Communication method, apparatus and system

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, apparatus and system. In the method, a terminal device first transmits a first reference signal for channel sounding, and then transmits uplink data and a second reference signal which is used for uplink data demodulation, wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal use an identical sequence. By matching statistical properties of the sequences of the first reference signal and the second reference signal, such as the autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties of the sequences, channel measurement results and interference measurement results based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal are matched with each other. Consequently, parameters or processing related to uplink data scheduling determined on the basis of the first reference signal is better adapted to an actual channel and an actual interference experienced during uplink data transmission, thereby improving uplink transmission performance.

Description

A communication method, apparatus and system

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410518667.4, filed on April 26, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method, Apparatus and System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, apparatus, and system. Background Technology

[0003] In wireless communication systems, uplink reference signals include a sounding reference signal (SRS) and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). Network devices can perform channel quality estimation based on the SRS and schedule terminal devices to transmit uplink data based on the results of the channel quality estimation.

[0004] However, the uplink data scheduling determined by network devices based on SRS channel measurement results cannot fully adapt to the actual channels and interference experienced during uplink data and DMRS transmission, thereby reducing the performance of uplink transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method that is more adapted to uplink data scheduling, thereby improving the performance of uplink transmission.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal device or by a component of the terminal device (such as a chip or circuit). This application does not limit the scope of this method.

[0007] The method includes: transmitting a first reference signal for channel detection; transmitting uplink data and a second reference signal for demodulating the uplink data, wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same sequence.

[0008] It should be noted that the second reference signal is used for demodulation of the uplink data, and it can also be used for channel measurement. Furthermore, the channel measurement results obtained based on the second reference signal are used for demodulation of the uplink data.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, a first reference signal is sent before uplink data and a second reference signal are sent. The first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same sequence. By matching the statistical characteristics of the two sequences, such as the autocorrelation and cross-correlation of the sequences, the channel measurement results and interference measurement results based on the two are matched with each other. Then, the parameters or processing related to uplink data scheduling determined by the first reference signal can be more adapted to the real channel and interference experienced during uplink data transmission, thereby improving uplink transmission performance.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first reference signal, the method further includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate the precoding matrix.

[0011] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device or by a component of the network device (such as a chip or circuit). This application does not limit the scope of this method.

[0012] The method includes: receiving a first reference signal; scheduling uplink data according to the first reference signal; receiving the uplink data and a second reference signal, wherein the second reference signal is used for demodulation of the uplink data, and the first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same sequence.

[0013] It should be noted that the second reference signal is used for demodulation of the uplink data, and it can also be used for channel measurement. Furthermore, the channel measurement results obtained based on the second reference signal are used for demodulation of the uplink data.

[0014] For example, the network device determines information for uplink data demodulation based on the channel measurement results of the second reference signal (e.g., determining channel interference based on the channel measurement results of the second reference signal), and then demodulates the uplink data.

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the first reference signal and the second reference signal have more matching statistical characteristics, such as the autocorrelation and cross-correlation of the sequence, so that the interference experienced by the two is consistent. This makes the parameters or processing related to uplink data scheduling determined according to the first reference signal more adaptable to the real channel and interference experienced during uplink data transmission, thereby improving uplink transmission performance.

[0016] Optionally, as an example, after receiving the second reference signal, the network device can reuse the channel measurement results of the first reference signal; or, it can update only the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, thereby improving uplink data demodulation efficiency and enhancing uplink transmission performance.

[0017] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before receiving the first reference signal, the method further includes: sending first information, the first information being used to indicate the precoding matrix.

[0018] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the precoding matrix of the first reference signal and the precoding matrix of the second reference signal are the same.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the first reference signal and the second reference signal have the same weights when transmitted, and therefore have similar or identical spatial statistical characteristics. This makes the channel measurement results of the first reference signal closer to the actual channel experienced by the second reference signal during transmission. The uplink data scheduling parameters or processing determined based on the first reference signal can be better adapted to uplink data transmission, improving uplink transmission performance.

[0020] In addition, network devices can reuse the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, or only update the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, thereby reducing the amount of computation and improving signal processing efficiency.

[0021] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: the bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; the bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the second reference signal; the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; the number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; the frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; and the frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the second reference signal.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, the same bandwidth, frequency domain position and / or the same number of occupied RBs can make the channel interference experienced by the first reference signal and the second reference signal (or uplink data) consistent. This makes the interference estimate obtained from the channel measurement results based on the first reference signal closer to the actual interference experienced by the second reference signal during transmission. The parameters or processing related to uplink data scheduling determined based on the first reference signal can be better adapted to the transmission of uplink data, reduce channel interference and improve uplink transmission performance.

[0023] In addition, network devices can reuse the channel measurement results determined based on the first reference signal; or update the channel measurement results of the first reference signal based on the second reference signal, thereby reducing the amount of computation, assisting network devices in performing channel equalization, and improving signal processing efficiency.

[0024] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the transition mode of the first reference signal and the transition mode of the second reference signal are the same; the transition mode includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition, or comb transition.

[0025] Based on the above scheme, using the same transition method can ensure that the sequences transmitted by the first reference signal and the second reference signal are identical or have the same statistical characteristics. This allows the channel measurement results and interference measurement results based on both signals to match, thereby enabling the uplink data scheduling parameters or processing determined by the first reference signal to better adapt to the actual channel and interference experienced during uplink data transmission, thus improving uplink transmission performance. After receiving the second reference signal, the network device can reuse the channel measurement results of the first reference signal; alternatively, it can update only the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, thereby improving uplink data demodulation efficiency and uplink transmission performance.

[0026] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal device or by a component of the terminal device (such as a chip or circuit). This application does not limit the scope of this method.

[0027] The method includes: transmitting a first reference signal for channel detection; transmitting uplink data and a second reference signal for demodulating the uplink data, wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a first condition.

[0028] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, before sending the first reference signal, the method further includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate the precoding matrix.

