Communication method, and device

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of wireless communications. Provided are a communication method, and a device. The method comprises: a communication apparatus sending first information, wherein the first information indicates whether a first signal for equalization is required; the communication apparatus receiving a first frame, wherein the first frame comprises second information and first data; and when the second information indicates that the first signal is not used, the communication apparatus determining to not use the first signal to balance the first data.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 17, 2023, with application number 202311547478.1 and invention name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] As the number of users continues to grow and smart devices become increasingly prevalent, data services are experiencing explosive growth. However, spectrum resources are not inexhaustible. As user demand for spectrum resources continues to grow, their limited availability is becoming increasingly apparent. Therefore, further improving spectrum efficiency is becoming crucial.

[0004] Currently, the primary method for improving spectrum efficiency is to increase the number of users and streams a base station can simultaneously serve within the same frequency band. However, continuing to use the current 5G equalization method will increase the downlink demodulation reference signal (DMRS) overhead as the number of connected users increases, preventing further improvements in spectrum efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, how to reduce the signal overhead used for demodulation is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device that transmits first information indicating whether a first signal is needed for equalization, and then receives a first frame including second information and first data. When the second information indicates that the first signal is not needed, the method determines not to use the first signal for equalization of the first data. This reduces unnecessary first signal overhead.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a communication device (terminal equipment or network equipment), or the method is performed by some components in the communication device (such as a processor, chip or chip system, etc.), or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device. In the first aspect and its possible implementation, the method is described as being performed by a communication device. In this method, the communication device sends first information, and the first information indicates whether a first signal is needed for equalization; the communication device receives a first frame, and the first frame includes second information and first data; when the second information indicates that the first signal is not used, the communication device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, first information is sent to indicate whether the first signal is needed for equalization, and then a first frame including second information and first data is received. When the second information indicates that the first signal is not needed, the first signal is determined not to be used for equalization of the first data. This reduces unnecessary first signal overhead.

[0010] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method further includes: when the second information indicates to use the first signal, using the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0011] In this possible implementation, the communication device may use the second information to instruct the receiving end to use the first signal to equalize the first data, so that the receiving end can clearly know the method used to equalize the first data, thereby improving the accuracy of the receiving end in equalizing the first data.

[0012] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the second information indicates not using the first signal, determining not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, and using a neural network to equalize the first data, and the neural network is pre-configured.

[0013] In this possible implementation, unnecessary first signal overhead can be reduced by indicating using a neural network to equalize the first data through the second information.

[0014] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information, where the third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0015] In this possible implementation, the communication device can determine whether to switch the data equalization mode by receiving the third information, thereby meeting the scheduling requirements of the transmitting end. In addition, the communication device can also request the transmitting end to send the third information by sending a request, thereby meeting the actual needs of the communication device.

[0016] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, before sending the first information, the method further includes: sending fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

[0017] In this possible implementation, the communication device can report whether it supports not using the first signal, and then the opposite device can determine the first frame to send and whether to switch the balancing mode based on the communication device's capability information and scheduling requirements.

[0018] The second aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a communication device (network device or terminal device), or the method is performed by some components in the communication device (such as a processor, chip or chip system, etc.), or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device. In the second aspect and its possible implementation, the method is described as being performed by a communication device. In this method, the communication device receives first information, and the first information indicates whether a first signal is needed for equalization; the communication device sends a first frame, and the first frame includes second information and first data, and the second information indicates not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, or indicates to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, the communication device sends the first frame including the second information and the first data according to the first information. When the second information indicates that the first signal is not to be used, unnecessary first signal overhead can be reduced.

[0020] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending third information, where the third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0021] In this possible implementation, the communication device can send the third information to the receiving end to clarify whether to switch the data equalization mode, thereby meeting the scheduling requirements of the communication device. In addition, the communication device can also send the third information by receiving a request from the opposite device, thereby meeting the actual needs of the opposite device.

[0022] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, before sending the first information, the method further includes: receiving fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

[0023] In this possible implementation, the communication device can determine the first frame to be sent and whether to switch to the balancing mode based on the capability information and scheduling requirements of the opposite device reported by the opposite device as to whether it supports not using the first signal.

[0024] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect, the above-mentioned first frame is a downlink frame, that is, the communication device is a terminal device.

[0025] This possible implementation can be applied to a terminal device reporting whether it requires the first signal, so that the network device can determine whether the first frame sent down includes the time-frequency resources occupied by the first signal. For example, if the terminal device reports that it does not require the first signal, the network device can send a downlink frame to the terminal device that does not include the time-frequency resources of the first signal, thereby reducing the consumption of the time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0026] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first signal includes a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a channel sounding reference signal (SRS). The communication device corresponding to the first signal including the DMRS signal is a terminal device, and the communication device corresponding to the first signal including the SRS signal is a network device.

[0027] In this possible implementation, the method can be applied not only to uplink demodulation but also to downlink demodulation. Through demand-based interaction between devices on both sides, the overhead of unnecessary first signals can be reduced.

[0028] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first frame does not include time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0029] In this possible implementation, the first frame does not include the time-frequency resources of the first signal, thereby reducing the consumption of the time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0030] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect, the above-mentioned neural network is trained with training data as input and with the goal of having a loss function value less than a threshold, and the loss function is used to represent the difference between the data obtained by equalization of the neural network and the training data.

[0031] In this possible implementation, a neural network training method is provided. The training method can enable the neural network to have balancing capabilities, providing a new balancing method.

[0032] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect, the loss function is as follows:

[0033] Where L represents the loss function, n represents the total number of resource elements (REs), k represents any one of the n REs, h(k) represents the channel on the k-th RE, y(k) represents the training data received on the k-th RE, x(k) represents the training data sent on the k-th RE, and α, β, and h(k) are constants.

[0034] In this possible implementation, the neural network-based data equalization performs nonlinear equalization on each RE independently, achieving higher precision than traditional DMRS block-based linear equalization. Nonlinear equalization, combined with coding characteristics, leverages inter-symbol correlation to improve equalization accuracy. Leveraging the parallelization capabilities of neural networks, parameter optimization is performed during the training phase, eliminating the need for iteration during testing and resulting in faster equalization.

[0035] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect, the number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the above-mentioned first signal is fixed, or the number of resource blocks is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal.

[0036] In this possible implementation, by setting a static resource block or a dynamic resource block in the first frame, it is possible to adapt to a mixed access scenario of a terminal device that does not require the first signal and a terminal device that requires the first signal.

[0037] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the second information indicates a first number of frames that do not use the first signal equalization, or indicates a second number of frames that use the first signal equalization.

