Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which relate to the technical field of communications. By means of estimating a reference signal of the present terminal and a terminal other than the present terminal, the accuracy of channel estimation performed by the terminal can be improved. The method is applied to a first device (such as a first terminal), and comprises: receiving first indication information and second indication information, the first indication information indicating a first reference signal, the second indication information indicating a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a reference signal of the first device, and the second reference signal being a reference signal of a second device; the first device receiving the first reference signal and a fourth reference signal according to the first indication information and the second indication information, the fourth reference signal belonging to the second reference signal; and the first device performing channel estimation according to the first reference signal and the fourth reference signal.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 24, 2023, with application number 202311590914.3 and application name “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 communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] During communication between a base station and a terminal, a reference signal, such as the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in a 5G system, can be sent to the terminal. Each terminal can perform downlink channel estimation based on its own reference signal. Improving the accuracy of the terminal's channel estimation is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, which can improve the accuracy of channel estimation by a terminal.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first device, the method comprising: receiving first indication information and second indication information; the first indication information indicates a first reference signal, and the second indication information indicates a second reference signal; the first reference signal is a reference signal of the first device, and the second reference signal is a reference signal of the second device; receiving a first reference signal and a fourth reference signal according to the first indication information and the second indication information, the fourth reference signal belonging to the second reference signal; and performing channel estimation according to the first reference signal and the fourth reference signal.

[0008] Through this solution, the first device can perform channel estimation by using its own reference signal and reference signals other than its own reference signal, and improve the accuracy of channel estimation by increasing the reference signals used for channel estimation.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the fourth reference signal is all reference signals in the second reference signal.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the fourth reference signal is a partial reference signal in the second reference signal.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are formed by using the same precoding codebook.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first beam serves the first device and the second device.

[0013] Through this solution, the first device can receive the first reference signal and the second reference signal in the same beam, and thus perform channel estimation through the second reference signal.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the time-frequency resources of the first reference signal and the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal are different. With this solution, the first device receives the second reference signal in a time-frequency resource other than the first reference signal, allowing the first device to obtain more reference signals for channel estimation, thereby improving channel estimation performance.

[0015] The first indication information indicating the first reference signal includes: the first indication information indicates one or more of the following information of the first reference signal: configuration information of the first reference signal, time-frequency resources of the first reference signal, or antenna port number of the first reference signal; or, the second indication information indicating the second reference signal includes: the second indication information indicates one or more of the following information of the second reference signal: configuration information of the second reference signal, time-frequency resources of the second reference signal, or antenna port number of the second reference signal.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the configuration information of the first reference signal includes one or more of the following: the position of the first reference signal, the type of the first reference signal, and the time domain symbol length of the first reference signal.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the configuration information of the second reference signal includes one or more of the following: the position of the second reference signal, the type of the second reference signal, and the time domain symbol length of the second reference signal.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, before receiving the fourth reference signal, the method also includes: sending third indication information, the third indication information indicating the ability of the first device to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, and the third reference signal is different from the first reference signal.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information.

[0020] Through this solution, the third reference signal is a reference signal other than the first reference signal. The first device indicates the capability of performing channel estimation based on the third reference signal, so that the radio access network device issues the second indication information based on the capability.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, if the third indication information indicates that the first device has the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the wireless access network device sends the second indication information. Thus, the wireless network device may send the second indication information if the first device has this capability.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, if the third indication information indicates that the first device does not have the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the radio access network device does not send the second indication information. Thus, if the first device does not have this capability, the radio network device may not send the second indication information, thereby saving communication resources.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the third indication information indicates the capability level, and the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information, including: the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal indicated by the second indication information are determined based on the third indication information.

[0024] Through this solution, the wireless access network device can allocate the second reference signal of different time-frequency resources to the first device according to the capability level of the first device, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of communication resources.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, when the third indication information indicates that the first device has a first capability of performing channel estimation based on a third reference signal, the second indication information indicates the first time-frequency resource; when the third indication information indicates the second capability of the first device of performing channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the second indication information indicates the second time-frequency resource; when the first capability is greater than the second capability, the first time-frequency resource is greater than the second time-frequency resource.

[0026] Through this solution, when the capability level of the first device is high, the wireless access network device can indicate the second reference signal of more time-frequency resources, so that the first device can perform channel estimation based on more reference signals, thereby improving the channel estimation capability of the first device.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the second indication information indicates the second reference signal information, including: the second indication information indicates the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal through downlink control information DCI.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the second indication information indicates the second reference signal information, including: the second indication information indicates the configuration information of the second reference signal through radio resource control RRC signaling.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the second indication information is received via a broadcast signal.

[0030] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, before receiving the fourth reference signal, the method also includes: receiving fourth indication information, the fourth indication information indicating whether the wireless access network device has sent the second reference signal.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the fourth indication information is received via MAC CE or broadcast signal or RRC signaling.

[0032] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the fourth indication information indicates the format of the downlink control information DCI.

[0033] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless access network device has sent a second reference signal, the method also includes: receiving DCI in a first format, and the DCI in the first format includes a field for the second indication information.

[0034] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless access network device does not send a second reference signal, the method also includes: receiving DCI in a second format, and the second format DCI does not include a field for the second indication information.

[0035] Through this solution, the first device can parse the DCI using the DCI format corresponding to the fourth indication information according to the content indicated by the fourth indication information, thereby reducing the resources consumed by blindly detecting DCI of different formats.

[0036] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the fourth indication information is the first bit in the DCI, and the first bit indicates whether the wireless network device sends the second reference signal.

[0037] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the second indication information is received via a broadcast signal.

[0038] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, receiving the second indication information includes: if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless network device has sent the second indication information, receiving the second indication information via a broadcast signal.

[0039] Through this solution, the wireless network device can send the fourth indication information through DCI, so that the first device can determine whether to receive the second indication information through the broadcast signal according to the fourth indication information.

[0040] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the first bit is a demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence initialization bit.

[0041] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are demodulation reference signals DMRS.

[0042] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, including: sending first indication information and second indication information; the first indication information indicates a first reference signal, and the second indication information indicates a second reference signal; the first reference signal is a reference signal of a first device, and the second reference signal is a reference signal of a second device; sending the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0043] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are formed by using the same precoding codebook.

