Non-terrestrial network communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. In the method, a terminal device receives first information from a first network device, the first information being used for indicating an RE in a first time-frequency resource, and the first time-frequency resource being a rate matching resource of a first reference signal, wherein the first reference signal comprises at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS, and CRS. Furthermore, the terminal device performs rate matching on the basis of the first time-frequency resource. On the basis of the solution, the network device can indicate the rate matching resource of RE granularity to the terminal device, and compared with indicating a rate matching resource of an RB level, resource waste can be reduced, and the resource utilization rate is improved. In addition, since the first reference signal can be different types of reference signals, the method is suitable for different reference signals and has a wider application scenario.

Description

Non-terrestrial network communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 22, 2024, with application number 202410199351.3 and invention name “A method and communication device for non-terrestrial network communication”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method and a communication device for non-terrestrial network communications. Background Art

[0003] With the continuous development of satellite communications, satellite systems are gradually evolving from single-satellite transmission to multi-satellite coordinated transmission. Utilizing multi-satellite coordinated transmission can reduce the requirements for the transmission capacity of a single satellite, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of a single satellite.

[0004] When multiple satellites transmit collaboratively, how to reduce resource waste and improve resource utilization is crucial to the efficiency of multi-satellite collaborative transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a non-terrestrial network communication method, which can achieve rate matching resources at the granularity of any reference signal indication resource element (RE), which can not only improve resource utilization but also has a wider range of application scenarios.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for non-terrestrial network communication is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal device or a component of the terminal device (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system). For ease of understanding, the following description uses the terminal device as an example.

[0007] The method includes: receiving first information from a first network device, the first information is used to indicate REs in a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource being a rate matching resource of a first reference signal; and performing rate matching according to the first time-frequency resource.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the network device can indicate the rate matching resources at the RE granularity to the terminal device. Compared with indicating the rate matching resources at the RB level, it can reduce resource waste and improve resource utilization.

[0009] Among them, the first reference signal includes any one of the following: demodulation reference signal (DMRS), channel state information reference symbol (CSI-RS), sounding reference signal (SRS), phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), positioning reference signal (PRS), tracking reference signal (TRS), cell-specific reference signal (CRS), etc.

[0010] In the present application, since the first reference signal can be a variety of different reference signals, it is applicable to a variety of reference signals and has a wider application scenario.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending second information to the first network device, the second information being used to determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, the delay difference and frequency shift difference being used to determine the first time-frequency resource.

[0012] In this application, the first network device and the second network device provide services to the terminal device on the same time-frequency resources.

[0013] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can indicate the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, so that the network device can determine the appropriate rate matching resources, thereby reducing interference and improving communication efficiency.

[0014] Optionally, the second information includes any one of the following: delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, the location of the terminal device; or, the movement path of the terminal device.

[0015] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can send the delay difference and frequency shift difference to the first network device, or send its position or movement path to the first network device, so that the first network device can determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference.

[0016] Optionally, the first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

[0017] Exemplarily, the time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or, the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the offset between the ending symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the ending symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or, a first bit map, the first bit map is used to indicate the symbols in the first time-frequency resource; wherein the second time-frequency resource is used to receive a first reference signal from a second network device.

[0018] Exemplarily, the frequency domain information includes: the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or, the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or, a second bit map, the second bit map is used to indicate the subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource; wherein the second time-frequency resource is used to receive a first reference signal from a second network device.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving resource information from a second network device, the resource information being used to indicate a second time-frequency resource; and determining the first time-frequency resource based on the second time-frequency resource and the first information.

[0020] Based on the above solution, the second network device can indicate to the terminal device the resources occupied by the first reference signal it sends, so that the terminal device can determine rate matching resources, reduce interference, and improve communication efficiency.

[0021] Optionally, receiving resource information from the second network device includes: receiving resource set information from the second network device, the resource set information being used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in N time periods, the resource set information including resource information; and receiving the first information includes: receiving N pieces of first information, wherein the N time periods correspond one-to-one to the N pieces of first information.

[0022] Based on the above solution, the first network device can configure rate matching resources within N time periods to the terminal device, thereby avoiding frequent configuration and reducing communication signaling overhead.

[0023] In a second aspect, a method for non-terrestrial network communication is provided. This method can be performed by a first network device or by a component of the first network device (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system). For ease of understanding, the following description uses the first network device as an example.

[0024] The method includes: determining first information, where the first information is used to indicate RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal; and sending the first information to a terminal device.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, the network device can indicate the rate matching resources at the RE granularity to the terminal device. Compared with indicating the rate matching resources at the RB level, it can reduce resource waste and improve resource utilization.

[0026] The first reference signal includes at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS, and CRS.

[0027] In the present application, since the first reference signal can be a variety of different reference signals, it is applicable to a variety of reference signals and has a wider application scenario.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: receiving second information from the terminal device, the second information being used to determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device; and determining the first time-frequency resource based on the delay difference and frequency shift difference.

[0029] Based on the above solution, the first network device can determine appropriate rate matching resources for the terminal device according to the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, thereby reducing interference and improving communication efficiency.

[0030] Optionally, the second information includes any one of the following: delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, the location of the terminal device; or, the movement path of the terminal device.

[0031] Optionally, the first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

[0032] Exemplarily, the time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or, the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the offset between the ending symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the ending symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or, a first bit map, the first bit map is used to indicate the symbols in the first time-frequency resource; wherein the second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send a first reference signal to the terminal device.

[0033] Exemplarily, the frequency domain information includes: an offset between a starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and a starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and a change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or, an offset between a starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and a starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and an offset between an ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and an ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or, a second bit map, where the second bit map is used to indicate the subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource;

[0034] The second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send a first reference signal to the terminal device.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving resource information from a second network device, where the resource information is used to indicate a second time-frequency resource; and determining the first time-frequency resource based on the second time-frequency resource.