[0029] Fourthly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device or by a component of the network device (such as a chip or circuit). This application does not limit the scope of this method.

[0030] The method includes: receiving a first reference signal; scheduling uplink data according to the first reference signal; receiving the uplink data and a second reference signal, wherein the second reference signal is used for demodulating the uplink data, and the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a first condition.

[0031] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, before receiving the first reference signal, the method further includes: sending first information, the first information being used to indicate the precoding matrix.

[0032] The technical effects of the methods in the third or fourth aspect above can be referred to the technical effects of the first or second aspect, and will not be elaborated here.

[0033] In the third or fourth aspect, the first condition may include a variety of designs.

[0034] In some implementations of the third or fourth aspect, the first condition may include: the first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same sequence.

[0035] In some implementations of the third or fourth aspect, the first condition may include: the precoding matrix of the first reference signal and the precoding matrix of the second reference signal are the same.

[0036] In some implementations of the third or fourth aspect, the first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: the bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; the bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the second reference signal; the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; the number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; the frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; and the frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the second reference signal.

[0037] In some implementations of the third or fourth aspect, the first condition may further include: the transition mode of the first reference signal and the transition mode of the second reference signal are the same; the transition mode includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition or comb transition.

[0038] The technical effects of any possible implementation of the third or fourth aspect above can be referred to the technical effects of the corresponding implementation of the first or second aspect, and will not be elaborated here.

[0039] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, which has the functions of implementing the first or third aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first or third aspect above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0040] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device having the functions of the second or fourth aspect described above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first or fourth aspect described above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0041] In some implementations of the fifth or sixth aspect, the communication device may include a processing unit and a transceiver unit.

[0042] Optionally, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0043] In another implementation, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0044] A seventh aspect provides a communication device including a processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program, the processor for running the computer program such that the communication device performs a method as described in any of the possible implementations of the first, third, second, or fourth aspects above.

[0045] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program, the processor for running the computer program, such that the communication device performs a method as described in any of the possible implementations of the first, third, second, or fourth aspects above.

[0046] A ninth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code for execution by a device, the program code including a method for performing any of the implementations of the first to fourth aspects described above.

[0047] In a tenth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reading instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface to execute the method provided by any implementation of the first or third aspect above; or executing the method provided by any implementation of the second or fourth aspect above.

[0048] Alternatively, as one implementation, the chip may also include the memory.

[0049] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, including a terminal device for performing the methods provided in the first or third aspect above and a network device for performing the methods provided in the second or fourth aspect above.

[0050] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by any one of the implementations of the first to fourth aspects described above. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 200 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the frequency domain distribution of the first reference signal and the second reference signal applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0054] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a codebook-based uplink transmission method 400 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an uplink transmission method 500 based on a non-codebook applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0056] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device 600 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 700 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip system 800 applicable to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) (or New Radio, NR) mobile communication systems, beyond 5G (B5G) mobile communication systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, and LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication networks. Furthermore, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0061] A terminal device is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can be a fixed device, mobile device, handheld device (e.g., mobile phone), wearable device, in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip system) built into the aforementioned devices. Terminal devices are used to connect people, things, and machines, and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, V2X communication, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) communication, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, and robots. For example, a terminal device can be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a surveillance camera in intelligent transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone, etc. Terminal devices are sometimes referred to as user equipment (UE), user terminal, user device, user unit, user station, terminal, access terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, mobile device, or wireless communication device, etc. In the embodiments of this application, the device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing that function, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components capable of implementing the functions of the terminal device. This device can be installed in the terminal device.

[0062] In addition, in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device may also include a sensor, whose main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from the network device, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to the network device.

[0063] The network device in this application embodiment can be any communication device with wireless transceiver capabilities used for communicating with terminal devices. The network device can be a device in a radio access network (RAN) that provides wireless communication capabilities to terminal devices, referred to as RAN equipment. For example, the network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a 3GPP subsequent evolution base station, a transmission reception point (TRP), an access node in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, etc. In communication systems employing different radio access technologies (RATs), the name of the device with base station functionality may differ. For example, in an LTE system, it may be called an eNB or eNodeB, and in a 5G or NR system, it may be called a gNB. This application does not limit the specific name of the base station. The network device can include one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission and reception points. For example, a network device may include one or more central units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more CUs and one or more DUs. Exemplarily, the functionality of a CU can be implemented by a single entity or different entities. For instance, the functionality of a CU can be further divided, separating the control plane and user plane and implementing them through different entities, namely a control plane CU entity (i.e., CU-CP entity) and a user plane CU entity (i.e., CU-UP entity). The CU-CP and CU-UP entities can be coupled with DUs to jointly complete the functions of the access network device. In this way, some functions of a radio access network device can be implemented through multiple network function entities. These network function entities can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). As another example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network device can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in a communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types. Base stations can communicate with terminal devices directly or through relay stations. In this embodiment of the application, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a device that enables the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system or a combination device or component that can implement the function of the access network device. The device can be installed in the network device.In this application embodiment, the chip system may be composed of chips, or it may include chips and other discrete devices. In this application embodiment, a network device is used as an example to describe the technical solution.

[0064] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0065] Furthermore, various aspects or features of this application can be implemented as methods, apparatus, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein encompasses a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). Additionally, the various storage media described herein can represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable storage medium" can include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0067] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 may include at least one network device 101 and at least one terminal device 102 to 107. The terminal devices 102 to 107 may be mobile or fixed. One or more of the network device 101 and terminal devices 102 to 107 can communicate via a wireless link. Each network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminal devices located within that coverage area.

[0068] Optionally, terminal devices can communicate directly with each other. For example, device-to-device (D2D) technology can be used to achieve direct communication between terminal devices. As shown in Figure 1, terminal devices 105 and 106, and terminal devices 105 and 107 can communicate directly using D2D technology. Terminal devices 106 and 107 can communicate with terminal device 105 individually or simultaneously.

