Communication methods and related devices

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and related apparatus, whereby a communication device can communicate over a link between a radio frequency unit and a distributed unit in a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes based on instructions from first information, and can implement communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit without manual configuration, thereby reducing consumption of labor and material resources and improving flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit. In the method, a first communication device receives first information, where the first information indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The first communication device communicates over the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit in the target signal processing scheme.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods and related devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Wireless communication is transmission communication between multiple communication nodes without propagation through conductors or cables. Generally, network devices and terminal devices may be used as different communication nodes and may communicate in a wireless manner.

[0003] In wireless communication scenarios, network devices may be deployed in a distributed manner, for example, functional entities configured to process signals in the network devices may be divided, with some of the functional entities being mounted on specific devices and other functional entities being mounted on other devices, thereby improving the coverage capability and deployment flexibility of the network devices.

[0004] However, in the above implementation process, how to implement an efficient configuration of communication methods between different functional entities in a network device is an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and related apparatus, whereby the communication apparatus can communicate on a link between a radio frequency unit and a distributed unit using a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes based on instructions from first information, and can implement communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit without manual configuration, thereby reducing consumption of labor and material resources and improving flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0006] A first aspect of the present application provides a communication method. The method is applied to a first communication device, and the method may be performed by the first communication device, or may be performed by several components (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system) within the first communication device. Alternatively, the method may be implemented by a logic module or software that can implement all or some of the functions of the first communication device. For the first aspect and possible implementations of the first aspect, an example in which the method is performed by the first communication device is used for explanation. In the method, the first communication device receives first information, which indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The first communication device communicates using the target signal processing scheme over a link between a radio frequency unit and a distributed unit.

[0007] According to the above technical solution, the first information received by the first communication device indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, and the first communication device communicates on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using the target signal processing scheme. Therefore, compared with an implementation process in which the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit supporting multiple signal processing schemes can be made compatible with each other only through manual configuration, the above technical solution allows the communication device to communicate on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using the target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes based on the instruction of the first information, and can implement communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit without manual configuration, thereby reducing the consumption of labor and material resources and improving the flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0008] Optionally, the first information may include an identifier, an index number, a version number, or other implementation of the target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes, which is not limited herein.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the method is applied to a radio frequency unit or a distributed unit.

[0010] Based on the above technical solutions, when the method is applied to a radio frequency unit, the first communication device may be the radio frequency unit, whereby the radio frequency unit can clearly communicate in a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes on a link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit based on first information from the distributed unit (or network management device). When the method is applied to a distributed unit, the first communication device may be the distributed unit, whereby the distributed unit can clearly communicate in a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes on a link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit based on first information from the radio frequency unit (or network management device).

[0011] In this application, a radio frequency unit (RU) is a network device having radio frequency signal processing capabilities, and a distributed unit (DU) is a network device having baseband signal processing capabilities, and it should be understood that radio frequency units and distributed units may have other names.

[0012] For example, the radio frequency unit is radio equipment (RE) and the distributed unit is a radio equipment controller (REC).

[0013] In another example, the radio frequency unit is a remote radio unit (RRU) and the distributed unit is a building baseband unit (BBU).

[0014] In another example, the radio frequency unit is an active antenna unit (AAU) and the distributed unit is a BBU.

[0015] In another example, the radio frequency unit is a radio unit (RU) and the distributed unit is a digital unit (DU).

[0016] Optionally, the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may be referred to as a fronthaul link, a fronthaul network, or the like.

[0017] Optionally, the communication interface between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may be referred to as a common public radio interface (CPRI), an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI), a fronthaul interface in an open radio access network (ORAN or O-RAN), or other interface name, without being limited herein.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, before the first communication device receives the first information, the method further includes the first communication device transmitting second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported.

[0019] Based on the above technical solutions, before the first communication device receives the first information, the first communication device may further send second information indicating that the first communication device supports N signal processing schemes, so that the receiver of the second information can use the second information as one of the bases for determining the first information, and enable the target signal processing scheme determined by the receiver to be a signal processing scheme supported by the first communication device, so as to avoid incompatibility.

[0020] Optionally, the second information may include an identifier, an index number, a version number, or other implementations of the N signal processing schemes, which is not limited herein.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, before the first communication device transmits the second information, the method further includes the first communication device receiving third information, the third information being used to request pairing.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, before the first communication device transmits the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, the first communication device may further receive third information from the distribution unit (or network management device) used to request pairing. In other words, the first communication device triggers the transmission of the second information based on the third information. Therefore, the above technical solution can be applied to a scenario in which the first communication device is triggered to request pairing.

[0023] Optionally, the third information (or the first information, second information, etc. described below) may be expressed as being used to request pairing, used to discover the first communication device, used to request access to the first communication device, or expressed in other manners, without being limited herein.

[0024] Optionally, before the first communication device transmits the second information, the method further includes the first communication device transmitting other information used to request pairing, and implementing the pairing by using the other information.

[0025] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first information is further used to request pairing, or the second information is further used to request pairing.

[0026] Based on the above technical solutions, the first information received by the first communication device (or the second information sent by the first communication device) can be further used to request pairing, so as to reduce overhead by multiplexing the first information and the second information.

[0027] Optionally, when the first information is further used to request pairing, the first information may be conveyed by using the same field, where the same field indicates a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes, and indicates that pairing is requested. Alternatively, the first information may be conveyed by using at least two fields, where one of the at least two fields indicates a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes, and another of the at least two fields indicates that pairing is requested. Similarly, when the second information is further used to request pairing, the second information may be conveyed by using the same field, where the same field indicates that N signal processing schemes are supported, and indicates that pairing is requested. Alternatively, the first information may be conveyed by using at least two fields, where one of the at least two fields indicates that N signal processing schemes are supported, and the other of the at least two fields indicates that pairing is requested.

[0028] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the second information further indicates a priority of the N signal processing schemes.

[0029] Based on the above technical solutions, the second information transmitted by the first communication device may further indicate the priorities of the N signal processing schemes, so that the receiver of the second information can use the priorities as one of the bases for determining the first information, so as to enable the first information determined by the receiver to meet the priorities.

[0030] A second aspect of the present application provides a communication method. The method is applied to a second communication device, and the method may be performed by the second communication device, or may be performed by some components (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system) within the second communication device, or may be implemented by a logic module or software that can implement all or some of the functions of the second communication device. In the second aspect and possible implementations of the second aspect, an example in which the method is performed by the second communication device is used for explanation. In the method, the second communication device determines first information, which indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The second communication device transmits the first information.

[0031]

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the first information determined and transmitted by the second communication device indicates a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes, so that after the first communication device receives the first information, the first communication device can communicate on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using the target signal processing scheme. Therefore, compared with an implementation process in which the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit supporting multiple signal processing schemes can be made compatible with each other only through manual configuration, the above technical solution allows the communication device to communicate on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using the target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes based on the indication of the first information, and can implement communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit without manual configuration, thereby reducing the consumption of labor and material resources and improving the flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0032] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device receiving second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, and the first information being determined based on the second information.

[0033] Based on the above technical solutions, before the second communication device sends the first information, the second communication device may further receive second information indicating that the first communication device supports N signal processing schemes, so that the second communication device uses the second information as one of the bases for determining the first information, and enables the target signal processing scheme determined by the second communication device to be a signal processing scheme supported by the first communication device, so as to avoid incompatibility.