[0044] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the first beam serves the first device and the second device.

[0045] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the time-frequency resources of the first reference signal and the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal are different.

[0046] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information indicating the first reference signal includes: the first indication information indicates one or more of the following information of the first reference signal: configuration information of the first reference signal, time-frequency resources of the first reference signal, or antenna port number of the first reference signal; or, the second indication information indicating the second reference signal includes: the second indication information indicates one or more of the following information of the second reference signal: configuration information of the second reference signal, time-frequency resources of the second reference signal, or antenna port number of the second reference signal.

[0047] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the configuration information of the first reference signal includes one or more of the following: the position of the first reference signal, the type of the first reference signal, and the time domain symbol length of the first reference signal.

[0048] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the configuration information of the second reference signal includes one or more of the following: the position of the second reference signal, the type of the second reference signal, and the time domain symbol length of the second reference signal.

[0049] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, before sending the second reference signal, the method also includes: receiving third indication information, the third indication information indicating the ability of the first device to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, and the third reference signal is different from the first reference signal.

[0050] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information.

[0051] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, if the third indication information indicates that the first device has the ability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the second indication information is sent.

[0052] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, if the third indication information indicates that the first device does not have the ability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the second indication information is not sent.

[0053] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the third indication information indicates the capability level, and the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information, including: the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal indicated by the second indication information are determined based on the third indication information.

[0054] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, when the third indication information indicates that the first device has a first capability of performing channel estimation based on a third reference signal, the second indication information indicates the first time-frequency resource; when the third indication information indicates the second capability of the first device of performing channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the second indication information indicates the second time-frequency resource; when the first capability is greater than the second capability, the first time-frequency resource is greater than the second time-frequency resource.

[0055] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, the second indication information indicates the second reference signal information, including: the second indication information indicates the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal through downlink control information DCI.

[0056] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, the second indication information indicates the second reference signal information, including: the second indication information indicates the configuration information of the second reference signal through radio resource control RRC signaling.

[0057] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the second indication information is sent via a broadcast signal.

[0058] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, before sending the second reference signal, the method also includes: sending fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates whether the second reference signal has been sent.

[0059] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the fourth indication information is sent via MAC CE or broadcast signal or RRC signaling.

[0060] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the fourth indication information indicates the format of the downlink control information DCI.

[0061] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless access network device has sent a second reference signal, the method also includes: sending a DCI in a first format, wherein the DCI in the first format includes a field for the second indication information.

[0062] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless access network device does not send a second reference signal, the method also includes: sending a DCI in a second format, and the DCI in the second format does not include a field for the second indication information.

[0063] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the fourth indication information is the first bit in the DCI, and the first bit indicates whether to send the second reference signal.

[0064] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the second indication information is sent via a broadcast signal.

[0065] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, sending the second indication information includes: if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless network device has sent the second indication information, sending the second indication information via a broadcast signal.

[0066] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, the first bit is a demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence initialization bit.

[0067] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible design, sending the second indication information includes: sending the second indication information when one or more of the following conditions are met: the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold; or the ratio of the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal to the number of FFT points is greater than or equal to the second threshold, N FFT It is determined according to the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal and satisfies the following formula:

[0068] Among them, M and P are non-negative integers, N SC is the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal, Indicates a rounding-up operation; or, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the first device is less than or equal to a third threshold.

[0069] Through this solution, the wireless network device can send the second indication information when the above conditions are met, thereby saving communication resources.

[0070] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are demodulation reference signals DMRS.

[0071] In a third aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the communication method as designed in any of the above aspects.

[0072] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device is used to implement the various communication methods described above. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the communication methods described above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented through hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0073] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes: a processor and a memory; the memory is configured to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the communication device executes the communication method according to any of the above aspects.

[0074] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to read and execute instructions in the memory so as to enable the communication device to perform the communication method according to any of the above aspects.

[0075] In the seventh aspect, a chip system is provided, which includes a processor and an input / output port, the processor is used to implement the processing functions involved in the communication method of any aspect of the above aspects, and the input / output port is used to implement the transceiver functions involved in the communication method of any aspect of the above aspects.

[0076] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data for implementing the functions involved in the communication method of any of the above aspects.

[0077] The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0078] In an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a first device and a wireless network device, wherein the first device executes the communication method of the first aspect, and the wireless network device executes the communication method of the second aspect.

[0079] In combination with the eighth aspect, in a possible design, a second device is also included, and the wireless network device serves the first device and the second device through the first beam.

[0080] In combination with the eighth aspect, in one possible design, the first reference signal of the first device and the second reference signal of the second device are formed by using the same precoding codebook.

[0081] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to execute any of the communication methods described in any of the above aspects.

[0082] It can be understood that the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the methods, chip systems, communication systems, communication devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products provided in the second to ninth aspects above can be referred to the beneficial effects in the first aspect and any possible implementation method provided above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0083] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG3 is a comparison diagram of the effects of the embodiment of the present application and the prior art;

[0086] FIG4 is another comparison diagram of the effects of the embodiment of the present application and the prior art;

[0087] FIG5 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of spectrum positions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a first device reporting capability level according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] FIG8 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1, 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 1). The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 wirelessly. Terminals and RAN nodes can be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. Optionally, the communication system 1000 also includes a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via wired means. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or can be a single physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node. Optionally, the communication system 1000 also includes the Internet 300.

[0094] RAN100 may be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). RAN100 may also include two or more of the aforementioned different radio access systems. RAN100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0095] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, network device, or access node, facilitates wireless access to a communication system by a terminal. 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 1), a micro base station, an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), a relay node, or a donor node.

[0096] 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 the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement the transmission and reception of radio frequency 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.

[0097] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and a RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. 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 adopted by the RAN node. For ease of description, the following description takes a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 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 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] In this application, a base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to a terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection with the cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a wireless connection is called the serving cell of the terminal. When the terminal communicates with the serving cell, it will also be subject to interference from signals in neighboring cells.

[0104] In the embodiments of the present application, the time domain symbols may be orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols or discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols. Unless otherwise specified, the symbols in the embodiments of the present application refer to time domain symbols.

[0105] The device names and message names in the embodiments of the present application are only examples. As the system evolves, the device names and message names may change.