[0069] Terminal devices 105 to 107 can also communicate with network device 101 respectively. For example, they can communicate directly with network device 101, as shown in Figure 1, where terminal devices 105 and 106 can communicate directly with network device 101. They can also communicate indirectly with network device 101, as shown in Figure 1, where terminal device 107 communicates with network device 101 via terminal device 105.

[0070] Each communication device can be configured with multiple antennas. For each communication device in the communication system 100, the configured multiple antennas may include at least one transmitting antenna for transmitting signals and at least one receiving antenna for receiving signals. Therefore, the communication devices in the communication system 100 can communicate with each other through multi-antenna technology.

[0071] Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding. The communication system 100 may also include other network devices or other terminal devices (not shown in Figure 1). For example, the communication system 100 may also include core network devices. On the one hand, the access network devices provide wireless access connections for the terminal devices, and can send data to or receive data sent by the terminal devices; on the other hand, the access network devices are also connected to the core network devices, and can forward data received from the terminal devices to the core network, or receive data from the core network that needs to be sent to the terminal devices.

[0072] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0073] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terms involved in this application will be briefly explained. The following description will only use the NR system as an example.

[0074] 1. Reference signal (RS)

[0075] A reference signal is a known signal provided by the transmitter to the receiver for estimating or probing wireless channel information. It can also be called a pilot or reference sequence. In other words, wireless channel information in a wireless communication system is obtained through the reference signal. This wireless channel information can be relatively coarse, such as path loss, allowing the transmitter to control its transmission power. Alternatively, it can be more detailed, such as precise channel amplitude and phase information in the time, frequency, and spatial domains. In wireless communication systems, reference signals can be categorized into uplink reference signals and downlink reference signals.

[0076] An uplink reference signal is a reference signal sent by a terminal device to a network device; that is, the transmitter is the terminal device, and the receiver is the network device. Uplink reference signals can be used for uplink channel estimation or uplink channel sounding. Uplink channel estimation is used for coherent demodulation and detection by the network device or for calculating precoding, while uplink channel sounding is used for measuring uplink channel quality. For example, an uplink reference signal can be a sounding reference signal (SRS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS), or a positioning reference signal, etc.

[0077] SRS (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) can be used for uplink channel quality estimation and channel selection, calculating the uplink channel's signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and obtaining uplink channel parameters. In Time-Division Duplex (TDD) scenarios, where uplink and downlink channels are reciprocal, SRS can also be used to obtain downlink channel parameters. Network devices determine the uplink / downlink precoding matrices based on the uplink / downlink channel parameters estimated by SRS, improving uplink / downlink transmission rates and increasing system capacity. DMRS (Decentralized Uplink Control Channel) can be used by network devices to perform channel estimation on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and / or Physical Uplink Share Channel (PUSCH) already allocated to terminal devices, in order to correctly demodulate the channel.

[0078] Additionally, the uplink signal can be the PUSCH, or the data carried on the PUSCH, or the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or the data carried on the PUCCH, etc. For example, the uplink reference signal is the DMRS of the PUSCH, or the DMRS of the PUCCH.

[0079] The protocol defines four uses of SRS: antenna switching, codebook, non-codebook, and beam management. Embodiments of this application relate to codebook SRS and non-codebook SRS, where codebook SRS is used for codebook-based uplink transmission, and non-codebook SRS is used for non-codebook-based uplink transmission.

[0080] For example, in codebook-based uplink transmission, the network device configures an SRS resource set with usage of codebook for the terminal device. This SRS resource set includes at least one SRS resource. The terminal device sends an SRS to the network device according to the configuration parameters of the at least one SRS resource; correspondingly, the network device receives the SRS and performs channel measurements. Based on the channel measurement results, the network device selects the SRS resource with the best channel conditions from the at least one SRS resource and indicates this to the terminal device through the SRS resource indicator (SRI) field in the downlink control information (DCI).

[0081] In addition, network devices can determine the precoding matrix used for uplink transmission based on channel measurement results and instruct the terminal devices accordingly. The terminal devices then send uplink data and DMRS to the network devices based on the indicated SRS resources and precoding matrix.

[0082] For example, in non-codebook-based uplink transmission, the network device configures a non-codebook SRS resource set for the terminal device, which includes at least one SRS resource. The terminal device precodes the SRS sequence based on channel reciprocity according to the configuration parameters of the at least one SRS resource and downlink reference signal measurement results, and sends it to the network device. Specifically, the precoded SRS is no longer restricted to a specific codebook, and the terminal device can indicate candidate precoding on the precoded SRS. The network device receives the SRS, determines the optimal weights and stream number used for uplink transmission based on the channel measurement results of the SRS, and indicates this to the terminal device through the SRI field in the DCI. After receiving the indication information, the terminal device sends uplink data and DMRS to the network device according to the indicated SRS resource and precoding method.

[0083] In both codebook-based and non-codebook-based uplink transmissions, the terminal device needs to modulate the uplink signal before transmitting it. The modulation scheme for the uplink signal by the terminal device is determined by the network device. Specifically, the network device determines the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for uplink transmission by the terminal device based on the channel measurement results of the SRS and instructs the terminal device accordingly. The terminal device then transmits the uplink signal to the network device based on the precoding matrix and the MCS.

[0084] It should be understood that the reference signals listed above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other reference signals in future agreements to achieve the same or similar functions.

[0085] In one possible implementation, the SRS sequence is obtained by cyclic shifting based on the SRS base sequence.

[0086] For SRS with a sequence length greater than or equal to 36, the SRS base sequence is generated based on the Zadoff-Chu sequence (ZC sequence); for SRS with a sequence length less than 36, the SRS base sequence is generated based on a computer exhaustive search method. The SRS base sequence involved in the embodiments of this application is the ZC sequence. For SRS, code division multiplexing can be used between different SRS ports, that is, the cyclic shift of different SRS ports can be different. SRS of different UEs can also be frequency division multiplexing, that is, the frequency domain comb teeth occupied by different SRSs can be different.