[0038] In this possible implementation, the second information can indicate the equalization method of subsequent frames. For example, when the second information indicates the first number of frames that do not use the first equalization, the second information may not be included in the subsequent frames, thereby reducing the overhead problem of requiring the second information for each frame.

[0039] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the second number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0040] In this possible implementation, the second information may be used to indicate the equalization mode for subsequent frames, thereby reducing the overhead problem of needing to indicate the equalization mode for each frame.

[0041] The third aspect of the present application provides a communication device (terminal equipment or network equipment). The communication device includes: a transceiver unit for sending first information, the first information indicating whether a first signal is needed for equalization; the transceiver unit is also used to receive a first frame, the first frame including second information and first data; a processing unit for determining not to use the first signal to equalize the first data when the second information indicates not to use the first signal.

[0042] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the above-mentioned processing unit is further configured to use the first signal to equalize the first data when the second information indicates to use the first signal.

[0043] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect, the second information indicates that the first signal is not used, and it is determined not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, and a neural network is used to equalize the first data, and the neural network is pre-configured.

[0044] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further used to receive third information, where the third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0045] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further used to send fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether to support not using the first signal.

[0046] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a communication device (network device or terminal device), which includes: a transceiver unit for receiving first information, the first information indicating whether a first signal is required for equalization; the transceiver unit is also used to send a first frame, the first frame includes second information and first data, the second information indicates not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, or indicates to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0047] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further used to send third information, where the third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0048] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further used to receive fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether to support not using the first signal.

[0049] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned first frame is a downlink frame, that is, the communication device is a terminal device.

[0050] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first signal includes a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a channel sounding reference signal (SRS). The communication device corresponding to the first signal including the DMRS signal is a terminal device, and the communication device corresponding to the first signal including the SRS signal is a network device.

[0051] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned first frame does not include time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0052] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned neural network is trained with training data as input and with the value of the loss function being less than a threshold as the goal, and the loss function is used to represent the difference between the data obtained by equalization of the neural network and the training data.

[0053] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the loss function is as follows:

[0054] Where L represents the loss function, n represents the total number of resource elements (REs), k represents any one of the n REs, h(k) represents the channel on the k-th RE, y(k) represents the training data received on the k-th RE, x(k) represents the training data sent on the k-th RE, and α, β, and h(k) are constants.

[0055] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the above-mentioned first signal is fixed, or the number of resource blocks is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal.

[0056] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the second information indicates a first number of frames that do not use the first signal equalization, or indicates a second number of frames that use the first signal equalization.

[0057] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the second number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0058] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that any possible implementation method of any aspect of the first aspect can be implemented.

[0059] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that the method described in any possible implementation method of any of the second or third aspects mentioned above is implemented.

[0060] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit and the input / output interface are used to execute the method described in any possible implementation of any aspect of the first aspect.

[0061] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit and the input / output interface are used to execute the method described in any possible implementation method of any of the second or third aspects above.

[0062] In a ninth aspect of the present application, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor configured to implement the functions of the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first aspects. The communication device may further comprise a memory configured to store program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further comprises an interface circuit configured to provide program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0063] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor configured to implement the functions described in any possible implementation of the method described in any of the second or third aspects. The communication device may also include a memory configured to store program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit configured to provide program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0064] The communication device in aspects 5 to 10 of the present application may be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip or chip system in the terminal device or the network device. The chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0065] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first or second aspects above.

[0066] The twelfth aspect of the present application provides a computer program product (or computer program). When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first or second aspects above.

[0067] In a thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, comprising the communication device of the first aspect and the communication device of the second aspect. Alternatively, the communication system comprises the communication device of the third aspect and the communication device of the fourth aspect, or the communication system comprises the communication device of the fifth aspect and the communication device of the sixth aspect, or the communication system comprises the communication device of the seventh aspect and the communication device of the eighth aspect, or the communication system comprises the communication device of the ninth aspect and the communication device of the tenth aspect.

[0068] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third to thirteenth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by different design methods in any aspect of the first or second aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] FIG1A is a schematic diagram of a communication system involved in this application;

[0070] FIG1B is a schematic diagram of a communication system involved in this application;

[0071] FIG1C is a schematic diagram of a communication system involved in this application;

[0072] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0073] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0074] Figures 4 to 6 are schematic structural diagrams of several first frames provided in this application;

[0075] FIG7 is a diagram illustrating an example structure of a neural network provided in this application;

[0076] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0077] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0078] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0079] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0080] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by the present application;

[0081] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by the present application;

[0082] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by the present application;

[0083] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0085] To facilitate understanding, the following first introduces the relevant terms and concepts mainly involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0086] 1. Neural Networks

[0087] A neural network can be composed of neural units, which can be represented by X s and intercept b as inputs, the output of the operation unit can be:

[0088] Where, s = 1, 2, ... n, n is a natural number greater than 1, W s For X s The weight of the neural unit, b is the bias of the neural unit. f is the activation function of the neural unit, which is used to introduce nonlinear characteristics into the neural network to convert the input signal in the neural unit into the output signal. The output signal of the activation function can be used as the input of the next convolutional layer. The activation function can be a Relu function. A neural network is a network formed by connecting many of the above-mentioned single neural units together, that is, the output of one neural unit can be the input of another neural unit. The input of each neural unit can be connected to the local domain of the previous layer to extract the features of the local domain. The local domain can be an area composed of several neural units.

[0089] The operation of each layer in a neural network can be described mathematically by the expression y = a(Wx + b). From a physical perspective, the operation of each layer in a neural network can be understood as transforming the input space (a set of input vectors) to the output space (i.e., from the row space to the column space of a matrix) through five operations. These operations include: 1. Dimensionality increase / decrease; 2. Scaling / reduction; 3. Rotation; 4. Translation; and 5. Bending. Operations 1, 2, and 3 are performed by Wx, 4 by +b, and 5 by a(). The word "space" is used here because the objects being classified are not individual things, but rather a class of things, and space refers to the collection of all individuals within that class. W is the weight vector, each value in which represents the weight of a neuron in that layer of the neural network. This vector W determines the spatial transformation from input space to output space described above. Specifically, the weights W of each layer control how the space is transformed. The goal of training a neural network is to ultimately obtain the weight matrix for all layers of the trained neural network (a weight matrix formed by the vectors W of many layers). Therefore, the training process of a neural network is essentially about learning how to control spatial transformations, and more specifically, about learning the weight matrix.