[0034] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, before the second communication device receives the second information, the method further includes the second communication device transmitting third information, the third information being used to request pairing.

[0035] Based on the above technical solution, before the second communication device receives the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, the second communication device may further transmit third information used to request pairing, so that after the first communication device receives the third information, the first communication device can trigger the transmission of the second information based on the third information. Therefore, the above technical solution can be applied to a scenario in which the second communication device actively initiates a pairing request.

[0036] Optionally, the third information (or the first information, second information, etc. described below) may be expressed as being used to request pairing, used to discover the first communication device, used to request access to the first communication device, or expressed in other manners, without being limited herein.

[0037] Optionally, before the second communication device receives the second information, the method further includes the second communication device receiving other information used to request pairing, and implementing the pairing by using the other information.

[0038] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the first information is further used to request pairing, or the second information is further used to request pairing.

[0039] Based on the above technical solutions, the first information sent by the second communication device (or the second information received by the second communication device) can be further used to request pairing, so as to reduce overhead by multiplexing the first information and the second information.

[0040] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the second information further indicates priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

[0041] Based on the above technical solutions, the second information received by the second communication device may further indicate the priorities of the N signal processing schemes, so that the second communication device can use the priorities as one of the bases for determining the first information, so as to enable the first information determined by the receiver to meet the priorities.

[0042] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method is applied to a radio frequency unit and the second information is from a distributed unit.

[0043] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a radio frequency unit, that is, when the second communication device can be a radio frequency unit, the second information from the distributed unit may indicate that the distributed unit supports N signal processing schemes, so that the radio frequency unit acts as a signal processing scheme determining party to implement a process of determining a signal processing scheme on a link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0044] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information, the fourth information indicating M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M being a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme being included in the M signal processing schemes.

[0045] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to the radio frequency unit, a target signal processing scheme used for communication on a link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit can be further determined based on fourth information, where the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, thereby enabling all target signal processing schemes determined by the radio frequency unit to be signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit to avoid incompatibility.

[0046] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes the second communication device receiving first instruction information, wherein when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the radio frequency units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the M signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the distributed units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

[0047] Optionally, M is equal to N.

[0048] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a radio frequency unit, the radio frequency unit may further receive first instruction information, whereby the radio frequency unit specifically determines, based on the first instruction information, that the priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit) is used as one of the bases for determining a target signal processing scheme.

[0049] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method is applied to a distributed unit and the second information is from a radio frequency unit.

[0050] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a distributed unit, that is, when the second communication device can be a distributed unit, the second information from the radio frequency unit may indicate that the radio frequency unit supports N signal processing schemes, so that the distributed unit acts as a signal processing scheme decision party and implements a process of determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0051] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0052] Optionally, K is equal to N.

[0053] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to the distributed unit, a target signal processing scheme used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit can be further determined based on fifth information, where the fifth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, and enables all target signal processing schemes determined by the distributed unit to be signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit so as to avoid incompatibility.

[0054] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes the second communication device receiving second instruction information, wherein when the second instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the radio frequency units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the distributed units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the K signal processing schemes.

[0055] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to the distributed unit, the distributed unit may further receive second instruction information, so that the distributed unit specifically determines, based on the second instruction information, that the priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit) is used as one of the bases for determining the target signal processing scheme.

[0056] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method is applied to a network management device, wherein the second information is from a distributed unit, the first information is determined based on the second information and fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0057] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a network management device, that is, the second communication device can be a network management device (e.g., a remote network management device, an operation and maintenance center (OMC), or a base station control unit). The second information from the distributed unit may indicate that the distributed unit supports K signal processing schemes, so that the network management device acts as a signal processing scheme decision party and implements a process of determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0058] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes the second communication device receiving the fifth information.

[0059] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a network management device, the second communication device may further receive fifth information from the distributed unit, to determine the K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, by interacting with the distributed unit.

[0060] Optionally, the network management device may determine the fifth information in a pre-configured or manual configuration manner.

[0061] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method is applied to a network management device, wherein the second information is from a radio frequency unit, the first information is determined based on the second information and fourth information, the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes.

[0062] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a network management device, that is, the second communication device can be a network management device (e.g., a remote network management device, an operation and maintenance center (OMC), or a base station control unit). The second information from the radio frequency unit may indicate that the radio frequency unit supports M signal processing schemes, so that the network management device acts as a signal processing scheme decision party and implements a process of determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0063] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes the second communication device receiving the fourth information.

[0064] Based on the above technical solutions, when the above method is applied to a network management device, the second communication device may further receive fourth information from the radio frequency unit and determine M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link by interacting with the radio frequency unit.

[0065] Optionally, the network management device may determine the fourth information in a pre-configured or manual configuration manner.

[0066] In a possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the N signal processing schemes include a downlink signal processing scheme, which indicates that the downlink signal is subjected to at least one of encoding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beammapping (BF), invert fast Fourier transform (IFFT), cyclic prefix (CP) addition, digital-to-analog conversion, or analog BF.

[0067] Based on the above technical solutions, the N signal processing schemes used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may include a downlink signal processing scheme, which may indicate at least one of the above processing processes corresponding to the downlink signal transmitted on the link by the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit), so as to improve the flexibility of implementing the solution.

[0068] It should be understood that in this application, a downlink signal may be understood as a signal transmitted by a network device (a network device including a radio frequency unit and / or a distributed unit) to a terminal device, and an uplink signal referred to below may be understood as a signal transmitted by a terminal device to a network device.

[0069] In a possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the N signal processing schemes include an uplink signal processing scheme, and the uplink signal processing scheme performs at least one of the following processing on the uplink signal: decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, RE demapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal, analog-to-digital conversion, or analog BF.

[0070] Based on the above technical solutions, the N signal processing schemes used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may include an uplink signal processing scheme, which may indicate at least one of the above processing processes corresponding to the uplink signal transmitted on the link by the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit), so as to improve the flexibility of implementing the solution.

[0071] A third aspect of the present application provides a communications device. The communications device can implement the method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect. The communications device includes corresponding units or modules configured to perform the above-mentioned methods. The units or modules included in the communications device may be implemented by software and / or hardware. For example, the device may be a control device, or the device may be a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system) within a control device, or the device may be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functionality of the control device.

[0072] The communication device includes a processing module and a transceiver module, the transceiver module configured to receive first information, the first information indicating a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The processing module is configured to communicate in the target signal processing scheme over a link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0073] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to transmit second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported.

[0074] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to receive third information, the third information being used to request pairing.

[0075] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the second information is further used to request pairing.

[0076] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the second information further indicates a priority of the N signal processing schemes.

[0077] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the device is used in a radio frequency unit or a distributed unit.

[0078] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a communications device. The communications device can implement the method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect. The communications device includes corresponding units or modules configured to perform the above-mentioned methods. The units or modules included in the communications device may be implemented by software and / or hardware. For example, the device may be a control device, or the device may be a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system) within a control device, or the device may be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functionality of the control device.

[0079] The communication device includes a processing module and a transceiver module, wherein the processing module is configured to determine first information, the first information indicating a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The transceiver module is configured to transmit the first information.

