Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: a first terminal sending first information, wherein the first information is used for indicating that the first terminal has a first capability, which is a capability for supporting a relaxed EVM; and the first terminal then receiving second information, which is used for indicating an EVM used by the first terminal. By means of implementing the communication method, the increase in the transmission power of a first terminal during communication is facilitated, and the increase in the coverage of a signal transmitted by the first terminal is facilitated.

Description

A communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410696261.5, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on May 30, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and communication device. Background Technology

[0003] Error vector magnitude (EVM) characterizes the noise and distortion introduced by a signal through a device. Generally, a larger EVM indicates greater noise and distortion. To ensure communication quality, communication protocols specify the highest acceptable EVM for each modulation order. Typically, the higher the modulation order, the smaller the maximum (or, in other words, the highest acceptable) EVM. Maximum power reduction (MPR) is used to reduce the transmitted power of a signal, preventing an increase in nonlinear distortion due to increased power. Generally, the MPR of a signal is related to its EVM; a smaller EVM results in a larger MPR.

[0004] In other words, to ensure the signal quality of the modulated signal, the corresponding EVM is relatively small and the MPR is relatively large, which limits the transmission power of the modulated signal and results in a small coverage area. Therefore, how to improve the transmission power of the modulated signal is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device that can improve the transmission power of the modulated signal, thereby increasing the coverage of the modulated signal.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, or a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: a first terminal sending first information, the first information indicating that the first terminal has a first capability, the first capability being the ability to support a relaxed EVM; further, the first terminal receiving second information, the second information indicating the EVM adopted by the first terminal.

[0007] It should be understood that relaxing the EVM can be understood as communicating (or transmitting signals) through a larger EVM, thus allowing the transmitted signals to use greater transmission power. In the method described in the first aspect, when the first terminal has the capability to support relaxed EVM, the network device can flexibly instruct the first terminal to use the EVM during communication through the second information, thereby improving the transmission power of the signal during communication by the first terminal and improving the coverage of the transmitted signal by the first terminal.

[0008] In one possible implementation, when the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is the first EVM value. When the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is the second EVM value. The first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value. By implementing this possible implementation, when communicating using the same modulation order, the maximum EVM (i.e., the first EVM value) corresponding to the first terminal using a relaxed EVM is greater than the maximum EVM (i.e., the second EVM value) corresponding to the first terminal using a non-relaxed EVM. This means that the first terminal has a higher transmit power when communicating using a relaxed EVM, which is beneficial for improving the coverage range of the signal transmitted by the first terminal.

[0009] In one possible implementation, when the modulation order is the first modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal, which is a terminal without the first capability. By implementing this possible implementation, when different terminals communicate using the same modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal (i.e., the terminal using relaxed EVM) is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal (i.e., the terminal not using relaxed EVM). This is beneficial for increasing the transmission power of the terminal with relaxed EVM capability (i.e., the first terminal), thereby improving the coverage range of the signal transmitted by the first terminal.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the second information instructs the first terminal to use a relaxed EVM. In this case, the first terminal sends a message based on a first EVM value, which is the maximum EVM corresponding to the modulation order used in the message. By implementing this possible implementation, the maximum EVM value supported by the first terminal when sending a message is determined according to the modulation order used in the message, which helps to improve the compatibility between the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal and the modulation order, thereby improving communication performance.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first capability is one of N capabilities, each corresponding to one of N relaxed EVM levels, with the first capability corresponding to a first EVM level, where N is a positive integer. By implementing this possible implementation, the first terminal reports the supported EVM levels to the network device, which helps improve the accuracy of the reported capabilities and thus facilitates precise scheduling of the terminal device in the future.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the second information is used to indicate an EVM reference level, which is one of the N EVM levels, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level. By implementing this possible implementation, the network device indicates the EVM reference level to the terminal based on the first EVM level supported by the terminal. It is understood that the EVM reference level takes into account the first terminal's ability to support EVM (i.e., the maximum EVM corresponding to the transmitted signal supported by the first terminal) and the network device's ability to support EVM (i.e., the maximum degree of nonlinear distortion of the demodulated signal supported by the network device), which is beneficial to improving communication performance.

[0013] In one possible implementation, when the second information indicates the EVM reference level, the first terminal sends a message based on a first EVM value, which is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level. It is understood that the EVM reference level takes into account both the first terminal's EVM support capability (i.e., the maximum EVM corresponding to the transmitted signal supported by the first terminal) and the network device's EVM support capability (i.e., the maximum degree of nonlinear distortion of the demodulated signal supported by the network device). By implementing this possible implementation, the first terminal sends messages based on the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level, which helps to improve transmission power while ensuring communication quality.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first EVM level is determined based on one or more of the following: modulation order, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), carrier frequency position, carrier bandwidth, subcarrier spacing (SCS), and uplink carrier transmit power. Implementing this possible implementation helps to improve the accuracy of the determined first EVM level.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first EVM value is associated with an MPR value or a decrease in the MPR.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first EVM value is associated with the amplifier's energy efficiency or a reduction in the amplifier's energy efficiency.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the second information includes an identifier of the first carrier or an identifier of the first frequency band, which indicates the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band. By implementing this possible implementation, the second information can indicate whether a specific carrier or frequency band uses a relaxed EVM, thereby improving the flexibility of the second information.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first information is also used to indicate one or more of the following: the terminal has the capability to support relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band combination that the terminal supports for relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band that the terminal supports for relaxed EVM, or the power class corresponding to the terminal.