[0036] Based on the above solution, the second network device can indicate to the first network device the resources occupied by the first reference signal it sends, so that the first network device can determine rate matching resources, reduce interference, and improve communication efficiency.

[0037] Optionally, receiving resource information from the second network device includes: receiving resource set information from the second network device, the resource set information being used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in N time periods, the resource set information including resource information; and determining the first information includes: determining N pieces of first information, wherein the N time periods correspond one-to-one to the N pieces of first information.

[0038] Based on the above scheme, the second network device can indicate to the first network device the time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal within N time periods, so that the first network device can configure rate matching resources within N time periods to the terminal device, thereby avoiding frequent configuration and reducing communication signaling overhead.

[0039] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device having the function of implementing the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0040] Specifically, the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit is used to: receive first information from a first network device, the first information is used to indicate the RE in a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal; the processing unit is used to: perform rate matching according to the first time-frequency resource.

[0041] The first reference signal includes at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS, and CRS.

[0042] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to: send second information to the first network device, the second information is used to determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, and the delay difference and frequency shift difference are used to determine the first time-frequency resource.

[0043] Optionally, the second information includes any one of the following: delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, the location of the terminal device; or, the movement path of the terminal device.

[0044] Optionally, the first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

[0045] Exemplarily, the time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or, the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the offset between the ending symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the ending symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or, a first bit map, the first bit map is used to indicate the symbols in the first time-frequency resource; wherein the second time-frequency resource is used to receive a first reference signal from a second network device.

[0046] Exemplarily, the frequency domain information includes: the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or, the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or, a second bit map, the second bit map is used to indicate the subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource; wherein the second time-frequency resource is used to receive a first reference signal from a second network device.

[0047] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to: receive resource information from a second network device, the resource information being used to indicate a second time-frequency resource; the processing unit is further used to: determine the first time-frequency resource based on the second time-frequency resource and the first information.

[0048] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: receive resource set information from the second network device, the resource set information being used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in N time periods, the resource set information including resource information; and the transceiver unit is specifically configured to: receive N pieces of first information, wherein the N time periods correspond one-to-one to the N pieces of first information.

[0049] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device having the function of implementing the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0050] Specifically, the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to: determine first information, the first information being configured to indicate an RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal; and the transceiver unit being configured to: send the first information to a terminal device. The first reference signal includes at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS, or CRS.

[0051] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to: receive second information from the terminal device, the second information being used to determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device; the processing unit is further used to: determine the first time-frequency resource based on the delay difference and frequency shift difference.

[0052] Optionally, the second information includes any one of the following: delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, the location of the terminal device; or, the movement path of the terminal device.

[0053] Optionally, the first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

[0054] Exemplarily, the time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or, the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the offset between the ending symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the ending symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or, a first bit map, the first bit map is used to indicate the symbols in the first time-frequency resource; wherein the second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send a first reference signal to the terminal device.

[0055] Exemplarily, the frequency domain information includes: an offset between a starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and a starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and a change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or, an offset between a starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and a starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and an offset between an ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and an ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or, a second bit map, where the second bit map is used to indicate the subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource;

[0056] The second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send a first reference signal to the terminal device.

[0057] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to: receive resource information from a second network device, the resource information being used to indicate a second time-frequency resource; the processing unit is further used to: determine the first time-frequency resource based on the second time-frequency resource.

[0058] Optionally, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to: receive resource set information from the second network device, the resource set information being used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in N time periods, the resource set information including resource information; and the processing unit is specifically configured to: determine N first information, wherein the N time periods correspond one-to-one to the N first information.

[0059] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory is used to store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the first or second aspect above. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect above. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication function within the communication device and / or the communication function of the communication device with other devices or components.

[0060] In one possible design, the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0061] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0062] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a processor for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0063] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as processor output, reception, input and other operations, and can also be understood as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0064] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code for execution by a device, and the program code includes a method for executing any of the above aspects or its implementation method.

[0065] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method provided by any one of the above aspects or its implementation.

[0066] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided by any one of the above aspects or its implementation.

[0067] Optionally, the processor may be a processing circuit or a logic circuit, and the communication interface may be an input or output interface, wherein the processing circuit or logic circuit is used for information processing, and the input or output interface is used for sending and receiving information or data.

[0068] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored in the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by any of the above aspects or its implementation methods.

[0069] The beneficial effects of the third to ninth aspects and any implementation thereof can refer to the first to second aspects and any implementation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0071] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of resource distribution for non-coherent joint transmission of multiple base stations on the ground.

[0072] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of resource distribution for multi-satellite incoherent joint transmission on a satellite.

[0073] FIG5 shows two types of DMRS patterns.

[0074] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of resource punching.

[0075] FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method provided by the present application.

[0076] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of resource distribution provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0077] 9 and 10 are schematic structural diagrams of communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as satellite communication systems and high altitude platform station (HAPS) communications, for example, integrated communication and navigation (ICaN) systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), etc.

[0080] Satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems. For example, the mobile communication systems may include fourth-generation (4G) communication systems (e.g., long-term evolution (LTE) systems), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems), and future mobile communication systems.

[0081] Refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the satellite provides communication services to the terminal device through multiple beams. The satellite in this scenario is a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) satellite, and the satellite is connected to the core network equipment. The satellite uses multiple beams to cover the service area. Different beams can communicate through one or more of time division, frequency division and space division. Different beams can also use different polarization modes (such as linear polarization, elliptical polarization, left-hand circular polarization, right-hand circular polarization, etc.) for communication. The satellite provides communication and / or navigation services to the terminal device by broadcasting communication signals and / or navigation signals. The satellite mentioned in the embodiment of the present application may also be a satellite base station, or a network-side device carried on a satellite.

[0082] It should be understood that the satellite in this application can also be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) or a radio unit (RU), or an open radio access network (O-RAN) node carried on a satellite. In the O-RAN system, the CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), and the RU can be called an open RU (O-RU).