[0080] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to receive second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, and the first information is determined based on the second information.

[0081] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to transmit third information, the third information being used to request pairing.

[0082] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the second information is further used to request pairing.

[0083] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the second information further indicates priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

[0084] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the device is used in a radio frequency unit and the second information is from a distributed unit.

[0085] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information, the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes.

[0086] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to receive first instruction information, wherein when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the radio frequency units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the M signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the distributed units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

[0087] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the device is used in a distributed unit and the second information is from a radio frequency unit.

[0088] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0089] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to receive second instruction information, wherein when the second instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the radio frequency units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on priorities corresponding to the distributed units, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the K signal processing schemes.

[0090] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the apparatus is used in a network management device, wherein the second information is from a distributed unit, the first information is determined based on the second information and fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0091] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to receive fifth information.

[0092] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the apparatus is used in a network management device, wherein the second information is a radio frequency unit, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information, the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes.

[0093] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is further configured to receive fourth information.

[0094] In a possible implementation of the third or fourth aspect, the N signal processing schemes include a downlink signal processing scheme, and the downlink signal processing scheme performs at least one of the following processing on the downlink signal: encoding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element RE mapping, digital beam mapping BF, inverse fast Fourier transform IFFT, cyclic prefix CP addition, digital-to-analog conversion, or analog BF.

[0095] In a possible implementation of the third or fourth aspect, the N signal processing schemes include an uplink signal processing scheme, and the uplink signal processing scheme performs at least one of the following processing on the uplink signal: decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, RE demapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal, analog-to-digital conversion, or analog BF.

[0096] A fifth aspect of the present application provides a communications device including at least one processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to perform a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0097] For example, the memory may be configured to store a program or instructions, and the at least one processor may be configured to execute the program or instructions, such that the apparatus implements a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0098] A sixth aspect of the present application provides a communications device including at least one processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to perform a method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0099] For example, the memory may be configured to store a program or instructions, and the at least one processor may be configured to execute the program or instructions, such that the apparatus implements a method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0100] A seventh aspect of the present application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface, the logic circuit configured to perform a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0101] An eighth aspect of the present application provides a communications device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface, the logic circuit configured to perform a method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0102] A ninth aspect of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium configured to store one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method according to the first aspect or any one of its possible implementations, or cause the processor to perform a method according to the second aspect or any one of its possible implementations.

[0103] A tenth aspect of the present application provides a computer program product (also referred to as a computer program) which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method according to the first aspect or any one of its possible implementations, or causes the processor to perform a method according to the second aspect or any one of its possible implementations.

[0104] An eleventh aspect of the present application provides a chip system, the chip system including at least one processor configured to support a communications device in implementing functionality according to the first aspect or any one of possible implementations of the first aspect, or to support a communications device in implementing functionality according to the second aspect or any one of possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0105] In a possible design, the chip system may further include a memory configured to store program instructions and data required for the communication device. The chip system may include a chip, or may include a chip and other individual components. Optionally, the chip system may further include an interface circuit, which provides the program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0106] A twelfth aspect of the present application provides a communication system including the communication device of the third aspect and the call device of the fourth aspect, or the communication device of the fifth aspect and the communication device of the sixth aspect, or the communication system including the communication device of the seventh aspect and the communication device of the eighth aspect.

[0107] Regarding the technical effects provided by any one of the design methods of the third to twelfth aspects, please refer to the technical effects provided by the different design methods of the first or second aspect, and the details will not be described again in this specification. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0108] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an application scenario according to the present application. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an application scenario according to the present application. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an application scenario according to the present application.

[0109] [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram of a communication method according to the present application.

[0110] [Figure 5] 1 illustrates a communication device according to the present application; [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a communication device according to the present application; [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a communication device according to the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0111] The technical solutions of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the present application. All other solutions obtained by those skilled in the art based on the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0112] First, some terms used in this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0113] (1) The terminal device may be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving scheduling and instruction information from a network device. The wireless terminal device may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, or a handheld device with wireless connectivity, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

[0114] A terminal device may communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet by using a radio access network (RAN). A terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, or mobile terminal. Terminal devices may be widely applied in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, machine-type communications (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearable devices, smart transportation, smart cities, or satellite communications. A terminal may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a wearable device, a vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a helicopter, an airplane, a hot air balloon, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, or the like. The shape of the terminal device is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0115] (2) A network device may be a device in a wireless network. For example, a network device may be a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to the wireless network.

[0116] In some implementations, the network devices may further include satellites, aircraft, and the like.

[0117] In addition, in other possible cases, the network device may be another device that provides wireless communication capabilities to terminal devices. The specific technology and specific device configuration used by the network device are not limited herein. For ease of explanation, this is not limited herein.

[0118] Optionally, the network device may further include a core network device, for example, including an access and mobility management function (AMF), a user plane function (UPF), or a session management function (SMF).

[0119] In the present application, an apparatus configured to implement the functions of a network device may be a network device, or may be an apparatus capable of supporting a network device in implementing the functions, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system. The apparatus may be installed in the network device or connected to the network device for use. In the technical solution provided in the present application, the example in which the apparatus configured to implement the functions of a network device is a network device is for the purpose of explaining the technical solution provided in the present application.

[0120] In the present application, an apparatus configured to implement the functions of a terminal device may be a terminal device, or may be an apparatus capable of supporting a terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system. The apparatus may be installed in or connected to a terminal device for use. In the technical solution provided in the present application, the example in which the apparatus configured to implement the functions of a terminal device is a terminal device is for the purpose of explaining the technical solution provided in the present application.

[0121] (3) The terms "system" and "network" may be used interchangeably herein. "At least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes an association relationship between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may indicate three cases: that only A is present, that both A and B are present, and that only B is present, where A and B may be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between related objects. "At least one of the following items (moieties)" or similar expressions indicates any combination of these items, including a single item (moiety) or any combination of multiple items (moieties). For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" referred to herein are used to distinguish between multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, chronology, priority, or importance of the multiple objects.

[0122] This application may be applied to a variety of possible communication systems. For example, this application may be applied to a long-term evolution (LTE) system, a new radio (NR) system, an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN, or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a new radio vehicle-to-everything (NR V2X) system. Alternatively, this application may be applied to a system in hybrid networking of multiple access technologies (e.g., LTE and 5G). Alternatively, this application may be applied to a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT), or an unmanned aerial vehicle communication system. Alternatively, this application may be applied to a non-terrestrial communication system, such as a satellite communication system or a high-altitude communication platform.

[0123] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a possible, non-limiting application scenario according to the present application. The solution provided herein may be applied to a communication system 1000 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. The RAN 100 may include at least one RAN device (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 , collectively referred to as 110). The RAN 100 may further include at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1 , collectively referred to as 120). The terminals 120a-120j are wirelessly connected to the RAN device 110. The RAN 100 may further include other RAN devices, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1 ). The access network device 110 is connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network devices in the core network and the access network devices in the radio access network may be different physical devices or may be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network and the radio access network. Terminals may be connected to each other in a wireless manner. Access network devices may be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner. Figure 1 is an exemplary diagram only. The communication system may further include other network devices, for example, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1).

