Method for sending reference signal, method for receiving reference signal, and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a method for sending a reference signal, a method for receiving a reference signal, and a communication apparatus. The method for sending a reference signal comprises: determining a plurality of communication resources, the plurality of communication resources being used for carrying a demodulation reference signal, channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfying a first relationship, and the first relationship comprising a spatial included angle of the channel vectors being a first value and / or a rotational included angle of the channel vectors being a second value; and sending the demodulation reference signal to a terminal device on the basis of the plurality of communication resources. By configuring the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources for transmitting the reference signal to satisfy the first relationship, the spatial included angles and / or the rotational included angles between every two adjacent communication resources carrying the demodulation reference signal are the same, so that the performance of channel estimation can be improved.

Description

Method for sending and receiving reference signal, and communication device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a method for sending and receiving a reference signal and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology is one of the key technologies adopted by the new generation of mobile communication systems. It can exponentially increase the capacity and spectrum efficiency of the communication system without increasing the bandwidth. It can also use multipath transmission to mitigate multipath fading, effectively detect and eliminate channel interference, and improve channel reliability.

[0003] In MIMO technology, channel estimation is required for transmitting and receiving data, achieving system synchronization, and providing feedback on channel information. Channel estimation involves tracking channel variations in the time and / or frequency domains using reference signals known to both the transmitter and receiver. As the number of transmission layers for data streams in MIMO technology increases, the reference signals used for channel estimation also need to be expanded. Existing reference signal expansion methods reduce the frequency domain density of the reference signals, potentially impacting channel estimation performance. Therefore, a method for transmitting reference signals is urgently needed to improve channel estimation performance.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a method for sending and receiving a reference signal and a communication device, in order to improve the performance of channel estimation.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for transmitting a reference signal is provided. The method can be performed by a network device, or by a module (e.g., a chip or circuit) of the network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. This application is not limited thereto.

[0007] The method includes: determining multiple communication resources, the multiple communication resources are used to carry demodulation reference signals, the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources in the multiple communication resources satisfy a first relationship, the first relationship includes the spatial angle of the channel vector being a first value and / or the rotation angle being a second value; and sending the demodulation reference signal to a terminal device based on the multiple communication resources.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, by setting the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the multiple communication resources for transmitting reference signals to satisfy the first relationship, the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between every two adjacent communication resources carrying the demodulation reference signal can be made the same, thereby improving the performance of channel estimation.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the communication resource is a first frequency domain resource. Before determining multiple communication resources, the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined, and the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, a channel matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined; and a channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource is determined based on the channel matrix.

[0011] Based on the above solution, by determining the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource, multiple frequency domain resources that satisfy the first relationship can be determined.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the communication resource is a time domain resource, and before determining the multiple communication resources, a channel vector within a first time domain range is determined.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, a channel matrix corresponding to the first time domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined; and a channel vector corresponding to the first time domain resource is determined based on the channel matrix.

[0014] Based on the above solution, by determining the channel vector corresponding to the first time domain resource, multiple time domain resources that satisfy the first relationship can be determined.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, at least one of the first value and the second value is determined based on the channel vector and the density of the demodulation reference signal.

[0016] Based on the above solution, when the density of the demodulation reference signal is determined, at least one of the first value and the second value can be determined, thereby improving the performance of channel estimation when performing channel estimation under the density of the demodulation reference signal.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, first indication information is sent to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources.

[0018] Based on the above solution, by sending indication information indicating the multiple communication resources to the terminal device, the terminal device can receive a demodulation reference signal based on the communication resources.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, second indication information is sent to the terminal device, where the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

[0020] Based on the above solution, by sending indication information indicating the first value and / or the second value to the terminal device, the terminal device can perform channel estimation based on the first value and / or the second value.

[0021] In a second aspect, a method for receiving a reference signal is provided. The method can be performed by a terminal device, or by a module (e.g., a chip or circuit) of the terminal device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that implements all or part of the terminal device's functions. This application is not limited to this.

[0022] The method includes: determining multiple communication resources, wherein the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the multiple communication resources satisfy a first relationship, wherein the first relationship includes a spatial angle of the channel vector being a first value and / or a rotation angle being a second value; receiving a demodulation reference signal from a network device on the multiple communication resources; and performing channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signal.

[0023] Based on the above scheme, by setting the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the multiple communication resources for transmitting reference signals to satisfy the first relationship, the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between every two adjacent communication resources carrying the demodulation reference signal can be made the same, thereby improving the performance of channel estimation.

[0024] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the communication resource is a first frequency domain resource, the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined based on the channel matrix, and the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

[0025] Based on the above solution, the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource can be determined by determining the channel matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource, and then a plurality of frequency domain resources satisfying the first relationship can be determined.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the communication resource is a time domain resource, and the channel vector corresponding to the time domain resource is determined based on a channel matrix within the first time domain range.

[0027] Based on the above solution, the channel vector corresponding to the first time domain resource can be determined by determining the channel matrix corresponding to the first time domain resource, and then a plurality of time domain resources satisfying the first relationship can be determined.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, first indication information is received from the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources.

[0029] Based on the above solution, by receiving indication information indicating the multiple communication resources from the network device, the terminal device can receive a demodulation reference signal based on the communication resources.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, second indication information is received from a network device, where the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

[0031] Based on the above solution, by receiving indication information indicating the first value and / or the second value from the network device, the terminal device can perform channel estimation based on the first value and / or the second value.

