Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and an apparatus, for use in distinguishing demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) of communication devices multiplexing a same time-domain resource, thereby facilitating channel estimation. The method comprises: receiving first indication information, and sending a DMRS, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient, the DMRS is modulated on the basis of a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined on the basis of the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on April 3, 2024, with application number 202410417238.8 and application name "A Communication Method and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] Orthogonal cover code (OCC)-based physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission refers to the transmission of the same data modulated by the OCC sequence by a terminal device over multiple time slots, multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, or multiple resource elements (REs) in the same slot. The OCC sequence enables multiple terminal devices to repeatedly transmit data on the same time domain resources.

[0005] Currently, the demodulation reference signal DMRS is configured at the cell level, that is, the same DMRS is configured for all terminal devices in the entire cell; and DMRS is carried on PUSCH transmission. When the OCC sequence is used to enable multiple terminal devices to multiplex the same time domain resources, the DMRSs of multiple terminal devices cannot be distinguished, resulting in the inability to perform DMRS-based channel estimation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, which can distinguish demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) of communication devices that multiplex the same time domain resources, thereby ensuring normal channel estimation.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising: a first communication device receives first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient; and the first communication device sends a demodulation reference signal DMRS; wherein the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined based on the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

[0008] The above design configuration is specifically used to modulate the parameters of the orthogonal sequence of DMRS. It is applied to the scenario where multiple terminal devices reuse the same time domain resources to repeatedly transmit data. It can distinguish the DMRS between different terminal devices, thereby realizing DMRS-based channel estimation.

[0009] In one possible design, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is the same as the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data. Optionally, the fourth orthogonal sequence may be an orthogonal cover code (OCC). When indicating the first orthogonal sequence, the configuration of the OCC corresponding to the fourth orthogonal sequence may be reused. For example, the first orthogonal sequence and the fourth orthogonal sequence may be OCCs of the same length but with different indices. Such a design can simplify the configuration of the first orthogonal sequence.

[0010] In one possible design, the first indication information includes the length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, and the length of the first orthogonal sequence and the first index are used to determine the first orthogonal sequence. For example, the first orthogonal sequence may be an OCC, and the first indication information includes the length and index of the OCC corresponding to the first orthogonal sequence. Such a design can reduce the indication overhead of the first orthogonal sequence.

[0011] In one possible design, the first indication information includes the value of the first coefficient. Such a design facilitates the first communication device to quickly determine the value of the first coefficient. In another possible design, the first indication information includes a first flag; wherein, when the first flag is a first value, the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data; when the first flag is a second value, the value of the first coefficient is 2. Wherein, when the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on one symbol or one time slot, the value of the first coefficient is 1; or, when the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on K time slots, the value of the first coefficient is K, and K is an integer greater than 1. By carrying a flag bit to indicate the first coefficient in the first indication information, flexible indication of different values ​​of the first coefficient can be achieved, and the indication overhead of the first coefficient can be reduced.

[0012] In one possible design, the method further includes: before receiving the first indication information, receiving first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences, wherein different groups of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences have different coefficients. Based on this, when the first configuration information is used to configure a group of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes a second index, the second index being used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient being the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences; or, when the first configuration information is used to configure multiple groups of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes an identifier of a group of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences and a third index, the third index being used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient being the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences. In such a design, the joint indication of the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient is achieved through one index, which can reduce the indication overhead of the first indication information.

[0013] Based on the above possible design, when the value of the first coefficient is 1, the second orthogonal sequence is the same as the first orthogonal sequence, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and L is an integer greater than 1; the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on L time slots, and the DMRS on the L time slots are the same. When the value of the first coefficient is N, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and both L and N are integers greater than 1; the second orthogonal sequence includes L subsequences, and the lth subsequence in the L subsequences includes N identical elements; l is a positive integer ranging from 1 to L in sequence; the (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on (L×N) time slots. Through such a design, each element in the second orthogonal sequence modulates the DMRS of one time slot, which helps to distinguish the DMRS between different terminal devices that multiplex the same time domain resources.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising: a second communication device sends first indication information to a first communication device, the first indication information being used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient; and the second communication device receives a demodulation reference signal DMRS from the first communication device; wherein the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined based on the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

[0015] The above design configuration is specifically used to modulate the parameters of the orthogonal sequence of DMRS. It is applied to the scenario where multiple terminal devices reuse the same time domain resources to repeatedly transmit data. It can distinguish the DMRS between different terminal devices, thereby realizing DMRS-based channel estimation.

[0016] In one possible design, the second communication device further includes sending second indication information to a third communication device; the second indication information is used to indicate a third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, and the third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient are used to determine the orthogonal sequence used by the third communication device to modulate the DMRS; and the difference between the phase changes of the third communication device and the first communication device in the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold. This design indicates the same first index to communication devices with similar phase changes, thereby reducing indication overhead.

[0017] In one possible design, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is the same as the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data. Optionally, the fourth orthogonal sequence may be an orthogonal cover code (OCC). When indicating the first orthogonal sequence, the configuration of the OCC corresponding to the fourth orthogonal sequence may be reused. For example, the first orthogonal sequence and the fourth orthogonal sequence may be OCCs of the same length but with different indices. Such a design can simplify the configuration of the first orthogonal sequence.

[0018] In one possible design, the first indication information includes the length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, and the length of the first orthogonal sequence and the first index are used to determine the first orthogonal sequence. For example, the first orthogonal sequence may be an OCC, and the first indication information includes the length and index of the OCC corresponding to the first orthogonal sequence. Such a design can reduce the indication overhead of the first orthogonal sequence.

[0019] In one possible design, the first indication information includes the value of the first coefficient. Such a design facilitates the first communication device to quickly determine the value of the first coefficient. In another possible design, the first indication information includes a first flag; wherein, when the first flag is a first value, the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data; when the first flag is a second value, the value of the first coefficient is 2. Wherein, when the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on one symbol or one time slot, the value of the first coefficient is 1; or, when the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on K time slots, the value of the first coefficient is K, and K is an integer greater than 1. By carrying a flag bit to indicate the first coefficient in the first indication information, flexible indication of different values ​​of the first coefficient can be achieved, and the indication overhead of the first coefficient can be reduced.

[0020] In one possible design, the method further includes: before sending the first indication information, the second communication device sends first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences, wherein different groups of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences have different coefficients. Based on this, when the first configuration information is used to configure a group of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes a second index, the second index being used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient being the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences; or, when the first configuration information is used to configure multiple groups of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes an identifier of a group of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences and a third index, the third index being used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient being the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences. In such a design, the joint indication of the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient is achieved through one index, which can reduce the indication overhead of the first indication information.

[0021] Based on the above possible design, when the value of the first coefficient is 1, the second orthogonal sequence is the same as the first orthogonal sequence, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and L is an integer greater than 1; the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on L time slots, and the DMRS on the L time slots are the same. When the value of the first coefficient is N, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and both L and N are integers greater than 1; the second orthogonal sequence includes L subsequences, and the lth subsequence in the L subsequences includes N identical elements; l is a positive integer ranging from 1 to L in sequence; the (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on (L×N) time slots. Through such a design, each element in the second orthogonal sequence modulates the DMRS of one time slot, which helps to distinguish the DMRS between different terminal devices that multiplex the same time domain resources.

[0022] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication method, including: a first communication device receives second configuration information, the second configuration information is used to configure multiple orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating a reference signal DMRS; the first communication device receives third indication information, the third indication information is used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, the fifth orthogonal sequence being one of the multiple orthogonal sequences; and the first communication device sends a DMRS modulated based on the fifth orthogonal sequence.

[0023] In the above design, a sequence configuration dedicated to DMRS modulation is defined, and the orthogonal sequence used to modulate DMRS is dynamically indicated through indication information. It is applied to scenarios where multiple terminal devices reuse the same time domain resources to repeatedly transmit data. It can distinguish DMRS between different terminal devices, thereby realizing DMRS-based channel estimation.

[0024] In one possible design, the second configuration information is used to configure a first group of orthogonal sequences and a second group of orthogonal sequences; wherein the length of the orthogonal sequences in the first group of orthogonal sequences is the same as the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device; and the length of the orthogonal sequences in the second group of orthogonal sequences is twice the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device.

[0025] In one possible design, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the first group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences; or, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the second group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, including: a second communication device sends second configuration information to a first communication device, the second configuration information being used to configure multiple orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating a reference signal DMRS; the second communication device sends third indication information to the first communication device, the third indication information being used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, the fifth orthogonal sequence being one of the multiple orthogonal sequences; and the second communication device receiving the DMRS from the first communication device, the DMRS being modulated based on the fifth orthogonal sequence.