[0083] The terminal devices mentioned in the embodiments of the present application include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication functions, and may specifically refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device may also be a satellite phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a wireless modem, a machine type communication device, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device or a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a terminal device in a 5G network or a future communication network, etc.

[0084] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Taking a 5G network as an example, a ground mobile terminal UE accesses the network through a 5G new air interface. The 5G access network equipment is deployed on a satellite and connected to the core network on the ground through a wireless link. At the same time, there is an inter-satellite link between satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between access network equipment. The various network elements in Figure 2 and their interfaces are described as follows:

[0085] UE: A mobile device that supports the 5G new air interface, typically a mobile phone, tablet, or other mobile device. It can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, and perform other services.

[0086] 5G access network equipment: mainly provides wireless access services, dispatches wireless resources to access terminals, and provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, such as base stations.

[0087] 5G core network: used to implement functions such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing management. For these functions, the 5G core network implements them through corresponding functional units, and these functional units can be divided into control plane functional entities and user plane functional entities. For example, the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element is responsible for user intervention management, security authentication, mobility management and other functions belonging to the control plane. The session management function (SMF) network element is used to support customized mobility management solutions together with the AMF network element. The user plane function (UPF) network element is responsible for managing user plane data transmission, traffic statistics and other functions. Among them, functional network elements can also be called functional entities or network elements.

[0088] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between satellite access network equipment and 5G core network.

[0089] 5G New Air Interface: The wireless link between the terminal and access network equipment.

[0090] Xn interface: The interface between 5G access network devices, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0091] NG interface: The interface between 5G access network equipment and 5G core network, mainly used for signaling such as the non-access stratum (NAS) of the core network and user service data.

[0092] To achieve truly seamless global network coverage, 5G proposes the construction of an NTN. In recent years, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, operating 200 to 2000 km above the Earth, have garnered widespread attention. LEO satellites offer advantages such as low communication latency, minimal path loss, and low manufacturing costs, making them considered a key infrastructure for achieving global network coverage.

[0093] With the continuous development of satellite communications, massive LEO constellations, comprising thousands or even tens of thousands of LEO satellites, will be built in the future. This means that more than one satellite will be within the user's line of sight, and single-satellite transmission will only increase system capacity to a limited extent. To effectively increase capacity in areas with overlapping satellite coverage, satellite systems are gradually evolving from single-satellite transmission to multi-satellite coordinated transmission. Multi-satellite coordinated transmission reduces the transmission capacity requirements for individual satellites, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of individual satellites. Multi-satellite coordinated transmission is a key technology for future satellite communication systems.

[0094] In terrestrial cellular mobile communication systems, the rate performance of cell-edge users can be significantly improved through multi-base station collaboration. This technology is also called coordinated multi-point (CoMP) technology. In CoMP, multiple base stations collaborate with each other to provide services to UEs. CoMP has various implementation methods, including dynamic point selection (DPS), coordinated scheduling (CS), coordinated beamforming (CBF), joint transmission (JT), etc. Among them,

[0095] (1) DPS means that different base stations use different time resources to provide services to UEs, that is, UEs dynamically select different base stations for communication.

[0096] (2) CS refers to different base stations using different frequency resources to provide services to UEs at the same time. That is, the UE communicates with different base stations on different subcarriers. In addition, CoMP also supports different base stations providing services to UEs on the same time-frequency resources.

[0097] (3) In CBF, only one base station in a cell sends a useful signal to the UE. The base stations in the adjacent coordinated cells adjust the beamforming vector to reduce the interference to the UE.

[0098] (4) In JT, multiple base stations are allowed to send useful signals to the UE. There are two transmission modes: coherent JT (CJT) and non-coherent JT (NCJT). In CJT, multiple base stations send the same useful signal to the UE, which can achieve the best system performance, but requires ideal backhaul between base stations, making system implementation more difficult. In NCJT, multiple base stations send different useful signals to the UE, and non-ideal backhaul between base stations is possible, which reduces the difficulty of system implementation, but there is a certain performance loss compared to CJT.

[0099] In satellite communications, the long distances between satellites make it difficult to ensure ideal inter-satellite backhaul, making CJT (Computed Joint Transport Transmission) challenging to implement. Compared to CJT, NCJT relaxes these requirements for ideal inter-satellite backhaul, making it easier to implement in practical systems. However, multi-satellite NCJT in satellite communications differs significantly from multi-base station NCJT in terrestrial cellular mobile communications. The following briefly describes NCJT in terrestrial cellular mobile communications and satellite communications, using Figures 3 and 4.

[0100] It should be noted that in Figures 3 to 6 and 8, each small square represents a resource element (RE), the time domain width of each RE is 1 symbol, and the frequency domain width of each RE is 1 subcarrier. In the time domain, a slot includes 14 symbols, with symbol indices from 0 to 13, and in the frequency domain, a resource block (RB) includes 12 subcarriers, with subcarrier indices from 0 to 11.

[0101] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of resource distribution of multi-base station NCJT on the ground.

[0102] In a terrestrial cellular mobile communication system, assume that base stations 1 and 2 provide services to a specific UE via NCJT, using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as the modulation scheme. Taking DMRS as an example, the shaded blocks in Figure 3 indicate that the transmitted signal on these REs is DMRS. Figures 3 (a) and (b) show the DMRS resource distribution for base stations 1 and 2, respectively. As can be seen from Figure 3, the REs where base station 1's DMRS resides do not overlap with those where base station 2's DMRS resides, thus reducing interference.