[0106] The following introduces the precoding codebook and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0107] Precoding codebook: Also known as a beamforming codebook. The base station uses this codebook to adjust antenna parameters and shape the beams emitted by the antennas. This codebook is called a precoding codebook. Using the same precoding codebook for beamforming ensures that the antennas emit identical beams.

[0108] NTN technologies include satellite communications, high-altitude drones, aircraft networks, and space internet. A signal-transmitting device can use the same precoding codebook to precode signals sent to multiple devices, that is, use the same beam to communicate with multiple devices. The channel through which the signal-transmitting device and the signal-receiving device communicate can be a line-of-sight (LOS) channel. In NTN technology, the signal-transmitting device can be an airborne device. For example, a base station is located on the ground, and the base station communicates with a satellite. The satellite forwards the base station's signal to multiple terminals, or forwards the signals of multiple terminals to the base station, enabling signals between the base station and the multiple terminals to be transmitted via a LOS path. For another example, a base station is located on a satellite, and the base station on the satellite communicates with multiple terminals on the satellite, enabling signals from multiple terminals to be transmitted via a LOS path.

[0109] During communication between a base station and a terminal, a reference signal, such as the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in 5G systems, can be sent to the terminal. Each terminal can then perform downlink channel estimation based on its own reference signal. Improving the accuracy of the terminal's channel estimation is a challenge that needs to be addressed.

[0110] In order to improve the accuracy of channel estimation by the terminal, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, in which a base station sends reference signals to multiple terminals, and the terminal (such as a first device) performs channel estimation based on its own reference signal and the reference signal of other terminals (such as a second device), thereby improving the accuracy of its own channel estimation.

[0111] The implementation of the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0112] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the method may include the following steps.

[0113] S201: A base station sends first indication information and second indication information. Correspondingly, a first device receives the first indication information and the second indication information.

[0114] The first indication information indicates a first reference signal, which is a reference signal of the first device. The second indication information indicates a second reference signal, which is a reference signal of the second device.

[0115] Exemplarily, the reference signal (such as the first reference signal, the second reference signal, or the fourth reference signal below) may be a demodulation reference signal (dedicated reference signal, DMRS).

[0116] In some embodiments, the first indication information indicating the first reference signal includes: the first indication information indicating one or more of the following information of the first reference signal: configuration information of the first reference signal, time-frequency resources of the first reference signal, or antenna port number of the first reference signal.

[0117] In some embodiments, the second indication information indicating the second reference signal includes: the second indication information indicating one or more of the following information of the second reference signal: configuration information of the second reference signal, time-frequency resources of the second reference signal, or antenna port number of the second reference signal.

[0118] In some embodiments, the base station and the terminal may store default values ​​for the above-mentioned reference signal information (such as the above-mentioned first reference signal information, the second reference signal information, etc.). When the base station configures the terminal (such as the above-mentioned first device and second device) as the default value, it may not indicate the terminal. For example, when the above-mentioned first reference signal information (such as configuration information, time-frequency resources or antenna port number) is the default value, the base station may not send the first indication information, and the terminal may obtain the first reference signal information according to the default value. The information of the second reference signal is similar to that of the first reference signal and will not be repeated here.

[0119] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes one or more of the following information: the position of the reference signal (such as dmrs-AdditionalPosition), the type of the reference signal (such as dmrs-Type), and the time domain symbol length of the reference signal (such as maxLength). The position of the reference signal indicates the position of the symbol of the reference signal in a time slot. For example, the position of the reference signal is that the reference signal is located at the third symbol. One time slot includes 14 symbols, the DCI is located in the first two symbols, and the first device can receive the third symbol (i.e., the first symbol after the DCI) to obtain the reference signal. The type of the reference signal indicates the density of the reference signal distributed on the spectrum, for example, the density can be 1 / 2, 1 / 3, etc.

[0120] In some embodiments, the base station indicates the configuration information of the first reference signal and the configuration information of the second reference signal through radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0121] For example, the fields for configuration information in RRC signaling (DMRS-DownlinkConfig::=SEQUENCE) are as follows, including DMRS type, additional DMRS position, DMRS time domain symbol length, indication for scrambling, PTRS-related configuration, etc.

[0122] For example, the configuration information field in the RRC signaling may be a field indicating the first reference signal. The configuration information field for the second reference signal in the RRC signaling (Out-of-band-DMRS-DownlinkConfig::=SEQUENCE) may be similar to the field in the RRC signaling, for example, refer to the following example.

[0123] The time-frequency resources may include: the subcarrier position in the frequency domain where the reference signal is located, and the symbol position in the time slot in the time domain. In some embodiments, the time-frequency resources of the first reference signal and the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal are different. Exemplarily, different time-frequency resources may refer to different frequency bands. For example, the frequency band of the first reference signal is resource block (RB) 10 to RB20, and the frequency band of the second reference signal is RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30. In this example, the frequency band of the second reference signal is outside the frequency band of the first reference signal. Therefore, the second reference signal is also referred to as an out-of-band reference signal of the first reference signal, or simply an out-of-band reference signal.

[0124] As another example, different time-frequency resources may refer to different symbol positions. For example, the first reference signal is located in symbol 3 of time slot 1, and the second reference signal is located in symbol 3 of time slot 2. As another example, different time-frequency resources may refer to different time slots. For example, the first reference signal is located in time slot 1, and the second reference signal is located in time slot 2.

[0125] For example, different time and frequency may refer to different frequency bands and different time slots. The above examples of different frequency bands and different time slots can be combined, and will not be repeated here.

[0126] In some embodiments, the base station may indicate the time-frequency resources of the first reference signal, the antenna port number of the first reference signal, the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal, and the antenna port number of the second reference signal through downlink control information (DCI).

[0127] Exemplarily, the second indication information may indicate the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal through DCI. The DCI may be a new DCI format, and the new DCI format includes a field indicating the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal. Alternatively, the existing DCI format may be used, and a field indicating the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal may be added to the existing DCI format. The first device reads the DCI to obtain the field of the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal.