[0087] Due to system capacity limitations, it is possible for different terminal devices in different cells to have the same SRS base sequence (i.e., the number of candidate SRS base sequences is less than the number of SRS ports to be scheduled). Therefore, group transitions or sequence transitions can be used to reduce interference between SRSs.

[0088] 2. Group hopping and sequence hopping

[0089] To randomize the interference of different SRSs by using different sequences (or sequence groups) in different time slots, group switching or sequence switching can be configured for the SRS. Group switching refers to the SRS sequence changing from one group to another, while sequence switching refers to the SRS sequence changing from one sequence to another. Group switching can also be described as group hopping or group frequency hopping, and sequence switching can also be described as sequence hopping or sequence frequency hopping, etc.

[0090] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application use the terms group hopping and sequence hopping as examples. Other names used to describe group hopping can be replaced with group hopping, such as group hopping, group hopping frequency, group sequence hopping, group sequence hopping, or group sequence hopping frequency. Other names used to describe sequence hopping can be replaced with sequence hopping, such as sequence hopping or sequence hopping frequency.

[0091] 3. Cyclic shift hopping

[0092] In cyclic shift transitions, the cyclic shift parameters of the SRS on different symbols are calculated based on pseudo-random sequences. Cyclic shift transitions increase the randomness and diversity of the signal and reduce the effects of interference and fading by changing the cyclic shift value of the signal during transmission. For example, for two SRS sequences with the same base sequence and occupying the same time-domain resources, since the cyclic shift parameters of the SRS on different symbols are calculated based on pseudo-random sequences, the probability of the cyclic shift parameters being the same can be reduced, thereby increasing the probability that the two SRS sequences are orthogonal and reducing interference between the two SRS sequences.

[0093] In addition, cyclic shift jump can also be described as cyclic shift randomization, cyclic shift jump, or cyclic shift frequency hopping, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the name of cyclic shift jump.

[0094] 4. Comb offset hopping

[0095] The terminal device can obtain an SRS frequency hopping mode based on at least one SRS frequency hopping configuration and at least one frequency hopping offset. The SRS frequency hopping mode can include one or more subsets of frequency hopping modes, each subset of frequency hopping modes can be associated with a frequency hopping offset. The terminal device can transmit a set of SRS across multiple SRS transmission scenarios based on the SRS frequency hopping mode.

[0096] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application take comb tooth hopping as an example, and other names used to describe comb offset hopping can be replaced with group hopping, such as comb tooth hopping or comb tooth hopping frequency. The comparison of the embodiments of this application is not limited.

[0097] Furthermore, the above-mentioned transition methods are only examples, and other transition methods may be included in actual applications. This application does not limit these methods.

[0098] 5. Precoding technology

[0099] Network devices can process the signal to be transmitted using a precoding matrix that matches the channel state, given the known channel conditions. This ensures the precoded signal is compatible with the channel, reducing the complexity for the receiving device to eliminate inter-channel interference. Therefore, by precoding the signal to be transmitted, the quality of the received signal (e.g., SINR) is improved.

[0100] Additionally, the precoding matrix indicator (PMI) is used to indicate the precoding matrix. It should be understood that PMI is merely a designation and should not be construed as limiting this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other signaling names in future protocols for the same or similar functions.

[0101] 6. Modulation and coding scheme (MCS)

[0102] MCS defines the modulation scheme and code rate. Specifically, the modulation scheme can include at least one of the following: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, and 256-QAM. BPSK indicates that each Resource Element (RE) can transmit 1 bit of information, QPSK indicates that each RE can transmit 2 bits of information, 16-QAM indicates that each RE can transmit 4 bits of information, 64-QAM indicates that each RE can transmit 6 bits of information, and 256-QAM indicates that each RE can transmit 8 bits of information. The code rate is the ratio between useful bits and total transmitted bits. Different modulation schemes and code rates can be determined based on different MCS indices.

[0103] It should be understood that the determination of the MCS is related to the quality of the wireless link. The better the signal quality of the wireless link, the higher the index of the MCS, and the more useful bits can be transmitted in a symbol. The worse the signal quality of the wireless link, the lower the index of the MCS, and the less useful data can be transmitted in a symbol.

[0104] Currently, based on the communication system architecture shown in Figure 1, the uplink scheduling-related parameters or processes (e.g., MCS or resource allocation) determined by network devices based on SRS measurement results are not entirely accurate for the transmission of uplink data and DMRS, resulting in an inability to adapt to the transmission of uplink data and reducing the performance of uplink transmission.

[0105] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method in which a terminal device sends a pre-reference signal to a network device before uplink transmission. The method aims to make the code domain, frequency domain, and spatial domain characteristics of the pre-reference signal as close as possible to those of a reference signal (e.g., DMRS) used for demodulating uplink data. This ensures that the channel and interference measurements based on the pre-reference signal are as close as possible to the channel and interference experienced during transmission by the reference signal (e.g., DMRS) used for demodulating uplink data. Channel quality estimation is performed based on the relevant measurement results of the pre-reference signal, and uplink data scheduling-related parameters or processing are determined. This allows the determined uplink data scheduling-related parameters or processing to be better adapted to uplink transmission, thereby improving uplink transmission performance.

[0106] The technical solution provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0107] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 200 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0108] The communication method of this application can be applied between network devices, between terminal devices, and between network devices and terminal devices. The network device can be a network equipment, a component within a network equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the network equipment. The terminal device can be a terminal equipment, a component within a terminal equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the terminal equipment.

[0109] Without loss of generality, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail using the interaction between network devices and terminal devices as an example.

[0110] Method 200 may include the following steps:

[0111] S201: The terminal device sends a first reference signal to the network device.

[0112] The network device receives a first reference signal from the terminal device, the first reference signal being used for channel detection.

