Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, the method comprising: sending first information, the first information indicating a simulated weight weighting pattern, the simulated weight weighting pattern corresponding to a minimum resource unit and angles of direction of M beams, M being a positive integer; receiving second information, the second information indicating N beams among the M beams and transmission resources respectively corresponding to the N beams, N being a positive integer, N ≤ M, and the transmission resource corresponding to each beam comprising at least one minimum resource unit; and transmitting signals on the transmission resources respectively corresponding to the N beams. By adopting the described design, communication between an antenna unit and distributed units can be achieved, and the distributed units can feed back the second information in real time.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on February 7, 2024, with application number 202410175873.X and invention name "A Communication Method and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0004] Multi-antenna technology can be defined as a series of technologies that use multiple antennas at the transmitter or receiver and combine them with signal processing. By introducing multi-antenna technology into the spatial domain, in addition to the traditional time and frequency domains, it improves system capacity and coverage. Multi-antenna technology has attracted much attention since the development of long-term evolution (LTE) systems. With the evolution of communication technologies, such as fifth-generation (5G) and sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication systems, systems face greater capacity requirements. At the same time, the introduction of high frequencies also brings new challenges to system coverage. To further improve system capacity and coverage, multi-antenna technology has become a foundational technology.

[0005] Currently, the interface between the baseband unit (BBU) and the active antenna unit (AAU) is typically closed to the public and is a proprietary internal interface maintained by the equipment manufacturer. However, with the evolution of communication technology, the interface between the BBU and AAU may become publicly accessible. Therefore, the design of communication between the BBU and AAU has become a significant issue. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for implementing communication between a BBU and an AAU.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, wherein the execution subject of the method is an antenna unit, or a chip, unit or module having the function of an antenna unit. The method comprises: sending first information, wherein the first information indicates an analog weighting mode, a minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode, and the directional angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; receiving second information, wherein the second information indicates N beams of the M beams, and transmission resources corresponding to the N beams, respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units; and transmitting signals on the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams.

[0008] With this design, the antenna unit can notify the distributed unit of the analog weighting modes it supports, the minimum resource unit corresponding to these analog weighting modes, and the directional angles of the M beams. The antenna unit can then receive the second information fed back in real time by the distributed unit and, based on this second information, determine which beams to select for transmission on which corresponding transmission resources. This method is applicable to scenarios where the interface between the antenna unit and the distributed unit is open.

[0009] In one possible design, the analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

[0010] In one possible design, the time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0011] In one possible design, the frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

[0012] In one possible design, when sending first information, the first information is sent through a first interface; when receiving second information, the second information is received through a second interface; wherein the first interface is different from the second interface.

[0013] In one possible design, the first information further indicates a maximum number of beams, where N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams. Therefore, by indicating the maximum number of beams, the number of antennas selected by the distributed unit can be constrained while controlling the signaling overhead between the antenna unit and the distributed unit.

[0014] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the reporting time interval of the second information. Therefore, the signaling overhead between the antenna unit and the distributed unit can be controlled by indicating the reporting time interval of the second information.

[0015] In one possible design, the analog weight weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode includes a symbol; the second information includes the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams; or, the second information includes the starting symbol and end symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, the execution subject of the method is a distributed unit, or a chip, unit or module with distributed unit functions. The method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating an analog weight weighting mode, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode, and the direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; sending second information, the second information indicating N beams of the M beams, and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams, respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units.

[0017] Using the above design, the distributed unit can obtain the analog weighting modes supported by the antenna unit, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode, and the directional angles of the M beams. It can then select some or all of the M beams in real time, determine the transmission resources corresponding to each beam, and notify the antenna unit via the second information. The above method is applicable to scenarios where the interface between the antenna unit and the distributed unit is open.

[0018] In one possible design, the analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

[0019] In one possible design, the time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0020] In one possible design, the frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

[0021] In one possible design, when receiving first information, the first information is received through a first interface; when sending second information, the second information is sent through a second interface; wherein the first interface is different from the second interface.