[0128] In some embodiments, the base station may indicate the first reference signal and / or the second reference signal via a broadcast signal. That is, the first indication information and / or the second indication information may be sent via a broadcast message. When a base station indicates a reference signal via a broadcast signal, such a reference signal may be referred to as a beam-level reference signal. For example, if the reference signal is a DMRS, this may be referred to as a beam-level DMRS. In some embodiments, the broadcast signal may indicate configuration of reference signals for the same beam.

[0129] It should be noted that the first device may use part of the second reference signal for estimation, such as the fourth reference signal. For more details, please refer to the following description.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first indication information and the second indication information are sent in the same message. In other embodiments, the first indication information and the second indication information are sent in different messages.

[0131] In some embodiments, the second device is a device other than the first device. The number of the second device is one or more. For example, referring to FIG. 1 , the first device is 120a, and the second device may be 120b, 120c, or 120i, etc.

[0132] In some embodiments, the satellite uses the same precoding codebook when providing services to the first device and the second device.

[0133] Exemplarily, the first beam serves the first device and the second device. That is, the base station uses the same beam to send the first reference signal of the first device and the second reference signal of the second device.

[0134] With this solution, the base station precodes signals for multiple terminals (such as the first and second devices described above) using the same precoding codebook. This means the base station transmits signals from multiple terminals using the same beam. The terminals use reference signals sent by the base station to other terminals within the same beam. This refers to reference signals that the base station indicates to the terminal in addition to the time-frequency resources occupied by its own reference signal. This improves channel estimation accuracy, thereby enhancing downlink transmission performance.

[0135] The second reference signal indicated by the second indication information may be a reference signal of all reference signals of the second device, or a reference signal of part of the reference signals of the second device. For example, taking the second device including second device 1 to second device 3, and the frequency band distribution of second device 1 to second device 3 as RB0 to RB10, RB20 to RB30, or RB30 to RB40 as an example, the base station may indicate to the first device part of the reference signals of the second device (second device 1 and second device 2), that is, indicating that the frequency bands of the reference signals of the second device are RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30. Alternatively, the base station indicates to the first device all reference signals of the second device, that is, indicating that the frequency bands of the reference signals of the second device may be RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB40.

[0136] S202: The base station sends a first reference signal and a second reference signal. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first reference signal and a fourth reference signal according to the first indication information and the second indication information, where the fourth reference signal belongs to the second reference signal.

[0137] In some embodiments, the fourth reference signal is the entire second reference signal. Exemplarily, the second reference signal transmitted by the base station has a frequency band of RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30, and the first device can receive the second reference signals of RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30. That is, the first device receives all the second reference signals from the base station, and the frequency band of the fourth reference signal is RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30.

[0138] In some other embodiments, the fourth reference signal is part of the second reference signal. Exemplarily, the frequency band of the second reference signal sent by the base station is RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30, and the first device can receive the second reference signal from RB0 to RB10, that is, the frequency band of the fourth reference signal is RB0 to RB10.

[0139] The first device can determine the fourth reference signal to be received based on the channel estimation capability. For example, take each RB including 12 subcarriers, the reference signal of the first device including 10 RBs, the frequency band of the reference signal of the second device 1 being RB0 to RB10, and the frequency band of the reference signal of the second device 2 being RB20 to RB30 as an example. If the first device can perform channel estimation based on 512 subcarriers, the first device can receive the second reference signals of RB0 to RB10 and RB20 to RB30 (a total of 240 subcarriers), that is, the fourth reference signal is the entire second reference signal. If the first device can perform channel estimation based on 256 subcarriers, the first device can receive the second reference signal of RB0 to RB10 (a total of 120 subcarriers), that is, the fourth reference signal is a portion of the second reference signal. In this solution, the first reference signal has already occupied 120 subcarriers, and the first device can obtain 240 subcarriers by obtaining the subcarriers of the second device 1. In this case, the first device can only process 16 more subcarriers. If the subcarriers of the second device 2 are obtained, the first device will additionally obtain 104 subcarriers that are beyond its processing capability. Therefore, the first device may no longer obtain the subcarriers of the second device 2.

[0140] S203: The first device performs channel estimation according to the first reference signal and the fourth reference signal.

[0141] It should be noted that the specific method for the first device to perform channel estimation based on the fourth reference signal in the embodiment of the present application can refer to the method in the related art for the first device to perform channel estimation using its own reference signal, which will not be repeated here.

[0142] In the prior art, the first device only uses its own reference signal for channel estimation. However, in the embodiment of the present application, the satellite uses the same precoding codebook to precode the second reference signal and the first reference signal. The first device uses its own reference signal and the reference signals of other devices for channel estimation, that is, more reference signals are used for channel estimation, thereby increasing the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0143] For example, referring to Figures 3 and 4, Figures 3 and 4 are block error rate (BLER) performance comparison diagrams when a terminal uses only its own reference signal for channel estimation using the method of an embodiment of the present application and the prior art. The solid line represents the BLER obtained by the prior art, and the dotted line represents the BLER obtained by the method of an embodiment of the present application. The same graphics on the lines represent a group of comparison lines. For example, the two circled lines on the far left are a group of comparison lines. In the performance comparison diagrams of Figures 3 and 4, the number of fast Fourier transform (FFT) points is 512 as an example. The number of FFT points must be greater than or equal to an integer power of 2 of the number of effective subcarriers. Unless otherwise specified, the examples of the number of subcarriers in the embodiments of the present application are all the number of effective subcarriers. In Figure 3, the frequency domain resources of the first reference signal use 22 RBs, that is, 22*12=264 subcarriers, 248 of which are subcarriers other than the first reference signal. The frequency domain resources for the first reference signal in Figure 4 use 32 RBs, i.e., 32*12=384 subcarriers, with 128 subcarriers other than the first reference signal. DMRS uses a density of 1 / 2, i.e., the number of subcarriers for the fourth reference signal in Figure 3 is 248 / 2=124, and the number of subcarriers for the fourth reference signal in Figure 4 is 128 / 2=64.

[0144] As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, using out-of-band DMRS can improve channel estimation accuracy, thereby improving BLER performance. Under the configuration of Figure 3, at BLER=10 -1 The maximum performance improvement can reach about 0.5dB. Under the configuration of Figure 4, at BLER=10 -1 The maximum performance improvement can be about 0.3dB.