[0124] For example, in FIG. 1 , the RAN 100 may be configured as a cellular system associated with the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP®). For example, the RAN 100 may be configured as a fourth generation (4G) mobile communication system, a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a future evolutionary system (e.g., a 6G mobile communication system). Alternatively, the RAN 100 may be an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN, or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (CRAN). Alternatively, the RAN 100 may be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0125] The RAN device 110, which may also be referred to as a RAN node, RAN entity, access node, etc., forms part of a communication system to help terminals implement wireless access. The multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 1000 may be the same type of node or different types of nodes. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN node 110 and the terminal 120 are relative. For example, the network element 120i in FIG. 1 may be a helicopter or an unmanned aerial vehicle and may be configured as a mobile base station. To the terminal 120j accessing the RAN 100 through the network element 120i, the network element 120i is a base station. However, to the base station 110a, the network element 120i is a terminal. Both the RAN node 110 and the terminal 120 may be referred to as communication devices. For example, the network elements 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 may be understood as communication devices having base station functionality, and the network elements 120a to 120j may be understood as communication devices having terminal functionality.

[0126] In possible scenarios, the access network device may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a 6th-generation (6G) mobile communication system, an access node in a base station in a future mobile communication system, etc. The access network device may be a macro base station (e.g., 110a in FIG. 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (e.g., 110b in FIG. 1), a relay node or a donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the access network device may also be a server, a wearable device, an in-vehicle device, etc. For example, an access network device in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in a communication system may be the same type of base station or different types of base stations. A base station may communicate with a terminal or may communicate with the terminal through a relay station. A terminal may communicate with multiple base stations using different access technologies.

[0127] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes cooperate to help terminals implement radio access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the functions of a base station. For example, a RAN node may be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU control plane (CP), a CU user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU may be located separately or may be included in the same network element, e.g., a baseband unit (BBU). The RU may be included in a radio device or radio frequency unit, e.g., a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0128] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meanings. For example, in an ORAN system, the CU may be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU may be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP may be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP may be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU may be referred to as an O-RU. For ease of explanation, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU are used as examples for explanation in this application. Any one of the CU (or CU-CP or CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application may be implemented by using a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. The CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, and RU may implement different protocol layer functions.

[0129] Communications between an access network device and a terminal device may conform to a specific protocol layer structure. The protocol layers may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, a physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, a physical layer, etc.

[0130] In one implementation, as shown in FIG. 2, an access network device may include at least one CU and at least one DU. This design may be referred to as CU and DU separation. One CU may be connected to one or more DUs. The CU and DU may be divided based on the protocol layer of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the PDCP layer and protocol layers above the PDCP layer (e.g., the RRC layer and the SDAP layer) are configured on the CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (e.g., the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer) are configured on the DU. In another example, the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer are configured on the CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer are configured on the DU. This is not limited to this. When a CU includes a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the CU-CP is configured to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and the CU-UP is configured to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when a CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, the RRC layer, and the SDAP layer, a CU-CP is configured to implement the functions of the RRC layer and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and a CU-UP is configured to implement the functions of the SDAP layer and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer. The names of the CU and DU are not limited in this application. For example, a CU may be referred to as a first access network element, and a DU may be referred to as a second access network element.

[0131] The division of the CU and DU into processing functions based on protocol layers is merely an example, and other division schemes are possible. For example, the CU or DU may have more protocol layer functions through division, or the CU or DU may have some protocol layer processing functions through division. For example, some functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers higher than the RLC layer are configured on the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers lower than the RLC layer are configured on the DU. In other examples, the division of the CU or DU into functions may be based on service type or other system requirements. For example, the division may be based on latency. Functions whose processing time must meet latency requirements are configured on the DU, and functions whose processing time does not need to meet latency requirements are configured on the CU.

[0132] The CU may be connected to a core network. Optionally, the CU may have some functions of the core network.

[0133] In addition, some functions of the DU may be configured separately. As shown in FIG. 2, some functions may be implemented by a radio unit (RU). The RU may have radio frequency functions. The name of the RU is not limited in this application. For example, the RU may be referred to as a third access network element. The DU and the RU may be divided or separated at the PHY layer. For example, the DU may implement upper layer functions of the PHY layer, and the RU may implement lower layer functions of the PHY layer, or may implement lower layer functions and radio frequency functions. The upper layer functions of the PHY layer include functions closer to the MAC layer, and the lower layer functions of the PHY layer include functions closer to the radio frequency layer. For example, the upper layer functions of the PHY layer include one or more of forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling, or modulation / demodulation. The lower layer functions of the PHY layer include one or more of fast Fourier transform (FFT) / inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), beamforming, physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering, etc. The RU may perform radio frequency signal communication with a terminal device over the air interface. The precoding function of the PHY layer may be located in the DU or the RU. There may be various possible ways to separate the DU and the RU, including but not limited to:

[0134] There is an interface between the DU and the RU. For example, based on different division schemes, the interface between the DU and the RU can be a common public radio interface (CPRI) or an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI).

[0135] Figure 3 is a diagram of the architecture of an access network device. The access network device includes one or more functional modules configured to implement signal processing. As shown in Figure 3, a physical layer function is used as an example. The access network device includes one or more of the following functions: coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / cyclic prefix (CP) addition, decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization (or channel estimation), RE demapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT) / CP removal, digital-to-analog (DA) conversion, analog BF, analog-to-digital (AD) conversion, or analog BF.

[0136] One or more functional modules may be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Physically, the functional modules may be separate or integrated. It may be understood that the above-mentioned functional modules are merely examples. The access network device may include more modules (e.g., a scheduling module, a power control module, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) module, a flow control module, a mobility management module, or an artificial intelligence (AI) module) according to the design, or may not include the specific functional modules shown in FIG. 3 (e.g., a digital BF module). The access network device further includes a fronthaul (FH) interface between the DU and the RU to implement communication between the DU and the RU. The fronthaul interface includes, but is not limited to, CPRI or eCPRI. In a possible implementation, the DU is located in the BBU, and the RU is located in the RRU / AAU / RRH, and the interface between the BBU and the RRU / AAU / RRH may be referred to as a fronthaul interface. To implement a fronthaul interface, the BBU and the RRU / AAU / RRH may be connected by using a fronthaul network, or the DU and the RU may be connected by using a fronthaul network. For example, the fronthaul network includes, but is not limited to, a fiber direct connect network and a wavelength division network.

[0137] An access network device may support one or more categories of fronthaul interfaces, with different fronthaul interfaces corresponding to DUs and RUs with different functions. As shown in FIG. 3, when the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is CPRI, the DU is configured to implement one or more baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement one or more radio frequency functions. When the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is eCPRI, compared to CPRI, some downlink and / or uplink baseband functions are offloaded from the DU to the RU for implementation. Different methods of dividing the DU and RU correspond to different categories (Cats) of eCPRIs. FIG. 3 shows six examples of eCPRI, represented by Cat A, Cat B, Cat C, Cat D, Cat E, and Cat F (which may be represented as options A to F, or options 1 to 6, or in other ways). It can be understood that other methods of dividing the DU and RU may exist, i.e., other categories of eCPRI may exist.