[0027] In the above design, a sequence configuration dedicated to DMRS modulation is defined, and the orthogonal sequence used to modulate DMRS is dynamically indicated through indication information. It is applied to scenarios where multiple terminal devices reuse the same time domain resources to repeatedly transmit data. It can distinguish DMRS between different terminal devices, thereby realizing DMRS-based channel estimation.

[0028] In one possible design, the second communication device further includes sending the second configuration information to a third communication device; wherein the difference between the phase change of the third communication device and the first communication device within the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold. This design defines the same orthogonal sequence configuration for communication devices with similar phase changes, thereby reducing configuration overhead.

[0029] In one possible design, the second configuration information is used to configure a first group of orthogonal sequences and a second group of orthogonal sequences; wherein the length of the orthogonal sequences in the first group of orthogonal sequences is the same as the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device; and the length of the orthogonal sequences in the second group of orthogonal sequences is twice the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device.

[0030] In one possible design, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the first group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences; or, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the second group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a first communication device, or a device, module or chip in the first communication device, or a device that can be used in combination with the first communication device. In one design, the communication device may include a module that corresponds one-to-one to the method / operation / step / action described in the first aspect, and the module may be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the communication device may include a processing module and a communication module, and the communication module includes a sending unit and a receiving unit. Optionally, the processing module may also be replaced by the description of the processing unit.

[0032] The communication module is used to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient.

[0033] A processing module is used to send a demodulation reference signal DMRS through the communication module; wherein the DMRS is modulated by the processing module based on a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined by the processing module according to the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

[0034] In one possible design, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is the same as the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data. Optionally, the fourth orthogonal sequence may be an orthogonal cover code (OCC). When indicating the first orthogonal sequence, the configuration of the OCC corresponding to the fourth orthogonal sequence may be reused. For example, the first orthogonal sequence and the fourth orthogonal sequence may be OCCs of the same length but with different indices. Such a design can simplify the configuration of the first orthogonal sequence.

[0035] In one possible design, the first indication information includes a length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, where the length of the first orthogonal sequence and the first index are used to determine the first orthogonal sequence. For example, the first orthogonal sequence may be an OCC, and the first indication information includes the length and index of the first orthogonal sequence corresponding to the OCC.

[0036] In one possible design, the first indication information includes the value of the first coefficient. Such a design facilitates the first communication device to quickly determine the value of the first coefficient. In another possible design, the first indication information includes a first flag; wherein, when the first flag is a first value, the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data; when the first flag is a second value, the value of the first coefficient is 2. wherein, when the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on one symbol or one time slot, the value of the first coefficient is 1; or, when the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on K time slots, the value of the first coefficient is K, and K is an integer greater than 1.

[0037] In one possible design, the communication module is further configured to receive first configuration information before receiving the first indication information, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences, and the coefficients corresponding to different groups of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences are different. Based on this, when the first configuration information is used to configure a group of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes a second index, and the second index is used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient. The first orthogonal sequence is one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient is the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences. Alternatively, when the first configuration information is used to configure multiple groups of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes an identifier of a group of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences and a third index. The third index is used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient. The first orthogonal sequence is one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient is the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences.

[0038] Based on the above possible design, when the value of the first coefficient is 1, the second orthogonal sequence is the same as the first orthogonal sequence, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and L is an integer greater than 1; the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on L time slots, and the DMRS on the L time slots are the same. When the value of the first coefficient is N, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and both L and N are integers greater than 1; the second orthogonal sequence includes L subsequences, and the lth subsequence of the L subsequences includes N identical elements; l is a positive integer ranging from 1 to L in sequence; the (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on (L×N) time slots.

[0039] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a second communication device, or a device, module or chip in the second communication device, or a device that can be used in combination with the second communication device. In one design, the communication device may include a module that executes the method / operation / step / action described in the second aspect, and the module may be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the communication device may include a processing module and a communication module, and the communication module includes a sending unit and a receiving unit. Optionally, the processing module may also be replaced by the description of the processing unit.

[0040] A processing module is used to send first indication information to a first communication device through a communication module, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient; a communication module is used to receive a demodulation reference signal DMRS from the first communication device; wherein the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined based on the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

[0041] In one possible design, the processing module is further used to send second indication information to a third communication device through the communication module; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate a third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, and the third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient are used to determine the orthogonal sequence used by the third communication device to modulate the DMRS; the difference between the phase change amounts of the third communication device and the first communication device in the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0042] In one possible design, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is the same as the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data. Optionally, the fourth orthogonal sequence may be an orthogonal cover code (OCC). When indicating the first orthogonal sequence, the configuration of the fourth orthogonal sequence corresponding to the OCC may be reused. For example, the first orthogonal sequence and the fourth orthogonal sequence may be OCCs of the same length but with different indexes.

[0043] In one possible design, the first indication information includes a length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, where the length of the first orthogonal sequence and the first index are used to determine the first orthogonal sequence. For example, the first orthogonal sequence may be an OCC, and the first indication information includes the length and index of the first orthogonal sequence corresponding to the OCC.

[0044] In one possible design, the first indication information includes the value of the first coefficient. In another possible design, the first indication information includes a first flag; wherein, when the first flag is a first value, the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data; and when the first flag is a second value, the value of the first coefficient is 2. When the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on one symbol or one time slot, the value of the first coefficient is 1; or, when the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on K time slots, the value of the first coefficient is K, where K is an integer greater than 1.

[0045] In one possible design, the processing module is further configured to perform the following operations through the communication module: before sending the first indication information, send first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences, wherein different groups of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences have different coefficients. Based on this, when the first configuration information is used to configure a group of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes a second index, the second index being used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient being the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences; or, when the first configuration information is used to configure multiple groups of orthogonal sequences, the first indication information includes an identifier of a group of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences and a third index, the third index being used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the orthogonal sequences, and the first coefficient being the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences.

[0046] Based on the above possible design, when the value of the first coefficient is 1, the second orthogonal sequence is the same as the first orthogonal sequence, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and L is an integer greater than 1; the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on L time slots, and the DMRS on the L time slots are the same. When the value of the first coefficient is N, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and both L and N are integers greater than 1; the second orthogonal sequence includes L subsequences, and the lth subsequence of the L subsequences includes N identical elements; l is a positive integer ranging from 1 to L in sequence; the (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on (L×N) time slots.

[0047] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a first communication device, or a device, module or chip in the first communication device, or a device that can be used in combination with the first communication device. In one design, the communication device may include a module that corresponds one-to-one to the execution of the method / operation / step / action described in the third aspect, and the module may be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the communication device may include a processing module and a communication module, and the communication module includes a sending unit and a receiving unit. Optionally, the processing module may also be replaced by the description of the processing unit.

[0048] The communication module is configured to receive second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to configure multiple orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating reference signals (DMRS); and receive third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, where the fifth orthogonal sequence is one of the multiple orthogonal sequences.

[0049] The processing module is configured to send, through the communication module, a DMRS modulated based on the fifth orthogonal sequence.

[0050] In one possible design, the second configuration information is used to configure a first group of orthogonal sequences and a second group of orthogonal sequences; wherein the length of the orthogonal sequences in the first group of orthogonal sequences is the same as the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device; and the length of the orthogonal sequences in the second group of orthogonal sequences is twice the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device.

[0051] In one possible design, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the first group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences; or, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the second group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences.

[0052] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a second communication device, or a device, module or chip in the second communication device, or a device that can be used in combination with the second communication device. In one design, the communication device may include a module that executes the method / operation / step / action described in the fourth aspect, and the module may be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the communication device may include a processing module and a communication module, and the communication module includes a sending unit and a receiving unit. Optionally, the processing module may also be replaced by the description of the processing unit.

[0053] The processing module is configured to send second configuration information through the communication module, where the second configuration information is used to configure multiple orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating a reference signal (DMRS); and send third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, where the fifth orthogonal sequence is one of the multiple orthogonal sequences.

[0054] The communication module is configured to receive a DMRS from the first communication device, where the DMRS is modulated based on the fifth orthogonal sequence.

[0055] In one possible design, the processing module is also used to send the second configuration information to a third communication device through the communication module; wherein the difference between the phase change amounts of the third communication device and the first communication device in the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0056] In one possible design, the second configuration information is used to configure a first group of orthogonal sequences and a second group of orthogonal sequences; wherein the length of the orthogonal sequences in the first group of orthogonal sequences is the same as the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device; and the length of the orthogonal sequences in the second group of orthogonal sequences is twice the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device.

[0057] In one possible design, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the first group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences; or, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the second group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences.