[0090] 2. Loss Function

[0091] During the training of a deep neural network, because we want the output of the deep neural network to be as close as possible to the desired predicted value, we can compare the current network's predicted value with the desired target value, and then update the weight vector of each layer of the neural network based on the difference between the two. (Of course, there is usually an initialization process before the first update, which is to pre-configure the parameters for each layer in the deep neural network.) For example, if the network's predicted value is too high, the weight vector is adjusted to make it predict a lower value. This adjustment is continued until the neural network can predict the desired target value. Therefore, it is necessary to predefine "how to compare the difference between the predicted value and the target value." This is the loss function or objective function, which is an important equation used to measure the difference between the predicted value and the target value. Among them, taking the loss function as an example, the higher the output value (loss) of the loss function, the greater the difference. Therefore, training a deep neural network becomes a process of minimizing this loss as much as possible.

[0092] 3. Equalizing

[0093] Equalization is commonly used to eliminate channel interference and improve signal quality. For example, DMRS equalization processes received DMRS symbols at the receiving end to obtain channel information and eliminate the channel's impact on received data, thereby improving signal quality. The neural network equalization proposed in the embodiments of the present application can use a neural network to process received data to eliminate the channel's impact on received data, thereby improving received data quality.

[0094] 4. Configuration and pre-configuration

[0095] In this application, configuration and pre-configuration are used simultaneously. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending some parameter configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal through messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration and can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​used by the base station / network device or terminal device as specified in the standard protocol, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0096] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0097] 5. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0098] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1A). The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 via a wireless connection, and the RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 via a wireless or wired connection. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals and RAN nodes may be connected to each other via wired or wireless means.

[0099] RAN 100 may be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a NR system, or a future radio access system defined in 3GPP. RAN 100 may also include two or more of the aforementioned different radio access systems. RAN 100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0100] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, is used to help terminals access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1A), a micro base station, or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1A), or a relay node or a donor node.

[0101] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, as well as some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of these protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU implements the transmission and reception of RF signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0102] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, the CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and the RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules. For example, the RAN node may be a server loaded with the corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the RAN node.

[0103] In addition, a RAN node can also be referred to as a network device. A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, etc. In systems using different radio access technologies, the names of network devices may vary, such as eNB or eNodeB (Evolutional NodeB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE). A network device may also be a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. A network device may also be a base station device in a future 5G network or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network. A network device may also be a wearable device or an in-vehicle device. A network device may also be a transmission and reception point (TRP). In addition, in a network structure, a network device may include a centralized unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device including a CU node and a DU node. For ease of description, the following description uses a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0104] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0105] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0106] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1A can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1A can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1A can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0107] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0108] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0109] It can be understood that the RAN 100 described above includes at least one RAN node (such as 110 a and 110 b in FIG. 1A , collectively referred to as 110 ), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120 a - 120 j in FIG. 1A , collectively referred to as 120 ).

[0110] In one possible implementation, the communication system shown in FIG1A may also be as shown in FIG1B , that is, including a RAN node 110 and multiple terminals (such as 120A and 120B in FIG1B ). In this case, a single RAN node can transmit data or control signaling to a single terminal or multiple terminals.

[0111] In another possible implementation, the communication system shown in FIG1A may also be shown in FIG1C , that is, include multiple RAN nodes (such as 110A, 110B, and 110C in FIG1C ) 110 and a terminal 120. In this case, multiple RAN nodes may also simultaneously transmit data or control signaling for a single terminal.

[0112] Currently, the primary approach to improving spectrum efficiency is to increase the number of users and streams a base station can simultaneously serve within the same frequency band. However, using the current 5G equalization method will increase the overhead of the downlink demodulation reference signal (DMRS) as the number of connected users increases, preventing further improvements in spectrum efficiency. Therefore, reducing the signal overhead used for demodulation is a pressing technical challenge.

[0113] To address the above technical issues, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device that transmits first information indicating whether a first signal is needed for equalization, and then receives a first frame including second information and first data. When the second information indicates that the first signal is not needed, the method determines not to use the first signal for equalization of the first data. This reduces unnecessary first signal overhead.

[0114] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method may include steps 201 to 204. Steps 201 to 204 may be performed by a communication device, or may be performed by some components in the communication device (such as a processor, chip or chip system, etc.), or may be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device. The communication device includes: a terminal device and / or a network device. The following description is taken as an example of execution by a communication device. The processing performed by a single execution subject in steps 201 to 204 may also be divided into executions by multiple execution subjects, and these execution subjects may be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device may be divided into executions by at least one of the CU, DU and RU. Steps 201 to 204 are described in detail below.

[0115] Step 201: The communication device sends first information.

[0116] Step 202: The communication device receives a first frame.

[0117] Step 203: When the second information indicates not to use the first signal, the communication device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0118] Step 204: When the second information indicates to use the first signal, the communication device uses the first signal to equalize the first data. This step is optional.

[0119] The above steps may have various situations depending on the different communication devices.

[0120] The first method involves the communication device being a terminal device. In this case, the embodiment shown in Figure 2 can be represented by Figure 3. Alternatively, step 201 can be further refined into step 301, step 202 can be further refined into step 302, step 203 can be further refined into step 303, and step 204 can be further refined into step 304. This is described in detail below.

[0121] Step 301: The terminal device sends first information to the network device.

[0122] The terminal device sends first information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device. The first information indicates whether a first signal for equalization is required.

[0123] Among them, the first information in this case is uplink information, and the first information can also be understood as the terminal device's demand information related to demodulation.

[0124] Optionally, the first signal is a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). The first information may also be called a DMRS requirement indicator (DMRS_CI), and the terminal device may inform the network device whether it needs DMRS through the DMRS_CI.

[0125] Exemplarily, the first information can serve as a new type of signaling between the terminal device and the network device, used for interaction between the terminal device and the network device. The first information includes an indicator bit, which is used to indicate whether the terminal device requires the first signal. An indicator bit of "0" indicates that the first signal is not required, and an indicator bit of "1" indicates that the first signal is required. Of course, the indicator bit of "1" can also indicate that the first signal is not required, and the indicator bit of "0" indicates that the first signal is required.

[0126] It is understandable that this step may be actively reported by the terminal device, or may be passively reported based on the request of the network device, and the specifics are not limited here.

[0127] Step 302: The network device sends a first frame to the terminal device.

[0128] After the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device, the network device sends a first frame to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first frame sent by the network device.