[0145] The above embodiment describes how the first device performs channel estimation based on reference signals from other devices. Next, it is described how the base station can send reference signals from other devices to the first device based on the processing capability of the first device.

[0146] 5 , in some embodiments, S501 is included before S202 .

[0147] S501: A first device sends third indication information. Correspondingly, a base station receives the third indication information.

[0148] The third indication information indicates the capability of the first device to perform channel estimation based on a third reference signal, where the third reference signal is different from the first reference signal. In other words, the third reference signal may be a reference signal other than the first signal.

[0149] The third reference signal may include the second reference signal.

[0150] In some embodiments, the channel estimation capability of the first device is the maximum number of FFT points N that the first device can process. FFT . N FFT The relevant description can be found below.

[0151] Exemplarily, the third indication information may indicate that the first device has the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal. Alternatively, the third indication information may indicate that the first device does not have the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal. For example, the third indication information may indicate, via one bit, the capability of the first device to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal. A value of 1 in this bit indicates that the first device has the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal. A value of 0 in this bit indicates that the first device does not have the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal.

[0152] In some embodiments, the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information. The base station determines the second indication information based on the third indication information. If the third indication information indicates that the first device has the capability to perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal, the base station sends the second indication information to the first device. For another example, if the third indication information indicates that the first device does not have the capability to perform channel estimation based on the second reference signal, the base station does not send the second indication information to the first device, thereby saving communication resources.

[0153] In some embodiments, when the base station sends the second reference signal to the second device, the base station sends second indication information to the first device.

[0154] In some embodiments, the third indication information indicates a capability level, and the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information, including: the second reference signal indicated by the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information.

[0155] Exemplarily, the third indication information may indicate, via 2 bits, the capability level of the first device for performing channel estimation based on the reference signal. For example, 00 represents level 0, 01 represents level 1, 10 represents level 2, and 11 represents level 3. Level 0 indicates that the first device does not have the capability for performing channel estimation based on the reference signal. Level 1 indicates that the first device has the capability for performing channel estimation based on a reference signal of less than or equal to 256 subcarriers. Level 2 indicates that the first device has the capability for performing channel estimation based on a reference signal of less than or equal to 512 subcarriers. Level 3 indicates that the first device has the capability for performing channel estimation based on a reference signal of less than or equal to 1024 subcarriers.

[0156] The base station obtains the capability level of the first device based on the third indication information, and can send the second indication information to the first device based on the capability level of the first device. The base station determines the second indication information based on the third indication information, and the second indication information can indicate part of the reference signal of the second device.

[0157] Exemplarily, the base station obtains, based on the third indication information, the number of subcarriers on which the first device can perform channel estimation based on the third reference signal. For example, the third indication information indicates that the capability level of the first device is level 2. The first reference signal allocated by the base station to the first device occupies 22 RBs, i.e., 264 subcarriers. The base station can then obtain that the first device can also perform channel estimation based on 248 subcarriers.

[0158] If the second device includes second device 4, and second device 4 occupies 22 RBs, that is, 264 subcarriers, the base station can indicate to the first device the second reference signal of the 22 RBs of second device 4. 264 > 248, and the first device can estimate 512 subcarriers using the first reference signal and the reference signal of second device 4, improving estimation accuracy.

[0159] If the second device includes second device 5 and second device 6, and second device 5 and second device 6 respectively occupy 12 RBs, that is, 144 subcarriers, the base station can indicate the second reference signal of second device 5 and second device 6, which is 24 RBs in total, to the first device.

[0160] If the second devices include second devices 5 to 7, and each of second devices 5 to 7 occupies 12 RBs, the base station may indicate to the first device the second reference signals of second devices 5 and 6, totaling 24 RBs, i.e., 288 subcarriers, where 288 > 248. The base station may not indicate to the first device the second reference signal of second device 7. If the number of subcarriers in the reference signals of the second devices exceeds the processing capability of the first device, the base station may not indicate to the first device the subcarriers beyond the processing capability of the first device, thereby reducing the resources occupied by the second indication information.

[0161] Referring to (a) of Figure 6, in the above example, the spectrum of the second device 5 and the second device 6 is adjacent to the spectrum of the first device, and the spectrum of the second device 7 is more than 512 subcarriers away from the spectrum of the first device, which exceeds the capability of the first device. The first device cannot use the spectrum of the second device 7 for channel estimation.

[0162] 6 (b) and (c), the frequency spectrum of the second device 7 is no more than 512 subcarriers away from the frequency spectrum of the first device, and the base station may also indicate the second reference signals of the second device 6 and the second device 7 to the first device.

[0163] For another example, the third indication information indicates that the capability level of the first device is level 3. If the second device includes second devices 5 to second devices 7, and each second device in the second devices 5 to second devices 7 occupies 12RBs, the base station can indicate the second reference signals of the second devices 5 to second devices 7 to the first device. In some embodiments, referring to Figure 7, the base station can request the above-mentioned capability and / or capability level from the first device through high-layer signaling, and the first device reports the above-mentioned capability and / or capability level to the base station. For example, a request field for the capability or capability level of performing channel estimation on the reference signal is added to the capability request (UECapabilityEnquiry) signaling, and a field for the capability or capability level of performing channel estimation on the reference signal is added to the capability information (UECapabilityInformation) signaling.

[0164] In this solution, the base station can send second indication information based on the capability level of the first device, so that when the capability level of the first device is low, the second indication information indicates fewer reference signals, thereby reducing communication resources. When the capability level of the first device is high, the base station can indicate more reference signals to the first device, so that the first device performs channel estimation based on more reference signals, thereby better improving the performance of the first device's channel estimation. For example, with reference to Figures 3 and 4, the more resources of the fourth reference signal used by the first device, the greater the performance improvement.

[0165] The following describes how the base station activates or deactivates the sending of the second indication information, thereby indicating the second reference signal to the first device or not indicating the second reference signal to the first device. Through this solution, the first device can narrow the range of blind detection DCI, thereby reducing the overhead consumed by blind detection DCI.

[0166] 8 , in some embodiments, S202 further includes S801 .

[0167] S801: A base station sends fourth indication information. Correspondingly, a first device receives the fourth indication information.