[0019] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as a network device or a component (e.g., a circuit, chip, or chip system) within the network device. Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, the method includes: the network device receiving first information, the first information indicating that a first terminal has a first capability, which is the ability to support a relaxed EVM. Further, the network device sends second information, the second information indicating the EVM used by the first terminal.

[0020] For the beneficial effects obtained by the methods described in any of the second aspects, please refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the methods described in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the second information instructs the first terminal to use a relaxed EVM, wherein the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is a first EVM value; or, the second information instructs the first terminal to use a non-relaxed EVM, wherein the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is a second EVM value; wherein the first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value.

[0022] In one possible implementation, when the modulation order is the first modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal, and the second terminal is a terminal that does not have the first capability.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first capability is one of N capabilities, which correspond to N relaxed EVM levels respectively, and the first capability corresponds to the first EVM level, where N is a positive integer.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the second information is used to indicate an EVM reference level, which is one of the N EVM levels, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level.

[0025] In one possible implementation, network devices schedule based on this EVM reference level.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the second information includes an identifier of a first carrier or an identifier of a first frequency band, which is used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the first information is also used to indicate one or more of the following: the terminal has the capability to support relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band combination that the terminal supports for relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band that the terminal supports for relaxed EVM, or the power level corresponding to the terminal.

[0028] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions within the terminal. Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: a third terminal sending third information, which indicates that the third terminal has a second capability, namely the ability to support a linearization algorithm on the receiving side. Further, the third terminal receives configuration information, which is used to configure the MCS adopted by the third terminal.

[0029] It is important to understand that the MCS used during terminal communication is related to the coding rate or spectral efficiency during the communication process. In the method described in the third aspect, the network device can flexibly indicate the MCS used by the third terminal during communication through configuration information, thereby improving the coding rate or spectral efficiency of the third terminal during communication.

[0030] In one possible implementation, if the third terminal has the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the first MCS; if the third terminal does not have the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the second MCS; wherein the index of the first MCS is greater than the index of the second MCS. By implementing this possible implementation, the index of the MCS used by the third terminal when supporting the receive-side linearization algorithm (i.e., the first MCS) is higher than the index of the MCS used when the third terminal does not support the receive-side linearization algorithm (i.e., the second MCS), which is beneficial to improving the coding rate or spectral efficiency of the terminal supporting the receive-side linearization algorithm.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the third information includes one or more of the following: the third terminal has the capability to support a receive-side linearization algorithm, information on the frequency band combination of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal, or information on the frequency band of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal.

[0032] Fourthly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as a network device or a component (e.g., a circuit, chip, or chip system) within the network device. Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, the method includes: the network device receiving third information, which indicates that a third terminal has a second capability, namely, the capability to support a receiving-side linearization algorithm. Further, the network device sends configuration information, which is used to configure the MCS adopted by the third terminal.

[0033] For the beneficial effects obtained by the methods described in any of the fourth aspects, please refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the methods described in the third aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0034] In one possible implementation, if the third terminal has the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the first MCS; if the third terminal does not have the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the second MCS; wherein the index of the first MCS is greater than the index of the second MCS. By implementing this possible implementation, the index of the MCS used by the third terminal when supporting the receive-side linearization algorithm (i.e., the first MCS) is higher than the index of the MCS used when the third terminal does not support the receive-side linearization algorithm (i.e., the second MCS), which is beneficial to improving the coding rate or spectral efficiency of the terminal supporting the receive-side linearization algorithm.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the third information includes one or more of the following: the third terminal has the capability to support a receive-side linearization algorithm, information on the frequency band combination of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal, or information on the frequency band of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal.

[0036] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, which can be a terminal, a device within a terminal, or a device compatible with a terminal. The communication device can also be a chip system. The communication device can execute the methods described in the first or third aspect. The functions of the communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The communication device can include one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions. These units or modules can be software and / or hardware. The operations performed by the communication device and its beneficial effects can be found in the methods described in the first or third aspect and their beneficial effects.

[0037] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device, which can be a network device, a device within a network device, or a device compatible with a network device. The communication device can also be a chip system. The communication device can execute the methods described in the second or fourth aspect. The functions of the communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The communication device includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions. These units or modules can be software and / or hardware. The operations performed by the communication device and its beneficial effects can be found in the methods described in the second or fourth aspect and their beneficial effects.

[0038] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device including a processor configured to implement the method described in the first or third aspect, or the method described in the second or fourth aspect. Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit configured to receive signals from other communication devices besides the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices besides the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory for storing instructions for implementing the methods described in the first to fourth aspects.

[0039] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method described in the first or third aspect, or the method described in the second or fourth aspect.

[0040] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product including instructions that, when a communication device reads and executes the instructions, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect, or cause the communication device to perform the method described in the second aspect, or cause the communication device to perform the method described in the third aspect, or cause the communication device to perform the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0041] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a communication system comprising a communication device for performing the method described in the first aspect and a communication device for performing the method described in the second aspect; or, comprising a communication device for performing the method described in the third aspect and a communication device for performing the method described in the fourth aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the input power and output power of a PA provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a linearization algorithm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To facilitate a detailed understanding of the embodiments of this application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system applied in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system shown in Figure 1 may also include an Internet 300. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110, and RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. It should be noted that, in the following text, RAN node 110 may also be referred to as network device 110.

[0051] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0052] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminals access communication systems wirelessly. In one application scenario, an RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), relay nodes, or donor nodes.

[0053] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RANC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0054] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0055] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminals can also be called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0056] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminals.