[0113] Alternatively, channel detection may also be referred to as channel measurement or channel estimation, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0114] In the embodiments of this application, the first reference signal is a reference signal sent by the terminal device before sending the second reference signal for demodulating uplink data. Therefore, the first reference signal can also be called a pre-reference signal, a probe reference signal, etc. This application does not limit the specific name of the first reference signal.

[0115] S202: The network device schedules uplink data according to the first reference signal.

[0116] The network device schedules uplink data based on the first reference signal, which may include the network device determining the information required for uplink transmission based on the measurement results of the first reference signal (or the channel estimation results obtained by channel quality estimation based on the first reference signal).

[0117] Optionally, the information required for uplink transmission includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:

[0118] (1) Resource configuration for uplink data transmission of terminal equipment.

[0119] (2) The MCS used by the terminal device for uplink data transmission, such as the modulation scheme and code rate used for uplink transmission.

[0120] In addition, it may include other operations and / or processes involved in uplink scheduling determined by the network device based on the first reference signal, which will not be listed one by one.

[0121] The network device schedules uplink data according to the first reference signal, and may also include the network device sending the information required for uplink transmission to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to perform uplink data transmission.

[0122] For example, the network device can send the MCS used for uplink data transmission to the terminal device. Optionally, the network device can indicate the MCS according to the MCS index; or it can directly indicate the modulation scheme and code rate, which is not limited in this application.

[0123] S203: The terminal device sends uplink data and a second reference signal for uplink data demodulation to the network device.

[0124] The network device receives uplink data and a second reference signal from the terminal device.

[0125] It should be understood that before transmitting uplink data and the second reference signal, the terminal device also includes processing the uplink data and / or the second reference signal according to the scheduling of the network device, such as modulation and encoding.

[0126] It should be noted that the second reference signal is used for demodulation of the uplink data, or it can be used for channel measurement. Furthermore, the uplink data is demodulated based on the channel measurement results obtained from the second reference signal.

[0127] For example, the network device determines information for uplink data demodulation based on channel measurements of the second reference signal (e.g., determining channel interference based on channel measurements of the second reference signal), and then demodulates the uplink data. As an example, the second reference signal may be a DMRS.

[0128] In the embodiments of this application, in order to make the statistical characteristics of the first reference signal and the second reference signal as close as possible to improve the performance of uplink data transmission, the first reference signal and the second reference signal can satisfy any one of the following implementation methods, or any two or more of the following multiple implementation methods.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same sequence.

[0130] In this scenario, a first reference signal is sent before the second reference signal, and both the first and second reference signals use the same sequence. By matching the statistical characteristics of the two sequences, such as their autocorrelation and cross-correlation, the channel measurement results and interference measurement results based on the preceding reference signal are made as close as possible to the channel and interference experienced during the transmission of the reference signal used for demodulating uplink data (e.g., DMRS). This allows the parameters or processing related to uplink data scheduling determined by the first reference signal to be more adapted to the actual channel and interference experienced during uplink data transmission, thereby improving uplink transmission performance.

[0131] In addition, after receiving the second reference signal, the network device can reuse the channel measurement results of the first reference signal; or, it can update only the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, thereby improving the uplink data demodulation efficiency and enhancing the uplink transmission performance.

[0132] For example, after receiving uplink data and the second reference signal, the network device can parse the uplink data based on the channel measurement results of the first reference signal without having to perform channel measurement again based on the second reference signal.

[0133] For example, network devices can first calculate the initial MMSE equalization weights based on the first reference signal. After the network device receives the uplink data and the second reference signal, it can use the second reference signal to update the initial MMSE equalization weights without recalculating, thereby reducing the amount of computation and improving receiver performance.

[0134] In another possible implementation, the precoding matrices of the first reference signal and the second reference signal are the same.

[0135] It should be understood that the first reference signal and the second reference signal having the same precoding matrix means that the first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same precoding matrix.

[0136] Optionally, the precoding matrix may also be referred to as a precoder or precoding device, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0137] In this implementation, optionally, the method further includes step S204 before step S201.

[0138] S204: The network device sends first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the precoding matrix of the first reference signal.

[0139] The terminal device receives the first information from the network device.

[0140] As an example, the precoding matrix is ​​determined by the network device based on the channel measurement results of the SRS.

[0141] One alternative approach involves the network device calculating the uplink equivalent channel SNR after weighting different precoding matrices based on the uplink channel estimated by SRS through an exhaustive method, and selecting the precoding matrix with the highest SNR to indicate to the terminal device.

[0142] Optionally, the first information can be indicated to the terminal device via downlink control information (DCI), PMI, or other signaling or information.

[0143] When the network device indicates the precoding matrix to the terminal device, the terminal device may also perform precoding processing on the first and second reference signals based on the precoding matrix before transmitting the first and second reference signals. For example, the precoding processing includes left-multiplying the sequence of the first reference signal and the sequence of the second reference signal by the precoding matrix, respectively, before the first and second reference signals are mapped to physical resources.

[0144] This application does not limit the process of how the terminal device performs precoding processing on the uplink data and DMRS sequence based on the precoding matrix or precoding device, or the precoding scheme adopted. For example, zero-forcing (ZF) precoding scheme, minimum mean square error (MMSE) precoding scheme, SVD precoding scheme, block diagonalization (BD) precoding scheme, or signal-to-leakage-and-noise ratio (SLNR) precoding scheme can be used.

[0145] The terminal device precodes the signal to be transmitted based on the precoding matrix, so that the precoded signal is adapted to the channel, which can improve the equivalent channel signal-to-noise ratio received by the network device and reduce the bit error rate of uplink transmission.

[0146] In this scenario, using the same precoding matrix ensures that the weights of the first and second reference signals are identical during transmission, resulting in similar or identical spatial statistical characteristics. This makes the channel measurement results of the first reference signal closer to the actual channel experienced by the second reference signal during transmission. The uplink data scheduling parameters or processing determined based on the first reference signal can be better adapted to uplink data transmission, improving uplink transmission performance.