[0168] In some embodiments, the fourth indication information indicates whether the base station has transmitted the second reference signal. Alternatively, the fourth indication information indicates whether the base station has already transmitted the second reference signal. Alternatively, the fourth indication information indicates that the base station may have transmitted the second reference signal. Alternatively, the fourth indication information indicates that the base station has transmitted the fourth reference signal. Alternatively, the fourth indication information indicates that the base station has not transmitted the fourth reference signal. Alternatively, the fourth indication information indicates whether the first device may have received the second reference signal. The fourth indication information indicates that the activated base station has transmitted the second reference signal, or the fourth indication information indicates that the deactivated base station has transmitted the second reference signal. If the fourth indication information indicates that the base station has transmitted the second reference signal, the first device may receive the fourth reference signal based on the second indication information. Exemplarily, if the base station is communicating with the second device, the base station transmits the second reference signal; if the base station is not communicating with the second device, the base station does not transmit the second reference signal.

[0169] In some embodiments, the base station may send the fourth indication information via a MAC control element (MAC CE).

[0170] In some other embodiments, the base station may send the fourth indication information via a broadcast signal.

[0171] In some other embodiments, the base station may send the fourth indication information through RRC signaling.

[0172] In the above embodiment, the base station sends the fourth indication information through a non-DCI method such as MAC CE, broadcast signal or RRC signaling, and the fourth indication information indicates the format of the DCI.

[0173] For example, if the base station indicates in the fourth indication information that a second reference signal is to be sent, or indicates to activate the first device to perform channel estimation based on a reference signal other than the first device, the base station will send a DCI in the first format to the first device. After receiving the fourth indication information, the first device can receive the DCI in the first format, wherein the DCI in the first format includes a field for the second indication information. If the base station indicates in the fourth indication information that a second reference signal is not to be sent, the base station sends a DCI in the second format to the first device. After receiving the fourth indication information, the first device can receive the DCI in the second format, wherein the DCI in the second format does not include the second indication information.

[0174] This solution instructs the first device to receive DCI in different DCI formats according to the fourth indication information, thereby parsing the DCI sent by the base station. When the base station sends DCI in different formats, the first device does not need to blindly detect DCI in multiple formats or lengths, thus saving resources of the first device.

[0175] It should be noted that the first format and the second format mentioned above can be a type of format and are not limited to just one format.

[0176] It should be noted that the method proposed in the embodiments of the present application can be used in other scenarios where the DCI structure is modified, such as adding fields or adding new DCI formats, resulting in the terminal needing to blindly detect DCI of multiple structures. That is, when modifying the DCI format, the base station can send an indication to the terminal, indicating whether the function that causes the DCI format change is used, so that the terminal can receive DCI based on a small number of known DCI formats, without the need to blindly detect DCI of all structures, thereby saving resources.

[0177] In other embodiments, the fourth indication information may be the first bit in the DCI.

[0178] Exemplarily, the base station may send the second indication information via the aforementioned broadcast signal. A value of 1 for the fourth indication information indicates that the base station has sent the second indication information, and a value of 0 indicates that the base station has not sent the second indication information. After the first device receives the fourth indication information, if the value of the fourth indication information is 1, the first device may receive the broadcast signal, thereby receiving the second indication information. If the value of the fourth indication information is 0, the first device may not receive the broadcast signal.

[0179] In some embodiments, the first bit is a DMRS sequence initialization bit. In this solution, the first device and the second device are not in a multi-user (MIMO) scenario, and therefore do not need to use the DMRS sequence initialization bit. This solution reuses the sequence initialization bit, allowing the first device to indicate the reception of the second device's reference signal through the existing DCI without modifying the existing DCI structure, thereby reducing resources consumed by the first device in blindly detecting the DCI.

[0180] In some embodiments, the above S201 may include: sending the second indication information when one or more of the following conditions are met: the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold. Or, the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal is greater than or equal to the number of fast Fourier transform (FFT) points N. FFT The ratio is greater than or equal to the second threshold, N FFT It is determined according to the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal, N FFT Satisfies the following formula:

[0181] Among them, M and P are non-negative integers, N SC is the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal, Alternatively, the modulation and coding strategy MCS of the first device is less than or equal to the third threshold.

[0182] The number of subcarriers of the above-mentioned second reference signal may also be the number of resource blocks of the second reference signal, and the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal may also be the number of resource blocks of the first reference signal. Exemplarily, the first threshold may be 24 subcarriers, or 2 resource blocks. When the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal is greater than 24 subcarriers, the base station may send a second indication message. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, when the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal is larger, the channel estimation effect of the first device is better. By setting the first threshold, when the channel estimation effect of the first device is not significantly improved, the base station may not send the second indication message and the second reference signal to the first device, thereby saving communication resources.

[0183] For example, the second threshold is set to 10%, 15% or 30%. The base station compares the number of subcarriers of the second reference signal with the number of FFT points N. FFT When the ratio is small, the second indication information and the second reference signal may not be sent to the first device, thereby saving communication resources.

[0184] 3 and 4 , the smaller the MCS of the first device, that is, the lower the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the operating point, the greater the performance improvement. Therefore, when the MCS of the first device is less than or equal to the third threshold, the base station sends the second indication information, thereby saving communication resources.

[0185] It should be noted that the above correspondence between resource blocks and the number of subcarriers is only an example. During the evolution of the communication system, this correspondence may change. The base station can obtain the number of subcarriers based on the correspondence between resource blocks and subcarriers in the current system. For example, one resource block corresponds to 12 subcarriers.

[0186] The processing performed by a single execution entity (such as a first device or a base station) shown in the embodiments of the present application can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated without limitation.

[0187] It should be noted that the above embodiment uses an example of a terminal performing channel estimation based on DMRS in a 5G system. The method provided by this application can also be applied to other communication systems, where devices other than terminals perform channel estimation based on reference signals other than DMRS. The above example should not be considered a limitation of the above embodiment.

[0188] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships. For example, the above-mentioned multiple embodiments can be combined, and the combined scheme can be implemented. Optionally, some operations in the process of each method embodiment are optionally combined, and / or the order of some operations is optionally changed. In addition, the execution order between the steps of each process is only exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the execution order between the steps. Other execution orders can also be used between the steps. It is not intended to indicate that the execution order is the only order in which these operations can be performed. Ordinary technicians in this field will think of various ways to reorder the operations in this article. In addition, it should be noted that the process details involved in a certain embodiment of this article are also applicable to other embodiments in a similar manner, or different embodiments can be used in combination.