[0057] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0058] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0059] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0060] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection with a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell. When the terminal communicates with this serving cell, it is also subject to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0061] To facilitate understanding of the relevant content of the embodiments of this application, some terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained below. This part is only for the purpose of understanding and should not be regarded as a disclosure or specific limitation of the technical solution of this application.

[0062] 1. Power amplifier (PA)

[0063] A power amplifier (PA) is used in a transmitter to convert a low-power signal into a higher-power radio frequency (RF) signal, thereby overcoming signal attenuation between the transmitter and receiver and ensuring that the receiver can receive a sufficiently strong signal. Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between the input power and output power of a PA provided in this application. In Figure 2, the PA's output power does not increase linearly with its input power; that is, the PA can be understood as having non-linear characteristics.

[0064] Due to the nonlinear characteristics of a power amplifier (PA), there exists a situation where the PA's output power remains constant (or the increase is relatively small) as the input power increases. Understandably, in this case, if the PA is controlled to use the same output power, the nonlinear characteristics become more pronounced as the PA's input power increases. Alternatively, increasing the PA's input power and decreasing its supply voltage can improve the PA's energy efficiency while maintaining a constant output power.

[0065] 2. Linearization Algorithm

[0066] This application describes a method for compensating and correcting the linearity of a power amplifier (PA) using linearization techniques to meet the transmitter linearity requirements in mobile communication. This method is collectively referred to as a linearization algorithm. The principle of the linearization algorithm can be roughly described as adding a function to compensate for nonlinear distortion of the signal during signal transmission.

[0067] In one possible implementation, the linearization algorithm works by adding a function to cancel out nonlinear distortion before the signal input PA.

[0068] For example, please refer to Figure 3(a) to illustrate the basic principle of a predistortion technique. As shown in Figure 3(a), the nonlinear characteristics of this predistorter are the inverse process of the nonlinear characteristics of the PA. By pre-processing the signal to be input to the PA with nonlinearity through this predistorter, the nonlinear distortion generated by the subsequent PA can be canceled, thereby ensuring that the final output signal of the PA exhibits linear characteristics. The structure of this predistorter can be either analog predistortion or digital predistortion.

[0069] In another possible implementation, the linearization algorithm works by adding a function to cancel out nonlinear distortion after the PA output signal; or, in other words, by adding a function to cancel out nonlinear distortion after the receiver receives the nonlinearly distorted signal. It should be noted that when this linearization algorithm is applied to the receiver side (or understood as being effective at the receiver side, deployed at the receiver side, etc.), this application refers to this linearization algorithm as the receiver-side linearization algorithm.

[0070] For example, please refer to Figure 3(b), which illustrates the basic principle of a receiver-side linearization algorithm. As shown in Figure 3(b), the receiver can measure the reference signal from the transmitter and estimate the nonlinear characteristics of the received reference signal. Based on the estimated nonlinear characteristics, the receiver-side linearization algorithm is trained so that the nonlinear characteristics of the algorithm are the inverse of the estimated nonlinear characteristics. Furthermore, by performing nonlinear processing on the received signal through the receiver-side linearization algorithm, the receiver can cancel the nonlinear distortion of the signal, thereby ensuring that the signal power exhibits linear characteristics. It should be noted that this application does not specifically limit the type of the reference signal. For example, the reference signal can be a demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

[0071] It is important to understand that if the receiver uses a receiver-side linearization algorithm, it can receive signals with a certain degree of nonlinear distortion while ensuring a stable demodulated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), thus guaranteeing communication performance.

[0072] 3. EVM

[0073] EVM is the square root of the ratio of the average power of the error vector on the constellation diagram to the average power of the reference signal. It is used to represent the noise and distortion introduced by the signal as it passes through the device. When the received signal moves away from the target constellation point, the probability that it falls within the decision boundary of another constellation point increases, resulting in a larger bit error ratio (BER).

[0074] Typically, communication protocols specify the highest acceptable EVM level for each modulation order, or in other words, specify the maximum EVM value supported by each modulation order. For example, see Table 1.

[0075] Table 1

[0076] 4. MPR

[0077] Power back-off based on MPR ensures that the signal meets the specifications corresponding to the modulation order, thus preventing nonlinear distortion caused by increased signal transmit power. MPR can be applied to power control in network equipment.

[0078] Typically, MPR is related to the modulation order. The higher the modulation order of a signal, the greater its MPR, meaning the signal requires more power to back off and thus has lower transmit power.

[0079] To ensure signal quality during communication between the transmitter and receiver, communication protocols limit the transmit power of the signal. Specifically, a higher modulation order used by the transmitter results in a smaller EVM and a larger MPR. In this case, if the transmitter is restricted to using only a smaller EVM to reduce nonlinear distortion during transmission, the transmit power will be reduced, leading to a smaller coverage area and thus limiting communication performance.

[0080] Therefore, a relaxed EVM can be introduced. By using a relaxed EVM value where appropriate, the MPR can be reduced, thereby improving signal transmit power and coverage. For example, a relaxed EVM can be used for devices employing receiver-side linearization algorithms because, if such a device acts as the receiver, it can receive signals with a certain degree of nonlinear distortion while ensuring the demodulated SNR remains unchanged (or, in other words, guaranteeing communication performance).

[0081] This application provides several communication methods and devices that can improve signal transmission power and coverage. The communication methods and devices provided in the embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the communication method includes the following steps S401 to S403. The method execution entity shown in Figure 4 is illustrated using a first terminal and a network device as examples. It can be understood that the method execution entity shown in Figure 4 can also be a module (e.g., a chip) in the first terminal or a module (e.g., a chip, CU, or DU) in the network device. Wherein:

[0083] S401, the first terminal sends first information, which indicates that the first terminal has a first capability, namely, the capability to support the relaxed EVM. Accordingly, the network device receives the first information.