[0058] In the ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions, and when the device is running, the at least one processor executes the computer program or instructions to enable the communication device to execute the method as described in the first aspect or the various designs of the first aspect, or execute the method as described in the second aspect or the various designs of the second aspect, or execute the method as described in the third aspect or the various designs of the third aspect, or execute the method as described in the fourth aspect or the various designs of the fourth aspect.

[0059] In the tenth aspect, the present application provides another communication device, comprising: a logic circuit and an input / output interface; wherein the input / output interface can be understood as an interface circuit, and the logic circuit can be used to run code instructions to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or each design of the first aspect, or execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or each design of the second aspect, or execute the method of the above-mentioned third aspect or each design of the third aspect, or execute the method of the above-mentioned fourth aspect or each design of the fourth aspect.

[0060] In the eleventh aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-readable instructions. When the computer-readable instructions are run on a computer, the computer executes the method of the first aspect or the various designs of the first aspect, or executes the method of the second aspect or the various designs of the second aspect, or executes the method of the third aspect or the various designs of the third aspect, or executes the method of the fourth aspect or the various designs of the fourth aspect.

[0061] In the twelfth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the first aspect or the various designs of the first aspect, or execute the method of the second aspect or the various designs of the second aspect, or execute the method of the third aspect or the various designs of the third aspect, or execute the method of the fourth aspect or the various designs of the fourth aspect.

[0062] In a thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing the method described in the first aspect or the various designs of the first aspect, or executing the method as described in the second aspect or the various designs of the second aspect, or executing the method as described in the third aspect or the various designs of the third aspect, or executing the method as described in the fourth aspect or the various designs of the fourth aspect. The chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0063] In the fourteenth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a satellite, and the communication system is used to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or each design of the first aspect, or execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or each design of the second aspect, or execute the method of the above-mentioned third aspect or each design of the third aspect, or execute the method of the above-mentioned fourth aspect or each design of the fourth aspect.

[0064] For the technical effects that can be achieved in the above-mentioned fifth to fourteenth aspects, please refer to the description of the technical effects that can be achieved by the corresponding design schemes in the above-mentioned first to fourth aspects, and this application will not repeat them here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication system;

[0066] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a non-terrestrial communication system;

[0067] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a 5G satellite communication system;

[0068] FIG4A is a schematic diagram of data transmission based on OCC;

[0069] FIG4B is another schematic diagram of data transmission based on OCC;

[0070] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a demodulation reference signal and data transmission based on the same OCC;

[0071] FIG6 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams of modulation and demodulation reference signals according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG8 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG9 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG11 is one of the structural diagrams of the communication device in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] The at least one (item) involved in the embodiments of the present application as follows indicates one (item) or more (items). More (items) refers to two (items) or more than two (items). "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. In addition, it should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe each object in the embodiments of the present application, these objects should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each object from each other.

[0079] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof mentioned in the following description of the embodiments of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally includes other steps or units that are not listed, or optionally includes other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any method or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other methods or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0080] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various wireless communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area networks (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, future communication systems, such as sixth generation (6G) mobile communication systems, or integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT) communication, narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) communication or other communication scenarios.

[0081] A network element in a communication system can send a signal to another network element or receive a signal from another network element. The signal may include information, signaling, or data, etc. The network element can also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a device, a communication device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. The present disclosure uses the network element as an example for description. For example, the communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send a downlink signal to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send an uplink signal to the network device. In addition, it can be understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminal devices, the multiple terminal devices can also send signals to each other, that is, the signal sending network element and the signal receiving network element can both be terminal devices.

[0082] Referring to FIG1 , FIG1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the wireless communication system includes a wireless access network 100. The wireless access network 100 may be a next-generation (e.g., 6G or higher) wireless access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) wireless access network. One or more communication devices (120a-120j, collectively referred to as 120) may be connected to each other or to one or more network devices (110a, 110b, collectively referred to as 110) in the wireless access network 100. Optionally, FIG1 is only a schematic diagram, and the wireless communication system may also include other devices, such as core network devices, wireless relay devices, and / or wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in FIG1 .

[0083] Optionally, in actual applications, the wireless communication system may include multiple network devices (also called access network devices) or multiple communication devices. A network device may serve one or more communication devices simultaneously. A communication device may also access one or more network devices simultaneously. This disclosure does not limit the number of communication devices and network devices included in the wireless communication system.

[0084] The network device may be an entity on the network side for transmitting or receiving signals. The network device may be an access device for a communication device to access the wireless communication system in a wireless manner, such as a base station. A base station may broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), access network equipment in an open radio access network (O-RAN), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) node, centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) node, positioning node, etc. A base station may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. The network device may also refer to a communication module, modem or chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The network device may also be a mobile switching center and a device to device (Device-to-Device, D2D), vehicle external connection (vehicle-to-everything, V2X), machine to machine (machine-to-machine, M2M) communication device that performs the base station function, a network side device in a 6G network, a device that performs the base station function in a future communication system, etc. The network device may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0085] Network devices can be fixed or mobile. For example, base stations 110a and 110b are stationary and are responsible for wireless transmission and reception in one or more cells from communication device 120. The helicopter or drone 120i shown in Figure 1 can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move according to the location of the mobile base station 120i. In other examples, the helicopter or drone (120i) can be configured to act as a communication device communicating with base station 110b.

[0086] In the present disclosure, the communication device used to implement the above-mentioned network access function can be a network device, a network device with partial network access functions, or a device capable of supporting the implementation of the network access function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit and a software module. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In the method of the present disclosure, the communication device used to implement the network device function is described as an example of a network device.

[0087] A communication device can be an entity on the user side that is used to receive or transmit signals, such as a mobile phone. A communication device can be used to connect people, objects, and machines. A communication device can communicate with one or more core networks through network devices. Communication devices include handheld devices with wireless connection capabilities, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, or vehicle-mounted devices. A communication device can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted mobile device. The communication device 120 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), end-to-end (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc. Some examples of the communication device 120 include: user equipment (UE) of the 3GPP standard, fixed equipment, mobile equipment, handheld equipment, wearable equipment, cellular phones, smart phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal computers, smart books, vehicles, satellites, global positioning system (GPS) devices, target tracking equipment, drones, helicopters, aircraft, ships, remote control equipment, smart home devices, industrial equipment, personal communication service (PCS) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless network cameras, tablet computers, handheld computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices such as smart watches, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, terminals in vehicle networking systems, wireless terminals in self-driving cars, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, and smart cities. The communication device 120 may be a wireless device in the above scenarios or a device configured in a wireless device, such as a communication module, modem, or chip in the above devices.A communication device may also be referred to as a terminal, terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. A communication device may also be a communication device in a future wireless communication system. A communication device may be used in a dedicated network device or a general-purpose device. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used by the communication device.

[0088] Alternatively, a communication device can act as a dispatching entity, providing sidelink signals between UEs in V2X, D2D, or P2P scenarios. As shown in Figure 1 , a cell phone 120 a and a car 120 b communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cell phone 120 a and a smart home device 120 e communicate with each other without relaying the communication signals through base station 110 b.

[0089] In the present disclosure, a communication device for realizing the functions of a communication device may be a terminal device, or a terminal device having some of the functions of the above communication devices, or a device capable of supporting the functions of the above communication devices, such as a chip system, which may be installed in the terminal device or used in combination with the terminal device. In the present disclosure, a chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solution provided in the present disclosure, the communication device is described as a terminal device or UE as an example.

[0090] Based on the description of the terrestrial communication system architecture shown in Figure 1, an example of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is provided. NTNs include nodes such as satellite networks, high-altitude platforms, and drones. They offer significant advantages, including global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, convenient deployment, and freedom from geographical restrictions. They have been widely used in a variety of fields, including maritime communications, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation. Ground-based 5G networks and satellite networks integrate, leveraging their strengths and weaknesses to form a seamless, integrated global communication network covering land, sea, air, space, and ground, meeting the diverse service needs of users everywhere. In the embodiments of the present application, NTN communication is exemplified by satellite communication, or, more precisely, by the NTN communication system. As shown in Figure 2, the NTN communication system includes satellite 201 and terminal device 202. The explanation of terminal device 202 can be found in the description of communication device 120 above. Satellite 201 can also be referred to as a high-altitude platform, a high-altitude aircraft, or a satellite base station. Considering the NTN communication system in relation to the terrestrial network communication system, satellite 201 can be considered as one or more network devices within the terrestrial network communication system architecture. Satellite 201 provides communication services to terminal device 202 and can also connect to core network equipment. The structure and functions of satellite 201 can also be referenced to the description of network device 110 above. The communication method between satellite 201 and terminal device 202 can also be referenced to the description in FIG1 above. This description will not be repeated here. The solutions in the embodiments of this application can also be applied directly to terrestrial communication networks, or after minor modifications as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and will not be further described here.