[0103] Specifically, in terrestrial cellular mobile communications, due to the close distance between the base station and the UE, when the signals sent from different base stations reach the UE, the delay difference can be covered by the cyclic prefix (CP), and only when the UE moves at a lower speed, when the signals sent from different base stations reach the UE, the Doppler frequency shift difference can be covered by the subcarrier spacing (SCS). The UE performs OFDM demodulation on the signals from different base stations, and there will be no inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI). Therefore, the DMRS on one RE occupied by base station 2 will only be interfered with by the signal on one RE occupied by base station 1. In conjunction with Figure 3, the RE where the DMRS of base station 1 is located does not overlap with the RE where the DMRS of base station 2 is located, which can reduce interference.

[0104] Both the 5G NR terrestrial network and the NTN use OFDM as the modulation technology. In satellite communications, due to the long distance between satellites and the ground and their constant high-speed movement, the time delay difference between signals sent from different satellites reaching the UE can far exceed the CP. The Doppler shift difference between signals sent from different satellites reaching the UE can be on the same order of magnitude as the SCS. This causes ISI in the time domain and ICI in the frequency domain when signals from different satellites reach the UE. In this case, the DMRS on one RE occupied by satellite 2 may be interfered with by signals on multiple REs occupied by satellite 1.

[0105] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of resource distribution of multi-satellite NCJT on a satellite. Figure 4 (a) and (b) show the DMRS resource distribution of satellite 1 and satellite 2 respectively.

[0106] As shown in Figure 4, when the delay difference between the signals from satellites 1 and 2 reaching the UE is 0.5 symbols and the frequency shift difference between the signals from satellites 1 and 2 reaching the UE is 0.4 subcarriers, the DMRS on one RE occupied by satellite 2 may be interfered with by the signals on the six REs occupied by satellite 1. If the DMRS of satellite 2 is severely interfered with, the UE will incur a large channel estimation error when estimating the channel for satellite 2, severely degrading the signal detector performance and causing a sharp drop in system throughput.

[0107] To prevent interference from satellite 1 on satellite 2's DMRS, satellite 1 will be unable to transmit signals on certain REs. These resources can be considered as "puncturing" the two-dimensional time-frequency resource plane. This is explained below using DMRS as an example.

[0108] As shown in Figure 5, in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) version (R) 15, two DMRS pattern types are defined, namely type 1 and type 2. As shown in Figure 5 (a), for type 1 DMRS, it appears once every other subcarrier in the frequency domain with 1 subcarrier as the unit. As shown in Figure 5 (b), for type 2 DMRS, it appears once every 4 subcarriers in the frequency domain with 2 subcarriers as the unit. Figures 3 and 4 are both explained using type 1 DMRS as an example.

[0109] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of resource puncturing. Figures 6(a) and (b) show the resource distribution of Type 1 DMRS for satellites 1 and 2, respectively, and Figures 6(c) and (d) show the resource distribution of Type 2 DMRS for satellites 1 and 2, respectively.

[0110] As shown in Figure 6 (a) and (b), for Type 1 DMRS, to avoid interference with all DMRS of Satellite 2 in one RB in Symbol 2, Satellite 1 needs to puncture one complete RB in Symbol 2 and one complete RB in Symbol 3. This approach can be considered as RB-granular resource puncturing. As shown in Figure 6 (c) and (d), since Type 2 DMRS is more sparsely distributed in the frequency domain, to avoid interference with all DMRS of Satellite 2 in one RB in Symbol 2, Satellite 1 needs to puncture certain REs within one RB in Symbol 2 and certain REs within one RB in Symbol 3. This approach can be considered as RE-granular resource puncturing.

[0111] It should be understood that the time-frequency position of the punctured resources is related to the delay difference and Doppler shift difference. In the example shown in Figure 6, the delay difference between the signals from satellite 1 and satellite 2 reaching the UE is 0.5 symbols, and the frequency shift difference between the signals from satellite 1 and satellite 2 reaching the UE is 0.5 subcarriers.

[0112] In 5G NR, resource puncturing of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) is achieved by configuring rate matching resources. The rate matching signaling in the radio resource control (RRC) signaling includes RateMatchPattern and RateMatchPatternLTE-CRS. Among them, RateMatchPattern can only indicate the time-frequency resources in the PDSCH at the RB granularity. Specifically, in RateMatchPattern, there are 3 bitmaps to indicate the time-frequency resources, namely:

[0113] (1) ResourceBlocks: used to indicate which RBs have rate matching resources. For example, '0110...00' indicates that rate matching resources exist on the second and third RBs.

[0114] (2) symbolsInResourceBlock is used to indicate which symbols in a slot have rate matching resources. For example, '00001111100011' indicates that rate matching resources exist on the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, and 14th symbols in a slot.

[0115] (3) periodicityAndPattern, used to indicate which slots have rate matching resources. For example, '0010000…000' indicates that the rate matching resource exists in the third slot.

[0116] Among them, RateMatchPatternLTE-CRS can indicate the time-frequency resources in PDSCH at RE granularity, but it is specially designed for the cell specific reference signal (CRS) in LTE, so this signaling is only applicable to CRS and only to 15kHz scenarios. It should be noted that the position of CRS on the time-frequency resources is fixed, while the positions of other reference signals on the time-frequency resources are different from those of CRS, and the time-frequency resource positions of other reference signals for different terminal devices may be different. Therefore, the existing signaling RateMatchPatternLTE-CRS cannot implement RE granularity rate matching resource indication for any reference signal.

[0117] In view of this, the present application proposes a method for NTN communication, which can realize rate matching resources with RE granularity for any reference signal indication in satellite communication, which can not only improve resource utilization but also has a wider range of application scenarios.

[0118] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the time domain symbols may be 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.

[0119] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, PDSCH, physical uplink share channel (PUSCH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) are only used as examples of downlink data channel, uplink data channel, downlink control channel and uplink control channel respectively. In different systems and different scenarios, data channels and control channels may have different names, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0120] It should also be understood that the embodiments shown below use terminal devices and network devices as examples of the execution subjects of the interactive illustration to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interactive illustration, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application by running the program of the code of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The execution subjects of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be terminal devices and network devices, or functional modules in the terminal devices and network devices that can call programs and execute programs. For example, the network device in Figure 7 can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the method that can be implemented by the network device, and can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions; the terminal device in Figure 7 can also be a chip, chip system or processor that supports the method that can be implemented by the terminal device, and can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions.