[0129] In this case, the first frame may be referred to as a downlink frame, and the first frame includes the second information and the first data, the second information indicating whether to use the first signal. The first data may be user data or control data, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0130] Exemplarily, taking the first signal being DMRS as an example, after the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device, it can also set a label for the terminal device. For example, the label for a terminal device that does not require the first signal may be DMRS-Disabled UE, and the label for a terminal device that requires the first signal may be DMRS-Enabled UE. Or it can be understood that a DMRS-Disabled UE can use DMRS for equalization or other methods (such as neural networks) for equalization. However, a DMRS-Enabled UE can only use DMRS for equalization.

[0131] Optionally, the second information may also indicate the first number of frames that do not use the first signal equalization, or indicate the second number of frames that use the first signal equalization. The first number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the second number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. Alternatively, it can be understood that the second information may indicate whether the first signal is used to equalize the current frame, and may also indicate whether the first signal is used to equalize the number of frames that the network device will send to the terminal device next. Of course, in order to reduce overhead, if the second information indicates whether the first signal is used to equalize the number of frames that the network device will send to the terminal device next, the second information may not be included in subsequent frames.

[0132] Optionally, the network device determines the first frame based on the first information and sends the first frame to the network device. Since there are multiple situations, they are described below respectively:

[0133] In one possible implementation, the first information received by the network device indicates that the terminal device does not need the first signal for equalization. Then, the first frame sent by the network device to the terminal device may not include the time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0134] In this manner, the network device does not need to configure the time-frequency resources of the first signal for the terminal device, thereby reducing the resource overhead of the first signal. The second information is used to indicate that the first signal is not used.

[0135] Exemplarily, the structure of the first frame in this manner is shown in Figure 4, and the first frame includes: the second information, the PDCCH, and the first data. The time-frequency resources of the first signal are not included. For example, when the first signal is DMRS, in a scenario where there is no need to send DMRS resources, a new frame structure that does not include DMRS is required. The embodiment of the present application proposes a frame structure without DMRS as a new frame structure for the downlink frame sent from the network device to the terminal device. The downlink frame does not contain any DMRS resources, but only contains the second information (also referred to as DMRS_EI), PDCCH and the first data.

[0136] This method is suitable for scenarios where the terminal device configured by the network device does not need the first signal. The network device does not send the time-frequency resources of the first signal, thereby reducing the overhead of the time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0137] In another possible implementation, the first information received by the network device indicates that the terminal device needs a first signal for equalization. Then, the first frame sent by the network device to the terminal device may further include time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0138] In this approach, since network devices generally configure resources for multiple terminal devices, it is considered that some terminal devices may not use the first signal, while other terminal devices may require it. Therefore, the first frame may also include the time-frequency resources of the first signal. Furthermore, for terminal devices that require the first signal, the second information instructs them to use the first signal. For terminal devices that do not require the first signal, the second information instructs them not to use the first signal. Of course, the network device may also instruct terminal devices that do not require the first signal to use the first signal based on scheduling needs.

[0139] There are also multiple situations in which the time-frequency resources including the first signal in the first frame are described below:

[0140] 1. The number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal is fixed.

[0141] In this case, the first frame may also be referred to as a static blank frame. The first frame includes not only the second information and the first data, but also the time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal, and the number of the time-frequency resource blocks is fixed.

[0142] Exemplarily, the structure of the first frame in this case is shown in FIG5 , where the first frame includes: the second information, the PDCCH, the first data, and a fixed number of first signal time-frequency resource blocks (also referred to as static resource blocks). For example, when the first signal is DMRS, the downlink frame sent by the network device to the terminal device includes a fixed number of DMRS resource blocks, the second information (also referred to as DMRS_EI), the PDCCH, and the first data.

[0143] 2. The number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal.

[0144] In this case, the first frame can also be called a dynamic blank frame. The first frame includes not only the second information and the first data, but also the time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal. The number of these time-frequency resource blocks is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal. In other words, the number of resource blocks is dynamic.

[0145] Exemplarily, the structure of the first frame in this case is shown in Figure 6, and the first frame includes: the second information, PDCCH, the first data, and a dynamic number of first signal time-frequency resource blocks (also referred to as dynamic resource blocks). For example, in the case where the first signal is DMRS, the downlink frame sent by the network device to the terminal device contains a dynamic number of DMRS resource blocks, the second information (also referred to as DMRS_EI), PDCCH, and the first data. R_Un in the first frame shown in Figure 6 indicates that the number of terminal devices using the first signal is n, where n is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0146] The above-mentioned methods can also be combined, for example, in a scenario where terminal devices that require the first signal and terminal devices that do not require the first signal are mixedly accessed (this will be described later in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and will not be expanded here). In this scenario, it is necessary to dynamically allocate the DMRS resources within the frame, and this dynamic allocation method requires a new frame structure. In order to solve the dynamic allocation problem, a blank frame is proposed as a new frame structure for frames sent to terminal devices by the network. It is suitable for scenarios where network devices have mixed scheduling requirements for DMRS resources and terminal devices that do not require DMRS resources.

[0147] It is understandable that the above methods are merely examples, and in actual applications, other situations may also exist. For example, the first information received by the network device indicates that the terminal device does not need the first signal for equalization. Then, the first frame sent by the network device to the terminal device still includes the time-frequency resources of the first signal. Alternatively, it can be understood that although the terminal device has the ability not to use the first signal, the network device can schedule the terminal device to use the first signal to equalize the first data. The specific situation of the first frame is not limited here.

[0148] Step 303: When the second information indicates not to use the first signal, the terminal device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0149] When the second information indicates not to use the first signal, the terminal device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0150] Optionally, when the second information indicates that the first signal is not to be used, the terminal device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, and uses other methods to equalize the first data (also referred to as blind equalization).

[0151] Among them, there may be many situations for the above-mentioned other methods. The following description only takes the other method of neural network as an example. It can be understood that in actual applications, there may be other methods besides neural network to balance the first data, which are not limited here.

[0152] Optionally, the terminal device may use a neural network to equalize the first data. Specifically, the first data is input into the neural network to obtain the equalized first data.

[0153] The following describes the neural network stored in the terminal device.

[0154] The neural network is trained with training data as input and the goal is to have the value of the loss function be less than a threshold. The loss function is used to represent the difference between the data obtained by neural network equilibrium and the training data.

[0155] Optionally, the loss function is as follows:

[0156] Where L represents the loss function, n represents the total number of resource elements (REs), k represents any one of the n REs, h(k) represents the channel on the k-th RE, y(k) represents the training data received on the k-th RE, x(k) represents the training data sent on the k-th RE, and α, β, and h(k) are constants.