[0022] In one possible design, the first information also indicates a maximum number of beams; N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

[0023] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the reporting time interval of the second information.

[0024] In one possible design, the analog weight weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode includes a symbol; the second information includes the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams; or, the second information includes the starting symbol and end symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

[0025] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes: a transceiver unit and a processing unit, wherein the transceiver unit is used to send and receive information, and the processing unit is used to send first information through the transceiver unit, wherein the first information indicates an analog weight weighting mode, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode, and the direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; receive second information, wherein the second information indicates N beams among the M beams, and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units; and transmit signals on the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively.

[0026] In one possible design, the analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

[0027] In one possible design, the time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0028] In one possible design, the frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

[0029] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is used to send the first information through a first interface when sending the first information; and to receive the second information through a second interface when receiving the second information; wherein the first interface is different from the second interface.

[0030] In one possible design, the first information also indicates a maximum number of beams, and N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

[0031] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the reporting time interval of the second information.

[0032] In one possible design, the analog weight weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode includes a symbol; the second information includes the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams; or, the second information includes the starting symbol and end symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes: a transceiver unit for sending and receiving information, and a processing unit for receiving first information through the transceiver unit, wherein the first information indicates an analog weight weighting mode, a minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode, and the direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; and sending second information, wherein the second information indicates N beams among the M beams, and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units.

[0034] In one possible design, the analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

[0035] In one possible design, the time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0036] In one possible design, the frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

[0037] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is used to receive the first information through a first interface when receiving the first information; and to send the second information through a second interface when sending the second information; wherein the first interface is different from the second interface.

[0038] In one possible design, the first information also indicates a maximum number of beams; N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

[0039] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the reporting time interval of the second information.

[0040] In one possible design, the analog weight weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode includes a symbol; the second information includes the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams; or, the second information includes the starting symbol and end symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a first device, or a module or unit (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit) in the first device that corresponds one-to-one to the method / operation / step / action described in any one of the first to second aspects, or may be capable of being used in combination with the first device.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one processing element and at least one storage element, wherein the at least one storage element is used to store programs and data, and the at least one processing element is used to read and execute the programs and data stored in the storage element, so that the method described in any one of the first to second aspects of the present application is implemented.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, the present application further provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0044] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising: an interface circuit and at least one processor; the interface circuit is used to provide input and / or output of programs or instructions to the at least one processor; the at least one processor is used to execute the programs or instructions so that the communication device can implement any of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0045] In one possible manner, the communication device includes the at least one memory, and the at least one memory is used to store the program or instruction.

[0046] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer storage medium storing a software program. When the software program is read and executed by one or more processors, the software program can implement any of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0047] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0048] In the eleventh aspect, the present application provides a chip system, which includes at least one chip and a memory, and the at least one chip is used to read and execute the program stored in the memory to implement any one of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0049] In the twelfth aspect, the present application provides an access network device, the system including at least one antenna unit, at least one distributed unit, and at least one centralized unit, the antenna unit executes any method described in the first aspect, and the distributed network element executes any method described in the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication system;

[0051] FIG2 shows a possible structural diagram of an access network device;

[0052] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of a possible frequency domain unit;

[0053] FIG4 shows an overview flow chart of a communication method;

[0054] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of beams supported by an RU;

[0055] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of communication between an access network device and a terminal;

[0056] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a transmission unit corresponding to a beam;

[0057] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of a transmission unit corresponding to another beam;

[0058] FIG9 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device;

[0059] FIG10 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The specific implementation of the present application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. However, the implementation of the present application may also include combining these embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application, such as adopting other embodiments and making structural changes. Therefore, the detailed description of the following embodiments should not be understood in a restrictive sense. The terms used in the examples section of the present application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0061] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a possible, non-limiting system. As shown in Figure 1 , communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1 ). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. Core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 may be separate physical devices, or they may be a single physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions. Furthermore, core network 200 may also communicate with the Internet 300.

[0062] The RAN 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (CRAN). The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0063] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality. For ease of description, RAN nodes are referred to as access network equipment below.