[0084] In other words, a terminal served by a network device (e.g., the first terminal) can indicate to the network device, through the first information, whether it has the capability to support relaxed EVM, or, as can be understood, whether it has the capability to support overpowered transmission. Optionally, this first information can be carried in a capability reporting message.

[0085] It should be understood that, for ease of description, this application refers to the maximum EVM corresponding to a certain modulation order (denoted as the first modulation order, which can be any of the modulation orders shown in Table 1) as the conventional EVM; and the transmission power when transmitting a message (or signal) using this conventional EVM is denoted as the conventional transmission power. The "relaxed EVM" mentioned in this application can be understood as: when transmitting a message using the first modulation order, an EVM value larger than the conventional EVM is enabled (or used). The "overpower transmission" mentioned in this application can be understood as: when transmitting a signal using the first modulation order, the transmission power of the transmitting end is greater than the conventional transmission power. It should also be understood that the use of a certain EVM value (including the conventional EVM mentioned above and the first EVM value, second EVM value, etc. mentioned below) to transmit a message can be understood as the actual EVM value for transmitting the message being less than or equal to that EVM value.

[0086] It is also important to understand that, for the same terminal (taking the first terminal as an example), when using the first modulation order, the maximum EVM value supported by the first terminal after relaxing the EVM is greater than the maximum EVM value supported by the terminal without relaxing the EVM, and the transmit power of the terminal after relaxing the EVM is greater than the transmit power of the terminal without relaxing the EVM. For different terminals (taking the first terminal and the second terminal as examples), when using the first modulation order, the maximum EVM value supported by the first terminal with relaxed EVM is greater than the maximum EVM value supported by the second terminal (which can be understood as the terminal without relaxed EVM).

[0087] The method by which the first information indicates that the first terminal has the first capability will be described below. Specifically, when the first information includes one or more of the following information 1 to information 5, the first terminal can be considered to support the relaxed EVM. Wherein:

[0088] Information 1: Support for relaxed EVM. Optionally, the first information includes a field #1, the value of which indicates whether the first terminal supports relaxed EVM. For example, when the value of field #1 is 0, it indicates that the first terminal does not support relaxed EVM; when the value of field #1 is 1, it indicates that the first terminal supports relaxed EVM.

[0089] Information 2: Information on frequency band combinations that support relaxed EVM. Optionally, the first information includes a field #2, which indicates the frequency band combinations supported by the terminal and whether the frequency band combinations support relaxed EVM. For example, field #2 indicates that the frequency band combinations supported by the first terminal include combination 1 (including frequency bands n1, n3, n5, and n7), and field #2 also indicates that carriers belonging to combination 1 support relaxed EVM.

[0090] Information 3: Information on frequency bands supporting relaxed EVM. Optionally, the first information includes a field #3, which indicates at least one frequency band supported by the terminal, and whether each frequency band in the at least one frequency band supports relaxed EVM. For example, field #3 indicates that the frequency bands supported by the first terminal include frequency bands n1, n3, n5, and n7. Field #3 also indicates that frequency bands n1 and n5 support relaxed EVM, while frequency bands n3 and n7 do not support relaxed EVM.

[0091] Information 4: Corresponding Power Class. It should be noted that there is a correlation between the power class of the terminal and the maximum supported EVM value. The first terminal can indicate the maximum supported EVM value by indicating the power class (or understanding it as indicating the correlation between the power class and the maximum supported EVM value). Optionally, the first information includes a field #4, which indicates the power class supported by the terminal (or understandable as indicating the power class supported by the terminal and the maximum EVM value corresponding to that power class, or indicating the power class supported by the terminal and the EVM class corresponding to that power class). Based on this power class, it can be determined whether the first terminal supports relaxed EVM. For example, let the power class indicated by field #4 be power class 1.5, and the EVM value associated with power class 1.5 (i.e., the maximum EVM supported by that power class) be the third EVM value. In this case, if the third EVM value is greater than the conventional EVM, then field #4 indicates that the first terminal supports relaxed EVM; if the third EVM value is less than or equal to the conventional EVM, then field #4 indicates that the first terminal does not support relaxed EVM.

[0092] Information 5: Supported EVM Levels (denoted as the first EVM level). Optionally, the protocol predefines N EVM levels (or can be understood as N EVM requirements, or N EVM demands, or N capabilities), each EVM level corresponding to a maximum supported EVM. The first information contains a field #5, which indicates the first EVM level supported by the terminal. Based on this first EVM level, it can be determined whether the first terminal supports relaxed EVM. For example, if the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level is greater than the conventional EVM, then field #5 indicates that the first terminal supports relaxed EVM; if the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level is less than or equal to the conventional EVM, then field #5 indicates that the first terminal does not support relaxed EVM. It should be understood that, in this case, the first capability can be understood as the capability to support the first EVM level. In one possible implementation, the first EVM level is determined based on one or more of the modulation order, MCS, carrier frequency position, carrier bandwidth, SCS, or uplink carrier transmission power used by the first terminal when sending messages. It is understandable that when the first terminal is configured to use multiple frequency bands or multiple carriers, different frequency bands or different carriers may correspond to different EVM levels.

[0093] S402, the network device sends second information, which is used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal. Accordingly, the first terminal receives the second information.

[0094] In other words, the network device determines whether the first terminal has the capability to support relaxed EVM based on the first information, and then instructs the first terminal whether to use the relaxed EVM capability through the second information. The second information can be a radio resource control (RRC) message, such as an RRC reconfiguration complete message or an RRC recovery complete message; or, the second information can be downlink control information (DCI). This application does not specifically limit this.