[0138] eCPRI Cat A is used as an example. For downlink transmission, with layer mapping as the split point, the DU is configured to implement layer mapping, one or more functions before layer mapping (i.e., one or more of coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping), and other functions after layer mapping is moved to the RU for implementation (e.g., one or more of RE mapping, digital BF, or IFFT / CP addition). For uplink transmission, with RE demapping as the split point, the DU is configured to implement demapping, one or more functions before demapping (i.e., one or more of decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, IDFT, channel equalization, and RE demapping), and other functions after demapping is moved to the RU for implementation (e.g., one or more of digital BF or FFT / CP removal).

[0139] Similarly, eCPRI Cat B, eCPRI Cat C, eCPRI Cat D, eCPRI Cat E, and eCPRI Cat F correspond to different methods of splitting the DU and RU. The split point and functions before the split point are implemented by the DU, and functions after the split point are implemented by the RU. See Figure 3 for the split points of various categories of eCPRIs. Details will not be provided. For example, for eCPRI Cat B, RE mapping is used as the split point for downlink transmission, and RE demapping is used as the split point for uplink transmission. For uplink transmission, RE mapping and functions before RE mapping are implemented by the DU, and functions after RE mapping and radio frequency functions are implemented by the RU. For downlink transmission, RE demapping and functions before RE demapping are implemented by the DU, and functions after RE demapping and radio frequency functions are implemented by the RU.

[0140] The division method of eCPRIs may be symmetric between the uplink and the downlink, for example, symmetric between eCPRI Cat B and eCPRI Cat C shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the division scheme of eCPRIs may be asymmetric between the uplink and the downlink, for example, between eCPRI Cat A, eCPRI Cat D, eCPRI Cat E, and eCPRI Cat F shown in FIG. 3. This is not limiting. Optionally, different division schemes may be configured for different channels or different channel groups, i.e., different categories of eCPRIs, for the uplink and / or the downlink. One channel group may include one or more channels.

[0141] In a possible design, the DU is located in the BBU, the RU is located in the RRU / AAU / RRH, a processing module configured to implement baseband functions in the BBU is referred to as a baseband high (BBH) unit, and a processing module configured to implement baseband functions in the RRU / AAU / RRH is referred to as a baseband low (BBL) unit.

[0142] In wireless communication scenarios, network devices may be deployed in a distributed manner, for example, functional entities configured to process signals in the network devices may be divided, with some of the functional entities being mounted on specific devices and other functional entities being mounted on other devices, thereby improving the coverage capability and deployment flexibility of the network devices.

[0143] For example, the network device is a base station, which includes a BBU and an RRU. In current applications in the industry, the split point of the base station functions is usually selected through a manual configuration method (or a factory pre-configuration method) before the base station service starts (for example, the split point can be eCPRI Cat B, eCPRI Cat C, eCPRI Cat D, eCPRI Cat E, or eCPRI Cat F as shown in FIG. 3). In addition, after the service starts, the base station uses the same fixed split point for all terminal devices connected to the base station, i.e., the base station does not change the split point. For data of any terminal device connected to the base station, the BBU performs data processing for some base station functions, and the RRU performs data processing for other base station functions. The above implementation process simplifies the management of data transmission between the BBU and the RRU on the control plane. However, the manual configuration method consumes a large amount of labor and material resources, and is inefficient when there are a large number of BBUs and RRUs. In particular, when the BBU and the RRU are manufactured by different manufacturers, each manufacturer implements a division scheme independently, and the division points in the uplink direction and the downlink direction are also independent. Therefore, the product configurations provided by different manufacturers may not be compatible, and interconnection between products from different manufacturers can only be implemented when a professional technician performs a configuration / commissioning process or other process on site.

[0144] In conclusion, how to implement an efficient configuration of communication schemes between different functional entities in a network device is an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0145] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present application provides a communication method and related device, such that a communication device can communicate on a link between a radio frequency unit and a distributed unit using a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes based on the instruction of first information, and can implement communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit without manual configuration, thereby reducing the consumption of labor and material resources and improving the flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be provided with reference to further accompanying drawings.

[0146] 4 is a diagram of a communication method according to the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0147] S401: A second communication device determines first information, which indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0148] Optionally, the first information may include an identifier, an index number, a version number, or other implementation of the target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes, which is not limited herein.

[0149] S402: The second communication device transmits first information, and in response, the first communication device receives the first information. Further, after step S402, the first communication device communicates on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes based on the instruction of the first information.

[0150] In this application, a radio frequency unit (RU) is a network device having radio frequency signal processing capabilities, and a distributed unit (DU) is a network device having baseband signal processing capabilities, and it should be understood that radio frequency units and distributed units may have other names.

[0151] For example, the radio frequency unit is radio equipment (RE) and the distributed unit is a radio equipment controller (REC).

[0152] In another example, the radio frequency unit is a remote radio unit (RRU) and the distributed unit is a building baseband unit (BBU).

[0153] In another example, the radio frequency unit is an active antenna unit (AAU) and the distributed unit is a BBU.

[0154] In another example, the radio frequency unit is a radio unit (RU) and the distributed unit is a digital unit (DU).

[0155] Optionally, the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may be referred to as a fronthaul link, a fronthaul network, etc.

[0156] Optionally, the communication interface between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may be referred to as a common public radio interface (CPRI), an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI), a fronthaul interface in an open radio access network (ORAN or O-RAN), or other interface name, without being limited herein.

[0157] 4, before step S401, the method further includes: the second communication device receives second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, and the first information is determined based on the second information. Specifically, before the second communication device transmits the first information in step S401, the second communication device may further receive second information indicating that the first communication device supports N signal processing schemes, so that the second communication device uses the second information as one of the bases for determining the first information in step S401 to enable the target signal processing scheme determined by the second communication device to be a signal processing scheme supported by the first communication device so as to avoid incompatibility.

[0158] Optionally, the second information may include an identifier, an index number, a version number, or other implementations of the N signal processing schemes, which is not limited herein.

[0159] Optionally, the second communication device may further determine the second information in a pre-configured manner, a manual configuration manner, or other manners, which is not limited herein.

[0160] Optionally, the method further includes, before the second communication device receives the second information, the second communication device transmits third information, where the third information is used to request pairing. Specifically, before the second communication device receives the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, the second communication device may further transmit the third information used to request pairing, so that after the first communication device receives the third information, the first communication device can trigger transmission of the second information based on the third information. Therefore, the above technical solution can be applied to a scenario in which the second communication device actively initiates a pairing request.

[0161] Optionally, the third information (or the first information, second information, etc. described below) may be expressed as being used to request pairing, used to discover the first communication device, used to request access to the first communication device, or expressed in other manners, without being limited herein.

[0162] Optionally, before the second communication device receives the second information, the method further includes the second communication device receiving other information used to request pairing, and implementing the pairing by using the other information.

[0163] In a possible implementation, the first information transmitted by the second communication device in step S402 may be further used to request pairing, or the second information may be further used to request pairing. Specifically, the first information transmitted by the second communication device (or the second information received by the second communication device) may be further used to request pairing in order to reduce overhead by multiplexing the first information and the second information.

[0164] In a possible implementation, the second information received by the second communication device further indicates priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priorities of the N signal processing schemes. Specifically, the second information received by the second communication device may further indicate priorities of the N signal processing schemes, so that the second communication device can use the priorities as one of the bases for determining the first information to enable the first information determined by the receiver to satisfy the priorities.