[0189] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the base station and the terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the units and method steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0190] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided by embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or base station in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be the terminal 120 as shown in Figure 1, or the base station 110 as shown in Figure 1, or a module (such as a chip) applied to a terminal or base station.

[0191] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 1300 includes a processing unit 1310 and a transceiver unit 1320. The communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal or base station in the method embodiments shown in Figure 2, Figure 5, or Figure 8 above.

[0192] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 2: the transceiver unit 1320 is used to receive the first indication information and the second indication information, receive the first reference signal and the fourth reference signal; the processing unit 1310 is used to perform channel estimation based on the first reference signal and the fourth reference signal.

[0193] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the base station in the method embodiment shown in Figure 2: the transceiver unit 1320 is used to send the first indication information and the second indication information, and send the first reference signal and the second reference signal; the processing unit 1310 is used to perform processing-related functions.

[0194] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG5 : the transceiver unit 1320 is further used to send the third indication information; and the processing unit 1310 is used to perform processing-related functions.

[0195] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the base station in the method embodiment shown in FIG5 : the transceiver unit 1320 is further used to receive the third indication information; and the processing unit 1310 is used to perform processing-related functions.

[0196] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG8 : the transceiver unit 1320 is further used to receive the fourth indication information; and the processing unit 1310 is used to execute processing-related functions.

[0197] When communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of a base station in the method embodiment shown in FIG8 , transceiver unit 1320 is further configured to send fourth indication information, and processing unit 1310 is configured to perform processing-related functions. For a more detailed description of processing unit 1310 and transceiver unit 1320, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the method embodiments shown in FIG2 , FIG5 , and FIG8 .

[0198] As shown in Figure 10, communication device 1400 includes a processor 1410 and an interface circuit 1420. Processor 1410 and interface circuit 1420 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 1420 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1400 may also include a memory 1430 for storing instructions executed by processor 1410, input data required by processor 1410 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 1410 executes instructions.

[0199] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 2 , FIG. 5 or FIG. 8 , the processor 1410 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1310 , and the interface circuit 1420 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1320 .

[0200] 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.

[0201] 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.

[0202] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly from A to B or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly from entity B or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station.

[0203] 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.

[0204] 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.

[0205] 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.

[0206] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish objects or to distinguish the processing of the same object. Words such as "first" and "second" can distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. For example, the first device and the second device are merely used to distinguish different devices and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different.

[0207] "At least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more.

[0208] "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. 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, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or plural.

[0209] Furthermore, the terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof, as used in the description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0210] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first device, the method includes: receiving first indication information and second indication information; the first indication information indicates a first reference signal, and the second indication information indicates a second reference signal; the first reference signal is a reference signal of the first device, and the second reference signal is a reference signal of the second device; receiving a first reference signal and a fourth reference signal according to the first indication information and the second indication information, wherein the fourth reference signal belongs to the second reference signal; Channel estimation is performed according to the first reference signal and the fourth reference signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that A first beam serves the first device and the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The time-frequency resource of the first reference signal is different from the time-frequency resource of the second reference signal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first indication information indicating the first reference signal includes: the first indication information indicating one or more of the following information of the first reference signal: configuration information of the first reference signal, time-frequency resources of the first reference signal, or an antenna port number of the first reference signal; or, The second indication information indicating the second reference signal includes: the second indication information indicating one or more of the following information of the second reference signal: configuration information of the second reference signal, time-frequency resources of the second reference signal, or antenna port number of the second reference signal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that Before receiving the fourth reference signal, the method further includes: sending third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates a capability of the first device to perform channel estimation according to a third reference signal, and the third reference signal is different from the first reference signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The second indication information is determined according to the third indication information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The third indication information indicates a capability level, and the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information, including: the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal indicated by the second indication information are determined based on the third indication information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The second indication information indicating the second reference signal information includes: the second indication information indicates the time-frequency resource of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal through downlink control information DCI.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that Before receiving the fourth reference signal, the method further includes: receiving fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates whether the radio access network device has sent the second reference signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The fourth indication information indicates the format of downlink control information DCI.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The fourth indication information is the first bit in the DCI, and the first bit indicates whether the wireless network device sends the second reference signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first bit is a demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence initialization bit.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are demodulation reference signals DMRS.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that The fourth reference signal is all reference signals in the second reference signal.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that The fourth reference signal is a partial reference signal in the second reference signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are formed by using the same precoding codebook.

17. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 16, characterized in that: The configuration information of the first reference signal includes one or more of the following: a position of the first reference signal, a type of the first reference signal, and a time domain symbol length of the first reference signal.

18. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 17, characterized in that: The configuration information of the second reference signal includes one or more of the following: a position of the second reference signal, a type of the second reference signal, and a time domain symbol length of the second reference signal.

19. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: If the third indication information indicates that the first device has the ability to perform channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the radio access network device sends second indication information.

20. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: If the third indication information indicates that the first device does not have the ability to perform channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the radio access network device does not send the second indication information.

21. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that When the third indication information indicates that the first device has a first capability of performing channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the second indication information indicates a first time-frequency resource; when the third indication information indicates a second capability of performing channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the second indication information indicates a second time-frequency resource; When the first capability is greater than the second capability, the first time-frequency resources are greater than the second time-frequency resources.

22. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that The second indication information indicating the second reference signal information includes: the second indication information indicating configuration information of the second reference signal through radio resource control RRC signaling.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that The second indication information is received via a broadcast signal.

24. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that Receiving the second indication information includes: if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless network device has sent the second indication information, receiving the second indication information via a broadcast signal.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are demodulation reference signals DMRS.

26. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending first indication information and second indication information; The first indication information indicates a first reference signal, and the second indication information indicates a second reference signal; The first reference signal is a reference signal of the first device, and the second reference signal is a reference signal of the second device; The first reference signal and the second reference signal are transmitted.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that A first beam serves the first device and the second device.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that The time-frequency resource of the first reference signal is different from the time-frequency resource of the second reference signal.

29. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that The first indication information indicating the first reference signal includes: the first indication information indicating one or more of the following information of the first reference signal: configuration information of the first reference signal, time-frequency resources of the first reference signal, or an antenna port number of the first reference signal; or, The second indication information indicating the second reference signal includes: the second indication information indicating one or more of the following information of the second reference signal: configuration information of the second reference signal, time-frequency resources of the second reference signal, or antenna port number of the second reference signal.

30. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 29, characterized in that Before sending the second reference signal, the method further includes: receiving third indication information, the third indication information indicating a capability of the first device to perform channel estimation according to a third reference signal, the third reference signal being different from the first reference signal.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that The second indication information is determined according to the third indication information.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that The third indication information indicates a capability level, and the second indication information is determined based on the third indication information, including: the time-frequency resources of the second reference signal indicated by the second indication information are determined based on the third indication information.

33. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 32, characterized in that The second indication information indicating the second reference signal information includes: the second indication information indicates the time-frequency resource of the second reference signal and / or the antenna port number of the second reference signal through downlink control information DCI.

34. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 33, characterized in that Before sending the second reference signal, the method further includes: sending fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates whether the second reference signal has been sent.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that The fourth indication information indicates the format of downlink control information DCI.

36. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that The fourth indication information is the first bit in the DCI, and the first bit indicates whether to send the second reference signal.

37. The method according to claim 36, characterized in that The first bit is a demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence initialization bit.

38. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 37, characterized in that The sending of the second indication information includes: sending the second indication information when one or more of the following conditions are met: The number of subcarriers of the second reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold; or, The number of subcarriers of the second reference signal and the number of FFT points N FFT The ratio is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the N FFT is determined according to the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal, wherein N FFT Satisfies the following formula: Among them, M and P are non-negative integers, N SC is the number of subcarriers of the first reference signal, indicates a round-up operation; or, The modulation and coding strategy MCS of the first device is less than or equal to the third threshold.

39. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 38, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are demodulation reference signals DMRS.

40. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 39, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are formed by using the same precoding codebook.

41. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 40, characterized in that The configuration information of the first reference signal includes one or more of the following: a position of the first reference signal, a type of the first reference signal, and a time domain symbol length of the first reference signal.

42. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 41, characterized in that The configuration information of the second reference signal includes one or more of the following: a position of the second reference signal, a type of the second reference signal, and a time domain symbol length of the second reference signal.

43. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 32, characterized in that If the third indication information indicates that the first device has the ability to perform channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the second indication information is sent.

44. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 32, characterized in that If the third indication information indicates that the first device does not have the ability to perform channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the second indication information is not sent.

45. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that When the third indication information indicates that the first device has a first capability of performing channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the second indication information indicates a first time-frequency resource; when the third indication information indicates a second capability of performing channel estimation according to the third reference signal, the second indication information indicates a second time-frequency resource; When the first capability is greater than the second capability, the first time-frequency resources are greater than the second time-frequency resources.

46. ​​The method according to any one of claims 26 to 45, characterized in that The second indication information indicating the second reference signal information includes: the second indication information indicating the configuration information of the second reference signal through radio resource control RRC signaling.

47. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 46, characterized in that The second indication information is sent via a broadcast signal.

48. The method according to any one of claims 34 to 47, characterized in that The fourth indication information is sent via MAC CE or broadcast signal or RRC signaling.

49. The method according to any one of claims 34 to 48, characterized in that If the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless access network device has sent a second reference signal, the method further includes: sending a DCI in a first format, wherein the DCI in the first format includes a field for the second indication information.

50. The method according to any one of claims 34 to 48, characterized in that If the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless access network device does not send the second reference signal, the method further includes: sending a DCI in a second format, wherein the DCI in the second format does not include a field for the second indication information.

51. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 50, characterized in that The second indication information is sent via a broadcast signal.

52. The method according to any one of claims 34 to 51, characterized in that Sending the second indication information includes: if the fourth indication information indicates that the wireless network device has sent the second indication information, sending the second indication information via a broadcast signal.

53. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25, or the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 26 to 52.

54. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising modules for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25, or comprising modules for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 52.

55. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25, and the communication device includes a module, unit, or means corresponding to the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25. The module, unit, or means can be implemented by hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations, and the hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25.

56. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 26 to 52, and the communication device includes a module, unit, or means corresponding to the method as described in any one of claims 26 to 52. The module, unit, or means can be implemented by hardware, software, or by executing corresponding software implementation by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the method as described in any one of claims 26 to 52.

57. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor is coupled to a memory, and the processor is used to read and execute instructions in the memory so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

58. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor is coupled to the memory, and the processor is used to read and execute instructions in the memory to enable the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 26 to 52.

59. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes a processor and an input / output port, the processor is used to implement the processing functions involved in the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25, and the input / output port is used to implement the transceiver functions involved in the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25.

60. The chip system according to claim 59, characterized in that: The chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and data for implementing the functions involved in the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25.

61. The chip system according to claim 59 or 60, characterized in that: The chip system is composed of a chip, or includes a chip and discrete devices.

62. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes a processor and an input / output port, the processor is used to implement the processing functions involved in the method as described in any one of claims 26 to 52, and the input / output port is used to implement the transceiver functions involved in the method as described in any one of claims 26 to 52.

63. The chip system according to claim 62, characterized in that: The chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and data for implementing the functions involved in the method as described in any one of claims 26 to 52.

64. The chip system according to claim 62 or 63, characterized in that: The chip system is composed of a chip, or includes a chip and discrete devices.

65. A communication device, characterized in that: include: Processor and memory; The memory is used to store computer instructions. When the processor executes the computer instructions, the communication device executes the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25, or the communication device executes the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 52.

66. A computer program product, characterized in that include: A computer program or instruction, when the computer program or instruction is executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25, or causes the computer to execute the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 52.

67. A system, characterized in that: The method comprises a first device and a wireless network device, wherein the first device executes the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 25, and the wireless network device executes the communication method according to any one of claims 26 to 52.

68. The system according to claim 67, characterized in that A second device is also included, and the wireless network device serves the first device and the second device through a first beam.

69. The system according to claim 68, characterized in that The first reference signal of the first device and the second reference signal of the second device are formed by using the same precoding codebook.

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