[0064] In one possible scenario, an access network device may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or the like. A RAN node may be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Alternatively, a RAN node may be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or an onboard device. For example, an access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology may be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0065] Figure 2 shows a possible structural diagram of an access network device. The access network device may include one or more centralized units (CU) and one or more distributed units (DU). The access network device may also include one or more radio units (RU). For clarity, Figure 2 shows only one CU, DU, and RU. The CU may also be divided into a CU-control plane (CP) and a CU-user plane (UP), which is not limited in this application. The CU and DU may be separately configured or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0066] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0067] It can be understood that, in this application, the communication between the BBU and the AAU can also be replaced by the communication between the DU and the RU.

[0068] The CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers. The RU implements some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and active antenna-related functions. The above configuration of the CU, DU, and RU is only an example, and the functions of the CU, DU, and RU can also be configured as needed.

[0069] Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented through a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0070] Below, some terms used in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0071] 1. Beam

[0072] The beam used to send signals can be called a transmission beam (Tx beam). The transmission beam can also refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after the signal is transmitted by the antenna. Similarly, the beam used to receive signals can be called a reception beam (Rx beam). The reception beam can also refer to the signal strength distribution of the wireless signal received from the antenna in different directions in space.

[0073] In addition, the beam may be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beams. The beam forming technique may be a beamforming technique or other techniques.

[0074] 2. Beamforming

[0075] Communication devices can improve communication performance through beamforming. Beamforming specifically refers to a technology in which a communication device uses multiple antennas to process transmitted or received signals to adjust the direction and spatial orientation of the transmit or receive beam. This improves the signal quality received by the receiving device, thereby enhancing communication performance. Beamforming is generally categorized into digital beamforming (DBF), analog beamforming (ABF), and hybrid beamforming (HBF). DBF specifically involves a communication device processing transmitted or received signals in the digital domain (for example, applying different weights to the transmitted signals on different antennas) to achieve beamforming. ABF specifically involves network equipment processing transmitted signals in the analog domain to achieve beamforming. HBF, on the other hand, involves processing transmitted signals in both the digital and analog domains to achieve beamforming through joint processing.

[0076] Hybrid beamforming architectures include fully connected and fixed subarray architectures. For cost reasons, the current mainstream architecture is the fixed subarray architecture, which will gradually evolve to a fully connected architecture as technology advances. Hybrid beamforming weights are divided into analog and digital weights, used for analog and digital beamforming, respectively. This application focuses on analog weights.

[0077] In this application, the analog weighting mode can be understood as the granularity at which the analog weights are effective, or the mode in which the analog weights function. Analog weighting modes can include time-domain weighting modes, frequency-domain weighting modes, and hybrid weighting modes. For example, the analog weighting mode is related to the hardware design of the RU (or AAU). For example, the analog weighting modes supported by the RU (or AAU) can be implemented using different phase shifter structures.

[0078] Among them, the time domain weighted mode refers to adjusting (or configuring) the analog weights according to the time domain granularity, that is, adjusting (or configuring) the beam according to the time domain, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the time domain weighted mode is the time domain unit. Exemplarily, the time domain unit can be a time slot (slot) or a symbol (symbol). The hardware structure of the RU that supports the time domain weighted mode is the same set of phase shifters corresponding to all antennas of the RU. Among them, the granularity of the minimum resource unit also depends on the hardware structure of the RU. For example, the granularity of the minimum resource unit is determined by the capability of the phase shifter.

[0079] Frequency domain weighting mode refers to adjusting (or configuring) analog weights according to frequency domain granularity, that is, adjusting (or configuring) beams according to the frequency domain. The minimum resource unit corresponding to the frequency domain weighting mode is a frequency domain unit. For example, a frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group. Figure 3 shows examples of several possible frequency domain units. The hardware structure of an RU that supports frequency domain weighting mode is that the phase shifters corresponding to all antennas of the RU are different. Among them, the granularity of the minimum resource unit also depends on the hardware structure of the RU.