[0165] In a possible implementation, the first communication device may be a radio frequency unit, whereby after step S402, the radio frequency unit can clearly communicate on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit in a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes based on the first information from the distributed unit (or the network management device). Alternatively, the first communication device may be a distributed unit, whereby after step S402, the distributed unit can clearly communicate on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit in a target signal processing scheme among the N signal processing schemes based on the first information from the radio frequency unit (or the network management device). Accordingly, the second communication device may alternatively be implemented in multiple schemes. A detailed description is provided below using the following implementation examples.

[0166] Implementation Example 1: The second communication device is a radio frequency unit. The second information in the above implementation process is from the distributed unit. Specifically, the second information from the distributed unit may indicate that the distributed unit supports N signal processing schemes, whereby the radio frequency unit acts as a signal processing scheme decision party and implements a process for determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0167] In a possible implementation of Implementation Example 1, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information, where the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, where M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes. Specifically, if the second communication device is a radio frequency unit, the target signal processing scheme to be used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit can be further determined based on the fourth information. The fourth information indicates the M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, thereby enabling all target signal processing schemes determined by the radio frequency unit to be signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit to avoid incompatibility.

[0168] Optionally, in implementation example 1, the radio frequency unit may determine the fourth information in a pre-configured manner, a manual configuration manner, or other manners, which is not limited herein.

[0169] In a possible implementation of Implementation Example 1, the method further includes the second communication device receiving first instruction information: when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on a priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on a priority of the M signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on a priority corresponding to the distributed unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on a priority of the N signal processing schemes.

[0170] Optionally, M is equal to N.

[0171] Specifically, when the second communication device is a radio frequency unit, the radio frequency unit may further receive first instruction information, whereby the radio frequency unit specifically determines, based on the first instruction information, that the priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit) is used as one of the bases for determining the target signal processing scheme.

[0172] Optionally, in implementation example 1, the first indication information may be from a network management device, a distribution unit, or other devices, which is not limited herein.

[0173] Implementation Example 2: The second communication device is a distributed unit. The second information in the above implementation process is from the radio frequency unit. Specifically, when the second communication device is a distributed unit, the second information from the radio frequency unit may indicate that the radio frequency unit supports N signal processing schemes, so that the distributed unit acts as a signal processing scheme decision party and implements a process for determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0174] In a possible implementation of implementation example 2, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0175] Optionally, K is equal to N.

[0176] Specifically, if the second communication device is a distributed unit, a target signal processing scheme to be used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may be further determined based on fifth information, where the fifth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, and enables all target signal processing schemes determined by the distributed unit to be signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit to avoid incompatibility.

[0177] Optionally, in implementation example 2, the distributed unit may determine the fifth information in a pre-configured manner, a manual configuration manner, or other manners, which is not limited in this specification.

[0178] In a possible implementation of Implementation Example 2, the method further includes the second communication device receiving second instruction information. When the second instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on the priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the N signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on the priority corresponding to the distributed unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the K signal processing schemes. Specifically, when the second communication device is a distributed unit, the distributed unit may further receive the second instruction information, thereby explicitly determining, based on the second instruction information, that the priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit) is used as one of the bases for determining the target signal processing scheme.

[0179] Optionally, in implementation example 2, the second instruction information may be from a network management device, a distribution unit, or other devices, which is not limited herein.

[0180] Implementation Example 3: The second communication device is a network management device. The second information in the above implementation process is from the distributed unit. The first information is determined based on the second information and the fifth information. The fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, where K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes. Specifically, if the second communication device is a network management device (e.g., a remote network management device, an operation and maintenance center (OMC), or a base station control unit), the second information from the distributed unit may indicate that the distributed unit supports K signal processing schemes, thereby allowing the network management device to act as a signal processing scheme determiner and implement a process for determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0181] In a possible implementation of Implementation Example 3, the method further includes the second communication device receiving fifth information. Specifically, when the second communication device is a network management device, the second communication device may further receive the fifth information from the distributed unit and determine the K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link by interacting with the distributed unit.

[0182] Optionally, the network management device may determine the fifth information in a pre-configured or manual configuration manner.

[0183] Implementation Example 4: The second communication device is a network management device. The second information in the above implementation process is from the radio frequency unit. The first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information. The fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, where M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes. Specifically, if the second communication device is a network management device (e.g., a remote network management device, an operation and maintenance center (OMC), or a base station control unit), the second information from the radio frequency unit may indicate that the radio frequency unit supports M signal processing schemes, thereby causing the network management device to act as a signal processing scheme determiner and implement a process for determining the signal processing scheme on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0184] In a possible implementation of Implementation Example 4, the method further includes the second communication device receiving fourth information. Specifically, when the above-mentioned method is applied to a network management device, the second communication device may further receive the fourth information from the radio frequency unit and determine M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link by interacting with the radio frequency unit.

[0185] Optionally, the network management device may determine the fourth information in a pre-configured or manual configuration manner.

[0186] In a possible implementation, in step S401, the N signal processing schemes in the first information include a downlink signal processing scheme, which indicates that at least one of the following processes is performed on the downlink signal: encoding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), cyclic prefix (CP) addition, digital-to-analog conversion, or analog beamforming. Specifically, the N signal processing schemes used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may include a downlink signal processing scheme. The downlink signal processing scheme may indicate at least one of the above-mentioned processing processes corresponding to the downlink signal transmitted on the link by the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit), so as to improve the flexibility of implementing the solution.

[0187] It should be understood that in the present application, a downlink signal may be understood as a signal transmitted by a network device (a network device including a radio frequency unit and / or a distributed unit) to a terminal device, and an uplink signal referred to below may be understood as a signal transmitted by a terminal device to a network device.

[0188] In a possible implementation, in step S401, the N signal processing schemes in the first information include an uplink signal processing scheme, which indicates performing at least one of the following processes on the uplink signal: decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, RE demapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal, analog-to-digital conversion, or analog BF. Specifically, the N signal processing schemes used for communication on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit may include an uplink signal processing scheme. The uplink signal processing scheme may indicate at least one of the above-mentioned processing processes corresponding to the uplink signal transmitted on the link by the radio frequency unit (or the distributed unit), so as to improve the flexibility of implementing the solution.

[0189] Optionally, the downlink and uplink signal processing schemes may be any one of several implementations specified in current standards / protocols, for example, CPRI, eCPRI Cat A, and eCPRI Cat F in FIG. 3.

[0190] Optionally, the downlink signal processing scheme and the uplink signal processing scheme may be other implementations that are not related to current standards / protocols. For example, coding may be performed on the downlink signals transmitted by the distributed unit to the radio frequency units, whereby the radio frequency units then perform other physical layer processing. In another example, coding and rate matching may be performed on the downlink signals transmitted by the distributed unit to the radio frequency units, whereby the radio frequency units then perform other physical layer processing. In another example, FFT / CP removal may be performed on the uplink signals transmitted by the radio frequency units to the distributed units, whereby the distributed units then perform other physical layer processing. In another example, FFT / CP removal, digital BF, RE demapping, channel equalization, IDFT, and demodulation may be performed on the uplink signals transmitted by the radio frequency units to the distributed units, whereby the distributed units then perform other physical layer processing.