[0095] To facilitate understanding, the second information will be explained in two ways below.

[0096] Scenario 1: The second information indicates whether the first terminal uses the ability to relax the EVM.

[0097] In other words, the second information is used to indicate the first terminal's ability to use a relaxed EVM (i.e., the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM), or to indicate the first terminal's ability not to use a relaxed EVM (i.e., the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM). When the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using a first modulation order is recorded as the first EVM value; when the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using a first modulation order is recorded as the second EVM value, where the first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value.

[0098] It is important to understand that whether the first terminal uses the relaxed EVM depends on whether the first terminal has the capability to support the relaxed EVM and whether the network device has deployed a receive-side linearization algorithm (i.e., whether the network device has the capability to ensure communication performance when receiving signals with a certain degree of nonlinear distortion). If the network device has deployed a receive-side linearization algorithm and the first terminal has the capability to support the relaxed EVM, the second information instructs the first terminal to use the relaxed EVM. If the network device has not deployed a receive-side linearization algorithm, and / or the first terminal does not have the capability to support the relaxed EVM, the second information instructs the first terminal to use the non-relaxed EVM.

[0099] Scenario 2: In addition to instructing the first terminal whether to use the ability to relax the EVM, the second information also instructs the first terminal how to use the ability to relax the EVM.

[0100] In other words, when the second information instructs the first terminal to use the relaxed EVM capability, the second information also instructs how to use the relaxed EVM capability, that is, the second information also instructs the EVM value (denoted as the EVM reference value) used by the first terminal when using the relaxed EVM capability.

[0101] It's important to understand that the EVM reference value is related to the capability of the receiver-side linearization algorithm deployed on the network device. A stronger receiver-side linearization algorithm allows the network device to support a higher degree of nonlinear distortion in the received signal (i.e., more severe nonlinear distortion) while ensuring communication performance, resulting in a larger EVM reference value. The EVM reference value is also related to the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal. A larger maximum EVM supported by the first terminal results in a larger EVM reference value. In other words, the EVM reference value can be determined based on the capability of the receiver-side linearization algorithm deployed on the network device and / or the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal.

[0102] In one possible implementation 1, the first information includes information 5 or information 4 described in S401. When the first information includes information 5, it can be understood that the first information indicates a first EVM level supported by the first terminal, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level can be regarded as the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal. The first EVM level is one of N levels. When the first information includes information 4, the maximum EVM corresponding to the power level can be regarded as the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal. In this case, after receiving the first information, the network device sends second information to the terminal. The second information is used to indicate an EVM reference level, which is one of the N levels. The maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level (i.e., the EVM reference value) is less than or equal to the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal (e.g., the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level, or the maximum EVM corresponding to the power level). That is, in implementation 1, the EVM reference level is determined based on the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal and the capability of the receiving-side linearization algorithm deployed by the network device.

[0103] For example, the communication protocol defines eight EVM levels as shown in Table 2, and each EVM level corresponds to a maximum supported EVM.

[0104] Table 2

[0105] In this scenario, the first terminal sends a first message to the network device, indicating that the maximum EVM level supported by the first terminal (i.e., the first EVM level) is level #6, meaning the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is 9%. After receiving this first message, the network device determines an EVM reference level from the eight EVM levels shown in Table 2. This reference level must satisfy the capabilities of the first terminal (i.e., the maximum EVM corresponding to the reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal) and the capabilities of the receiver-side linearization algorithm deployed in the network device. The network device then sends a second message to the first terminal, indicating that the EVM reference level is level #4. In this case, the actual EVM value of subsequent messages sent by the first terminal is less than or equal to 7% (i.e., the maximum EVM supported by the reference level).

[0106] For example, the communication protocol defines eight EVM levels as shown in Table 2, each with a corresponding maximum supported EVM. In this case, the first terminal sends first information to the network device, indicating that the first terminal supports power class 2, and the maximum EVM corresponding to power class 2 is 9% (or can be understood as power class 2 corresponding to EVM level #6). After receiving the first information, the network device determines an EVM reference level from the eight EVM levels shown in Table 2. This EVM reference level must satisfy the capabilities of the first terminal (i.e., the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal) and the capabilities of the receiver-side linearization algorithm deployed in the network device. The network device then sends second information to the first terminal, indicating that the EVM reference level is level #4. In this case, the actual EVM value of subsequent messages sent by the first terminal is less than or equal to 7% (i.e., the maximum EVM supported by the EVM reference level).

[0107] In another possible implementation 2, the first information does not include information 4 and information 5 described in S401; that is, the first information includes one or more of information 1 to information 3 described in S401. After receiving the first information, the network device can send second information to the first terminal to indicate the EVM reference level. In this implementation 2, since the network device has not obtained the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal, the EVM reference level can be determined based on the capability of the receiver-side linearization algorithm deployed by the network device. In this case, after receiving the second information, the first terminal can also determine the actual EVM level used based on the EVM reference level, where the maximum EVM supported by the actual EVM level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM supported by the EVM reference level.

[0108] For example, the communication protocol defines eight EVM levels as shown in Table 2, each corresponding to a maximum supported EVM. In this case, the first terminal sends a first message to the network device, indicating that the first terminal has the ability to relax the EVM. After receiving the first message, the network device determines an EVM reference level from the eight EVM levels shown in Table 2, which satisfies the capability of the receiver-side linearization algorithm deployed by the network device. The network device sends a second message to the first terminal, indicating that the EVM reference level is level #7. Further, after receiving the second message, the first terminal determines the actual used EVM level from the eight EVM levels shown in Table 2, where the maximum EVM corresponding to the actual used EVM level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the actual used EVM level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal. For example, if the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is 7%, the actual used EVM level could be level #4.

