 is a diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The device shown in Figure 12 can be a hardware circuit implementation of the device shown in Figure 11. The communication device is applicable to the above flowchart and implements the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiment. For ease of explanation, Figure 12 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0191] 12, the communication device 1200 includes a processor 1210 and an interface circuit 1220. The processor 1210 and the interface circuit 1220 are coupled to each other. It may be understood that the interface circuit 1220 may be a transceiver, a pin, an interface circuit, or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a memory 1230 configured to store instructions to be executed by the processor 1210, or to store input data required by the processor 1210 to execute the instructions, or to store data generated after the processor 1210 executes the instructions.

[0192] When the communications device 1200 is configured to implement the method shown in FIG. 2, the processor 1210 is configured to implement the functions of the processing unit 1101 described above, and the interface circuit 1220 is configured to implement the functions of the communications unit 1102 described above.

[0193] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal device, the chip in the terminal device implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the terminal device receives information from another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal device, and the information is transmitted by the network device to the terminal device. Alternatively, the chip of the terminal device transmits information to another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal device, and the information is transmitted by the terminal device to the network device.

[0194] When the communication device is a chip used in a network device, the chip in the network device implements the function of the network device in the above method embodiment. The chip of the network device receives information from another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the network device, and the information is transmitted by a terminal device to the network device. Alternatively, the chip of the network device transmits information to another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the network device, and the information is transmitted by the network device to a terminal device.

[0195] It may be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit, or may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit or another programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0196] The memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk drive, a removable hard disk drive, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art.

[0197] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Thus, the present application may use the form of a hardware-only embodiment, a software-only embodiment, or an embodiment using a combination of software and hardware. Furthermore, the present application may use the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk memory, optical memory, etc.) that includes computer-usable program code.

[0198] The present application is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that computer program instructions can be used to implement each process and / or each block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of processes and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The computer program instructions can be provided for a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or another programmable data processing device to generate a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or another programmable data processing device generate an apparatus for implementing a particular function in one or more means in the flowcharts and / or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

[0199] The computer program instructions may alternatively be stored in a computer-readable memory that can be instructed to operate in a particular manner on a computer or another programmable data processing device, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory generate an artifact that includes an instruction apparatus that implements a particular function in one or more procedures in the flowcharts and / or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

[0200] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. This application is intended to cover these modifications and variations of this application, provided that they fall within the scope of protection defined by the appended claims and their equivalent technologies.

Claims

1. A signal transmission method, comprising: modulating, by a network device, first information and second information onto a first signal, a first modulation scheme for the first information being different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme being phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme being amplitude shift keying modulation; transmitting, by the network device, the first signal on a first time-frequency resource; A method comprising:

2. receiving, by the network device, a first indication information from a first terminal device, the first indication information indicating modulating different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes; determining, by the network device, to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal based on the first indication information; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. receiving, by the network device, at least one of a signal to interference plus noise ratio or a reference signal received power from a first terminal device; determining, by the network device, to modulate the first information and the second information onto the first signal if the signal to interference and noise ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold and / or the reference signal received power is greater than or equal to a second threshold; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting, by the network device, second indication information to the first terminal device, the second indication information indicating to the network device to modulate different information onto a same signal by using a different modulation scheme and / or indicating a location of the first time-frequency resource.

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to a maximum bandwidth of a second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than a maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of receiving, by the network device, capability information from the second terminal device, the capability information indicating a maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device.

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information is modulated into a frequency domain of the first signal by using the first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into an amplitude domain or a power domain of the first signal by using the second modulation scheme.

8. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the range of values ​​of ∇p being in the open interval (0,P), and P being the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, a modulation depth for all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same, or a modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is the same.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained through line coding.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols included on the first time-frequency resource is even.

12. A signal transmission method, comprising: receiving, by a first terminal device, a first signal from a network device on a first time-frequency resource, where first information and second information are modulated onto the first signal, a first modulation scheme for the first information being different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme being phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme being amplitude shift keying modulation; obtaining, by the first terminal device, the first information from the first signal; A method comprising:

13. determining, by the first terminal device, at least one of a signal to interference plus noise ratio and a reference signal received power based on a reference signal from the network device; transmitting, by the first terminal device, a first indication information to the network device when the signal to interference and noise ratio is equal to or greater than a first threshold and / or when the reference signal received power is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the first indication information indicating modulating different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes; The method of claim 12 further comprising:

14. determining, by the first terminal device, at least one of a signal to interference plus noise ratio and a reference signal received power based on a reference signal from the network device; transmitting, by the first terminal device, at least one of the signal to interference and noise ratio and the reference signal received power to the network device; The method of claim 12 further comprising:

15. 15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of receiving, by the first terminal device, second indication information from the network device, the second indication information indicating to the network device to modulate different information onto a same signal by using different modulation schemes and / or indicating a location of the first time-frequency resource.

16. A signal transmission method, comprising: receiving, by a second terminal device, a first signal from a network device on a first time-frequency resource, where first information and second information are modulated onto the first signal, a first modulation scheme for the first information being different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme being phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme being amplitude shift keying modulation; obtaining, by the second terminal device, the second information from the first signal; A method comprising:

17. 17. The method according to claim 12, wherein a bandwidth corresponding to the first time-frequency resource is less than or equal to a maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device, and the maximum bandwidth of the second terminal device is less than a maximum bandwidth of the first terminal device.

18. 18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first information is modulated into a frequency domain of the first signal by using the first modulation scheme, and the second information is modulated into an amplitude domain or a power domain of the first signal by using the second modulation scheme.

19. 19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the modulation depth of the second modulation scheme is ∇p, the range of values ​​of ∇p being in the open interval (0,P), where P is the average power of all resource elements on the first time-frequency resource on which the first signal is modulated by using the first modulation scheme, or the modulation depth for all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein when the second information is modulated by using the second modulation scheme, a modulation depth on all resource elements corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same, or a modulation depth on all samples corresponding to each bit carrying the second information is not exactly the same.

21. 21. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, wherein the bits modulated onto the first signal and corresponding to the second information are coded bits obtained by line coding.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the line coding is at least one of Manchester coding and Differential Manchester coding, and the amount of symbols included in the first time-frequency resource is even.

23. a processing unit configured to modulate first and second information onto a first signal, a first modulation scheme for the first information being different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, the first modulation scheme being phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and the second modulation scheme being amplitude shift keying modulation; a communication unit configured to transmit the first signal on a first time-frequency resource; A communication device comprising:

24. A communication device, comprising: a communication unit configured to receive a first signal from a network device on a first time-frequency resource, where first information and second information are modulated onto the first signal, where a first modulation scheme for the first information is different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, where the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and where the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation; a processing unit configured to obtain the second information from the first signal; A communication device comprising:

25. a communication unit configured to receive a first signal from a network device on a first time-frequency resource, where first information and second information are modulated onto the first signal, where a first modulation scheme for the first information is different from a second modulation scheme for the second information, where the first modulation scheme is phase shift keying modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, and where the second modulation scheme is amplitude shift keying modulation; a processing unit configured to obtain the second information from the first signal; A communication device comprising:

26. A communications device comprising a processor, the processor coupled to a memory; A communications device, wherein the processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, such that the communications device implements a method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

27. A communications device comprising a processor, the processor coupled to a memory; A communications device, wherein the processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, such that the communications device implements a method according to any one of claims 12 to 15 and 17 to 22, or a method according to any one of claims 16 to 22.

28. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 22.

29. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when run on a computer, perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 22.

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