[0191] 4, the first information received by the first communication device in step S402 indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, and the first communication device communicates on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using the target signal processing scheme. Therefore, compared with an implementation process in which the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit supporting multiple signal processing schemes can be made compatible with each other only through manual configuration, in the above technical solution, the communication device can communicate on the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using the target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes based on the instruction of the first information, and can implement communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit without manual configuration, thereby reducing the consumption of labor and material resources and improving the flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0192] In addition, based on the above-described implementation process, when the distributed unit and the radio frequency unit are from different manufacturers, the distributed unit or the radio frequency unit can be used as the first communication device (or the second communication device) to perform the above-described process. Communication is performed over the link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit using a target signal processing method among N signal processing methods, and processes such as configuration / tuning performed by on-site specialist engineers are not required, thereby making it possible to interconnect products from different manufacturers. This reduces the consumption of labor and material resources and improves the flexibility of communication between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0193] To implement the functions in the methods provided herein, the device performing the above-mentioned methods may include a hardware structure and / or a software module, and may implement the functions 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-mentioned 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.

[0194] 5, the present application provides a communication device 500. The device 500 includes a processing module 501 and a transceiver module 502.

[0195] In one implementation example, the communication device 500 may implement the function of the first communication device in the above-mentioned method, and therefore may also implement the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method. In this application, the communication device 500 may be the first communication device, or may be a software module, an integrated circuit, an element, etc., in the first communication device, for example, a chip. This is not limited. For the purpose of explanation below, an example in which the communication device 500 is the first communication device is used.

[0196] Specifically, the transceiver module 502 is configured to receive first information, where the first information indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The processing module 501 is configured to communicate in the target signal processing scheme over a link between the radio frequency unit and the distributed unit.

[0197] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to transmit second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported.

[0198] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to receive third information, the third information being used to request pairing.

[0199] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to request pairing.

[0200] In a possible implementation, the second information further indicates the priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

[0201] In a possible implementation, the device is used in a radio frequency unit or a distributed unit.

[0202] In another implementation example, the communication device 500 may implement the function of the second communication device in the above-mentioned method, and thus may also implement the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method. In this application, the communication device 500 may be the second communication device, or may be a software module, an integrated circuit, an element, etc., such as a chip, in the second communication device. This is not limited. For the purpose of explanation, the following uses an example in which the communication device 500 is the second communication device.

[0203] Specifically, the processing module 501 is configured to determine first information, where the first information indicates a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1. The transceiver module 502 is configured to transmit the first information.

[0204] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to receive second information, the second information indicating that N signal processing schemes are supported, and the first information is determined based on the second information.

[0205] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to transmit third information, the third information being used to request pairing.

[0206] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to request pairing.

[0207] In a possible implementation, the second information further indicates priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

[0208] In a possible implementation, the device is used in a radio frequency unit and the second information is from a distributed unit.

[0209] In a possible implementation, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information, the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes.

[0210] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to receive first instruction information, wherein when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on a priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the M signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on a priority corresponding to the distributed unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the N signal processing schemes.

[0211] In a possible implementation, the device is used in a distributed unit and the second information is from a radio frequency unit.

[0212] In a possible implementation, the first information is determined based on the second information and the fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0213] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to receive second instruction information. When the second instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on the priority corresponding to the radio frequency unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the N signal processing schemes, and / or when the first instruction information indicates to determine the target signal processing scheme based on the priority corresponding to the distributed unit, the second communication device determines the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the K signal processing schemes.

[0214] In one possible implementation, the apparatus is used in a network management device, the second information is from a distributed unit, the first information is determined based on the second information and fifth information, the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes.

[0215] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to receive fifth information.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the apparatus is used in a network management device, the second information is from a radio frequency unit, the first information is determined based on the second information and fourth information, the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes.

[0217] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to receive fourth information.

[0218] In a possible implementation, the N signal processing schemes include a downlink signal processing scheme, which may indicate performing at least one of the following processing on the downlink signal: encoding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element RE mapping, digital beam mapping BF, inverse fast Fourier transform IFFT, cyclic prefix CP addition, digital-to-analog conversion, or analog BF.

[0219] In a possible implementation, the N signal processing schemes include an uplink signal processing scheme, which may indicate performing at least one of the following processing on the uplink signal: decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, RE demapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal, analog-to-digital conversion, or analog BF.

[0220] For the information execution process of the units of the communication device 500, please refer to the description of the above method in this application, and the details will not be described again in this specification.

[0221] 6 is another diagram of the structure of a communication device 600 according to the present application. The communication device 600 includes at least a logic circuit 601. The communication device 600 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0222] Optionally, the communication device further includes an input / output interface 602 .

[0223] The transceiver module 502 shown in FIG. 5 may be a communication interface. The communication interface may be the input / output interface 602 of FIG. 6. The input / output interface 602 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0224] Optionally, the logic circuit 601 may be configured to perform a first processing on downlink data of the first terminal device to obtain first data, and to perform a second processing on downlink data of the second terminal device to obtain second data. The input / output interface 602 is configured to transmit the first data and the second data over a link between the first communication device and the second communication device. The first processing is different from the second processing. It should be understood that the logic circuit 601 and the input / output interface 602 may further perform other steps performed by the first communication device in any one of the above examples to implement corresponding beneficial effects. The details will not be described again herein.

[0225] Optionally, the logic circuit 601 is configured to control the input / output interface 602 to receive first data and second data over a link between the first communication device and the second communication device. The first data is obtained by performing a first processing based on downlink data of the first terminal device, and the second data is obtained by performing a second processing based on downlink data of the second terminal device. The first processing is different from the second processing. It should be understood that the logic circuit 601 and the input / output interface 602 may further perform other steps performed by the second communication device in any one of the above examples to implement corresponding beneficial effects. The details will not be described again herein.

[0226] In a possible implementation, the processing module 501 shown in FIG. 5 can be the logic circuit 601 of FIG.

[0227] Optionally, logic circuitry 601 may be a processing unit, and some or all of the functionality of the processing unit may be implemented by software. Some or all of the functionality of the processing unit may be implemented by software.

[0228] Optionally, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform corresponding processes and / or steps in any manner.

[0229] Optionally, the processing device may include only a processor. A memory configured to store a computer program is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuits / wires to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. The memory and the processor may be integrated or may be physically separate from each other.

[0230] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), systems on chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the aforementioned chips or processors.

[0231] 7 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a communication device 700 in the above example according to the present application. The communication device 700 may specifically be used as the first communication device or the second communication device in the above example. For the structure of the communication device, please refer to the structure illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0232] The communication device 700 includes at least one processor 711 and at least one network interface 714 .

[0233] Further, optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 712, at least one transceiver 713, and one or more antennas 715. The processor 711, the memory 712, the transceiver 713, and the network interface 714 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this application, connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, buses, etc., which are not limited to this application. The antenna 715 is connected to the transceiver 713. The network interface 714 is configured to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices over a communication link. For example, the network interface 714 may include a network interface between the communication device and a core network device, for example, an S1 interface. The network interface may include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network devices), for example, an X2 or Xn interface.