[0109] In conjunction with the second information described in Case 1 or Case 2 above, in one possible implementation, the second information may further include the identifier of the first carrier or the identifier of the first frequency band. It can be understood that the second information is also used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band.

[0110] It's important to understand that in carrier aggregation (CA) scenarios, network devices can configure multiple carriers (also known as carrier combinations or cell combinations) for a first terminal. In this case, the second information can indicate the EVM used by some or all of these multiple carriers. That is, the first carrier can be one or more carriers in the carrier combination configured by the network device for the terminal, and the first frequency band can be one or more frequency bands in the frequency band to which the carrier combination configured by the network device for the terminal belongs. In this case, the EVM used by each carrier in the carrier combination can be the same or different.

[0111] In one possible implementation, network devices can schedule based on the EVM reference level corresponding to each carrier in the carrier combination.

[0112] For example, the network device configures a carrier combination for the first terminal including carrier #1, carrier #2, carrier #3, and carrier #4. Carrier #1 corresponds to EVM reference level #1 as shown in Table 2, carrier #2 corresponds to EVM reference level #4 as shown in Table 2, carrier #3 corresponds to EVM reference level #1 as shown in Table 2, and carrier #4 corresponds to EVM reference level #5 as shown in Table 2. In this case, when scheduling carriers in this carrier combination, the network device can schedule carriers with the same or similar EVM reference levels together, and schedule carriers with significantly different EVM reference levels separately. For example, the network device can schedule carrier #1 and carrier #3 simultaneously for communication, or schedule carrier #2 and carrier #4 simultaneously for communication, or carrier #1 (or carrier #3) and carrier #2 (or carrier #4) may not be scheduled simultaneously.

[0113] For example, the network device configures a carrier combination for a first terminal including carrier #1, carrier #2, carrier #3, and carrier #4. On carrier #1 and carrier #3, the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM; on carrier #2 and carrier #4, the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM. In this case, when scheduling the carriers in this carrier combination, the network device can schedule carriers using relaxed EVMs together (e.g., the network device can schedule carrier #1 and carrier #3 for communication simultaneously), schedule carriers using non-relaxed EVMs together (e.g., the network device can schedule carrier #2 and carrier #4 for communication simultaneously), and schedule carriers using relaxed EVMs and carriers using non-relaxed EVMs separately (e.g., carrier #1 (or carrier #3) and carrier #2 (or carrier #4) will not be scheduled simultaneously).

[0114] S403 (optional): The first terminal sends a message based on the first EVM value.

[0115] When the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM, the first terminal can send a message based on a first EVM value. This can be understood as the first EVM value being the maximum EVM used by the first terminal to send a message after relaxing the EVM, and this first EVM value is greater than the conventional EVM corresponding to that modulation order.

[0116] In one possible implementation, after receiving the second information as described in S402, the first terminal determines the first EVM value based on the modulation order used. Optionally, the first EVM value decreases as the modulation order used increases.

[0117] For example, the communication protocol specifies the EVM levels corresponding to various modulation orders after EVM relaxation, or it can be understood as specifying the maximum EVM value supported by various modulation orders after EVM relaxation. For example, as shown in Table 3.

[0118] Table 3

[0119] In this case, after the first terminal receives the second information as described in S402, if the modulation order used by the first terminal is 256QAM, the first terminal determines the first EVM value to be 11% according to Table 3.

[0120] In another possible implementation, after the first terminal receives the second information as described in S402, case two, the first EVM value is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level. For example, in conjunction with implementation 1 of S402, the first EVM value is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level indicated by the second information. As another example, in conjunction with implementation 2 of S402, the first EVM value is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the actually used EVM level.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the first EVM value is associated with an MPR value or a decrease in MPR.

[0122] In other words, each EVM value is associated with either an MPR value or a reduction in MPR. The MPR values ​​or reductions associated with different EVM values ​​can be the same or different. After the first terminal determines the first EVM value, it determines the MPR value (denoted as the first MPR) or the reduction in MPR value (denoted as the first MPR reduction value) based on this first EVM value. It should be noted that the first MPR reduction value can be understood as the difference between the first MPR and the second MPR. The first MPR is the MPR corresponding to the first terminal using the first EVM value when using the first modulation order, and the second MPR is the MPR corresponding to the first terminal using a conventional EVM when using the first modulation order.

[0123] Optionally, the first terminal can determine the first MPR or the first MPR reduction value corresponding to the first EVM based on the set of correspondences between the EVM value and the MPR (or the reduction value of the MPR), wherein the set of correspondences includes the correspondence between the first EVM value and the first MPR (or the reduction value of the first MPR).

[0124] In one possible implementation, the first EVM value is associated with the amplifier's energy efficiency or a reduction in the amplifier's energy efficiency. It should be noted that the energy efficiency mentioned in this application can be understood as power efficiency, which can be understood as the number of bits transmitted per unit of energy.

[0125] In other words, each EVM value is associated with an energy efficiency value or a reduction in energy efficiency. The energy efficiency values ​​or reductions associated with different EVM values ​​can be the same or different. After the first terminal determines the first EVM value, the corresponding energy efficiency value (denoted as the first energy efficiency value) or the reduction in energy efficiency (denoted as the first energy efficiency reduction value) is determined based on this first EVM value. It should be noted that the first energy efficiency reduction value can be understood as the difference between the first energy efficiency value and the second energy efficiency value. The first energy efficiency value is the energy efficiency value corresponding to the first terminal using the first EVM value when using the first modulation order, and the second energy efficiency value is the energy efficiency value corresponding to the first terminal using a conventional EVM when using the first modulation order.