[0121] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of a method for NTN communication provided by the present application. As shown in Figure 7, the method includes the following steps.

[0122] S410: A first network device determines first information.

[0123] The first information is used to indicate the REs in the first time-frequency resource. In other words, the time-frequency resource indicated by the first information is at the RE granularity.

[0124] Specifically, the first information may indicate which REs are included in the first time-frequency resource.

[0125] The first time-frequency resource is a rate-matching resource for the first reference signal. The rate-matching resource for the first reference signal can be understood as meaning that transmitting a signal on the first time-frequency resource will interfere with the first reference signal. The rate-matching resource can be replaced with a resource not used for PDSCH transmission.

[0126] The first reference signal is a reference signal sent by the second network device to the terminal device.

[0127] It should be understood that in the present application, the first network device and the second network device provide services to the terminal device on the same time-frequency resources, or in other words, the first network device and the second network device provide services to the terminal device through NCJT. The first network device and the second network device can both be satellites.

[0128] Optionally, the position of the first reference signal on the time-frequency resource is uncertain, or in other words, the time-frequency resources used by the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device at different times may be different.

[0129] Exemplarily, the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS.

[0130] It should be understood that DMRS is mainly used for detection and demodulation of data on data channels (such as PDSCH, PUSCH) or control channels (such as PUCCH, PDCCH). CSI-RS is mainly used for channel information measurement and reporting of information such as channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and rank indicator (RI). SRS is mainly used to measure the uplink channel, and can estimate the downlink channel based on the uplink channel, so as to determine the precoding matrix for downlink transmission. PTRS is mainly used for phase noise estimation, PRS is mainly used for positioning, and TRS is mainly used for time-frequency synchronization in high-mobility scenarios.

[0131] Optionally, the position of the first reference signal on the time-frequency resources is fixed, or in other words, the time-frequency resources used by the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device at different times may be the same.

[0132] For example, the first reference signal is a CRS, which is mainly used by a terminal to measure cell signal quality and determine whether to perform cell selection or handover.

[0133] In other words, the first reference signal may be any reference signal.

[0134] S420: The first network device sends first information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information.

[0135] Exemplarily, the first information may be carried in RRC signaling, and the first information may be referred to as rate matching information. For example, if the first reference signal is DMRS, the first information may be RateMatchPattern-AsyncDMRS.

[0136] S430, the terminal device performs rate matching according to the first time-frequency resource.

[0137] Specifically, the terminal device may determine that the first time-frequency resource is a resource not used for transmitting PDSCH.

[0138] It should be understood that S430 may be replaced by: the first network device sends PDSCH to the terminal device, and accordingly, the terminal device receives PDSCH, wherein the first time-frequency resource is not used to transmit PDCSH. Alternatively, S430 may be replaced by: the terminal device performs rate matching around the first time-frequency resource.

[0139] Based on the above solution, the first network device can indicate the rate matching resources at the RE granularity to the terminal device, which can reduce resource waste and improve resource utilization compared to indicating the rate matching resources at the RB level.

[0140] On the other hand, since the first reference signal can be a variety of different reference signals, the above solution is applicable to a variety of reference signals and has a wider range of application scenarios.

[0141] In addition, the solution of the present application is not limited to a certain reference signal, and is therefore applicable to any SCS scenario, such as SCS of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, 240kHz, etc., and has a wider application scenario.

[0142] The specific form of the first information is described below.

[0143] The first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate the symbols in the first time-frequency resource, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate the subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource.

[0144] Optionally, the first information may further include granularity information, which is used to indicate the granularity of the first time-frequency resource indicated in the first information, for example, RB or RE.

[0145] As Example 1, the time domain information includes the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as StartTimeOffset), the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as AddTimeLength), and the frequency domain information includes the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as StartFreqOffset), the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as AddFreqLength). The second time-frequency resource is used for the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device, or in other words, the second time-frequency resource is the resource for the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first reference signal in the second time-frequency resource.

[0146] For example, the first information is:

[0147] Among them, Puncture-Level represents granularity information.

[0148] The following is an explanation with reference to FIG8 .

[0149] As shown in (a) of Figure 8 , the resources (an example of the second time-frequency resource) used by satellite 2 (an example of the second network device) to transmit DMRS (a first reference signal) to the UE occupy the second symbol in the time domain and the 0th, 1st, 6th, and 7th subcarriers in the frequency domain. As shown in (b) of Figure 8 , in order to avoid interference with the DMRS of satellite 2, the resources (rate matching resources, an example of the first time-frequency resource) that satellite 1 (an example of the first network device) needs to puncture occupy the 3rd and 4th symbols in the time domain and the 0th, 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 8th subcarriers in the frequency domain. In this example 1, satellite 1 can indicate the following information (an example of the first information) to the UE:

[0150] StartTimeOffset=1,

[0151] StartFreqOffset=0,

[0152] AddTimeLength=1,

[0153] AddFreqLength=1.

[0154] As Example 2, the time domain information includes the offset between the start symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the start symbol in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as StartTimeOffset), and the offset between the end symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the end symbol in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as EndTimeOffset). The frequency domain information includes the offset between the start subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the start subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as StartFreqOffset), and the offset between the end subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the end subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource (for example, recorded as EndFreqOffset).

[0155] For example, the first information is:

[0156] Continuing with the example shown in FIG8 , in Example 2, satellite 1 may indicate the following information (i.e., an example of first information) to the UE:

[0157] StartTimeOffset=1,

[0158] StartFreqOffset=0,

[0159] EndTimeOffset=2,

[0160] EndFreqOffset=1.