[0157] As can be seen, the neural network data equalization described above performs nonlinear equalization on each RE independently, achieving higher accuracy than traditional DMRS block linear equalization. Nonlinear equalization, combined with coding characteristics, leverages inter-symbol correlation to improve equalization accuracy. Leveraging the parallelization capabilities of neural networks, parameter optimization is performed iteratively during the training phase, eliminating the need for iteration during testing and resulting in faster equalization.

[0158] It is understandable that the above loss function is only an example. In practical applications, there may be other methods or variations, which are not specifically limited here.

[0159] The neural network in the embodiments of the present application may include one or more of the following: convolutional neural network (CNN), recurrent neural network (RNN), attention mechanism (Transformer), etc.

[0160] For example, taking a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network within an RNN as an example, the neural network can be shown in Figure 7. The neural network includes a channel estimation module, a code recovery module, and a feature conversion module. The channel estimation module is used to perform channel estimation based on a received signal without a pilot signal as input. The code recovery module combines the coding characteristics and the channel estimation results to recover the features of the transmitted signal from the received signal. The feature conversion module is used to convert the features into equalized data.

[0161] It is understandable that the neural network in FIG7 is only an example. In actual applications, there may be other structures or deformations, which are not specifically limited here.

[0162] Step 304: When the second information indicates to use the first signal, the terminal device uses the first signal to equalize the first data. This step is optional.

[0163] Optionally, when the second information indicates to use the first signal, the terminal device uses the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0164] In an embodiment of the present application, on the one hand, the terminal device indicates whether the first signal for equalization is needed by reporting the first information to the network device, and then receives the first frame including the second information and the first data. When the second information indicates that the first signal is not used, the terminal device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data. Thereby, unnecessary first signal overhead is reduced. On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a new frame structure that may not include DMRS resource blocks to reduce unnecessary DMRS overhead. On the other hand, for terminal devices using DMRS and terminal devices not using DMRS, compatibility can be achieved by leaving blank frames to improve the scope of use of the solution.

[0165] The following describes a method of combining several methods in the above step 302.

[0166] Referring to Figure 8, another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application can be applied in a hybrid access scenario. Hybrid access refers to a situation in which terminal devices accessing a network device include both terminal devices that require a first signal and terminal devices that do not require the first signal. The method can include steps 801 to 806. Steps 801 to 806 are described in detail below:

[0167] In step 801, a first terminal device and a second terminal device randomly access a network device.

[0168] The first terminal device and the second terminal device perform an RA on the network device. The RA process may be a 4-step RA or a 2-step RA. Furthermore, the RA may be a competitive RA or a non-competitive RA, which is not specifically limited herein.

[0169] Step 802: The first terminal device sends first information to the network device.

[0170] A first terminal device sends a first message to a network device. The corresponding network device receives the first message sent by the first terminal device. The first message indicates that a first signal is required.

[0171] For the description of the first information, reference may be made to the description of the first information in the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 7 , which will not be repeated here.

[0172] Optionally, the first signal is DMRS, and after the network device receives the first information sent by the first terminal device, since the first information sent by the first terminal device indicates that DMRS is needed, the network device may tag the first terminal device: DMRS-Enabled UE.

[0173] Optionally, the first terminal device does not support not using DMRS and sends first information requiring DMRS. However, it is not excluded that the first terminal device may also support not using DMRS but send first information indicating that DMRS is required. Subsequently, when the network device learns whether the terminal device supports not using DMRS, it can update the tag of the first terminal device.

[0174] Step 803: The second terminal device sends the first information to the network device.

[0175] The second terminal device sends a first message to the network device. The corresponding network device receives the first message sent by the second terminal device. The first message indicates that the first signal is not required.

[0176] Optionally, the first signal is DMRS, and after the network device receives the first information sent by the second terminal device, since the first information sent by the second terminal device indicates that DMRS is not required, the network device may tag the second terminal device: DMRS-Disabled UE.

[0177] Step 804: The network device determines the time-frequency resources of each terminal device based on the first information.

[0178] The network device determines whether to configure time-frequency resources for the first signal for each terminal device based on whether the first signal is needed as indicated in the first information reported by each terminal device.

[0179] Optionally, the first information sent by the first terminal device indicates that DMRS is needed. The network device may configure time-frequency resources of DMRS for the first terminal device.

[0180] Optionally, the first information sent by the second terminal device indicates that DMRS is not required. Then the network device may not configure DMRS time-frequency resources for the second terminal device.

[0181] Step 805: The network device sends a first frame containing a first signal time-frequency resource to the first terminal device.

[0182] The network device sends a first frame containing a first signal time-frequency resource to the first terminal device. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first frame containing the first signal time-frequency resource sent by the network device.

[0183] For the description of the first frame, reference may be made to the description of the first frame in the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 7 , which will not be repeated here.

[0184] Step 806: The network device sends a first frame that does not contain the first signal time-frequency resources to the second terminal device.

[0185] The network device sends a first frame that does not contain the first signal time-frequency resource to the second terminal device. Correspondingly, the second terminal device receives the first frame that does not contain the first signal time-frequency resource sent by the network device.

[0186] Based on the above scheme, the network device can allocate corresponding time-frequency resources according to the first information reported by each terminal device, thereby reducing the allocation of first signal time-frequency resources to terminal devices that do not need first signal time-frequency resources, thereby reducing resource overhead.

[0187] The second type is that the communication device is a network device.

[0188] In this case, step 201 can be further refined as follows: the network device sends first information to the terminal device. Step 202 can be further refined as follows: the terminal device sends a first frame to the network device. Step 203 can be further refined as follows: when the second information indicates not to use the first signal, the network device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data. Step 204 can be further refined as follows: when the second information indicates to use the first signal, the network device uses the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0189] In this case, the first information in step 201 is downlink information, which can also be understood as demodulation-related capability information of the network device. The first frame in step 202 can be called an uplink frame.

[0190] Optionally, the first signal is a channel sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0191] It is understandable that if the network device does not need to use the first signal to equalize the first data, the network device may use other methods to equalize the first data. For example, the network device stores a neural network.

[0192] In this case, the processing flow of the network device is similar to that of the aforementioned terminal device and will not be repeated here.

[0193] In this embodiment of the present application, a network device indicates to a terminal device whether a first signal is required for equalization by reporting first information to the terminal device, and then receives a first frame including second information and first data. If the second information indicates that the first signal is not required, the network device determines not to use the first signal for equalization of the first data. This reduces unnecessary first signal overhead and lowers power consumption in the terminal device.

[0194] In addition, the communication device may also receive third information indicating a switch between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0195] Referring to Figure 9 , taking the communication device as a terminal device as an example, the process includes step 901. This step can be combined with the embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 8 above.