[0032] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The device may be a network device, or a module (such as a chip or circuit) of a network device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. The processing unit is used to determine a plurality of communication resources, wherein the plurality of communication resources are used to carry a demodulation reference signal, and the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources in the plurality of communication resources satisfy a first relationship, wherein the first relationship includes the spatial angle of the channel vector being a first value and / or the rotation angle being a second value; the transceiver unit is used to send the demodulation reference signal to a terminal device based on the plurality of communication resources.

[0033] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the communication resource is a first frequency domain resource, and the processing unit is also used to determine the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth, and the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

[0034] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, a channel matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined; and a channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource is determined based on the channel matrix.

[0035] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the communication resource is a time domain resource, and before determining the multiple communication resources, a channel vector within a first time domain range is determined.

[0036] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to determine a channel matrix corresponding to the first time domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth; and determine a channel vector corresponding to the first time domain resource based on the channel matrix.

[0037] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the processing unit is further used to determine at least one of the first value and the second value based on the channel vector and the density of the demodulation reference signal.

[0038] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources.

[0039] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send second indication information to the terminal device, where the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

[0040] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The device may be a terminal device, or a module (such as a chip or circuit) of a terminal device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. The processing unit is used to determine a plurality of communication resources, wherein the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfy a first relationship, wherein the first relationship includes the spatial angle of the channel vector being a first value and / or the rotation angle being a second value; the transceiver unit is used to receive a demodulation reference signal from a network device on the plurality of communication resources; and the processing unit is further used to perform channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signal.

[0041] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the communication resource is a first frequency domain resource, the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined based on the channel matrix, and the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

[0042] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the communication resource is a time domain resource, and the channel vector corresponding to the time domain resource is determined based on a channel matrix within a first time domain range.

[0043] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to receive first indication information from the network device, and the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources; the processing unit is specifically used to determine the multiple communication resources based on the first indication information.

[0044] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive second indication information from the network device, where the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

[0045] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect. Exemplarily, the communication device further comprises a memory. The communication device further comprises a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0046] In one implementation, the communication device is a network device. When the communication device is a network device, the communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0047] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a network device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a network device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0048] Exemplarily, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, and the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0049] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Exemplarily, the communication device further comprises a memory. The communication device further comprises a communication interface, the processor being coupled to the communication interface.

[0050] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device. When the communication device is a terminal device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0051] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip or chip system configured in a terminal device. When the communication device is a chip or chip system configured in a terminal device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0052] Exemplarily, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, and the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of any possible implementation of the first to second aspects.

[0054] In a specific implementation, the processor may be one or more chips, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0055] In an eighth aspect, a processing device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory and receive signals via a receiver and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the method of any possible implementation of the first to second aspects.

[0056] Exemplarily, there are one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0057] Exemplarily, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0058] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or can be set on different chips. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of memory and the setting method of the memory and the processor.

[0059] It should be understood that related data interaction processes, such as sending indication information, can be the process of outputting indication information from the processor, and receiving capability information can be the process of receiving input capability information from the processor. Specifically, data output by the processor can be output to the transmitter, and input data received by the processor can be received from the receiver. The transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0060] The processing device in the eighth aspect may be one or more chips. The processor in the processing device may be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor may be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, or the like; when implemented in software, the processor may be a general-purpose processor implemented by reading software code stored in a memory, which may be integrated into the processor or located independently of the processor.

[0061] In the ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions), which, when executed, enables a computer to execute a method in any possible implementation of the first to second aspects above.

[0062] In the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions) which, when run on a computer, enables the method in any possible implementation of the first to second aspects above to be executed.

[0063] In the eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one network device and at least one terminal device, wherein the at least one network device is used to execute the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect; and the at least one terminal device is used to execute the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0064] The description of the advantageous effects of any of the third aspect to the eleventh aspect etc. may refer to the description of the advantageous effects of the first aspect and the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0066] FIG2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for sending and receiving a reference signal provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0067] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of communication resources provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0068] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0069] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0070] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0071] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0073] The technical solution of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as the fifth generation (5 thGeneration, 5G) system or new radio (NR), evolved packet core (EPC), evolved packet system (EPS), evolved universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, etc. The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system.

[0074] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0075] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be called user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device.

[0076] The terminal device can be a device that provides voice / data to users, for example, a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device with a wireless connection function. At present, some terminals may be, for example, mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks or future evolved public land mobile communication networks (PLMNs). The terminal equipment in the network (PLMN), etc., is not limited to this in the embodiments of the present application.

[0077] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device, which may also be referred to as a wearable smart device. Wearable devices may be a general term for devices that apply wearable technology to intelligently design and develop wearable devices for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. In other words, a wearable device is a portable device that can be worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not just hardware devices, they can also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0078] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0079] In addition, terminal devices can also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Their main functions include collecting data (part of the terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from network devices, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to network devices.

[0080] The network device in the embodiment of the present application can be a device for communicating with a terminal device. The network device can be a next-generation base station (gNodeB, gNB) in a 5G communication system, a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc., an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a home base station (for example, home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a base band unit (BBU), a transmission reception point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a base transceiver station (BTS), etc. in an LTE system.

[0081] In one network architecture, network devices may include a centralized 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 separate or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). The network device can provide services for the cell, and the terminal device communicates with the base station through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to a base station (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell here can include: a metro cell, a micro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services. The network device can be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, a device that provides wireless communication services to user equipment in a V2X communication system, a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, a relay station, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a network device in a future evolution network. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific form of the network device.