[0091] Taking 5G as an example, a 5G satellite communication system architecture is shown in Figure 3. Ground-based terminal devices access the network via the 5G new air interface. 5G base stations are deployed on satellites and connected to the ground core network via wireless links. Wireless links also exist between satellites, enabling signaling exchanges and user data transmission between base stations. The devices and interfaces in Figure 3 are described below:

[0092] 5G core network: This network handles services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The access and mobility management function (AMF) network element is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The user plane function (UPF) network element manages user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and other functions.

[0093] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between satellite base stations and 5G core network.

[0094] 5G New Air Interface: The wireless link between the terminal and the base station.

[0095] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as switching.

[0096] NG interface: The interface between the 5G base station and the 5G core network, which mainly interacts with the core network's NAS and other signaling, as well as user business data.

[0097] The following is an explanation of the technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application. These explanations are intended to make the embodiments of the present application easier to understand and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by the present application.

[0098] (1) Subcarriers and subcarrier spacing

[0099] In an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, frequency domain resources are divided into several sub-resources. Each sub-resource in the frequency domain is called a subcarrier, and a subcarrier can also be understood as the minimum granularity of frequency domain resources. The subcarrier spacing refers to the distance between the center positions or peak positions of two adjacent subcarriers in the frequency domain of an OFDM system.

[0100] For NB-IoT, uplink scheduling in the frequency domain can be categorized as single-carrier or multi-carrier scheduling. Multi-carrier scheduling occupies 3, 6, or 12 subcarriers in the frequency domain, while single-carrier scheduling occupies 1 subcarrier. Multi-carrier scheduling only supports a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz, while single-carrier scheduling supports subcarrier spacings of 15 kHz and 3.75 kHz. The scheduling unit for uplink scheduling in the time domain is called a resource unit (RU). A single-carrier RU occupies 16 time slots. When multi-carrier scheduling occupies 3 subcarriers in the frequency domain, a RU occupies 8 time slots in the time domain. When multi-carrier scheduling occupies 6 subcarriers in the frequency domain, a RU occupies 4 time slots in the time domain. When multi-carrier scheduling occupies 12 subcarriers in the frequency domain, a RU occupies 2 time slots in the time domain.

[0101] (2) Code Division Multiplexing and Orthogonal Cover Code (OCC)

[0102] Code division multiplexing (CDMA) is a technology that enables resource (or channel) sharing by assigning mutually orthogonal codewords to multiple terminal devices with different addresses. Mutually orthogonal codewords can be understood as orthogonal codes, such as orthogonal cover codes (OCCs), where the normalized inner product of any two codewords S and T in a set of codewords is equal to zero.

[0103] Orthogonal cover codes are generally one or more orthogonal sequences. According to different generation methods, orthogonal cover codes can be divided into orthogonal sequences generated based on Walsh code and orthogonal sequences generated based on discrete Fourier transform (DFT) matrix. Among them, the length of the orthogonal sequence generated based on Walsh code is an exponential multiple of 2, denoted as 2 n , n is a positive integer; the length of the orthogonal sequence generated based on the DFT matrix can be any length.

[0104] As an example, the following Table 1 illustrates an OCC of length 2 generated based on Walsh code, Table 2 illustrates an OCC of length 4 generated based on Walsh code, the following Table 3 illustrates an OCC of length 8 generated based on Walsh code, and Table 4 illustrates an OCC of length 3 generated based on DFT matrix.

[0105] Table 1

[0106] Table 2

[0107] Table 3

[0108] Table 4

[0109] (3) PUSCH transmission based on OCC modulation

[0110] In NTN, scheduling resources for different terminal devices are often differentiated through time or frequency division. Excessive data repetitions from a single terminal device can reduce spectral efficiency and resource utilization. Therefore, multiple terminal devices can be considered to share the same resources. Generally speaking, due to the large coverage area of ​​a satellite, terminals within the coverage area may be far apart. Two receive beams can be used to spatially separate their data. However, for two terminals that are closer together, the propagation path between the satellite and the terminal device lacks scatterers, resulting in a strong direct component in the channel. The spatial correlation between the channels from multiple terminal devices to the satellite is extremely high, making it impossible to separate them spatially. Terminal devices that are closer often have similar path losses and link budgets, and the number of repetitions required for data transmission may also be similar. Therefore, OCC modulation can be used to multiplex data from multiple terminal devices using the same time domain resources. This approach is also referred to as PUSCH transmission based on OCC modulation. Furthermore, the same terminal device can transmit the same data modulated using an orthogonal OCC sequence across multiple time slots, multiple OFDM symbols, or multiple REs within the same time slot. The OFDM symbol may also be referred to as a symbol for short.

[0111] Different terminal devices use OCC to extend the data repetition. For the case where two terminal devices (such as UE1 and UE2) reuse the same time domain resources to transmit data, two OCCs can be used. The length of the OCC is L. The first OCC can be expressed as {a1,…,aL}, and the second OCC can be expressed as {b1,…,bL}. UE1 uses the first OCC to generate L repetitions of data a1, expressed as {a1*s1,…,aL*s1}, and UE2 uses the second OCC to generate L repetitions of data b1, expressed as {b1*s2,…,bL*s2}. The data of UE1 and UE2 are transmitted on the same time domain resources. The network device side can use the first OCC to parse out UE1's data and use the second OCC to parse out UE2's data.

[0112] The spreading granularity of the orthogonal sequence (such as OCC) used for data modulation is divided into symbol level and time slot level. For example, the spreading granularity of OCC indicates that one element in OCC is used to modulate data on one symbol. For example, the spreading granularity of OCC indicates that one element in OCC is used to modulate data on multiple time slots. For example, the spreading granularity of OCC indicates that one element in OCC is used to modulate data on one RU. The following introduces an example of PUSCH transmission based on OCC through Figures 4A and 4B.

[0113] As shown in Figure 4A, using the OCC length of 2 shown in Table 1 as an example, the first row of blocks represents UE1's PUSCH transmission. UE1 uses the OCC indexed at 0 ({+1, +1}) in Table 1 to modulate the same data across every two time slots. The second row of blocks represents UE2's PUSCH transmission. UE2 uses the OCC indexed at 1 ({+1, -1}) in Table 1 to modulate the same data across every two time slots. In Figure 4A, each block corresponds to one time slot. UE1 and UE2 transmit four PUSCHs within eight time slots, with each PUSCH repeated twice.

[0114] As shown in Figure 4B , using the OCC length of 4 shown in Table 2 as an example, the first row of blocks represents UE1's PUSCH transmission. UE1 uses the OCC indexed at 0 in Table 2, {+1, +1, +1}, to modulate the same data across every four time slots. The second row of blocks represents UE2's PUSCH transmission. UE2 uses the OCC indexed at 1 in Table 2, {+1, -1, +1, -1}, to modulate the same data across every four time slots. In Figure 4B , each block corresponds to one time slot. UE1 and UE2 transmit two PUSCHs within eight time slots, with each PUSCH repeated four times.

[0115] Furthermore, it is understandable that in the NB-IoT scenario, the above-mentioned PUSCH replacement description is narrowband physical uplink shared channel (narrowband PUSCH, NPUSCH).

[0116] (4) Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS)

[0117] DMRS is used for channel estimation. In the NB-IoT scenario, DMRS is carried in the NPUSCH time slot. One time slot consists of 7 OFDM symbols, and DMRS occupies the 4th OFDM symbol among the 7 OFDM symbols. DMRS in NB IoT is usually configured at the cell level, that is, the DMRS configuration is the same for terminal devices in the same cell. When OCC is used to allow different UEs to multiplex the same time domain resources to transmit data, the DMRS between these terminal devices cannot be distinguished, resulting in the inability to perform DMRS-based channel estimation.

[0118] In related technologies, DMRS is used together with the data in the time slot where the DMRS is located to perform OCC expansion to distinguish the DMRS between terminal devices that multiplex the same time domain resources. As shown in Figure 5, taking OCC as {w0, w1} as an example, the terminal device uses the same element in the OCC to modulate the DMRS and data in a time slot, that is, the DMRS and data in the same time slot are multiplied by the same OCC element. Among them, the black fill pattern in Figure 5 is DMRS, and the white fill image is data. The network device despreads the DMRS in one or more time slots according to the OCC corresponding to the terminal device, removes interference from other users, and then performs channel estimation.