[0080] The hybrid weighted mode refers to adjusting (or configuring) the analog weights according to the combination of time domain granularity and frequency domain granularity, that is, adjusting (or configuring) the beam according to the combination of time domain granularity and frequency domain granularity. Among them, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the hybrid weighted mode is the time domain unit and the frequency domain unit. The specific contents of the time domain unit and the frequency domain unit can refer to the above related description. Among them, the hardware structure of the RU that supports the hybrid weighted mode is that the antennas of the RU are divided into X groups according to the number X of supported frequency bands, among which the same group of antennas corresponds to the same group of phase shifters, different groups of antennas correspond to different groups of phase shifters, and the X groups of antennas correspond one-to-one with the X groups of phase shifters, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Among them, the granularity of the minimum resource unit also depends on the hardware structure of the RU.

[0081] Based on the above network system architecture and the contents of the above related technical introduction, a communication method is provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the execution subject of the method is introduced using DU and RU as examples. In addition, it should be understood that DU can also be replaced by a chip, unit or module with DU functions. RU can also be replaced by a chip, unit or module with RU functions. The following method can be applied to scenarios where the interface between the antenna unit and the distributed unit is open, and can also be applied to scenarios where the interface between the antenna unit and the distributed unit is an internal private interface.

[0082] As shown in FIG4 , the method includes:

[0083] Step 400: The RU sends first information to the DU. Correspondingly, the DU receives the first information from the RU.

[0084] Exemplarily, the first information indicates an analog weighting mode, a minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode, and the direction angles of the M beams.

[0085] The first information indicates the analog weighting mode, which can be understood as indicating the analog weighting mode supported by the RU. From the above related content, it can be seen that the analog weighting mode supported by the RU and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode are related to the hardware structure of the RU.

[0086] The M beams are beams supported by the RU, and M is a positive integer. The first information also indicates the directional angles of the M beams. This can be understood as indicating the correspondence between the M beams and the corresponding directional angles, where the M beams correspond one-to-one to the M directional angles. For example, the first information includes the indexes of the M beams and the directional angles corresponding to the M beams.

[0087] In addition, the RU also stores the correspondence between M beams and the corresponding analog weights. The M analog weights can be used to generate M beams. The number of beams supported by the RU and the corresponding analog weights are also related to the hardware structure of the RU, which can be determined by factors such as the number of antenna elements and the fully connected structure included in the RU.

[0088] As shown in Figure 5, the number of beams supported by the RU is 4, and the 4 beams correspond to 4 analog weights. The RU stores the correspondence between the 4 beams and the corresponding analog weights. The first information may include the indexes of the 4 beams and the directional angles corresponding to the 4 beams.

[0089] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the maximum number of beams, where the maximum number of beams is used to constrain the number of beams selected by the DU, that is, the number of beams selected by the DU is not greater than the maximum number of beams, that is, N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams, thereby controlling the signaling overhead between the DU and the RU.

[0090] In one possible design, the first information further indicates a reporting time interval for the second information. Alternatively, the first information further indicates a reporting period for the second information. The DU can send the second information according to the reporting time interval, thereby avoiding multiple transmissions of the second information and effectively controlling the signaling overhead between the DU and the RU. In addition, the DU can adjust the transmit beam by periodically transmitting the second information.

[0091] Step 410: The DU determines the second information.

[0092] The second information indicates N beams out of the M beams, and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one minimum resource unit.

[0093] Exemplarily, the access network device receives an uplink signal from the terminal and determines N beams according to the uplink signal.

[0094] For example, a terminal sends a sounding reference signal (SRS) to an access network device. The base station can receive the SRS through different receive beams and determine the receive beam with the best signal quality. This receive beam can then be used as the transmit beam, thereby determining the beam corresponding to the terminal. Alternatively, it can be understood that the base station can determine a beam corresponding to the terminal from among M beams in the above manner. As shown in Figure 6, UE1 sends an SRS, and the access network device can determine beam 1 among the four beams by receiving the SRS. Similarly, UE2 sends an SRS, and the access network device can also determine beam 3 among the four beams by receiving the SRS.