[0082] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU may also be referred to as an open-central unit (O-CU); DU may also be referred to as an open-distributed unit (O-DU); CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP, and RU may also be referred to as O-RU. For the sake of convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device or a network device may include a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also known as main memory). The operating system may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as a Linux operating system, a Unix operating system, an Android operating system, an iOS operating system, or a Windows operating system. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software. Furthermore, the present application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided by the present application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided by the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided by the present application, for example, the execution subject of the method provided by the present application may be a terminal device or a network device, or it may be a functional module in the terminal device or the network device that can call and execute a program.

[0084] FIG1 is an exemplary architecture diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system 100 may include at least one network device, such as the network device 101 shown in FIG1 . The communication system 100 may also include at least one terminal device, such as the terminal devices 102 to 107 shown in FIG1 . The network device 101 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area; the terminal devices 102 to 107 may be located within the coverage area, and the terminal devices 102 to 107 may be mobile or fixed. The network device 101 and one or more of the terminal devices 102 to 107 may communicate via a wireless link.

[0085] Optionally, terminal devices can communicate directly with each other. For example, device-to-device (D2D) technology can be used to implement direct communication between terminal devices. As shown in Figure 1, terminal devices 105 and 106, and terminal devices 105 and 107 can communicate directly using D2D technology. Terminal devices 106 and 107 can communicate with terminal device 105 individually or simultaneously.

[0086] Terminal devices 105 to 107 can communicate with network device 101 respectively, for example, directly. For example, terminal device 105 and terminal device 106 in FIG. 1 can communicate directly with network device 101. Alternatively, terminal devices 105 to 107 can communicate with network device 101 indirectly, for example, terminal device 107 in the figure can communicate with network device 101 via terminal device 105.

[0087] Each communication device in communication system 100 can be configured with multiple antennas. For each communication device, the multiple antennas configured may include at least one transmit antenna for sending signals and at least one receive antenna for receiving signals. Therefore, the communication devices in communication system 100 can communicate with each other using MIMO technology.

[0088] It should be understood that FIG1 is only a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding, and the communication system 100 may further include other network devices or other terminal devices, which are not shown in FIG1 .

[0089] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following first briefly introduces the terms and background involved in the present application.

[0090] 1. Time-frequency resources

[0091] In an embodiment of the present application, data or information may be carried by time-frequency resources. The time-frequency resources may include resources in the time domain and resources in the frequency domain. The time-frequency resources may include one or more time domain units (also referred to as time units, time units, etc.); the time-frequency resources may include one or more frequency domain units.

[0092] A time domain unit can be one symbol or several symbols, such as an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a slot, a mini-slot, or a subframe. A slot can consist of 7 or 14 symbols; a mini-slot can include at least one symbol (for example, 2 symbols, 7 symbols, 14 symbols, or any number of symbols less than or equal to 14 symbols); and a subframe can last 1 millisecond (ms) in the time domain.

[0093] It should be understood that the time domain unit sizes listed above are only for the convenience of understanding the solution of this application and do not limit the scope of protection of this application. The above time domain unit sizes can be other values ​​and this application does not limit them.

[0094] A frequency domain unit can be a resource block (RB), a subcarrier, a resource block group (RBG), a predefined subband, a precoding resource block group (PRG), a bandwidth part (BWP), a resource element (RE) (also called a resource unit or resource particle), a carrier, or a serving cell.

[0095] 2. Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS)

[0096] In new radio (NR) systems, DMRS can be used for channel estimation, allowing the receiving end to detect and demodulate data on the corresponding channel.

[0097] Taking the data channel PDSCH as an example, DMRS is usually precoded in the same way as the transmitted data signal, ensuring that the DMRS and the data signal experience the same equivalent channel. Assuming that the DMRS vector sent by the transmitter is s and the data signal vector sent is x, the DMRS and the data signal undergo the same precoding operation (multiplied by the same precoding matrix P). The data signal vector y and DMRS vector r received by the receiver can be expressed by formula (1) and formula (2), respectively:

[0098] in, ( H is the channel matrix) represents the equivalent channel experienced by the data signal and DMRS, and n represents the additive noise. Based on the known DMRS vector s, the receiver uses a channel estimation algorithm, such as least square (LS) channel estimation, minimum mean square error (MMSE) channel estimation, etc., to obtain the channel matrix The data signal can be demodulated based on the channel matrix.

[0099] 2. Channel vector, (spatial) angle between channel vectors and rotation angle

[0100] The channel vector refers to the channel of a specific reference signal port at a given time-frequency resource position, and its dimension can be N Rx -1, where N Rx Indicates the number of antennas on the receiving end.

[0101] Taking channel vector s0 and channel vector s1 as an example, the angle between the two channel vectors can be expressed by the following formula:

[0102] Wherein, θ represents the angle between the channel vector s0 and the channel vector s1. Express Take the absolute value; ‖s0‖2, ‖s1‖2 respectively represent the 2-norm of the channel vectors s0 and s1. It means taking the conjugate transpose of the channel vector s0.

[0103] The rotation angle between two channel vectors can be expressed by the following formula:

[0104] Wherein, φ represents the rotation angle between the channel vector s0 and the channel vector s1, Re(x) represents the real part of the complex number x, and Im(x) represents the imaginary part of the complex number x.