[0119] However, when the terminal device sends uplink data, it will perform frequency offset pre-compensation. According to the existing protocol, the residual frequency offset of the data sent by the terminal device must be less than or equal to 0.1ppm of the center carrier frequency, where ppm refers to parts per million (ppm). For example, if the center carrier frequency is 2GHz, 0.1ppm of the center carrier frequency is 200Hz. The phase change caused by the residual frequency offset will affect the orthogonality of the OCC. In the method of using DMRS and the data in the time slot where the DMRS is located for OCC extension, the network device side performs frequency offset estimation and frequency offset compensation based on two consecutive DMRS modulated by the same OCC element to eliminate the phase rotation caused by the residual frequency offset. When the length of the OCC is 2, the index difference between the time slots occupied by the two DMRSs used to estimate the frequency offset is at least 2, or it can also be understood that the time slots occupied by the two DMRSs are at least two time slots apart. Taking 200Hz frequency offset as an example, the phase rotation for different time slot intervals in the 15kHz and 3.75kHz subcarrier scenarios is shown in Table 5 below.

[0120] Table 5

[0121] Where pi represents the number of circumferences (π). Table 5 shows that for a 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing, when the subcarrier spacing is 3.75 kHz and the two DMRSs used for spectrum estimation occupy two time slots apart, the phase rotation is greater than pi. For the same subcarrier spacing, a larger OCC length (i.e., time slot interval) corresponds to a larger phase rotation. Using DMRS along with the data in the DMRS time slot for OCC extension can lead to inaccurate frequency offset estimation, degrading channel estimation performance.

[0122] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can improve the accuracy of frequency offset estimation based on DMRS by designing an orthogonal sequence specifically for modulating DMRS and distinguishing the DMRS of multiple communication devices that multiplex the same time domain resources, thereby improving the performance of channel estimation.

[0123] FIG6 shows a first communication method, which mainly includes the following steps.

[0124] S601: The second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device.

[0125] The first indication information is used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient; the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient are used to determine a second orthogonal sequence of a modem reference signal (DMRS) of the first communication device. It is understood that the first coefficient is used to extend the first orthogonal sequence, and the extended first orthogonal sequence can be understood as the aforementioned second orthogonal sequence.

[0126] In one possible implementation, the first communication device is one of a predefined group of communication devices. The second communication device indicates the same first coefficient and different orthogonal sequences to the group of communication devices, where the group includes multiple communication devices. Each of the multiple communication devices may determine an orthogonal sequence for modulating a DMRS based on the orthogonal sequence and coefficient indicated by the second communication device.

[0127] Optionally, each communication device in a group of communication devices is a terminal device, the second communication device is a network device, and the DMRS is transmitted over the air interface; or, each communication device in a group of communication devices is a terminal device, the second communication device is also a terminal device, and the DMRS is transmitted over the sidelink. The terminal device and the network device may be network elements in the aforementioned wireless communication system, such as a terminal device and a satellite in an NTN, such as a terminal device and a satellite in an NB-IoT scenario supported by the NTN, and this is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0128] Exemplarily, in the case where each communication device in a group of communication devices is a terminal device, the group of communication devices is replaced by a description as a group of terminal devices, and the second communication device is a network device. The network device may determine a group of terminal devices in the following manner: the network device performs terminal pairing based on the residual frequency deviation of all terminal devices in a cell, for example, terminal pairing of terminal devices with similar phase changes in the same time period caused by the residual frequency deviation to obtain a group of paired terminal devices; further, the network device indicates different orthogonal sequences and the same first coefficient to different terminal devices in the group of paired terminal devices. In one possible design, a condition that a group of communication devices needs to meet may be agreed upon or preconfigured in a protocol: the difference between the phase changes of every two communication devices in a group of communication devices in the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0129] Exemplarily, a group of communication devices includes a first communication device and a third communication device, and the second communication device sends the aforementioned first indication information to the first communication device, and sends the second indication information to the third communication device. The definition of the first indication information can be understood with reference to the previous description, and the embodiments of the present application will not be described in detail. The second indication information is used to indicate the third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient; the third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient are used to determine the second orthogonal sequence used by the third communication device to modulate and demodulate the reference signal DMRS. Figure 6 is used as an example, which only illustrates that the second communication device sends the first indication information to the first communication device. The following is a detailed explanation taking the DMRS modulation of the first communication device as an example.

[0130] In one possible implementation, a group of communications devices uses orthogonal sequences to modulate data and repeatedly transmit data on the same time domain resources. For example, a first communications device in the group uses a fourth orthogonal sequence to modulate data. This fourth orthogonal sequence can be the aforementioned OCC. Based on this, the length of the first orthogonal sequence can be defined to be the same as the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence. The first orthogonal sequence can also be the aforementioned OCC. For ease of implementation, the contents of the first indication information are further described below.

[0131] In a first possible design, the first indication information includes the length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, as well as the value of the first coefficient. It can be understood that the length of the first orthogonal sequence and the first index are used by the first communication device to determine the first orthogonal sequence. Exemplarily, the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence is 2, and the length of the first orthogonal sequence included in the first indication information is also 2; the first orthogonal sequence can be an OCC with a length of 2, denoted as {w0, w1}, then the first indication information includes the index of a row of OCC in Table 1; the first coefficient in the first indication information is a positive integer, for example, the first coefficient is 1 or 2.

[0132] In a second possible design, the first indication information includes the length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, as well as a first parameter. The first parameter is a parameter related to the first coefficient, for example, the first parameter is the ratio between the first coefficient and the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence. Exemplarily, the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence is 2, and the length of the first orthogonal sequence included in the first indication information is also 2; the first orthogonal sequence can be an OCC with a length of 2, denoted as {w0, w1}, then the first indication information includes the index of a row of OCC in Table 1; the first parameter in the first indication information is 1, the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that 1 element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on 1 time slot, then the first coefficient is 1; or the first parameter in the first indication information is 2, the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that 1 element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on 1 time slot, then the first coefficient is 2.

[0133] In a third possible design, multiple values ​​of the first coefficient may be predefined; the first indication information includes a length of the first orthogonal sequence, a first index for indicating the first orthogonal sequence, and a first bitmap. The first bitmap indicates one value among the multiple values ​​of the first coefficient. Exemplarily, the length of the fourth orthogonal sequence is 2, and the length of the first orthogonal sequence included in the first indication information is also 2; the first orthogonal sequence can be an OCC of length 2, denoted as {w0, w1}, and the first indication information includes the index of a row of OCC in Table 1; if the first coefficient is predefined to have 4 values, then the first bit map in the first indication information occupies 2 bits, and the first bit map is represented as 00, 01, 10 or 11, which correspond to the 4 values ​​respectively; or, if the values ​​of the first coefficient are predefined to include 1 and 2, then the first bit map in the first indication information occupies 1 bit; wherein, when the first bit map is represented as 0, the first coefficient is 1, and when the first bit map is represented as 1, the first coefficient is 2; or, when the first bit map is represented as 1, the first coefficient is 1, and when the first bit map is represented as 0, the first coefficient is 2.

[0134] In a fourth possible design, the first indication information includes the length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence, and a first flag; wherein, when the first flag is a first value, the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data; when the first flag is a second value, the value of the first coefficient is 2.

[0135] Optionally, when the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on one symbol or one time slot, the value of the first coefficient is 1; or, when the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on K time slots, the value of the first coefficient is K, and K is an integer greater than 1.

[0136] Optionally, in a fourth possible design, the first orthogonal sequence indicated by the first indication information may be the same as the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate the data. For example, the first orthogonal sequence and the fourth orthogonal sequence may be the same OCC. Based on this, in one possible implementation, the first indication information may include only the first flag, without including the length and index of the first orthogonal sequence. The first communication device may determine the second orthogonal sequence based on the fourth orthogonal sequence and the first flag. This is not a limitation in this embodiment of the present application.

[0137] S602: The first communication device determines a second orthogonal sequence according to the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

[0138] It can be understood that the first communication device can parse the received first indication information according to the design of the first indication information described in S601 to obtain the first coefficient and the first orthogonal sequence; then, the first communication device expands the first orthogonal sequence according to the first coefficient to obtain a second orthogonal sequence; wherein one or more elements in the second orthogonal sequence correspond to an element in the first orthogonal sequence.

[0139] In a first possible implementation, when the value of the first coefficient is 1, the second orthogonal sequence is the same as the first orthogonal sequence. The length of the first orthogonal sequence is denoted as L, where L is an integer greater than 1. The first communications device can determine that the second orthogonal sequence includes L elements, and the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence correspond one-to-one to the L elements in the first orthogonal sequence.

[0140] Optionally, the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence can be used to modulate the DMRS on the L time slots respectively, that is, the L elements correspond one-to-one to the DMRS on the L time slots; the aforementioned first coefficient can also be replaced and described as Nslot. Applied in the NB-IoT scenario, if the first communication device repeatedly sends data (NPUSCH) based on OCC modulation on the first time domain resource, the second orthogonal sequence can be used to modulate the DMRS on each consecutive L time slots on the first time domain resource, and each element in the second orthogonal sequence is used to modulate the DMRS on one time slot respectively; or it can also be replaced and described as: the second orthogonal sequence can be used to modulate the DMRS on one or more groups of time slots on the first time domain resource, each group of time slots includes L consecutive time slots, and for any group of time slots, the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence are used to modulate the DMRS on the L time slots of the group of time slots.