[0161] Based on the above solution, the first network device can indicate the relative position between the rate matching resources and the time-frequency resources of the first reference signal to the terminal device, so that less information can be used to indicate the rate matching resources, saving signaling overhead.

[0162] It should be understood that in the present application, the offset can be a positive value or a negative value, and a positive value can be used to represent a larger symbol or subcarrier index, and a negative value can be used to represent a smaller symbol or subcarrier index. For example, when the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource is a positive value, it means that the index of the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource is larger than the index of the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource. For another example, when the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource is a negative value, it means that the index of the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource is smaller than the index of the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource.

[0163] As Example 3, the time domain information includes a first bit map (for example, recorded as symbolsPerSlot), which is used to indicate the symbols in the first time-frequency resource, and the frequency domain information includes a second bit map (for example, recorded as resourceElementsPerRB), which is used to indicate the subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource.

[0164] Exemplarily, the length of the first bitmap may be the number of symbols in one time slot, for example, 14, and the length of the second bitmap may be the number of subcarriers in one RB, for example, 12. A 1 in the first bitmap indicates that the symbol belongs to a rate matching resource, and a 0 in the first bitmap indicates that the symbol does not belong to a rate matching resource. A 1 in the second bitmap indicates that the subcarrier belongs to a rate matching resource, and a 0 in the second bitmap indicates that the subcarrier does not belong to a rate matching resource.

[0165] For example, the first information is:

[0166] Continuing with the example shown in FIG8 , in Example 2, satellite 1 may indicate the following information (i.e., an example of first information) to the UE:

[0167] symbolsPerSlot='00011000000000',

[0168] resourceElementsPerRB='111000111000'.

[0169] It should be understood that the indication methods in the above examples can be combined with each other.

[0170] It should also be understood that the present application uses an example in which an RE includes a symbol in the time domain and a subcarrier in the frequency domain for illustration, but the present application is not limited to this, and an RE can also be expressed in other ways.

[0171] Based on the above solution, the first network device can indicate the rate matching resources to the terminal device in the form of a bit map, so that the terminal device can directly know the location of the rate matching resources, which is simpler and more intuitive.

[0172] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: S401, the terminal device sends second information to the first network device, and correspondingly, the first network device receives the second information.

[0173] Among them, the second information is used to determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device. The delay difference refers to the interval between the time when the signal of the first network device reaches the terminal device and the time when the signal of the second network device reaches the terminal device. The frequency shift difference refers to the interval between the frequency at which the signal of the first network device reaches the terminal device and the frequency at which the signal of the second network device reaches the terminal device.

[0174] Specifically, the second information includes any one of the following: a time delay difference and a frequency shift difference, a location of the terminal device, and a movement path of the terminal device, wherein the movement path may be composed of multiple locations.

[0175] For example, the terminal device is a mobile phone or a vehicle, which can determine the movement path according to the navigation route set by the user.

[0176] In one implementation, the terminal device can determine the delay difference and frequency shift difference. For example, the terminal device can measure the synchronization signal block (SSB) from the first network device and the SSB from the second network device to obtain the delay difference and frequency shift difference. The terminal device further reports the delay difference and frequency shift difference to the first network device. In this case, the second information is the delay difference and frequency shift difference.

[0177] In another implementation, the delay difference and frequency shift difference may be determined by the first network device. For example, the terminal device reports its location or movement path to the first network device, and the first network device determines the delay difference and frequency shift difference based on the location or movement path of the terminal device.

[0178] Exemplarily, the second information may be carried in the PUCCH or the PUSCH.

[0179] It should be understood that the delay difference can be positive or negative. A positive value may indicate that the signal of the first network device arrives at the terminal device later than the signal of the second network device arrives at the terminal device. A negative value may indicate that the signal of the first network device arrives at the terminal device earlier than the signal of the second network device arrives at the terminal device.

[0180] Similarly, the frequency shift difference can be positive or negative. A positive value may indicate that the frequency at which the signal from the first network device reaches the terminal device is greater than the frequency at which the signal from the second network device reaches the terminal device. A negative value may indicate that the frequency at which the signal from the first network device reaches the terminal device is less than the frequency at which the signal from the second network device reaches the terminal device.

[0181] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can indicate the delay difference and frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, so that the network device can determine the appropriate rate matching resources, thereby reducing interference and improving communication efficiency.

[0182] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: S402, the second network device sends resource information to the first network device, where the resource information is used to indicate the second time-frequency resource.

[0183] Exemplarily, the resource information may include the type of the first reference signal and information about the time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal.

[0184] For example, the first reference signal is DMRS, and the resource information sent by the second network device to the first network device may include the following signaling: MIB.dmrs-TypeA-Position, PDSCH-TimeDomainResourceAllocation, DMRS-DownlinkConfig, which are respectively used to indicate the time-frequency resource position, time domain starting position, and frequency domain resource position of DMRS.

[0185] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: S403, the second network device sends resource information to the terminal device, where the resource information is used to indicate the second time-frequency resource.

[0186] Exemplarily, the resource information may include the type of the first reference signal and information about the time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal.

[0187] For example, the first reference signal is DMRS, and the resource information sent by the second network device to the terminal device may include the following signaling: MIB.dmrs-TypeA-Position, PDSCH-TimeDomainResourceAllocation, DMRS-DownlinkConfig, which are respectively used to indicate the time-frequency resource position, time domain starting position, and frequency domain resource position of DMRS.

[0188] Optionally, S430 specifically includes: the terminal device determines the first time-frequency resource based on the second time-frequency resource and the first information.

[0189] It should be understood that the specific manner in which the second network device can indicate the second time-frequency resource to the terminal device and the first network device can be the same or different, and is not limited. In addition, the time at which the second network device sends resource information to the terminal device and the first network device can be the same or different, and is not limited.

[0190] Optionally, if the first information is in the format of Example 3, S403 may not be executed.