[0196] Step 901: The network device sends third information to the terminal device.

[0197] The network device sends third information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information sent by the network device. The third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0198] In one possible implementation, in step 301 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , the first information reported by the terminal device indicates that the first signal is not needed. In this step, the network device can instruct the terminal device to switch from not using the first signal equalization to using the first signal equalization by sending third information.

[0199] In another possible implementation, in step 301 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the first information reported by the terminal device indicates a need for the first signal. In this step, the network device can instruct the terminal device to switch from using the first signal for equalization to not using the first signal for equalization by issuing third information. Of course, in this case, the terminal device has the ability to use equalization data other than the first information.

[0200] Exemplarily, the third information can be used as a new signaling between the terminal device and the network device for interaction between the terminal device and the network device. The third information includes an indicator bit, which indicates that the terminal device switches from using the first signal equalization to not using the first signal equalization. Or indicates not switching from using the first signal equalization to using the first signal equalization. The indicator bit is "0" indicating switching from using the first signal equalization to not using the first signal equalization, and the indicator bit is "1" indicating switching from not using the first signal equalization to using the first signal equalization. Of course, the indicator bit can also be "1" indicating switching from using the first signal equalization to not using the first signal equalization, and the indicator bit is "0" indicating switching from not using the first signal equalization to using the first signal equalization.

[0201] It is understandable that this step may be actively sent by the network device as needed, or may be passively sent based on the request of the terminal device, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0202] Based on the above solution, the network device can change the balancing mode of the terminal device by sending the third information. If it is sent passively based on the request of the terminal device, it can meet the needs of the terminal device. If the network device actively sends it based on the needs, it can improve the flexibility of the network device in scheduling the terminal device.

[0203] In addition, the communication device may also report fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

[0204] Referring to Figure 10 , taking the communication device as a terminal device as an example, the process includes step 1001. This step can be combined with the embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 9 above.

[0205] Step 1001: The terminal device sends fourth information to the network device.

[0206] The terminal device sends fourth information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the fourth information sent by the terminal device. The fourth information indicates whether to support not using the first signal.

[0207] The fourth information may also be understood as capability information of the terminal device.

[0208] For example, in the case where step 1001 is combined with the embodiment shown in FIG3 , the terminal device supports not using the first signal, but the first information reported to the network device indicates that the first signal is required. In step 302 , the network device may not only send the first frame containing the time-frequency resources of the first signal to the terminal device, but may also send the first frame that does not contain the time-frequency resources of the first signal to the terminal device based on actual scheduling needs and the terminal device's capability information.

[0209] For another example, in the case where step 1001 is combined with the embodiment shown in FIG3 , if the terminal device does not support not using the first signal and the first information reported to the network device indicates that the first signal is required, then in step 302 , the network device will not send the first frame that does not include the time-frequency resources of the first signal to the terminal device.

[0210] For another example, in the case where step 1001 is combined with the embodiment shown in FIG9 , the terminal device supports not using the first signal, but the first information reported to the network device indicates that the first signal is required. In step 801 , the network device may send third information to the terminal device to instruct the switching of the equalization mode, that is, to instruct the switching from using the first signal equalization to not using the first signal equalization.

[0211] For another example, in the case where step 1001 is combined with the embodiment shown in FIG9 , the terminal device does not support not using the first signal, and the first information reported to the network device indicates that the first signal is required. Then, in the aforementioned step 801, the network device cannot send the third information to the terminal device to instruct the switching of the balancing mode. Because the terminal device does not support not using the first signal, even if the network device instructs the switching from using the first signal balancing to not using the first signal balancing through the third information, the terminal device does not have the ability to switch.

[0212] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can report to the network device whether it supports not using the first signal capability information, and then the network device can determine the downlink frame to be sent and whether to switch the balancing mode based on the terminal device's capability information and scheduling requirements.

[0213] In addition, the embodiment of FIG. 10 may also be combined with the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 , FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 .

[0214] Referring to Figure 11, another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application can be applied in a hybrid access scenario. Hybrid access refers to a situation in which terminal devices accessing a network device include both terminal devices that require a first signal and terminal devices that do not require the first signal. The method can include steps 1101 to 1108. Steps 1101 to 1108 are described in detail below:

[0215] Step 1101: The first terminal device sends fourth information to the network device.

[0216] The first terminal device sends fourth information to the network device. The corresponding network device receives the fourth information sent by the first terminal device. The fourth information indicates that the first signal is not supported or not used.

[0217] For the description of the first signal, reference may be made to the description of the first signal in the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 10 , which will not be repeated here.

[0218] Step 1102: The second terminal device sends fourth information to the network device.

[0219] The second terminal device sends fourth information to the network device. The corresponding network device receives the fourth information sent by the second terminal device. The fourth information indicates support for not using the first signal.

[0220] Step 1103: The network device determines the label of each terminal device based on the fourth information.

[0221] After receiving the fourth information sent by each terminal device, the network device determines the label of each terminal device based on the fourth information.

[0222] Optionally, the first signal is DMRS. After the network device receives the fourth information sent by the first terminal device, because the fourth information sent by the first terminal device indicates that the first signal is not supported and not used, the network device can label the first terminal device: DMRS-Enabled UE. After the network device receives the fourth information sent by the second terminal device, because the fourth information sent by the second terminal device indicates that the first signal is supported and not used, the network device can label the second terminal device: DMRS-Disabled UE.

[0223] Alternatively, it can be understood that a DMRS-Disabled UE can use DMRS for equalization or other methods (such as neural network) for equalization, while a DMRS-Enabled UE can only use DMRS for equalization.

[0224] Step 1104: The network device sends a first frame to the first terminal device.

[0225] The network device sends a first frame to the first terminal device. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first frame sent by the network device. The first frame includes second information, first data, and time-frequency resources of the first signal. The second information indicates the use of the first signal.

[0226] After receiving the first frame, the first terminal device uses the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0227] Step 1105: The network device sends a first frame to the second terminal device.

[0228] The network device sends a first frame to the second terminal device. Accordingly, the second terminal device receives the first frame sent by the network device. The first frame includes the second information and the first data, but does not include the time-frequency resources of the first signal. The second information indicates that the first signal is not to be used.

[0229] After receiving the first frame, the second terminal device determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data. This process can be referred to the description of step 303 in the embodiment shown in FIG3 , and will not be repeated here.

[0230] Step 1106: The network device sends third information to the second terminal device.

[0231] The network device sends third information to the second terminal device. Correspondingly, the second terminal device receives the third information sent by the network device. The third information instructs the second terminal device to switch from not using the first signal equalization to using the first signal equalization.