[0141] As an example, Figure 7A illustrates that the first coefficient is 1, L = 2, and the first time domain resource includes 4 time slots, denoted as time slot 0 to time slot 3, and the DMRSs of time slots 0 to time slot 3 are denoted as dmrs0 to dmrs3 respectively. The second orthogonal sequence can be OCC {w0, w1}, and the DMRSs of every two consecutive time slots are modulated using {w0, w1}. In the four time slots, DMRS0 of time slot 0 is modulated to become dmrs0*w0, DMRS1 of time slot 1 is modulated to become dmrs1*w1, DMRS2 of time slot 2 is modulated to become dmrs2*w0, and DMRS3 of time slot 3 is modulated to become dmrs3*w1. Optionally, the DMRS of two consecutive time slots modulated based on {w0, w1} in the four time slots are the same, that is, DMRS0 of time slot 0 is the same as DMRS1 of time slot 1, DMRS2 of time slot 2 is the same as DMRS3 of time slot 3, and DMRS1 of time slot 1 and DMRS2 of time slot 2 may be the same or different, which is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0142] Optionally, the first possible implementation described above can be applied to a scenario in which the subcarrier spacing in NB-IoT is 15kHz, and the terminal device sends data modulated based on the first OCC (corresponding to the aforementioned first orthogonal sequence) on the first time domain resource, and sends DMRS modulated based on the second OCC (corresponding to the aforementioned second orthogonal sequence); wherein the lengths of the first OCC and the second OCC are both L but the indexes are different, that is, an OCC dedicated to the DMRS configuration. The data on each of the L consecutive time slots on the first time domain resource are modulated using the L elements in the first OCC, and the DMRS on each of the L consecutive time slots on the first time domain resource are modulated using the L elements in the second OCC. On the network device side, frequency offset estimation is performed based on the two DMRSs with the smallest time slot spacing modulated by the same elements, which can improve the accuracy of frequency offset estimation and thus improve the performance of channel estimation.

[0143] In a second possible implementation, the first coefficient is N, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and both L and N are integers greater than 1. The first coefficient may also be alternatively described as Nslot. The first communications device may determine that the second orthogonal sequence includes L subsequences, the lth subsequence of the L subsequences includes N identical elements, and l is an integer ranging from 1 to L.

[0144] The (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on the (L×N) time slots, that is, the (L×N) elements correspond one-to-one to the DMRS on the (L×N) time slots. Applied in the NB-IoT scenario, if the first communication device repeatedly sends OCC-modulated data (NPUSCH) on the first time domain resource, the second orthogonal sequence can be used to modulate the DMRS on each consecutive (L×N) time slots on the first time domain resource, and each element in the second orthogonal sequence is used to modulate the DMRS on one time slot; or it can also be described as follows: the second orthogonal sequence can be used to modulate the DMRS on one or more groups of time slots on the first time domain resource, each group of time slots includes consecutive (L×N) time slots, and for any group of time slots, the (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on the (L×N) time slots of the group of time slots.

[0145] As an example, Figure 7B illustrates that the first coefficient is 2, L = 2, and the first time domain resource includes 8 time slots, denoted as time slots 0 to time slots 7. The DMRSs in time slots 0 to time slots 7 are denoted as dmrs0 to dmrs7, respectively. The first orthogonal sequence can be OCC {w0, w1}, and after being expanded by the first coefficient, the second orthogonal sequence {w0, w0, w1, w1} is obtained. The first communication device uses {w0, w0, w1, w1} to modulate the DMRS of every 4 consecutive time slots. After modulation, DMRS0 of time slot 0 becomes DMRS0*w0, DMRS1 of time slot 1 becomes DMRS1*w0, DMRS2 of time slot 2 becomes DMRS2*w1, DMRS3 of time slot 3 becomes DMRS3*w1, DMRS4 of time slot 4 becomes DMRS4*w0, DMRS5 of time slot 5 becomes DMRS5*w0, DMRS6 of time slot 6 becomes DMRS6*w1, and DMRS7 of time slot 7 becomes DMRS7*w1 after modulation. Optionally, the DMRS of two consecutive time slots based on {w0, w0} modulation in the 8 time slots are the same or different, for example, DMRS0 of time slot 0 is the same as or different from DMRS1 of time slot 1; the DMRS of two consecutive time slots based on {w1, w1} modulation in the 8 time slots are the same or different, for example, DMRS2 of time slot 2 is the same as or different from DMRS3 of time slot 3, which is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0146] As an example, when the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spreading granularity of the aforementioned fourth orthogonal sequence, if the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that an element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate the data of an RU, the value of the first coefficient is the number of time slots occupied by the RU in the time domain. Figure 7C illustrates that an RU occupies 8 time slots in the time domain, and the value of the first coefficient is 8; L = 2, the first orthogonal sequence can be OCC {w0, w1}; the first orthogonal sequence is expanded by the first coefficient to obtain the second orthogonal sequence {w0, w0, w0, w0, w0, w0, w0, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1}; the first time domain resource includes 16 time slots, recorded as time slot 0 to time slot 15. The first communication device uses {w0, w0, w0, w0, w0, w0, w0, w0} to modulate the DMRS on time slots 0 to time slot 7, or it can also be understood that the first communication device uses the element w0 in the OCC to modulate the DMRS on time slots 0 to time slot 7 respectively; and the first communication device uses {w1, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1, w1} to modulate the DMRS on time slots 8 to time slots 15, or it can also be understood that the first communication device uses the element w1 in the OCC to modulate the DMRS on time slots 8 to time slots 15 respectively.

[0147] Optionally, the second possible implementation described above can be applied to a scenario in which the subcarrier spacing in NB-IoT is 3.75kHz. The terminal device sends data modulated based on the first OCC (corresponding to the aforementioned first orthogonal sequence) on the first time domain resource, and sends DMRS modulated based on the second orthogonal sequence. The DMRS on two consecutive time slots on the first time domain resource are modulated using the same element in the second OCC. On the network device side, frequency offset estimation based on the DMRS on two consecutive time slots can improve the accuracy of frequency offset estimation, thereby improving the performance of channel estimation.

[0148] S603: The first communication device sends a DMRS to the second communication device, where the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence.

[0149] Exemplarily, in an NB-IoT scenario, if the first communication device repeatedly sends data (NPUSCH) modulated based on OCC on a first time domain resource, the first communication device sends DMRS modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence on the first time domain resource, and one symbol in each time slot of the NPUSCH is used to carry the DMRS.

[0150] The above-mentioned communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application pairs communication devices with similar phase rotations caused by residual frequency offset, indicates the same coefficients and different orthogonal sequences to the paired communication devices, is used to distinguish the DMRSs of different communication devices, and can ensure the accuracy of frequency offset estimation, thereby improving the performance of channel estimation, reducing interference, and increasing uplink capacity.

[0151] FIG8 shows a communication method, which mainly includes the following steps.

[0152] S801: A second communication device sends first configuration information to a group of communication devices.

[0153] A group of communication devices includes one or more communication devices. Optionally, the group of communication devices satisfies the following condition: a difference between phase changes of any two communication devices in the group within the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold. For example, the group of communication devices includes a first communication device and a third communication device, and a difference between the phase changes of the third communication device and the first communication device within the same time period is less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0154] As an example, FIG8 illustrates only in S801: the second communication device sends the first configuration information to a group of communication devices, and accordingly, the first communication device receives the first configuration information from the second communication device. The first configuration information is used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences, and the coefficients corresponding to different groups of orthogonal sequences in the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences are different. It can be understood that the coefficients corresponding to a group of orthogonal sequences can also be replaced by the spread spectrum granularity corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences. In a scenario where each element in the orthogonal sequence included in a group of orthogonal sequences is used to modulate the DMRS on a time slot, if the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences is 1, it means that the orthogonal sequence in the group of orthogonal sequences can be used to modulate the DMRS; or, if the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences is greater than 1, it means that each element in the orthogonal sequence included in the group of orthogonal sequences can be extended to modulate the DMRS on multiple time slots.

[0155] Optionally, the group of orthogonal sequences described above may be multiple OCCs in a Walsh code. For example, the first configuration information may be used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences as shown in Table 6 below.