[0147] In addition, network devices can reuse the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, or only update the channel measurement results of the first reference signal, thereby reducing the amount of computation and improving signal processing efficiency.

[0148] For example, network devices can multiplex the spatial statistical characteristics determined based on the first reference signal into the second reference signal, assisting network devices in performing channel equalization based on the second reference signal.

[0149] In another possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal (and / or uplink data) have the same frequency domain position.

[0150] Specifically, the first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: the bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; the bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the second reference signal; the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; the number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; the frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; and the frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the second reference signal.

[0151] Having the same bandwidth, frequency domain location, and / or the same number of occupied RBs enables the channel interference experienced by the first reference signal and the second reference signal (or uplink data) to be consistent. This makes the interference estimate obtained from the channel measurement results based on the first reference signal closer to the actual interference experienced by the second reference signal during transmission. The parameters or processing related to uplink data scheduling determined based on the first reference signal can be better adapted to the transmission of uplink data, reduce channel interference, and improve uplink transmission performance.

[0152] In addition, network devices can reuse the channel measurement results determined based on the first reference signal; or update the channel measurement results of the first reference signal based on the second reference signal, thereby reducing the amount of computation, assisting network devices in performing channel equalization, and improving signal processing efficiency.

[0153] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the frequency domain distribution of the first reference signal and the second reference signal applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0154] For example, as shown in Figure 3, the first reference signal and the second reference signal have the same frequency domain location, the same bandwidth, and the same number of occupied RBs.

[0155] In addition, the second reference signal in Figure 3 can be replaced with uplink data, so Figure 3 can also represent a frequency domain distribution diagram of the first reference signal and uplink data applicable to the embodiments of this application, wherein the first reference signal and uplink data have the same frequency domain position, the same bandwidth and the same number of occupied RBs.

[0156] In another possible implementation, the transition pattern of the first reference signal is the same as that of the second reference signal.

[0157] The transition method includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition, or comb transition.

[0158] It should be understood that the specific hopping method used for the first reference signal and DMRS in this application embodiment is not limited; both can use the same hopping method, or other hopping methods besides those mentioned above can be used. Furthermore, this application embodiment does not limit the process by which the terminal device processes the signal using a particular hopping method; reference can be made to descriptions in existing related technologies.

[0159] It should be understood that using the same hopping method can make the sequences sent by the first reference signal and the second reference signal the same or the statistical characteristics of the sequences the same, so that the channel measurement results and interference measurement results based on the two can match each other, thereby making the uplink data scheduling related parameters or processing determined by the first reference signal more adaptable to the real channel and interference experienced during uplink data transmission, thus improving uplink transmission performance.

[0160] In addition, network devices can reuse the channel measurement results determined based on the first reference signal; or update the channel measurement results of the first reference signal based on the second reference signal, thereby reducing the amount of computation, assisting network devices in performing channel equalization, and improving signal processing efficiency.

[0161] For example, when both the first reference signal and the second reference signal employ cyclic shift transitions, they have the same cyclic shift parameters, the same transition granularity, the same cyclic shift subset, and the same pseudo-random sequence. This pseudo-random sequence is used to initialize the cyclic shift set at the beginning of each radio frame. For a more detailed explanation of cyclic shift transitions, please refer to the terminology explanations and descriptions in existing related technologies; further details are omitted here.

[0162] For example, when both the first and second reference signals employ comb transitions, they have the same comb teeth, the same cyclic shift subset, and the same pseudo-random sequence, which is used to initialize the comb tooth set at the start of each radio frame. For more information on comb transitions, please refer to the terminology explanation above and the description in existing related technologies; further details will not be provided here.

[0163] For example, when both the first reference signal and the second reference signal employ sequence hopping, the first reference signal and the second reference signal have the same base sequence, and the initial sequence at the beginning of each radio frame is the same. For a detailed explanation of sequence hopping, please refer to the terminology explanation above and the description in existing related technologies; it will not be repeated here.

[0164] For example, when both the first reference signal and the second reference signal employ group transitions, the first reference signal and the second reference signal have the same sequence group. For an explanation of group transitions, please refer to the terminology explanation above and the description in existing related technologies; it will not be repeated here.

[0165] It should be noted that the above method 200 can be applied to codebook-based uplink transmission and non-codebook-based uplink transmission, which will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0166] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a codebook-based uplink transmission method 400 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0167] S401: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device.

[0168] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives configuration information sent by the network device.

[0169] The configuration information includes an SRS resource set used as a codebook to indicate the SRS resources that the terminal device can use, wherein the SRS resource set includes at least one SRS resource.

[0170] S402: The terminal device sends an SRS to the network device.

[0171] Correspondingly, the network device receives the SRS from the terminal device.

[0172] The terminal device sends a Channel Sensing Reference (SRS) to the network device based on configuration information. The SRS is used for channel sensing. Based on the channel sensing results of the SRS, the network device determines the SRS resource with the best channel conditions from the at least one SRS resource. Alternatively, the network device can also determine an SRS resource from the at least one SRS resource based on the channel sensing results of the SRS and preset filtering conditions.

[0173] S403: The network device sends information A to the terminal device.

[0174] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives information A from the network device.

[0175] Information A is used to indicate the SRS resource uniquely identified by the network device in S402.

[0176] Optionally, the information A can be transmitted via DCI signaling and indicated via the SRS resource indicator (SRI) field in the DCI signaling; or, the information A can also be transmitted or indicated via other signaling or indication methods, which are not limited in this application.

[0177] S404: The network device sends information B to the terminal device.

[0178] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives information B from the network device.

[0179] Information B is used to indicate the precoding matrix used for uplink transmission, which is determined based on the channel detection results of SRS in S402.

[0180] Optionally, the information B can be transmitted via DCI signaling; or via PMI; or via other means. This application does not limit the specific transmission method of information B.