[0105] It should be understood that the angle and / or rotation angle between the channel vectors involved in the embodiments of the present application can also be replaced by other equivalent parameters, that is, the equivalent parameters can be determined (derived) based on the angle and / or rotation angle between the channels, and vice versa. For example, for the spatial angle θ between two channel vectors, its equivalent parameter can be ω:

[0106] For the spatial angle θ between two channel vectors, its equivalent parameter can be ρ:

[0107] Alternatively, ω and ρ can also be expressed as:

[0108] With the introduction of MIMO technology into wireless communication systems, the transmitter can transmit multiple streams of data on the same time-frequency resources, and the receiver can recover all of them. At this time, DMRS is used to estimate the channel matrix, whose dimension can be N Rx ×R,N Rx represents the data received by the receiving antenna; R represents the number of transmission streams (also known as the number of transmission layers or spatial layers). Typically, one DMRS port corresponds to one transmission stream. That is, for MIMO transmission with R transmission streams, R DMRS ports are required. As the number of transmission layers for data streams increases, the number of corresponding DMRS ports also needs to increase. Existing DMRS port expansion schemes reduce the DMRS frequency domain density, which can affect channel estimation performance.

[0109] For example, a typical approach currently used for channel estimation is the Wiener filter. While an ideal Wiener filter assumes that the terminal device knows all the parameters of the channel model (such as the number of multipath paths, the delay of each path, and the power), a practical Wiener filter assumes that the channel delay power spectrum follows a specific distribution (e.g., a negative exponential distribution). Within the frequency-domain coherence bandwidth of the channel, the interpolation filtering performance of the Wiener filter is limited by the frequency-domain density of the reference signal (RS).

[0110] In view of this, the present application provides a method for sending and receiving a reference signal and a communication device, which are beneficial to improving or solving the above problems.

[0111] Before introducing the solution of this application, the following points are made:

[0112] (1) In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0113] (2) In this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for convenience of description only and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. They are not used to describe the order or precedence of features. It should be understood that the terms described in this manner may be interchangeable, where appropriate, to describe solutions other than the embodiments of this application.

[0114] (3) The “density of reference signals (e.g., demodulation reference signals)” referred to in this application may be understood as the density of time-frequency resources (e.g., REs) carrying reference signals in a time-frequency resource group (e.g., physical resource block bundling (PRB Bundling)). Alternatively, the “density” may refer to the proportion of time-frequency resources used to carry reference signals in a time-frequency resource group to the total time-frequency resources in the time-frequency resource group.

[0115] Exemplarily, assuming that the density of the time-frequency resources occupied by the reference signal is σ, then σ=B / P.

[0116] Here, B represents the number of REs carrying reference signals in a PRB Bundling (or the number of REs occupied by the reference signal), and P represents the number of all REs included in the REG, or P represents the number of REs carrying data corresponding to the reference signal (the number of REs occupied by data corresponding to the reference signal).

[0117] It should be understood that the specific units of time-frequency resources listed above are only exemplary, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, B can also represent the number of subcarriers carrying reference signals on the symbols corresponding to the reference signals within an RB (the number of subcarriers occupied by the reference signals), and P represents the number of all subcarriers included in the RB, or P represents the number of subcarriers carrying the data corresponding to the reference signal (the number of subcarriers occupied by the data corresponding to the reference signal). In this case, the density of the reference signal can also be referred to as the frequency domain density of the reference signal. Alternatively, B can also represent the number of symbols carrying the reference signal within an RB (the number of symbols occupied by the reference signal), and P represents the number of all symbols included in the RB, or P represents the number of symbols carrying the data corresponding to the reference signal (the number of symbols occupied by the data corresponding to the reference signal). In this case, the density of the reference signal can also be referred to as the time domain density of the reference signal.

[0118] (4) The frequency domain resources mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be subcarriers, resource blocks (RBs), resource block sets (RB sets), resource block set groups (RB sets group, RBGs), partial bandwidths (BWPs), etc., and the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0119] (5) The time domain resources mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be time units, which may be time slots, symbols, subframes, frames, mini-subframes, or mini-time slots, and the present application does not make any specific limitations.

[0120] (6) In the embodiments of the present application, “sending” and “receiving” refer to the direction of signal transmission. For example, “sending information to XX” can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct sending via the air interface, as well as indirect sending via the air interface from other units or modules. “Receiving information from YY” can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct receiving from YY via the air interface, as well as indirect receiving from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. “Sending” can also be understood as the “output” of the chip interface, and “receiving” can also be understood as the “input” of the chip interface.

[0121] In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, for example, between a network device and a terminal device, or can be performed within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within the device through a bus, wiring or interface.

[0122] It is understandable that information may be processed between the source and destination of information transmission, such as coding, modulation, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated.

[0123] (7) In the embodiments of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the indication information described below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated may also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein the other information is associated with the information to be indicated; or only a part of the information to be indicated may be indicated, while the other part of the information to be indicated is known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information may be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (such as predefined by the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. The present application does not limit the specific method of indication. It is understandable that for the sender of the indication information, the indication information can be used to indicate the information to be indicated, and for the receiver of the indication information, the indication information can be used to determine the information to be indicated.

[0124] The following takes the reference signal being DMRS as an example, and describes in detail the method and communication device for sending and receiving reference signals in an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment of the present application, the reference signal being DMRS is taken as an example to describe the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, which should not constitute any limitation to the present application. The reference signal in the present application can be any reference signal that can be used for channel estimation, for example, a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), or other reference signals for achieving the same or similar functions. In communication systems that may appear in the future, the name of the reference signal may change, but as long as it is essentially the same as DMRS, the technical solution of the present application should be applicable.

[0125] It should be understood that the network device in the following method may correspond to, for example, the network device 101 in FIG. 1 , and the terminal device may be any one of a plurality of terminal devices communicatively connected to the network device, for example, any one of the terminal devices 102 to 107 in FIG. 1 .

[0126] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a method 200 for sending and receiving a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application. The method 200 may include the following steps.

[0127] S210: The network device determines a plurality of communication resources, wherein channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources in the plurality of communication resources satisfy a first relationship.