[0156] Table 6

[0157] In the case where the first configuration information is used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences, the first configuration information indicates the correspondence between the index, OCC, and coefficients in the first group of orthogonal sequences, such as the coefficient corresponding to index 0 is 1, and the OCC is {1, 1}. In the case where the first configuration information is used to configure the second group of orthogonal sequences, the first configuration information indicates the correspondence between the index, OCC, and coefficients in the second group of orthogonal sequences, such as the coefficient corresponding to index 0 is 2, and the OCC is {1, 1}. In the case where the first configuration information is used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences and the second group of orthogonal sequences, the first configuration information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences, the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences, multiple indexes, i.e., indexes 0 to 5, and the OCC corresponding to each index.

[0158] For another example, the first configuration information may be used to configure one or more groups of orthogonal sequences as shown in Table 7 below.

[0159] Table 7

[0160] The data OCC in Table 7 refers to the OCC used to modulate data, and the DMRSOCC refers to the OCC used to modulate DMRS. The first configuration information can be used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences and / or the second group of orthogonal sequences. The configuration method can be understood with reference to the description under Table 6, and this embodiment of the present application will not be described in detail. It should also be understood that the index in Table 7 is the index of the OCC in the Walsh code, and the index of the OCC in Walsh codes of different lengths can be the same.

[0161] S802: The second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the first configuration information described in S801 is used to configure a group of orthogonal sequences. Based on this, the first indication information sent by the second communication device includes a second index, the second index is used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, the first orthogonal sequence is an orthogonal sequence in the group of orthogonal series, and the first coefficient is the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences. Taking the group of orthogonal sequences configured by the first configuration information as the first group of orthogonal sequences shown in Table 6 as an example, when the second index is 0, the first orthogonal sequence indicated by the second index is {+1, +1} and the first coefficient is 1. Taking the group of orthogonal sequences configured by the first configuration information as the first group of orthogonal sequences shown in Table 7 as an example, when the second index is 0, if the length of the data OCC configured by the second communication device to the first communication device is 4, then the first orthogonal sequence indicated by the second index is {+1, +1, +1, +1} and the first coefficient is 1.

[0163] In addition, optionally, when the first group of orthogonal sequences or the second group of orthogonal sequences as shown in Table 7 is configured in the first configuration information, the second communication device may not send the first indication information, and the first communication device may default that the second index is the same as the index of the OCC used to modulate the data.

[0164] In another possible implementation, the first configuration information described in S801 is used to configure multiple groups of orthogonal sequences. Based on this, the first indication information includes an identifier of one of the multiple groups of orthogonal sequences and a third index. The third index is used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient. The first orthogonal sequence is one of the orthogonal sequences in the group, and the first coefficient is the coefficient corresponding to the group of orthogonal sequences. Taking the first and second orthogonal sequences in Table 6 of the first configuration information configuration as an example, the first indication information may include an identifier and a third index of the second group of orthogonal sequences. When the third index is 0, the first orthogonal sequence indicated by the third index is {+1, +1} and the first coefficient is 2. Taking the first and second orthogonal sequences in Table 7 of the first configuration information configuration as an example, the first indication information may include an identifier and a third index of the second group of orthogonal sequences. When the third index is 1, if the length of the data OCC configured by the second communication device to the first communication device is 2, the first orthogonal sequence indicated by the second index is {1, -1} and the first coefficient is 2.

[0165] In addition, optionally, when the first group of orthogonal sequences and the second group of orthogonal sequences as shown in Table 7 are configured in the first configuration information, the first indication information only includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences or the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences, but does not include the second index; the first communication device may default to the second index being the same as the index of the OCC used to modulate the data.

[0166] S803: The first communication device determines a second orthogonal sequence according to the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

[0167] This step can be implemented with reference to the description in S602, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment of the present application.

[0168] S804: The first communication device sends a DMRS to the second communication device, where the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence.

[0169] This step can be implemented with reference to the description in S603, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment of the present application.

[0170] FIG9 shows a communication method, which mainly includes the following steps.

[0171] S901: A second communication device sends second configuration information to a group of communication devices.

[0172] The second configuration information is used to configure multiple orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating reference signals (DMRSs). A group of communication devices includes one or more communication devices. Optionally, the group of communication devices satisfies the following condition: a difference in phase change between any two communication devices in the group within the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold. For example, the group of communication devices includes a first communication device and a third communication device, and a difference in phase change between the third communication device and the first communication device within the same time period is less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0173] As an example, FIG. 9 only illustrates in S901 that the second communication device sends the second configuration information to a group of communication devices, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the second configuration information from the second communication device.

[0174] In one possible design, the second configuration information is used to configure a first group of orthogonal sequences and / or a second group of orthogonal sequences; wherein the length of the orthogonal sequences in the first group of orthogonal sequences is the same as the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device; and the length of the orthogonal sequences in the second group of orthogonal sequences is twice the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device.

[0175] For ease of description, the orthogonal sequence used to modulate DMRS is denoted as DMRSOCC, and the orthogonal sequence used to modulate data is denoted as data OCC. In the case of the length of DMRSOCC and the length of data OCC, for example, when the length of data OCC is 2, the DMRSOCC sequence is {w0, w1}, where {w0, w1} is an OCC in a Walsh code of length 2, and the data OCC can be an OCC in a Walsh code of length 2 or an orthogonal sequence generated based on a DFT matrix. DMRS of two consecutive time slots in the time domain can be modulated using {w0, w1}, and the two time slots correspond one-to-one to the two elements in {w0, w1}. When the length of the DMRS OCC is twice the length of the data OCC, for example, when the length of the data OCC is 2, the DMRSOCC sequence is {w0, w0, w1, w1}, where {w0, w1} is an OCC in a Walsh code of length 2, and the data OCC can be an OCC in a Walsh code of length 2 or an orthogonal sequence generated based on a DFT matrix. The DMRS of four consecutive time slots in the time domain can be modulated using {w0, w0, w1, w1}, and the four time slots correspond one-to-one to the four elements in {w0, w0, w1, w1}. Optionally, the DMRS of multiple time slots corresponding to the same element can be the same or different, and this is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0176] Exemplarily, the second configuration information may be used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences and / or the second group of orthogonal sequences as shown in Table 8 below.

[0177] Table 8

[0178] In the case where the second configuration information is used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences, the second configuration information is used to configure the correspondence between the index and the OCC and the index in the first group of orthogonal sequences, such as the OCC corresponding to index 0 is {+1,+1}. In the case where the second configuration information is used to configure the second group of orthogonal sequences, the second configuration information is used to configure the correspondence between the OCC and the index in the second group of orthogonal sequences, such as the OCC corresponding to index 0 is {+1,+1,+1,+1}. In the case where the second configuration information is used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences and the second group of orthogonal sequences, the second configuration information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences, the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences, multiple indexes, namely indexes 0 to 5, and the OCC corresponding to each index.

[0179] Exemplarily, the second configuration information may be used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences and / or the second group of orthogonal sequences as shown in Table 9 below.

[0180] Table 9

[0181] Among them, the second configuration information can be used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences and / or the second group of orthogonal sequences. The configuration method can be understood by referring to the description under Table 8, and this embodiment of the present application will not be described in detail.

[0182] S902: The second communication device sends third indication information to the first communication device.

[0183] The third indication information is used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, where the fifth orthogonal sequence is one of the multiple orthogonal sequences.

[0184] In a first possible implementation, taking the case where the second configuration information described in S901 is used to configure the first group of orthogonal sequences in Table 8 as an example, the third indication information sent by the second communications device includes the index of an orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences. The first communications device may search Table 8 for the corresponding DMRS OSS as the fifth orthogonal sequence based on the index in the third indication information. For example, when the index indicated in the third indication information is 0, if the length of the data OCC configured by the second communications device to the first communications device is 2, the fifth orthogonal sequence is {+1,+1}.

[0185] In a second possible implementation, taking the case where the second configuration information described in S901 is used to configure the second group of orthogonal sequences in Table 8 as an example, the third indication information sent by the second communications device includes the index of an orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences; the first communications device may search Table 8 for the corresponding DMRS OSS as the fifth orthogonal sequence based on the index in the third indication information. For example, when the index indicated in the third indication information is 0, if the length of the data OCC configured by the second communications device to the first communications device is 2, the fifth orthogonal sequence is {+1,+1,+1,+1}.

[0186] In a third possible implementation, taking the case where the second configuration information described in S901 is used to configure the first orthogonal sequence and the second orthogonal sequence as an example, the third indication information includes an identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences and an index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences, that is, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the first group of orthogonal sequences. For example, for the first group of orthogonal sequences described in Table 9, when the index indicated in the third indication information is 0, if the length of the data OCC configured by the second communication device to the first communication device is 2, then the fifth orthogonal sequence is {+1,+1}.