[0181] Furthermore, this application does not limit the process of how the network device performs channel measurement based on the received SRS, or how the network device determines the precoding matrix based on the channel measurement results. You can refer to the descriptions of network devices performing channel measurement based on reference signals and determining the precoding matrix based on the channel measurement results in the existing related technologies.

[0182] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific timing of the execution of step S404. For example, S404 can be performed before S403; or S404 can be performed after S403; or S404 can be performed simultaneously with S403.

[0183] S405: The terminal device sends a first reference signal to the network device.

[0184] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first reference signal from the terminal device.

[0185] Specifically, for an explanation of the first reference signal, please refer to the relevant description of the first reference signal in method 200 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0186] S406: Network devices schedule uplink data based on the first reference signal.

[0187] Specifically, the content of the network device scheduling uplink data according to the first reference signal can be found in the relevant description in step S202 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0188] S407: The terminal device sends uplink data and DMRS to the network device.

[0189] Correspondingly, the network device receives uplink data and DMRS from the terminal device.

[0190] Specifically, the process of the terminal device sending uplink data and DMRS to the network device can be found in the relevant description in step S203 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0191] It should be noted that the DMRS can be a specific form of the second reference signal in method 200 above. The relationship between the DMRS and the first reference signal can be referred to the relationship between the second reference signal and the first reference signal in method 200 above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0192] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an uplink transmission method 500 based on a non-codebook applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0193] S501: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device.

[0194] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives configuration information sent by the network device.

[0195] The configuration information includes a set of SRS resources for non-codebook purposes, used to indicate the SRS resources that the terminal device can use, wherein the SRS resource set includes at least one SRS resource.

[0196] S502: The network device sends a downlink reference signal to the terminal device.

[0197] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the downlink reference signal sent by the network device.

[0198] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific timing of the execution of step S502. For example, S502 can be performed before S501; or S502 can be performed after S501; or S502 can be performed simultaneously with S501.

[0199] S503: The terminal device sends an SRS to the network device.

[0200] Correspondingly, the network device receives the SRS from the terminal device.

[0201] Specifically, the terminal device precodes the SRS based on the configuration information of the at least one SRS resource and the channel measurement results of the downlink reference signal, and then sends it to the network device based on channel reciprocity. The precoding matrix is ​​not limited to a specific codebook, and the terminal device can indicate candidate precoding matrices on the SRS.

[0202] S504: The network device sends information C to the terminal device.

[0203] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives information C from the network device.

[0204] The information C is determined based on the channel measurement results of SRS in S403 and is used to indicate the information required for uplink transmission, such as optimal weights, stream number, or precoding matrix.

[0205] For example, the information C is used to instruct the network device to determine the precoding matrix for uplink transmission from the candidate precoding matrices based on the channel measurement results of the SRS.

[0206] Optionally, the information C can be transmitted via DCI signaling and indicated via the SRI field in the DCI signaling; or, the information C can also be transmitted or indicated via other signaling or indication methods, which are not limited in this application.

[0207] S505: The terminal device sends a first reference signal to the network device.

[0208] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first reference signal from the terminal device.

[0209] Specifically, for an explanation of the first reference signal, please refer to the relevant description of the first reference signal in method 200 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0210] S506: Network devices schedule uplink data based on the first reference signal.

[0211] Specifically, the content of the network device scheduling uplink data according to the first reference signal can be found in the relevant description in step S202 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0212] S508: Terminal devices send uplink data and DMRS to network devices.

[0213] Correspondingly, the network device receives uplink data and DMRS from the terminal device.

[0214] Specifically, the process of the terminal device sending uplink data and DMRS to the network device can be found in the relevant description in step S203 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0215] It should be noted that the DMRS can be a specific form of the second reference signal in method 200 above. The relationship between the DMRS and the first reference signal can be referred to the relationship between the second reference signal and the first reference signal in method 200 above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0216] To facilitate understanding of the above embodiments provided in this application, the following points are made.

[0217] (1) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, or implicit instruction. When a certain instruction information is described as indicating A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0218] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. Furthermore, the information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information pieces, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information pieces can be the same or different.

[0219] (2) In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY via the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0220] (3) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0221] (4) In this application, "first" or "second" is used for descriptive convenience only to distinguish objects and is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. It is not used to describe the order or sequence of features. It should be understood that such described objects can be interchanged where appropriate to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application.

[0222] (5) In this application, the words “exemplary,” “for example,” “exemplary,” or “as another example” are used to mean as an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as “exemplary” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs.

[0223] (6) In this application, “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to,” unless otherwise specifically emphasized. “At least one” means one or more, and “more” means two or more.

[0224] (7) In this application, "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or, b, or, c, or, a and b, or, a and c, or, b and c, or, a, b, and c. Where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0225] (8) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0226] The methods of the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 2 to 5. In order to implement the functions of the methods provided in this application, both the transmitting device and the receiving device may include hardware structures and / or software modules, and the above functions may be implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules. Whether a certain function is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0227] The communication device of the present application embodiment is described below with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

[0228] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device 600 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0229] The device 600 includes a transceiver unit 610 and a processing unit 620. The transceiver unit 610 can communicate with the outside world, and the processing unit 620 is used for data processing. The transceiver unit 610 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0230] Optionally, the transceiver unit 610 may also be referred to as a communication interface or communication unit, including a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit. The transceiver unit 610 may be a transceiver (including a transmitter and / or receiver), an input / output interface (including input and / or output interfaces), or pins or circuits, etc. The transceiver unit 610 can be used to perform the transmitting and / or receiving steps in the above method embodiments.

[0231] Optionally, the processing unit 620 may be a processor (which may include one or more) or a processing circuit with processor functions, and may be used to perform other steps in the above method embodiments besides sending and receiving.

[0232] Optionally, the device 600 further includes a storage unit, which may be a memory, an internal storage unit (e.g., a register or cache), or an external storage unit (e.g., a read-only memory or a random access memory). The storage unit stores instructions, and the processing unit 620 executes the instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the communication device to perform the aforementioned method.