[0234] The processor 711 is primarily configured to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data of the software programs, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the implementation process above. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is primarily configured to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit is primarily configured to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process data of the software programs. The functions of the baseband processor and the central processing unit may be integrated into the processor 711 of FIG. 7. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and the central processing unit may each be independent processors and may be interconnected using technology such as a bus. Those skilled in the art will understand that a network device may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple central processing units to increase the processing power of the network device, and components of the network device may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may be expressed as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit may be expressed as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functions for processing the communication protocol and communication data may be embedded in the processor or may be stored in memory in the form of a software program, and the processor executes the software program to implement the baseband processing functions.

[0235] The memory is mainly configured to store software programs and data. The memory 712 may exist independently and be connected to the processor 711. Optionally, the memory 712 may be integrated with the processor 711, for example, integrated into one chip. The memory 712 can store program codes for implementing the technical solutions of the present application, and the processor 711 controls the execution of the program codes. Various types of computer program codes that are executed may be considered to be drivers for the processor 711.

[0236] 7 shows only one memory and one processor. In an actual network device, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium, a storage device, etc. The memory may be a storage element located on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or may be an independent storage element. This is not a limitation of the present application.

[0237] The transceiver 713 may be configured to support reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the communication device and the terminal, and the transceiver 713 may be connected to an antenna 715. The transceiver 713 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, the one or more antennas 715 may receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx in the transceiver 713 is configured to receive the radio frequency signals from the antenna, convert the radio frequency signals to digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to the processor 711, so that the processor 711 can further process the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, for example, performing demodulation and decoding. Additionally, the transmitter Tx in the transceiver 713 is further configured to receive modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals from the processor 711, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to radio frequency signals, and transmit the radio frequency signals via the one or more antennas 715. Specifically, the receiver Rx may selectively perform one-level or multi-level downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal. The order of the downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx may selectively perform one-level or multi-level upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or the digital intermediate frequency signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of the upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion processes is adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital intermediate frequency signal may be collectively referred to as a digital signal.

[0238] The transceiver 713 may also be referred to as a transceiver module, a transceiver machine, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, a component within the transceiver module configured to implement a receiving function may be considered a receiving unit, and a component within the transceiver module configured to implement a transmitting function may be considered a transmitting unit. In other words, the transceiver module includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc. The transmitting unit may also be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitting machine, a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0239] It should be noted that the communication device 700 shown in Fig. 7 may be configured to specifically implement the steps implemented by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above-mentioned method, and to implement the corresponding technical effects of the first communication device or the second communication device. For specific implementations of the communication device 700 shown in Fig. 7, please refer to the descriptions in the above-mentioned method. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0240] The division into modules in this application is merely an example and is merely a logical functional division, and other divisions may be used in actual implementation. In addition, the functional modules in this application may be integrated into one processor, may exist physically alone, or two or more modules may be integrated into one module. The integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules.

[0241] All or part of the technical solutions provided in this application may be implemented by using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, all or part of the technical solutions may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the procedures or functions according to this application are generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a terminal device, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from a computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, or microwave) transmission. A computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device, e.g., a server or a data center, that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives, or magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), semiconductor media, etc.

[0242] In this application, cross-references may be made between examples without logical contradiction, for example, between methods and / or terms in method examples, between functions and / or terms in apparatus examples, and between functions and / or terms in apparatus examples and method examples.

[0243] It is apparent that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, the present application intends to cover these modifications and variations of the present application, provided that they fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A method of communication, the method comprising: receiving first information, the first information indicating a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1; communicating in said target signal processing scheme over a link between a radio frequency unit and a distributed unit; A method comprising:

2. Before receiving the first information, the method further comprises: transmitting second information, wherein the second information indicates that the N signal processing schemes are supported. The method of claim 1.

3. Before transmitting the second information, the method further comprises: receiving third information, the third information being used to request pairing; The method of claim 2.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second information further indicates priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is applied to the radio frequency unit or the distributed unit.

6. 1. A method of communication, the method comprising: determining first information, the first information indicating a target signal processing scheme among N signal processing schemes, where N is an integer greater than 1; transmitting the first information; A method comprising:

7. The method comprises: receiving second information, the second information indicating that the N signal processing schemes are supported, and the first information being determined based on the second information; The method of claim 6.

8. Before receiving the second information, the method further comprises: transmitting third information, the third information being used to request pairing; The method of claim 7.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the second information further indicates priorities of the N signal processing schemes, and the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priorities of the N signal processing schemes.

10. The method is applied to the radio frequency unit, the second information is from the distribution unit; 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

11. the first information is determined based on the second information and the fourth information; the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M being a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes; The method of claim 10.

12. The method comprises: receiving a first indication; determining the target signal processing scheme based on priorities of the M signal processing schemes when the first indication information indicates that the target signal processing scheme is to be determined based on priorities corresponding to the radio frequency units; and / or When the first indication information indicates that the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priority corresponding to the distributed unit, determining the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the N signal processing schemes. The method of claim 11.

13. The method is applied to the distribution unit, the second information is from the radio frequency unit; 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

14. the target signal processing method is determined based on the second information and the fifth information; the fifth information indicates K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, where K is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes; The method of claim 13.

15. The method comprises: receiving a second indication; determining the target signal processing scheme based on the priorities of the N signal processing schemes when the second indication information indicates that the target signal processing scheme is to be determined based on the priorities corresponding to the radio frequency units; and / or When the first indication information indicates that the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the priority corresponding to the distributed unit, determining the target signal processing scheme based on the priority of the K signal processing schemes.

15. The method of claim 14.

16. The method is applied to a network management device, the second information is from the distributed unit, and the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the second information and fifth information, the fifth information indicating K signal processing schemes supported by the distributed unit on the link, K being a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the K signal processing schemes; 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

17. The method comprises: further comprising receiving the fifth information.

17. The method of claim 16.

18. The method is applied to a network management device, the second information is from the radio frequency unit, the target signal processing scheme is determined based on the second information and fourth information, the fourth information indicates M signal processing schemes supported by the radio frequency unit on the link, M is a positive integer, and the target signal processing scheme is included in the M signal processing schemes; 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

19. The method comprises: further comprising receiving the fourth information.

20. The method of claim 18.

20. The N signal processing methods include a downlink signal processing method, and the downlink signal processing method performs the following processing on a downlink signal: Coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element RE mapping, digital beam mapping BF, inverse fast Fourier transform IFFT, cyclic prefix CP addition, digital-to-analog conversion, or analog BF, Instruct the user to do at least one of the following:

20. The method of any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. The N signal processing methods include an uplink signal processing method, and the uplink signal processing method performs the following processing on an uplink signal: Decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, RE demapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal, analog-to-digital conversion, or analog BF, Instruct the user to do at least one of the following:

21. The method of any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. A communication device comprising a unit configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 20 and 21.

23. 22. A communications device comprising at least one processor and a memory, the at least one processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and claims 20 and 21.

24. A communication device comprising a unit adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 6 to 21.

25. A communications device comprising at least one processor and a memory, said at least one processor coupled to said memory, said processor configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 6 to 21.

26. A communication system comprising a communication device according to claims 22 and 24 or comprising a communication device according to claims 23 and 25.

27. 22. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 21.

28. 22. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, enable the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 21.

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