[0191] Based on the above solution, the second network device can indicate to the terminal device and the first network device the resources occupied by the first reference signal it sends, so that the terminal device and the first network device can determine rate matching resources, reduce interference, and improve communication efficiency.

[0192] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: S404, the first network device determines a first time-frequency resource according to the delay difference and the frequency shift difference.

[0193] S404 may specifically include: the first network device determines the first time-frequency resource according to the delay difference and the frequency shift difference and the second time-frequency resource.

[0194] For example, in the example given in Figure 8, the delay difference is 1.5_. Therefore, satellite 1 determines that the rate-matched resource is located 1 symbol after the DMRS resource of satellite 2, and occupies a total of 2 symbols. The frequency shift difference is 0.4 subcarriers. Therefore, satellite 1 determines that the rate-matched resource is the same as the starting subcarrier of the DMRS resource of satellite 2, and occupies 3 subcarriers each time.

[0195] In one implementation, the resource information is located in the resource set information sent by the second network device. The resource set information is used to indicate the time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in a first time period. The first time period includes N time periods. The second time-frequency resources are the time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in one of the N time periods.

[0196] Correspondingly, in S410, the first network device determines the first information, which means that the first network device determines N first information, and the N time periods correspond one-to-one to the N first information. In S420, the first network device sends the first information to the terminal device, which means that the first network device sends N first information to the terminal device. In S430, the terminal device performs rate matching according to the first time-frequency resource, which means that the terminal device performs rate matching according to the first time-frequency resource corresponding to each time period within the N time periods.

[0197] Exemplarily, the N first information may be referred to as a rate matching resource list. For example, the first reference signal is a DMRS, and the rate matching resource list is as shown in Table 1.

[0198] Table 1

[0199] Optionally, the second information may be N positions corresponding to N time periods, or a movement path within the first time period.

[0200] Based on the above solution, the first network device can configure rate matching resources within N time periods to the terminal device, thereby avoiding frequent configuration and reducing communication signaling overhead.

[0201] Optionally, the method further includes: the first network device sending third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to indicate the time slots and RBs in the first time-frequency resource. In other words, the third information can be used to indicate which time slots and RBs the first time-frequency resource is located in.

[0202] It should be understood that the third information and the first information can be sent simultaneously or separately.

[0203] For example, the first reference signal is DMRS, and the third information and the first information can be sent separately. The third information is located in the media access control layer control element (MAC-CE) or downlink control information (DCI) signaling, which can indicate the time slot and RB where the PDSCH resource is located. The rate matching resources of DMRS and the PDSCH resources are in the same RB and time slot.

[0204] For example, the first reference signal is a CSI-RS, and the third information and the first information may both be located in RRC signaling and sent simultaneously.

[0205] 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.

[0206] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams of the structures of communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or base station in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be a terminal device as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, or a satellite as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, or a module (such as a chip) applied to a terminal device or satellite.

[0207] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 2000 includes a processing unit 2010 and a transceiver unit 2020. The communication device 2000 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the method 400 shown in Figure 7 above.

[0208] For example, the communication device 2000 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method 400 shown in Figure 7. Specifically, the transceiver unit 2020 is used to receive first information from the first network device, where the first information is used to indicate REs in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal, where the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS, and CRS; and the processing unit 2010 is used to perform rate matching based on the first time-frequency resource.

[0209] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 2010 and the processing unit 2020 can also perform other operations performed by the terminal device in the above method 400, which will not be described in detail here.

[0210] For another example, the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the first network device in the method 400 shown in Figure 7. Specifically, the processing unit 2010 is used to determine first information, where the first information is used to indicate an RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal, where the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, PRS, TRS, and CRS; and the transceiver unit 2020 is used to send the first information to the terminal device.

[0211] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 2010 and the processing unit 2020 can also perform other operations performed by the first terminal device in the above method 400, which will not be described in detail here.

[0212] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 3000 includes a processor 3010 and an interface circuit 3020. The processor 3010 and the interface circuit 3020 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 3020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 3000 may also include a memory 3030 for storing instructions executed by the processor 3010, or storing input data required by the processor 3010 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 3010 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 3020 can also be understood as part of the processor 3010, in which case the communication device 3000 includes the processor 3010.

[0213] When the communication device 3000 is used to implement the method 400 shown in FIG. 7 , the processor 3010 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 2010 , and the interface circuit 3020 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 2020 .

[0214] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal device (hereinafter referred to as a terminal chip), the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the terminal chip receives information from the first network device, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the terminal device (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 first network device, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the first network device by these modules.

[0215] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to the first network device (referred to as a network chip for short), the network chip implements the functions of the first network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the base station chip receives information from the terminal device, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the first network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the network chip by these modules. When the network chip sends information to the terminal device, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the first network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal device by these modules.

[0216] In the present application, when device A sends information to device B, it can be that A sends it directly to B, or that A sends it indirectly to B through other devices. Similarly, when device B receives information from device A, it can be that device B directly receives the information sent by device A, or that device B indirectly receives the information sent by device A through other devices. Devices A and B here can be network devices or terminal devices, or modules inside network devices or terminal devices. The sending and receiving of information can be information interaction between network devices or terminal devices, for example, information interaction between a satellite and a UE; the sending and receiving of information can also be information interaction between two network devices, for example, information interaction between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information interaction between different modules within a device, for example, information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules on the terminal device, or information interaction between a network chip and other modules in the network device.

[0217] 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.

[0218] 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.

[0219] 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.

[0220] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0221] 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. "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.

[0222] 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.