[0128] The multiple communication resources are used to carry DMRSs; the first relationship may include at least one of a spatial angle and a rotational angle between the channel vectors being a fixed value. For ease of description, the fixed value corresponding to the spatial angle is denoted as a first value, and the fixed value corresponding to the rotational angle is denoted as a second value.

[0129] Adjacent communication resources among the multiple communication resources can be understood as two communication resources whose communication resource indexes are close to each other. Taking the communication resources as frequency domain resources (e.g., subcarriers) as an example, the multiple subcarrier indexes are 0, 2, 5, and 11, respectively. Then, the two subcarriers with indexes 0 and 2 are adjacent subcarriers. Similarly, the subcarrier with index 2 and the subcarrier with index 5 are adjacent subcarriers, and so on.

[0130] S220: The network device sends a demodulation reference signal to the terminal device on the multiple communication resources. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the demodulation reference signal.

[0131] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0132] S230: The network device sends first indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device.

[0133] The first indication information indicates the communication resources carrying the demodulation reference signal, that is, the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources.

[0134] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0135] S240: The network device sends second indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second indication information from the network device.

[0136] The second indication information indicates at least one of the first value and the second value.

[0137] Exemplarily, the terminal device side may preconfigure multiple first values ​​and second values, as well as the correspondence between the first value and the second value and the index. The network device indicates at least one of the first value and the second value by indicating the index corresponding to the first value and the index corresponding to the second value.

[0138] Alternatively, the network device carries at least one of the first value and the second value through the second indication information.

[0139] Optionally, at least one of the first value and the second value may be specified by a protocol or preset in the terminal device, in which case no instruction from the network device is required. The first value and / or the second value being preset in the terminal device may be understood as the terminal device being configured with a unique first value and / or second value.

[0140] In other words, the terminal device may determine the first value and / or the second value according to protocol provisions or presets.

[0141] The above-mentioned indication information may be carried in downlink control information (DCI), radio resource control information (RRC) signaling or other downlink signaling, without limitation.

[0142] Optionally, before S240, the network device receives capability information from the terminal device, where the capability information indicates whether the terminal device supports or does not support channel estimation based on the first value and / or the second value (also referred to as manifold-based channel estimation). Accordingly, the network device sending the second indication information to the terminal device may include: when determining, based on the capability information, that the terminal device supports channel estimation based on the first value and / or the second value, the network device sending the second indication information to the terminal device.

[0143] S250: The terminal device performs channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signal.

[0144] Exemplarily, the terminal device determines multiple communication resources carrying demodulation reference signals based on the first indication information, and receives demodulation reference signals from the network device on the communication resources; the terminal device performs channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signals.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the terminal device performs manifold-based channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signal. The manifold-based channel estimation may specifically include the following steps:

[0146] 1) The terminal device determines a channel vector corresponding to the demodulation reference signal according to the demodulation reference signal. For example, the channel vector includes s0 and s1;

[0147] 2) The terminal device calculates the channel interpolation parameters α(θ, φ, t) and β(θ, φ, t) between s0 and s1 based on the first value (denoted as θ) and / or the second value (denoted as φ), as shown in formula (7) and formula (8), respectively:

[0148] 3) Calculate the interpolation channel vector between the channel vectors corresponding to the demodulation reference signal based on the channel interpolation parameter to complete the channel estimation.

[0149] To calculate the interpolated channel vector s between s0 and s1 t For example, s t It can be expressed as: t=s0·α(θ,φ,t)+s1·β(θ,φ,t) (9)

[0150] Wherein, t in formula (7) to formula (9) represents the relative position of the interpolation channel vector, 0≤t≤1.

[0151] Based on the above scheme, by setting the channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent time-frequency resources among the multiple time-frequency resources for transmitting the reference signal to satisfy the first relationship, the high-dimensional DMRS channel can be continuously changed in the frequency domain or time domain, thereby improving the channel estimation performance when interpolation is performed in the high-dimensional space and the frequency domain density is low.

[0152] It should be understood that the process of the terminal device performing channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signal can also refer to existing related solutions, which will not be described in detail.

[0153] The following describes in detail possible implementations of step S210 using two cases where the communication resource is the first frequency domain resource or the first time domain resource.

[0154] Case 1: the communication resource is a first frequency domain resource.

[0155] The first frequency domain resource is a frequency domain resource on a scheduling bandwidth, and a frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

[0156] In other words, the communication resource is a frequency domain resource. That is, in this case, there is no limitation on the time domain position corresponding to the reference signal. For example, the time domain position corresponding to the reference signal can be one OFDM symbol or multiple OFDM symbols.

[0157] In this case, the channel vector corresponding to the communication resource can be determined according to the channel matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource. The channel matrix can represent the wireless channel experienced by the data signal and / or DMRS in the first frequency domain resource.

[0158] For example, assuming that the channel vector corresponding to a communication resource (eg, RE) is L, L can be a column of the channel matrix at the position of the communication resource, or in other words, the dimension of L is N. Rx ×1, N Rx Indicates the number of antennas on the receiving end.

[0159] The following takes the communication resource as a subcarrier as an example to illustrate the first relationship. As shown in (a) of Figure 3, the multiple communication resources include subcarrier #1, subcarrier #2 and subcarrier #3 (corresponding to one OFDM symbol in the time domain), wherein the channel vectors corresponding to subcarrier #1, subcarrier #2 and subcarrier #3 are s1, s2 and s3 respectively. The first relationship between the channel vectors on adjacent communication resources in the multiple communication resources can be understood as: the spatial angle between s1 and s2 is θ1, and the spatial angle between s2 and s3 is θ1 (an example of the first value); or, the rotation angle between s1 and s2 is φ1 (an example of the second value), and the spatial angle between s2 and s3 is φ1; or, the spatial angle between s1 and s2 is θ1, and the rotation angle is φ1; the spatial angle between s2 and s3 is θ1, and the spatial angle is φ1.