[0095] Exemplarily, the second information may include the indexes of the N beams. For example, in conjunction with FIG6 , the access network device may determine beam 1 and beam 3, and carry the indexes of beam 1 and beam 3 through the second information.

[0096] Furthermore, the access network device may also determine the transmission resources corresponding to each of the N beams based on the analog weighting mode and the corresponding minimum resource unit. The transmission resources corresponding to each of the N beams may depend on the load of the access network device, the channel state, or the downlink data to be transmitted by different terminals, etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0097] With reference to Figure 6 above, if the amount of downlink data to be transmitted by UE1 is greater than the amount of downlink data to be transmitted by UE2, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 1 are greater than the transmission resources corresponding to beam 3. In this case, if the first information indicates that the analog weighting mode is the time domain weighting mode or the hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a symbol, the access network device can determine, based on the first information, that the number of symbols corresponding to beam 1 is greater than the number of symbols corresponding to beam 3.

[0098] It will be understood that the present application does not limit the specific manner in which the access network device determines the transmission resources corresponding to the beam.

[0099] Exemplarily, if the analog weighting mode is a time-domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a symbol, the second information may include the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams, or the second information may include the starting symbol and ending symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams. For details, please refer to the following Examples 1 and 2.

[0100] Step 420: The DU sends the second information to the RU. Correspondingly, the RU receives the second information from the DU.

[0101] Exemplarily, for step 400, the RU sends first information to the DU through the first interface, and for step 420, the DU may send second information to the RU through the second interface, wherein the second interface is different from the first interface. It can be understood that the first interface and the second interface are both logical interfaces.

[0102] Step 430: The RU transmits signals on the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams.

[0103] For example, taking the i-th beam among N beams as N, the RU can determine the analog weight corresponding to the i-th beam based on the stored correspondence between the M beams and the corresponding analog weights, and then generate the i-th beam based on the analog weight corresponding to the i-th beam, and transmit a signal on the transmission resource corresponding to the i-th beam. Here, i is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0104] In combination with Figure 6 above, the second information may include the index of beam 1 and the index of beam 3, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 1 and the transmission resources corresponding to beam 3, and then the RU can determine the analog weight corresponding to beam 1 according to the index of beam 1, generate beam 1 according to the analog weight, and send a signal to UE1 on the transmission resource corresponding to beam 1, and determine the analog weight corresponding to beam 3 according to the index of beam 3, generate beam 3 according to the analog weight, and send a signal to UE2 on the transmission resource corresponding to beam 3.

[0105] The above method enables communication between the DU and the RU. The DU can obtain the analog weighting mode and corresponding minimum resource unit supported by the RU, as well as the various beams supported by the RU, through the first information. The DU can then select some or all of the beams supported by the RU and further determine the transmission resources corresponding to each selected beam based on the analog weighting mode and the corresponding minimum resource unit. The DU can send second information to the RU to notify the RU of the selected beam and corresponding transmission resources, and the RU can then transmit signals on the transmission resources corresponding to the selected beam.

[0106] The following further illustrates the embodiment shown in FIG4 with reference to specific examples:

[0107] Example 1:

[0108] The RU sends first information to the DU via the first interface. The first information indicates that the analog weighting mode is the time domain weighting mode, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a symbol, and four beams and corresponding azimuth angles. Assume that the four beams are beam 1, beam 2, beam 3, and beam 4. In addition, the first information may also indicate that the reporting interval of the second information is 14 symbols and the maximum number of beams is 3.

[0109] The DU determines the second information based on the received SRS transmitted by each terminal. The second information indicates [symbol 0, 4] [index of beam 1] [symbol 5, 6] [beam 2] [symbol 11, 3] [index of beam 3].

[0110] In conjunction with Figure 7 , the second information can be understood as follows: the second information indicates beam 1, and the transmission resources corresponding to beam 1 start from symbol 0 and have a symbol length of 4, that is, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 1 are symbols 0 to 4. The second information also indicates beam 2, and the transmission resources corresponding to beam 2 start from symbol 5 and have a symbol length of 6. The second information also indicates beam 3, and the transmission resources corresponding to beam 3 start from symbol 11 and have a symbol length of 3.