[0232] Step 1107: The second terminal device sends the first information to the network device.

[0233] After the second terminal device receives the third information sent by the network device, because the third information instructs the second terminal device to switch from not using the first signal equalization to using the first signal equalization, the second terminal device determines that it will subsequently require time-frequency resources for the first signal. The second terminal device can then send the first information to the network device. Accordingly, the network device receives the first information sent by the second terminal device. The first information indicates that the second terminal device requires the first signal.

[0234] Step 1108: The network device configures time-frequency resources of the first signal for the second terminal device based on the first information.

[0235] After receiving the first information sent by the second terminal device, the network device configures the time-frequency resources of the first signal for the second terminal device based on the first information.

[0236] Optionally, the downlink frame subsequently sent by the network device to the second terminal device includes the second information, the first data, and the time-frequency resources of the first signal, and the second information is used to indicate the use of the first signal.

[0237] Furthermore, the second terminal device subsequently uses the first signal to equalize the first data in the downlink frame.

[0238] Based on the above scheme, on the one hand, the network device can determine whether each terminal device has the ability to support not using the first signal based on the fourth information reported by each terminal device, and then the network device can determine the downlink frame to be sent and whether to switch the balancing mode based on the terminal device's capabilities and scheduling requirements.

[0239] The communication method in the embodiment of the present application is described above. The communication device in the embodiment of the present application is described below. Please refer to Figure 12. An embodiment of a communication device 1200 in the embodiment of the present application can implement the functions of the communication device in the above method embodiment (the communication device is a network device or a terminal device), and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiment. In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 1200 can be a communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the communication device, such as a chip. The communication device 1200 includes: a transceiver unit 1201. Optionally, the communication device 1200 may also include a processing unit 1202.

[0240] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1200 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 11 . In this case, the functions of the various units are as follows:

[0241] The transceiver unit 1201 is configured to send first information, where the first information indicates whether a first signal for equalization is required;

[0242] The transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to receive a first frame, where the first frame includes the second information and the first data;

[0243] The processing unit 1202 is configured to determine not to use the first signal to equalize the first data when the second information indicates not to use the first signal.

[0244] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is further configured to use the first signal to equalize the first data when the second information indicates to use the first signal.

[0245] Optionally, the second information indicates not to use the first signal, and it is determined not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, and a neural network is used to equalize the first data, and the neural network is pre-configured.

[0246] Optionally, the first frame is a downlink frame.

[0247] Optionally, the first signal includes a demodulation reference signal DMRS or a channel sounding reference signal SRS.

[0248] Optionally, the first frame does not include time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0249] Optionally, the neural network is trained using training data as input and with the goal of having a loss function value less than a threshold, and the loss function is used to represent the difference between data obtained by equalization of the neural network and the training data.

[0250] Optionally, the loss function is as follows:

[0251] Where L represents the loss function, n represents the total number of resource elements (REs), k represents any one of the n REs, h(k) represents the channel on the k-th RE, y(k) represents the training data received on the k-th RE, x(k) represents the training data sent on the k-th RE, and α, β, and h(k) are constants.

[0252] Optionally, the number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal is fixed, or the number of resource blocks is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal.

[0253] Optionally, the second information indicates a first number of frames in which the first signal equalization is not used, or indicates a second number of frames in which the first signal equalization is used.

[0254] Optionally, the first number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the second number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0255] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to receive third information, where the third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0256] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to send fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

[0257] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to the description of the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 11 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0258] In this embodiment, transceiver unit 1201 transmits first information to indicate whether the first signal is needed for equalization, and then receives a first frame including second information and first data. Processing unit 1202 determines not to use the first signal for equalization of the first data when the second information indicates not to use the first signal. This reduces unnecessary first signal overhead.

[0259] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1200 is the network device in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 11 . In this case, the functions of the various units are as follows:

[0260] The transceiver unit 1201 is configured to receive first information, where the first information indicates whether a first signal for equalization is required;

[0261] The transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to send a first frame, where the first frame includes second information and first data, and the second information indicates not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, or indicates to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

[0262] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to send third information, where the third information indicates switching between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

[0263] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to receive fourth information, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

[0264] Optionally, the first frame is a downlink frame.

[0265] Optionally, the first signal includes a demodulation reference signal DMRS or a channel sounding reference signal SRS.

[0266] Optionally, the first frame does not include time-frequency resources of the first signal.

[0267] Optionally, the neural network is trained using training data as input and with the goal of having a loss function value less than a threshold, and the loss function is used to represent the difference between data obtained by equalization of the neural network and the training data.

[0268] Optionally, the loss function is as follows:

[0269] Where L represents the loss function, n represents the total number of resource elements (REs), k represents any one of the n REs, h(k) represents the channel on the k-th RE, y(k) represents the training data received on the k-th RE, x(k) represents the training data sent on the k-th RE, and α, β, and h(k) are constants.

[0270] Optionally, the number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal is fixed, or the number of resource blocks is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal.

[0271] Optionally, the second information indicates a first number of frames in which the first signal equalization is not used, or indicates a second number of frames in which the first signal equalization is used.

[0272] Optionally, the first number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the second number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0273] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to the description of the network device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 11 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0274] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1201 sends the first frame including the second information and the first data according to the first information. When the second information indicates that the first signal is not to be used, unnecessary first signal overhead can be reduced.

[0275] Please refer to Figure 13, which is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in this application. The communication device 1300 includes a logic circuit 1301 and an input / output interface 1302. The communication device 1300 may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0276] The transceiver unit 1201 shown in FIG12 may be a communication interface, which may be the input / output interface 1302 in FIG13 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit. The processing unit 1202 shown in FIG12 may be the logic circuit 1301 in FIG13 .

[0277] Optionally, if the communication device is the communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , logic circuit 1301 is configured to perform one or more of the following: determine whether to use the first signal to equalize the first data. Input / output interface 1302 is configured to perform one or more of the following: send the first information, receive the first frame, receive the fourth information, and send the third information.

[0278] Optionally, when the communication device is a terminal device in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 9 , logic circuit 1301 is configured to perform one or more of the following: determine whether to use the first signal to equalize the first data. Input / output interface 1302 is configured to perform one or more of the following: send the first information, receive the first frame, receive the fourth information, and send the third information.

[0279] Optionally, when the communication device is a network device in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 9 , the logic circuit 1301 is configured to perform one or more of the following: determine the first frame based on the first information. The input / output interface 1302 is configured to perform one or more of the following: receive the first information, send the first frame, send the third information, or receive the fourth information.