[0160] In a possible implementation of S210, the network device determines the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between the channel vectors at the positions of each communication resource in the first frequency domain resource; the network device determines the first value and / or second value based on the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between the channel vectors and the frequency domain density of the demodulation reference signal, and determines the subcarriers corresponding to the channel vectors whose spatial angle between the channel vectors is the first value and / or the rotation angle is the second value as the multiple communication resources.

[0161] For example, when the first frequency domain resource includes subcarrier #1 to subcarrier #5, and the channel vectors corresponding to subcarrier #1 to subcarrier #5 are s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5, respectively, and the frequency domain density of the known reference signal is 3 / 5 (i.e., 3 out of 5 subcarriers are to be taken), the network device traverses the channel vectors s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5, and determines the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between each of the 5 channel vectors and the other channel vectors, that is, determines the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between each pair of channel vectors; the network device determines that two equal spatial angles and / or rotation angles among the spatial angles and / or rotation angles between the pair of channel vectors are the first value and / or the second value (for ease of description, the spatial angle is recorded as θ1, and the rotation angle is recorded as φ1). Wherein, θ1 and / or φ1 are not equal to the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between other pairwise channel vectors. The two equal spatial angles and / or rotation angles correspond to three channel vectors. For example, the spatial angle between channel vectors s1 and s2 is θ1 and / or the rotation angle is φ1, and the spatial angle between s2 and s5 is θ1 and / or the rotation angle is φ1. It can be understood that the spatial angle θ1 and / or the rotation angle φ1 corresponds to three channel vectors, and the three channel vectors include s1, s2 and s5; further, the network device determines that the multiple communication resources include subcarriers corresponding to the three channel vectors. For example, when the three channel vectors include s1, s2 and s5, the multiple communication resources include subcarrier #1, subcarrier #2 and subcarrier #5.

[0162] Case 2: the communication resource is a first time domain resource.

[0163] Exemplarily, the first time domain resource may include one or more time units.

[0164] In other words, the communication resource is a time domain resource. That is, in this case, there is no limitation on the frequency domain position corresponding to the reference signal. For example, the frequency domain position corresponding to the reference signal may be one RB.

[0165] In this case, the channel vector corresponding to the communication resource can be determined according to the channel matrix corresponding to the first time domain. The channel matrix can represent the wireless channel experienced by the data signal and / or DMRS in the first time domain resource.

[0166] For example, assuming that the channel vector corresponding to a communication resource (eg, RE) is L, L can be a column of the channel matrix at the position of the communication resource, or in other words, the dimension N of L is Rx ×1, N Rx Indicates the number of antennas on the receiving end.

[0167] The following takes the communication resource as an OFDM symbol as an example to illustrate the first relationship. As shown in (b) of Figure 3, the multiple communication resources include symbol #1, symbol #2, and symbol #3, wherein the channel vectors corresponding to symbol #1, symbol #2, and symbol #3 are s1, s2, and s3, respectively. The first relationship between the channel vectors on adjacent communication resources in the multiple communication resources can be understood as: the spatial angle between s1 and s2 is θ1, and the spatial angle between s2 and s3 is θ1 (an example of the first value); or, the rotation angle between s1 and s2 is φ1 (an example of the second value), and the spatial angle between s2 and s3 is φ1; or, the spatial angle between s1 and s2 is θ1, and the rotation angle is φ1; the spatial angle between s2 and s3 is θ1, and the spatial angle is φ1.

[0168] In a possible implementation of S210, the network device determines the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between the channel vectors at the positions of each communication resource in the first time domain resource; the network device determines the first value based on the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between the channel vectors and the time domain density of the demodulation reference signal, and determines the symbols corresponding to the channel vectors whose spatial angle between the channel vectors is the first value and / or whose rotation angle is the second value as the multiple communication resources.

[0169] For example, when the first time domain resource includes symbols #1 to #5, and the channel vectors corresponding to symbols #1 to #5 are s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5, respectively, and the time domain density of the known reference signal is 3 / 5 (i.e., 3 out of 5 subcarriers are to be taken), the network device traverses the channel vectors s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5, and determines the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between each of the 5 channel vectors and the other channel vectors, that is, determines the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between each pair of channel vectors; the network device determines two equal spatial angles and / or rotation angles among the spatial angles and / or rotation angles between the pair of channel vectors as the first value and / or the second value (for ease of description, the spatial angle is recorded as θ1, and the rotation angle is recorded as φ1). Wherein, θ1 and / or φ1 are not equal to the spatial angle and / or rotation angle between other pair of channel vectors. The two equal spatial angles and / or rotation angles correspond to three channel vectors. For example, the spatial angle between channel vectors s1 and s2 is θ1 and / or the rotation angle is φ1, and the spatial angle between s2 and s5 is θ1 and / or the rotation angle is φ1. It can be understood that the spatial angle θ1 and / or the rotation angle φ1 corresponds to three channel vectors, and the three channel vectors include s1, s2 and s5; further, the network device determines that the multiple communication resources include symbols corresponding to the three channel vectors. For example, when the three channel vectors include s1, s2 and s5, the multiple communication resources include symbol #1, symbol #2 and symbol #5.

[0170] Optionally, before S210, the method may further include:

[0171] S201: The network device determines the channel matrix.