[0126] Optionally, the first terminal can determine the first energy efficiency value or the first energy efficiency reduction value corresponding to the first EVM based on the set of correspondences between the EVM value and the energy efficiency value (or the energy efficiency reduction value), wherein the set of correspondences includes the correspondence between the first EVM value and the first energy efficiency value (or the first energy efficiency reduction value).

[0127] In summary, in the method described in Figure 4, when the network device is equipped with a receiver-side linearization algorithm, the first terminal can use a relaxed EVM to transmit uplink signals, which is beneficial to improve the transmission power and coverage of uplink signals while ensuring the quality of uplink signals.

[0128] It is understood that Figure 4 is illustrated using the example of a first terminal as the signal transmitter and a network device as the signal receiver, meaning the method described in Figure 4 can be applied to uplink signal transmission scenarios. A communication method applied to downlink signal transmission scenarios is provided below. Please refer to Figure 5, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the communication method includes the following steps S501 to S503. The method execution entity shown in Figure 5 is illustrated using a third terminal and a network device as examples. It is understood that the method execution entity shown in Figure 5 can also be a module (e.g., a chip) in the third terminal and a module (e.g., a chip, CU, or DU) in the network device. Wherein:

[0129] S501, the third terminal sends third information, which indicates that the third terminal has a second capability, namely the ability to support the receiving-side linearization algorithm. Accordingly, the network device receives the third information.

[0130] In other words, a terminal (e.g., a third terminal) served by a network device can indicate to the network device, through third information, whether it supports the receiver-side linearization algorithm, or in other words, whether it supports the ability to receive nonlinear distortion signals, or whether it has deployed (or applied) a receiver-side linearization algorithm. Optionally, this third information can be carried in a capability reporting message.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the third information includes one or more of the following:

[0132] Information 11: Information supporting the receiver-side linearization algorithm. Optionally, the third information includes a field #11, the value of which indicates whether the third terminal supports the receiver-side linearization algorithm. For example, when the value of field #11 is 0, it indicates that the third terminal does not support the receiver-side linearization algorithm; when the value of field #11 is 1, it indicates that the third terminal supports the receiver-side linearization algorithm.

[0133] Information 12: Information on frequency band combinations that support the receive-side linearization algorithm. Optionally, the third information includes a field #12, which indicates the frequency band combinations supported by the terminal and whether the frequency band combinations support the receive-side linearization algorithm. For example, field #12 indicates that the frequency band combinations supported by the third terminal include combination 1 (including frequency bands n1, n3, n5, and n7), and field #12 also indicates that the carriers belonging to combination 1 support the receive-side linearization algorithm.

[0134] Information 13: Information on frequency bands supporting the receive-side linearization algorithm. Optionally, the third information includes a field #13, which indicates at least one frequency band supported by the terminal, and whether each frequency band in the at least one frequency band supports the receive-side linearization algorithm. For example, field #13 indicates that the frequency bands supported by the third terminal include frequency bands n1, n3, n5, and n7. Field #13 also indicates that frequency bands n1 and n5 support the receive-side linearization algorithm, while frequency bands n3 and n7 do not support the receive-side linearization algorithm.

[0135] S502. The network device sends configuration information, which is used to configure the MCS used by the third terminal. Accordingly, the third terminal receives the configuration information.

[0136] When the third terminal has the capability to support the receiving-side linearization algorithm, the network device configures the MCS used by the third terminal as the first MCS; when the third terminal does not have the capability to support the receiving-side linearization algorithm, the network device configures the MCS used by the third terminal as the second MCS, wherein the index of the first MCS is greater than the index of the second MCS.

[0137] It should be noted that, in this application, the index of one MCS (e.g., the first MCS) is greater than the index of another MCS (e.g., the second MCS). This can be understood as the target code rate corresponding to the first MCS being greater than the target code rate corresponding to the second MCS. Alternatively, it can also be understood as the spectral efficiency corresponding to the first MCS being greater than the spectral efficiency corresponding to the second MCS.

[0138] In summary, according to the method described in Figure 5, when the third terminal is equipped with a receiver-side linearization algorithm, the network device can configure the third terminal with a larger index MCS, which is beneficial to improving the coding rate or spectral efficiency of communication, thereby improving communication performance.

[0139] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software transceiver units driving the hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0140] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams illustrating possible communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of terminals or network devices in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be the terminal 120 shown in Figure 1, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal; alternatively, the communication device can be the network device 110 shown in Figure 1, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the network device.

[0141] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 610 and a transceiver unit 620. The communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the first terminal or network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4 above. The processing unit 610 is used to process information received by the transceiver unit 620, or the transceiver unit 620 is used to transmit information processed by the processing unit 610.

[0142] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the function of the first terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG4: the transceiver unit 620 is used to send first information, which is used to indicate that the first terminal has a first capability, which is the capability to support the relaxation error vector amplitude EVM; the transceiver unit 620 is also used to receive second information, which is used to indicate the EVM adopted by the first terminal.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is a first EVM value; or, the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is a second EVM value; wherein the first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value.

[0144] In one possible implementation, when the modulation order is the first modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal, and the second terminal is a terminal that does not have the first capability.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the second information instructs the first terminal to use a relaxed EVM, and the transceiver unit 620 is further configured to send a message based on a first EVM value, which is the maximum EVM corresponding to the modulation order used by the message.