[0187] In a third possible implementation, taking the case where the second configuration information described in S901 is used to configure the first orthogonal sequence and the second orthogonal sequence as an example, the third indication information includes an identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences and an index of the fifth orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences, that is, the fifth orthogonal sequence is included in the second group of orthogonal sequences. For example, for the second group of orthogonal sequences described in Table 9, when the index indicated in the third indication information is 0, if the length of the data OCC configured by the second communication device to the first communication device is 4, then the fifth orthogonal sequence is {+1,+1,+1,+1,+1,+1,+1,+1}.

[0188] S903: The first communication device sends a DMRS to the second communication device, where the DMRS is modulated based on a fifth orthogonal sequence.

[0189] This step can be implemented with reference to the description in S603, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment of the present application.

[0190] Based on the same concept, referring to FIG10 , an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus 1000, which includes a processing module 1001 and a communication module 1002. The communication apparatus 1000 may be a first communication device, or a communication apparatus applied to or used in conjunction with a first communication device, capable of implementing a communication method executed on the first communication device side; alternatively, the communication apparatus 1000 may be a second communication device, or a communication apparatus applied to or used in conjunction with a second communication device, capable of implementing a communication method executed on the second communication device side.

[0191] The communication module may also be referred to as a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver, or transceiver device. The processing module may also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device. Optionally, the communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving operations on the first communication device side or the second communication device side in the above method. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function can be considered a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the sending function can be considered a sending unit. That is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit.

[0192] When the communication device 1000 is applied to the first communication device, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing function of the first communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 or Figure 9, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the transceiver function of the first communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 or Figure 9.

[0193] When the communication device 1000 is applied to a second communication device, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing function of the second communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 or Figure 9, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the transceiver function of the second communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 or Figure 9.

[0194] In addition, it should be noted that the aforementioned communication module and / or processing module can be implemented through virtual modules, for example, the processing module can be implemented through a software functional unit or a virtual device, and the communication module can be implemented through a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing module or the communication module can also be implemented through a physical device. For example, if the communication device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the communication module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface that performs input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operations); the processing module is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0195] The division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processor, or may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0196] Based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1100. For example, the communication device 1100 can be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0197] The communication device 1100 can be used to implement the functions of any network element in the communication system described in the aforementioned embodiments. The communication device 1100 may include at least one processor 1110, which is coupled to a memory. Optionally, the memory may be located within the communication device, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be located outside the communication device. For example, the communication device 1100 may also include at least one memory 1120. The memory 1120 stores the necessary computer programs, computer programs or instructions and / or data for implementing any of the aforementioned embodiments; the processor 1110 may execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0198] The communication device 1100 may also include a communication interface 1130, through which the communication device 1100 can exchange information with other devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface 1130 may be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or another type of communication interface. When the communication device 1100 is a chip-type device or circuit, the communication interface 1130 in the communication device 1100 may also be an input / output circuit that can input information (or receive information) and output information (or send information). The processor is an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit or logic circuit, and the processor can determine output information based on input information.

[0199] The coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1110 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1120 and the communication interface 1130. The specific connection medium between the processor 1110, memory 1120, and communication interface 1130 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0200] Optionally, referring to FIG11 , the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130 are interconnected via a bus 1140. The bus 1140 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus may be classified as an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, FIG11 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0201] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0202] In an embodiment of the present application, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), etc., or a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM). The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application may also be a circuit or any other device that can implement a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0203] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1100 can be applied to a first communication device. Specifically, the communication device 1100 can be a first communication device, or a device that can support the first communication device and implement the functions of the first communication device in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The memory 1120 stores computer programs (or instructions) and / or data that implement the functions of the first communication device in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The processor 1110 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method performed by the first communication device in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. Applied to the first communication device, the communication interface in the communication device 1100 can be used to interact with the second communication device, send information to the second communication device, or receive information from the second communication device.

[0204] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1100 can be applied to a second communication device. Specifically, the communication device 1100 can be a second communication device, or a device that can support the second communication device and implement the functions of the second communication device in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The memory 1120 stores a computer program (or instruction) and / or data that implements the functions of the second communication device in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The processor 1110 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method performed by the second communication device in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. Applied to the second communication device, the communication interface in the communication device 1100 can be used to interact with the first communication device, send information to the first communication device, or receive information from the first communication device.

[0205] Since the communication apparatus 1100 provided in this embodiment can be applied to a first communication device to perform the method performed by the first communication device, or applied to a second communication device to perform the method performed by the second communication device, the technical effects that can be achieved can be referred to the above method examples and will not be described in detail here.

[0206] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, including a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device can implement the method provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 or Figure 9.

[0207] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a second communication device, a first communication device, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium.

[0208] In the embodiments of the present application, under the premise that there is no logical contradiction, the embodiments may reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments and method embodiments may reference each other.

[0209] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the embodiments of the present application without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the embodiments of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the embodiments of the present application and their equivalents, the embodiments of the present application are intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first communication device, comprising: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient; A demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is sent; wherein the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined according to the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

2. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second communication device, comprising: Sending first indication information to the first communication device, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first orthogonal sequence and a first coefficient; A demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is received from the first communication device; wherein the DMRS is modulated based on a second orthogonal sequence, and the second orthogonal sequence is determined according to the first orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein Also includes: Sending second indication information to a third communication device; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate a third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient, and the third orthogonal sequence and the first coefficient are used to determine the orthogonal sequence used by the third communication device to modulate the DMRS; the difference between the phase change amounts of the third communication device and the first communication device in the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The length of the first orthogonal sequence is the same as the length of a fourth orthogonal sequence used for modulating data.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first indication information includes the length of the first orthogonal sequence and a first index used to indicate the first orthogonal sequence, and the length of the first orthogonal sequence and the first index are used to determine the first orthogonal sequence.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first indication information includes the value of the first coefficient.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first indication information includes a first flag; when the first flag is a first value, the value of the first coefficient is determined based on the spread spectrum granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence used to modulate data; when the first flag is a second value, the value of the first coefficient is 2.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein When the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on one symbol or one time slot, the value of the first coefficient is 1; Alternatively, when the spreading granularity of the fourth orthogonal sequence indicates that one element in the fourth orthogonal sequence is used to modulate data on K time slots, the value of the first coefficient is K, and K is an integer greater than 1.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: The value of the first coefficient is 1, the second orthogonal sequence is the same as the first orthogonal sequence, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and L is an integer greater than 1; the L elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on L time slots, and the DMRS on the L time slots are the same.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that The value of the first coefficient is N, the length of the first orthogonal sequence is L, and both L and N are integers greater than 1; the second orthogonal sequence includes L subsequences, and the lth subsequence in the L subsequences includes N identical elements; the l is a positive integer ranging from 1 to the L in sequence; the (L×N) elements in the second orthogonal sequence are respectively used to modulate the DMRS on the (L×N) time slots.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The first orthogonal sequence is an orthogonal cover code OCC.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first communication device, comprising: receiving second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to configure a plurality of orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating a reference signal (DMRS); receiving third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, where the fifth orthogonal sequence is one of the multiple orthogonal sequences; Sending a DMRS modulated based on the fifth orthogonal sequence.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second communication device, comprising: Sending second configuration information to the first communication device, where the second configuration information is used to configure multiple orthogonal sequences for modulating and demodulating a reference signal (DMRS); Sending third indication information to the first communication device, where the third indication information is used to indicate a fifth orthogonal sequence, where the fifth orthogonal sequence is one of the multiple orthogonal sequences; A DMRS is received from the first communication device, where the DMRS is modulated based on the fifth orthogonal sequence.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein Also includes: The second configuration information is sent to a third communication device; wherein a difference between the phase change amounts of the third communication device and the first communication device in the same time period is less than or equal to a first threshold.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that The second configuration information is used to configure a first group of orthogonal sequences and a second group of orthogonal sequences; wherein the length of the orthogonal sequences in the first group of orthogonal sequences is the same as the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device; and the length of the orthogonal sequences in the second group of orthogonal sequences is twice the length of the orthogonal sequences used to modulate the data of the first communication device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The fourth orthogonal sequence is included in the first group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the first group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fourth orthogonal sequence in the first group of orthogonal sequences; or, the fourth orthogonal sequence is included in the second group of orthogonal sequences, and the third indication information includes the identifier of the second group of orthogonal sequences and the index of the fourth orthogonal sequence in the second group of orthogonal sequences.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 and 4-11, or comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 2-11.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 12, 15 and 16, or comprises a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 13-16.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, the processor being coupled to a memory, and the processor being configured to call computer program instructions stored in the memory to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

20. A communication system, characterized in that: The method comprises a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 and 4-11, and a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 2-11; or the method comprises a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 12, 15 and 16, and a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 13-16.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer-executable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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