[0111] In addition, the number of beams selected by the DU is 3, which is equal to the maximum number of beams, and the DU can update the second information every 14 symbols and report the updated second information.

[0112] The DU sends the second information to the RU through the second interface. The RU determines the analog weights corresponding to beam 1, beam 2, and beam 3 based on the second information, and sends signals on symbols 0 to 4 corresponding to beam 1, symbols 5 to 10 corresponding to beam 2, and symbols 11 to 13 corresponding to beam 3.

[0113] Example 2:

[0114] The RU sends the first information to the DU through the first interface. The first information indicates that the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a symbol and a carrier, and four beams and corresponding azimuth angles. The first information can also indicate that the carriers supported by the RU are carrier 1 and carrier 2. Assume that the four beams are beam 1, beam 2, beam 3, and beam 4. In addition, the first information can also indicate that the reporting time interval of the second information is 14 symbols and the maximum number of beams is 3.

[0115] The DU determines the second information based on the received SRS sent by each terminal. The second information indicates:

[0116] [Carrier 1][Symbol 0, 2][Beam 1 Index][Symbol 2, 6][Beam 3 Index][Symbol 8, 6][Beam 4 Index];

[0117] [Carrier 2][Symbol 0, 4][Index of beam 2][Symbol 5, 6][Index of beam 4].

[0118] Combined with Figure 8, the above-mentioned second information can be understood as: the second information indicates beam 1, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 1: the time domain resources start from symbol 0, the symbol length is 4, and the frequency domain resources are carrier 1, as well as beam 3, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 3: the time domain resources start from symbol 2, the symbol length is 6, and the frequency domain resources are carrier 1, as well as beam 4, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 4: the time domain resources start from symbol 8, the symbol length is 6, and the frequency domain resources are carrier 1, as well as beam 2, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 2: the time domain resources start from symbol 0, the symbol length is 4, and the frequency domain resources are carrier 2, as well as beam 4, the transmission resources corresponding to beam 4: the time domain resources start from symbol 5, the symbol length is 6, and the frequency domain resources are carrier 2.

[0119] In addition, the number of beams selected by the DU for each carrier is no more than 3, and the DU can update the second information every 14 symbols and report the updated second information.

[0120] The DU sends second information to the RU through the second interface. The RU determines, based on the second information, analog weights corresponding to beam 1, beam 2, beam 3, and beam 4, and transmits a signal on carrier 1 from symbols 0 to 1 corresponding to beam 1, transmits a signal on carrier 1 from symbols 2 to 7 corresponding to beam 3, transmits a signal on carrier 1 from symbols 8 to 13 corresponding to beam 4, transmits a signal on carrier 1 from symbols 0 to 4 corresponding to beam 2, and transmits a signal on carrier 2 from symbols 5 to 10 corresponding to beam 4.

[0121] It is understood that to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the antenna units and distributed units include hardware structures and / or software modules that perform the corresponding functions. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and method steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0122] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the antenna unit and the distributed unit in the above method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0123] As shown in Figure 9, a communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a transceiver unit 920. The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the antenna unit and the distributed unit in the above method embodiment.

[0124] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the antenna unit in the above method embodiment:

[0125] The transceiver unit 920 is used to send and receive information, and the processing unit 910 is used to send first information through the transceiver unit 920, where the first information indicates an analog weight weighting mode, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode, and the direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; receive second information, where the second information indicates N beams among the M beams, and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units; and transmit signals on the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively.

[0126] In one possible design, the analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

[0127] In one possible design, the time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0128] In one possible design, the frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

[0129] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 920 is used to send the first information through a first interface when sending the first information; and to receive the second information through a second interface when receiving the second information; wherein the first interface is different from the second interface.

[0130] In one possible design, the first information also indicates a maximum number of beams, and N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

[0131] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the reporting time interval of the second information.