[0280] The logic circuit 1301 and the input / output interface 1302 may also execute other steps executed by the terminal device or the network device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be described in detail here.

[0281] Optionally, the logic circuit 1301 may be a processing device, and the functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software. The functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software.

[0282] Optionally, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform corresponding processing and / or steps in any one of the method embodiments.

[0283] Alternatively, the processing device may include only a processor. A memory for storing the computer program is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuits / wires to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated or physically separate.

[0284] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processor units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0285] Please refer to FIG. 14 , which shows a communication device 1400 involved in the above embodiments provided in an embodiment of the present application. Specifically, the communication device 1400 may be a communication device serving as a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0286] Herein, a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1400 is shown. The communication device 1400 may include but is not limited to at least one processor 1401 and a communication port 1402 .

[0287] The transceiver unit 1201 shown in FIG12 may be a communication interface, which may be the communication port 1402 in FIG14 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1402 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0288] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1403 and a bus. In an embodiment of the present application, the at least one processor 1401 is used to control and process the actions of the communication device 1400.

[0289] In addition, processor 1401 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, and so on. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the sake of 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.

[0290] It should be noted that the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. The specific implementation methods of the communication device shown in Figure 14 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0291] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a structural diagram of the communication device 1500 involved in the above-mentioned embodiments provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1500 can specifically be a communication device serving as a network device in the above-mentioned embodiments, wherein the structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 15.

[0292] The communication device 1500 includes at least one processor 1511 and at least one network interface 1514. Further optionally, the communication device also includes at least one memory 1512, at least one transceiver 1513 and one or more antennas 1515. The processor 1511, the memory 1512, the transceiver 1513 and the network interface 1514 are connected, for example, via a bus. In an embodiment of the present application, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines or buses, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment. The antenna 1515 is connected to the transceiver 1513. The network interface 1514 is used to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1514 may include a network interface between the communication device and the core network device, such as an S1 interface, and the network interface may include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (such as other network devices or core network devices), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0293] The transceiver unit 1201 shown in FIG12 may be a communication interface, which may be the network interface 1514 in FIG15 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1514 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0294] Processor 1511 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. A communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is primarily used to control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Processor 1511 in Figure 15 may integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the central processing unit may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a communication device may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple central processing units to enhance processing capabilities, and various components of the communication device may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing functionality.

[0295] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. Memory 1512 may be independent and connected to processor 1511. Alternatively, memory 1512 may be integrated with processor 1511, for example, within a single chip. Memory 1512 can store program code for executing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and execution is controlled by processor 1511. The various computer program codes executed may also be considered drivers for processor 1511.

[0296] Figure 15 shows only one memory and one processor. In an actual communication device, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device. The memory may be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or an independent storage element, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0297] The transceiver 1513 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the communication device and the terminal. The transceiver 1513 can be connected to the antenna 1515. The transceiver 1513 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1515 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of the transceiver 1513 is used to receive the radio frequency signal from the antenna, convert the radio frequency signal into a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal, and provide the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to the processor 1511 so that the processor 1511 can further process the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in the transceiver 1513 is also used to receive a modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal from the processor 1511, convert the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal into a radio frequency signal, and transmit the radio frequency signal through one or more antennas 1515. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the RF signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal. The order of the down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to obtain a RF signal. The order of the up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion processes is adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital intermediate frequency signal may be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0298] The transceiver 1513 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, a device in the transceiver unit that implements a receiving function may be referred to as a receiving unit, and a device in the transceiver unit that implements a transmitting function may be referred to as a transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit may be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0299] It should be noted that the communication device 1500 shown in Figure 15 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiment, and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation method of the communication device 1500 shown in Figure 15 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0300] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in the possible implementation methods of the terminal device or network device in the above embodiments.

[0301] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product (or computer program). When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method of the possible implementation mode of the above-mentioned terminal device or network device.

[0302] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the possible implementation methods of the above-mentioned communication device. Optionally, the chip system also includes an interface circuit, which provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory, which is used to store the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. The chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device can specifically be a terminal device or a network device in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0303] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0304] 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 an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0305] 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.

[0306] 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.

[0307] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the terminal chip receives information from the base station, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. When the terminal chip sends information to the base station, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0308] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a base station, the base station chip implements the functions of the base station in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the base station chip receives information from the terminal, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the base station chip by these modules. When the base station chip sends information to the terminal, it can be understood that the information is sent to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0309] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0310] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0311] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0312] 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.

[0313] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: sending first information, wherein the first information indicates whether a first signal for equalization is needed; receiving a first frame, wherein the first frame includes second information and first data; When the second information indicates that the first signal is not used, it is determined not to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the second information indicates to use the first signal, the first data is equalized using the first signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second information indicates not to use the first signal, determines not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, and uses a neural network to equalize the first data, and the neural network is pre-configured.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first frame is a downlink frame.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first signal includes a demodulation reference signal DMRS or a channel sounding reference signal SRS.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first frame does not include time-frequency resources of the first signal.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The neural network is trained by taking training data as input and taking the value of a loss function less than a threshold as a goal, and the loss function is used to represent the difference between the data obtained by equalization of the neural network and the training data.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The loss function is as follows: Among them, L represents the loss function, n represents the total number of resource elements RE, k represents any one of the n REs, h(k) represents the channel on the kth RE, y(k) represents the training data received on the kth RE, x(k) represents the training data sent on the kth RE, and α, β, and h(k) are constants.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The number of time-frequency resource blocks occupied by the first signal is fixed, or the number of resource blocks is related to the number of terminal devices using the first signal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The second information indicates a first number of frames in which the first signal equalization is not used, or indicates a second number of frames in which the first signal equalization is used.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The first number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and the second number is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: Third information is received, the third information indicating a switch between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that Before sending the first information, the method further includes: Fourth information is sent, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

14. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving first information indicating whether a first signal for equalization is needed; A first frame is sent, wherein the first frame includes second information and first data, wherein the second information indicates not to use the first signal to equalize the first data, or indicates to use the first signal to equalize the first data.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Third information is sent, the third information indicating a switch between not using the first signal equalization and using the first signal equalization.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that Before sending the first information, the method further includes: Fourth information is received, where the fourth information indicates whether not using the first signal is supported.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The communication device includes a terminal device or a chip.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

20. The communication device according to claim 19, characterized in that The communication device includes a network device or a chip.

21. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication device comprises the communication device according to claim 17 and the communication device according to claim 19, or the communication device according to claim 18 and the communication device according to claim 20.

22. A readable storage medium, characterized in that: The readable storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is implemented.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to be performed.

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