[0233] In addition, the transceiver unit 610 can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit 620 can be a processing circuit.

[0234] It should be noted that the device in Figure 6 can also be a chip or a chip system, such as a system-on-chip (SoC). The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0235] The device 600 can correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiment. For example, the device 600 can be a terminal device or a component that can be configured on a terminal device.

[0236] For example, the transceiver unit 610 is used to perform transceiver-related operations on the terminal device side in the above method embodiments, such as sending a first reference signal, sending uplink data, and sending a second reference signal.

[0237] Alternatively, the device 600 may correspond to the network device in the above method embodiments. For example, the device 600 may be a network device or a component configurable on a network device.

[0238] For example, the transceiver unit 610 is used to perform transceiver-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiment, such as receiving the first reference signal, receiving the uplink data, and the second reference signal; the processing unit 620 is used to perform processing-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiment, such as scheduling uplink data according to the first reference signal.

[0239] The aforementioned device 600 is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components that support the described functions.

[0240] The apparatus 600 of each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above-described methods. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (e.g., the transmitting unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing units, can be replaced by processors, each performing the transceiver operations and related processing operations in the respective method embodiments.

[0241] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 700 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0242] As shown in Figure 7, the device 700 includes a processor 710 and a transceiver 720. The processor 710 and the transceiver 720 communicate with each other through an internal connection path. The processor 710 is used to execute instructions to control the transceiver 720 to send and / or receive signals.

[0243] Optionally, the device 700 may further include a memory 730, which communicates with the processor 710 and the transceiver 720 via an internal connection path. The memory 730 is used to store instructions, and the processor 710 can execute the instructions stored in the memory 730.

[0244] In one possible implementation, the device 700 is used to implement the various processes and steps executed by the network device in the above method embodiments. The device 700 can be the network device in the above embodiments; or it can be a chip or chip system configured in the network device. In this case, the transceiver 720 can be the transceiver circuit of the chip, which is not limited here.

[0245] In one possible implementation, the device 700 is used to implement the various processes and steps executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The device 700 may specifically be the terminal device in the above embodiments; or it may be a chip or chip system configured in the terminal device. In this case, the transceiver 720 may be the transceiver circuit of the chip, which is not limited here.

[0246] Optionally, the memory 730 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. The processor 710 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 710 executes instructions stored in the memory, the processor 710 is used to perform the steps and / or processes performed by the network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0247] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0248] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The processor in the embodiments of this application can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0249] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM), which serves as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory, dynamic random access memory, synchronous dynamic random access memory, double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory, enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory, synchronous linked dynamic random access memory, and direct memory bus random access memory. It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0250] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip system 800 applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0251] As shown in Figure 8, the chip system 800 (or processing system) includes logic circuits 810 and input / output interface 820.

[0252] The logic circuit 810 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 800; the input / output interface 820 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 800, outputting the information processed by the chip system 800, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 800 for processing, so that the chip system 800 can realize the functions of the network device or terminal device in the various embodiments of this application. Optionally, the logic circuit 810 can be coupled to a memory unit to call the instructions in the memory unit.

[0253] This application also provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, performs the functions of the network device or terminal device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0254] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of the network device or terminal device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0255] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, 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. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, or microwave) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, or magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0256] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0257] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0258] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0259] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0260] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0261] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0262] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: A first reference signal is transmitted, which is used for channel detection; Uplink data and a second reference signal are transmitted. The second reference signal is used for demodulation of the uplink data. The first reference signal and the second reference signal use the same sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The precoding matrix of the first reference signal is the same as the precoding matrix of the second reference signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal; The number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; The number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The transition mode of the first reference signal is the same as that of the second reference signal; The transition method includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition, or comb transition.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Before sending the first reference signal, the method further includes: Receive first information, which is used to indicate the precoding matrix.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive the first reference signal; Uplink data is scheduled according to the first reference signal; The system receives the uplink data and a second reference signal, the second reference signal being used for demodulating the uplink data, and the first reference signal and the second reference signal using the same sequence.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The precoding matrix of the first reference signal is the same as the precoding matrix of the second reference signal.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal; The number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; The number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The transition mode of the first reference signal is the same as that of the second reference signal; The transition method includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition, or comb transition.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, Before receiving the first reference signal, the method further includes: sending first information, the first information being used to indicate the precoding matrix.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is used to transmit a first reference signal, which is used for channel detection. The transceiver unit is also used to transmit uplink data and a second reference signal, the second reference signal being used for demodulation of the uplink data, and the first reference signal and the second reference signal using the same sequence.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The precoding matrix of the first reference signal is the same as the precoding matrix of the second reference signal.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal; The number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; The number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The transition mode of the first reference signal is the same as that of the second reference signal; The transition method includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition, or comb transition.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Receive first information, which is used to indicate the precoding matrix.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver unit is used to receive the first reference signal; The processing unit is configured to schedule uplink data according to the first reference signal; The transceiver unit is also used to receive the uplink data and a second reference signal, the second reference signal being used for demodulation of the uplink data, and the first reference signal and the second reference signal using the same sequence.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that, The precoding matrix of the first reference signal is the same as the precoding matrix of the second reference signal.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The first reference signal satisfies at least one of the following: The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the bandwidth occupied by the uplink data; The bandwidth occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal; The number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the uplink data; The number of RBs occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the number of RBs occupied by the second reference signal; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as the frequency domain position occupied by the uplink data; The frequency domain position occupied by the first reference signal is the same as that occupied by the second reference signal.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The transition mode of the first reference signal is the same as that of the second reference signal; The transition method includes at least one of the following: group transition, sequence transition, cyclic shift transition, or comb transition.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Send a first message, which is used to indicate the precoding matrix.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes the communication device as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 15, and the communication device as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 20.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

23. A chip, characterized in that, include: A processor for retrieving and running a computer program from memory, causing a communication device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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