[0172] Specifically, the network device determines a channel matrix corresponding to the first frequency domain resource or the first time domain resource.

[0173] Exemplarily, the network device determines the channel matrix based on the reference signal #1, which may include at least one reference signal within the frequency domain range corresponding to the first frequency domain resource. The reference signal #1 may be a sounding reference signal (SRS) and / or a CSI-RS. The specific process of the network device determining the channel matrix based on the reference signal #1 may refer to the existing related description. For example, the dimension of the channel matrix is ​​N Rx ×N Tx ×R, where N Rx Indicates the number of antennas at the receiving end, N Tx represents the number of transmitting antennas, and R represents the number of ports for reference signal #1.

[0174] The above mainly introduces the scheme for sending reference signals in downlink communications. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to sending reference signals in uplink communications. For example, in the above S201, the network device can determine the uplink physical shared channel (PUSCH) channel matrix, and determine a plurality of communication resources based on the channel matrix, two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfy the first relationship, and the plurality of communication resources can be used to carry PUSCH DMRS; the network device indicates the frequency domain resources of PUSCH DMRS to the terminal device so that the terminal device sends PUSCH DMRS; the network device performs channel estimation based on the PUSCH DMRS.

[0175] The above is a detailed description of the method for sending and receiving reference signals provided by the embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figures 2 and 3. The following describes the communication device, network device, and terminal device provided by the present application in conjunction with Figures 4 to 7.

[0176] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0177] The communication device 400 includes a transceiver unit 410 and a processing unit 420. The transceiver unit 410 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 410 can also be called a communication interface or a communication unit. The processing unit 420 can be used to perform data processing.

[0178] Optionally, the communication device 400 also includes a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 420 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the device implements the actions of the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0179] In one possible design, the communication device 400 can implement steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the network device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 410 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments, such as the transceiver-related operations of the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG2 ; and the processing unit 420 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments, such as the processing-related operations of the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG2 .

[0180] In another possible design, the communication device 400 can be the terminal device in the aforementioned embodiment, or it can be a component of the terminal device (such as a chip). The communication device 400 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment. Among them, the transceiver unit 410 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, such as the transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2; the processing unit 420 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, such as the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0181] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 500 includes a processor 510, which is coupled to a memory 530. Optionally, the memory 530 is further included to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 510 is configured to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 530, or read the data stored in the memory 530, to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0182] Optionally, there are one or more processors 510 .

[0183] Optionally, there are one or more memories 530 .

[0184] Optionally, the memory 530 is integrated with the processor 510 or provided separately.

[0185] Optionally, as shown in Figure 5, the apparatus 500 further includes a transceiver 520, which is configured to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 510 is configured to control the transceiver 520 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0186] As a solution, the apparatus 500 is used to implement the operations performed by the network device in each of the above method embodiments.

[0187] For example, the processor 510 is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 530 to implement the relevant operations of the network device in the above various method embodiments, such as the method executed by the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG2 .

[0188] When the communication device 500 is a network device, for example, a base station. Figure 6 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the base station structure. The base station includes parts 610 and 620. Part 610 is mainly used for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals; part 620 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the base station, etc. Part 610 can generally be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver. Part 620 is generally the control center of the base station, and can generally be referred to as a processing unit, which is used to control the base station to perform the processing operations on the network device side in the above method embodiment.

[0189] The transceiver unit in section 610, also known as a transceiver or transceiver, includes an antenna and radio frequency circuitry, with the latter primarily responsible for radio frequency processing. Alternatively, the device in section 610 that implements the receiving function can be considered a receiving unit, and the device that implements the transmitting function can be considered a transmitting unit. That is, section 610 includes both a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit, and the transmitting unit can be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0190] Section 620 may include one or more boards, each of which may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor is used to read and execute programs in the memory to implement baseband processing functions and control the base station. If multiple boards are present, the boards may be interconnected to enhance processing capabilities. As an optional implementation, multiple boards may share one or more processors, multiple boards may share one or more memories, or multiple boards may simultaneously share one or more processors.

[0191] For example, in one implementation, the transceiver unit of part 610 is used to execute the transceiver-related steps executed by the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 ; part 620 is used to execute the processing-related steps executed by the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 .

[0192] It should be understood that FIG6 is only an example and not a limitation, and the network device including the transceiver unit and the processing unit may not rely on the structure shown in FIG6.

[0193] When the communication device 500 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0194] As another solution, the communication device 500 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the above various method embodiments.

[0195] For example, the processor 510 is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 530 to implement the relevant operations of the terminal device in the above various method embodiments. For example, the method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment shown in FIG2 .

[0196] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor 510 or by instructions in the form of software. The method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory 530, and the processor 510 reads the information in the memory 530 and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0197] When the communication device 500 is a terminal device, FIG7 shows a simplified structural diagram of the terminal device. For ease of understanding and illustration, FIG7 takes a mobile phone as an example of the terminal device. As shown in FIG7 , the terminal device includes a processor, a memory, a radio frequency circuit, an antenna, and an input / output device. The processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as to control the terminal device, execute software programs, process software program data, etc. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user. It should be noted that some types of terminal devices may not have input / output devices.

[0198] When data needs to be sent, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent, and then outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit performs RF processing on the baseband signal and then sends the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data. For ease of explanation, only one memory and processor are shown in Figure 7. In actual terminal device products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device, etc. The memory may be set independently of the processor or integrated with the processor, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0199] In the embodiment of the present application, the antenna and radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit of the terminal device, and the processor with processing function can be regarded as the processing unit of the terminal device.