[0132] In one possible design, the analog weight weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode includes a symbol; the second information includes the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams; or, the second information includes the starting symbol and end symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

[0133] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the distributed unit in the above method embodiment:

[0134] The transceiver unit 920 is used to send and receive information, and the processing unit 910 is used to receive first information through the transceiver unit 920, where the first information indicates an analog weight weighting mode, the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode, and the direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; and send second information, where the second information indicates N beams among the M beams, and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units.

[0135] In one possible design, the analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; or, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

[0136] In one possible design, the time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0137] In one possible design, the frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

[0138] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 920 is used to receive the first information through a first interface when receiving the first information; and to send the second information through a second interface when sending the second information; wherein the first interface is different from the second interface.

[0139] In one possible design, the first information also indicates a maximum number of beams; N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

[0140] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the reporting time interval of the second information.

[0141] In one possible design, the analog weight weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weight weighting mode includes a symbol; the second information includes the starting symbol and symbol length of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams; or, the second information includes the starting symbol and end symbol of the transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

[0142] A more detailed description of the processing unit 910 and the transceiver unit 920 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] As shown in Figure 10, communication device 1000 includes a processor 1010 and an interface circuit 1020. Processor 1010 and interface circuit 1020 are coupled to each other. It will be appreciated that interface circuit 1020 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1030 for storing instructions executed by processor 1010, input data required by processor 1010 to execute instructions, or data generated by processor 1010 after executing instructions.

[0144] When the communication device 1000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 4 , the processor 1010 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 910 , and the interface circuit 1020 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 920 .

[0145] 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.

[0146] The present application provides another example of a device, which includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being coupled together, the at least one memory being used to store instructions. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the communication device executes the method in the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG10 , a communication device 1000 includes a processor 1010 and a memory 1030. The processor 1010 and the memory 1030 are coupled together, and the memory 1030 stores instructions. When the instructions stored in the memory 1030 are executed by the processor 1010, the communication device 1000 executes the method executed by each unit in the above-described embodiment.

[0147] 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 the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in the above-mentioned unit. The processor and the storage medium can also be present in the above-mentioned unit as discrete components.

[0148] 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.

[0149] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0150] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method includes: Sending first information, where the first information indicates an analog weighting mode, a minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode, and direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; receiving second information, where the second information indicates N beams of the M beams and transmission resources corresponding to the N beams, respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one minimum resource unit; Signals are transmitted on transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; Alternatively, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; Alternatively, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein The frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that Send the first message, including: Sending the first information through a first interface; Receiving second information, including: receiving the second information through a second interface; The first interface is different from the second interface.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first information further indicates a maximum number of beams, where N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The first information further indicates a reporting time interval for the second information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode includes a symbol; The second information includes a starting symbol and a symbol length of a transmission resource corresponding to each beam in the N beams; Alternatively, the second information includes a start symbol and an end symbol of a transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The method includes: receiving first information indicating an analog weighting mode, a minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode, and direction angles of M beams, where M is a positive integer; Send second information, where the second information indicates N beams among the M beams and the transmission resources corresponding to the N beams respectively, where N is a positive integer, N≤M, and the transmission resources corresponding to each beam include at least one of the minimum resource units.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit; Alternatively, the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a frequency domain unit; Alternatively, the analog weighting mode is a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode is a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The time domain unit is a time slot or a symbol.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein The frequency domain unit is any one of a resource unit, a frequency band, a carrier, a resource block, and a resource block group.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: Receiving first information, including: receiving the first information through a first interface; Send the second message, including: sending second information through the second interface; The first interface is different from the second interface.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein: The first information further indicates a maximum number of beams; N is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein: The first information further indicates a reporting time interval for the second information.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein: The analog weighting mode is a time domain weighting mode or a hybrid weighting mode, and the minimum resource unit corresponding to the analog weighting mode includes a symbol; The second information includes a starting symbol and a symbol length of a transmission resource corresponding to each beam in the N beams; Alternatively, the second information includes a start symbol and an end symbol of a transmission resource corresponding to each of the N beams.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes at least one processor; the at least one processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium includes a program, and when the program is run on a device, the device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes a program or instructions, and when the program or instructions are executed by a device, the device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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