[0223] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for non-terrestrial network communication, characterized in that: include: receiving first information from a first network device, where the first information is used to indicate a resource element RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal, where the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: a demodulation reference signal, a channel state information reference signal, a sounding reference signal, a phase tracking reference signal, a positioning reference signal, and a tracking reference signal; Rate matching is performed according to the first time-frequency resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second information is sent to the first network device, where the second information is used to determine a time delay difference and a frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, and the time delay difference and the frequency shift difference are used to determine the first time-frequency resource.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The second information includes any one of the following: The time delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, The location of the terminal equipment; or, Movement path of the terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the start symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the start symbol in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the end symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the end symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or a first bitmap, where the first bitmap is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used to receive the first reference signal from a second network device.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The frequency domain information includes: the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or a second bitmap, where the second bitmap is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used to receive the first reference signal from a second network device.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving resource information from the second network device, where the resource information is used to indicate the second time-frequency resource; The first time-frequency resource is determined according to the second time-frequency resource and the first information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The receiving resource information from the second network device includes: Receive resource set information from the second network device, where the resource set information is used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in a first time period, and the resource set information includes the resource information, wherein: The first time period includes N time periods, and the N time periods correspond one-to-one to N pieces of the first information.

9. A method for non-terrestrial network communication, characterized in that: include: Determine first information, where the first information is used to indicate an RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal, where the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: a demodulation reference signal, a channel state information reference signal, a sounding reference signal, a phase tracking reference signal, a positioning reference signal, and a tracking reference signal; Send the first information to the terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving second information from the terminal device, where the second information is used to determine a time delay difference and a frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device; The first time-frequency resource is determined according to the time delay difference and the frequency shift difference.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The second information includes any one of the following: The time delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, The location of the terminal device; or The movement path of the terminal device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that The first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the start symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the start symbol in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the end symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the end symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or a first bitmap, where the first bitmap is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The frequency domain information includes: the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or a second bitmap, where the second bitmap is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving resource information from the second network device, where the resource information is used to indicate the second time-frequency resource; The first time-frequency resource is determined according to the second time-frequency resource.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The receiving resource information from the second network device includes: Receive resource set information from the second network device, where the resource set information is used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in a first time period, and the resource set information includes the resource information, wherein: The first time period includes N time periods, and the N time periods correspond one-to-one to N pieces of the first information.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver unit, configured to receive first information from a first network device, where the first information is used to indicate an RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal, where the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: a demodulation reference signal, a channel state information reference signal, a sounding reference signal, a phase tracking reference signal, a positioning reference signal, and a tracking reference signal; A processing unit is configured to perform rate matching according to the first time-frequency resources.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to: Second information is sent to the first network device, where the second information is used to determine a time delay difference and a frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device, and the time delay difference and the frequency shift difference are used to determine the first time-frequency resource.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The second information includes any one of the following: The time delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, The location of the terminal equipment; or, Movement path of the terminal device.

20. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that The first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

21. The device according to claim 20, characterized in that The time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the start symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the start symbol in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the end symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the end symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or a first bitmap, where the first bitmap is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used to receive the first reference signal from a second network device.

22. The device according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The frequency domain information includes: the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or a second bitmap, where the second bitmap is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used to receive the first reference signal from a second network device.

23. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to: receive resource information from the second network device, where the resource information is used to indicate the second time-frequency resource; The processing unit is further configured to determine the first time-frequency resource according to the second time-frequency resource and the first information.

24. The device according to claim 23, characterized in that The processing unit is specifically configured to: Receive resource set information from the second network device, where the resource set information is used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in a first time period, and the resource set information includes the resource information, wherein: The first time period includes N time periods, and the N time periods correspond one-to-one to N pieces of the first information.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processing unit, configured to determine first information, where the first information is used to indicate an RE in a first time-frequency resource, where the first time-frequency resource is a rate matching resource for a first reference signal, where the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: a demodulation reference signal, a channel state information reference signal, a sounding reference signal, a phase tracking reference signal, a positioning reference signal, and a tracking reference signal; A transceiver unit is used to send the first information to the terminal device.

26. The device according to claim 25, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to: receive second information from the terminal device, where the second information is used to determine a time delay difference and a frequency shift difference between the first network device and the second network device; The processing unit is further configured to determine the first time-frequency resource according to the time delay difference and the frequency shift difference.

27. The device according to claim 26, characterized in that The second information includes any one of the following: The time delay difference and frequency shift difference; or, The location of the terminal device; or The movement path of the terminal device.

28. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that The first information includes time domain information and frequency domain information, the time domain information is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resources, and the frequency domain information is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resources.

29. The device according to claim 28, characterized in that The time domain information includes: the offset between the starting symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the starting symbol in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of symbols in the first time-frequency resource and the number of symbols in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the start symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the start symbol in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the end symbol in the first time-frequency resource and the end symbol in the second time-frequency resource; or a first bitmap, where the first bitmap is used to indicate symbols in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device.

30. The device according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The frequency domain information includes: the offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, the change between the number of subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource and the number of subcarriers in the second time-frequency resource; or The offset between the starting subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the starting subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource, and the offset between the ending subcarrier in the first time-frequency resource and the ending subcarrier in the second time-frequency resource; or a second bitmap, where the second bitmap is used to indicate subcarriers in the first time-frequency resource; The second time-frequency resource is used by the second network device to send the first reference signal to the terminal device.

31. The device according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to: receive resource information from the second network device, where the resource information is used to indicate the second time-frequency resource; The processing unit is further configured to determine the first time-frequency resource based on the second time-frequency resource.

32. The device according to claim 31, characterized in that The processing unit is specifically configured to: Receive resource set information from the second network device, where the resource set information is used to indicate time-frequency resources occupied by the first reference signal in a first time period, and the resource set information includes the resource information, wherein: The first time period includes N time periods, and the N time periods correspond one-to-one to N pieces of the first information.

33. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises one or more processors configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory, so that the device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8; or performs the method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

34. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or the instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 9 to 16 is executed.

35. A computer program product, characterized in that The invention comprises instructions, which, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 to be executed, or cause the method of any one of claims 9 to 16 to be executed.

36. A chip or a chip system, characterized in that: include: A processor, wherein the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

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