[0200] As shown in Figure 7, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit 710 and a processing unit 720. The transceiver unit 710 may also be called a transceiver, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. The processing unit 720 may also be called a processor, a processing board, a processing module, a processing device, etc.

[0201] Alternatively, the device in transceiver unit 710 that implements the receiving function may be considered a receiving unit, and the device in transceiver unit 710 that implements the transmitting function may be considered a transmitting unit. That is, transceiver unit 710 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The transceiver unit may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit. The receiving unit may also be sometimes referred to as a receiver, a receiver, or a receiving circuit. The transmitting unit may also be sometimes referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit.

[0202] For example, in one implementation, the transceiver unit 710 is used to perform the receiving operation of the terminal device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2. The processing unit 720 is used to perform the processing action on the terminal device side in the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0203] It should be understood that FIG7 is merely an example and not a limitation, and the terminal device including the transceiver unit and the processing unit may not rely on the structure shown in FIG7 .

[0204] When the communication device 500 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, wherein the transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0205] An embodiment of the present application also provides a network device, including: a processor, the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store programs or instructions, and when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the network device performs the method for sending a reference signal as described in any of the above.

[0206] The present application also provides a network device including a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit can be used to perform the steps of sending and receiving by the network device in the above method embodiment. The processing unit can be used to perform other steps of the network device in the above method embodiment except sending and receiving.

[0207] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instruction stored thereon, wherein when the computer program or instruction is executed, the computer is caused to execute the sending of a reference signal as described in any one of the foregoing.

[0208] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by the aforementioned network device.

[0209] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by the aforementioned terminal device.

[0210] An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the network device and terminal device in the above embodiment.

[0211] As an example, the communication system includes: the network device and the terminal device in the embodiment described above in conjunction with FIG. 2 .

[0212] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the communication devices provided above can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0213] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0214] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0215] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0216] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0217] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0218] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0219] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for sending a reference signal, characterized in that: include: Determine a plurality of communication resources, the plurality of communication resources being used to carry a demodulation reference signal, channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfying a first relationship, the first relationship including a spatial angle of the channel vector being a first value and / or a rotation angle being a second value; The demodulation reference signal is sent to the terminal device based on the multiple communication resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication resource is a first frequency domain resource. Before determining a plurality of communication resources, the method further includes: A channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on a scheduling bandwidth is determined, where a frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The communication resource is a time domain resource. Before determining the plurality of communication resources, the method further includes: A channel vector within a first time domain range is determined.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: At least one of the first value and the second value is determined according to the channel vector and a density of the demodulation reference signal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending second indication information to the terminal device, wherein the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

7. A method for receiving a reference signal, characterized in that: include: Determine a plurality of communication resources, wherein channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfy a first relationship, wherein the first relationship includes that a spatial angle of the channel vector is a first value and / or a rotation angle is a second value; receiving a demodulation reference signal from a network device on the plurality of communication resources; Channel estimation is performed based on the demodulation reference signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The communication resource is a first frequency domain resource, and the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined according to a channel matrix, and the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The communication resource is a time domain resource, and the channel vector corresponding to the time domain resource is determined according to a channel matrix within a first time domain range.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving first indication information from the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the plurality of communication resources; The determining of a plurality of communication resources comprises: The multiple communication resources are determined according to the second indication information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second indication information is received from a network device, where the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The processing unit is used to determine a plurality of communication resources, the plurality of communication resources are used to carry a demodulation reference signal, and channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfy a first relationship, wherein the first relationship includes that a spatial angle of the channel vector is a first value and / or a rotation angle is a second value; The transceiver unit is used to send the demodulation reference signal to the terminal device based on the multiple communication resources.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The communication resource is a first frequency domain resource, and the processing unit is further used for: Determine a channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth, wherein the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the The frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

14. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The communication resource is a time domain resource, and the processing unit is further used for: A channel vector within a first time domain range is determined.

15. The device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The processing unit is also used for: At least one of the first value and the second value is determined according to the channel vector and a density of the demodulation reference signal.

16. The device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that The transceiver unit is also used for: Sending first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources.

17. The device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that The transceiver unit is also used for: Sending second indication information to the terminal device, wherein the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The processing unit is used to determine a plurality of communication resources, wherein channel vectors corresponding to any two adjacent communication resources among the plurality of communication resources satisfy a first relationship, wherein the first relationship includes that a spatial angle of the channel vector is a first value and / or a rotation angle is a second value; The transceiver unit is used to receive a demodulation reference signal from a network device on the multiple communication resources; The processing unit is further configured to perform channel estimation based on the demodulation reference signal.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The communication resource is a first frequency domain resource, and the channel vector corresponding to the first frequency domain resource on the scheduling bandwidth is determined according to a channel matrix, and the frequency domain range of the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the frequency domain range of the scheduling bandwidth.

20. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The communication resource is a time domain resource, and the channel vector corresponding to the time domain resource is determined according to a channel matrix within a first time domain range.

21. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that The transceiver unit is also used for: Receiving first indication information from the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the multiple communication resources: The processing unit is specifically configured to determine the plurality of communication resources according to the first indication information.

22. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that The transceiver unit is also used for: Second indication information is received from a network device, where the second indication information indicates the first value and / or the second value, and the first value and / or the second value are used for channel estimation.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a processor configured to execute computer programs or instructions, or, through logic circuits, The device is enabled to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or to perform the method according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, characterized in that The apparatus further comprises a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

25. The communication device according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that: The communication device is a chip or a chip system.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed on the communication device, The device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the method according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that Contains instructions that, when executed on a computer, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is performed, or the method according to any one of claims 7 to 11 is performed.

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