[0146] In one possible implementation, the first capability is one of N capabilities, which correspond to N relaxed EVM levels respectively, and the first capability corresponds to a first EVM level, where N is a positive integer.

[0147] In one possible implementation, the second information is used to indicate an EVM reference level, which is one of the N EVM levels, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the second information indicates the EVM reference level, and the transceiver unit 620 is further configured to send a message based on a first EVM value, wherein the first EVM value is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the first EVM level is determined based on one or more of the following: modulation order, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), carrier frequency position, carrier bandwidth, subcarrier spacing (SCS), and uplink carrier transmit power.

[0150] In one possible implementation, the first EVM value is associated with the value of the maximum backoff power (MPR) or a reduction in the MPR.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the first EVM value is associated with the amplifier's energy efficiency or a reduction in the amplifier's energy efficiency.

[0152] In one possible implementation, the second information includes an identifier of a first carrier or an identifier of a first frequency band, which is used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band.

[0153] In one possible implementation, the first information is also used to indicate one or more of the following: the first terminal has the capability to support relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band combination of the first terminal that supports relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band of the first terminal that supports relaxed EVM, or the power class corresponding to the first terminal.

[0154] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 620 and the processing unit 610, please refer to the relevant description of the first terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0155] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the function of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG4: the transceiver unit 620 is used to receive first information, the first information being used to indicate that the first terminal has a first capability, the first capability being the capability to support the relaxation error vector amplitude EVM; the transceiver unit 620 is also used to send second information, the second information being used to indicate the EVM adopted by the first terminal.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is a first EVM value; or, the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is a second EVM value; wherein the first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value.

[0157] In one possible implementation, when the modulation order is the first modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal, and the second terminal is a terminal that does not have the first capability.

[0158] In one possible implementation, the first capability is one of N capabilities, which correspond to N relaxed EVM levels respectively, and the first capability corresponds to a first EVM level, where N is a positive integer.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the second information is used to indicate an EVM reference level, which is one of the N EVM levels, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 610 is also configured to perform scheduling based on the EVM reference level.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the second information includes an identifier of a first carrier or an identifier of a first frequency band, which is used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the first information is also used to indicate one or more of the following: the terminal has the capability to support relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band combination that the terminal supports for relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band that the terminal supports for relaxed EVM, or the power class corresponding to the terminal.

[0163] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 620 and the processing unit 610, please refer to the relevant description of the network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0164] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 610 and a transceiver unit 620. The communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the third terminal or network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5 above. The processing unit 610 is used to process information received by the transceiver unit 620, or the transceiver unit 620 is used to transmit information processed by the processing unit 610.

[0165] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the function of the third terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG5: the transceiver unit 620 is used to send third information, which is used to indicate that the third terminal has a second capability, which is the ability to support the receiving side linearization algorithm; the transceiver unit 620 is also used to receive configuration information, which is used to configure the MCS adopted by the third terminal.

[0166] In one possible implementation, if the third terminal has the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the first MCS; if the third terminal does not have the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the second MCS; wherein the index of the first MCS is greater than the index of the second MCS.

[0167] In one possible implementation, the third information includes one or more of the following: the third terminal has the capability to support a receive-side linearization algorithm, information on the frequency band combination of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal, or information on the frequency band of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal.

[0168] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 620 and the processing unit 610, please refer to the relevant description of the third terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5.

[0169] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5: the transceiver unit 620 is used to receive third information, which is used to indicate that the third terminal has a second capability, which is the capability to support the receiving side linearization algorithm; the transceiver unit 620 is also used to send configuration information, which is used to configure the MCS adopted by the third terminal.

[0170] In one possible implementation, if the third terminal has the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the first MCS; if the third terminal does not have the second capability, the configuration information indicates that the MCS used by the third terminal is the second MCS; wherein the index of the first MCS is greater than the index of the second MCS.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the third information includes one or more of the following: the third terminal has the capability to support a receive-side linearization algorithm, information on the frequency band combination of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal, or information on the frequency band of the receive-side linearization algorithm supported by the third terminal.

[0172] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 620 and the processing unit 610, please refer to the relevant description of the network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5.

[0173] As shown in FIG7, the communication device 700 includes a processor 710, which is used to perform the method described in FIG4 or FIG5 above.

[0174] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include an interface circuit 720, which is coupled to the processor 710. The interface circuit 720 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. When the communication device 700 is used to implement the method shown in FIG4 or FIG5, the processor 710 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 610, and the interface circuit 720 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 620.

[0175] Optionally, the communication device 700 may also include a memory 730 for storing instructions executed by the processor 710, or storing input data required for the processor 710 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 710 executes instructions.

[0176] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from the base station, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. The terminal chip sends information to the base station, which can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0177] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip used in a network device, the network device chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The network device chip receives information from the terminal, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, and then sent to the network device chip by these modules. The network device chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being forwarded to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0178] In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information transmission and reception can be between RAN nodes and terminals, such as between a base station and a terminal; between two RAN nodes, such as between a CU and a DU; or between different modules within a single device, such as between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules of the base station.

[0179] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0180] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0181] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When a computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions of the embodiments of this application are performed. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, a computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0182] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0183] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the preceding and following related objects. "Including at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B, and C.

[0184] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method includes: Send a first message, the first message being used to indicate that the first terminal has a first capability, the first capability being the ability to support the relaxation error vector magnitude EVM; Receive second information, which indicates the EVM used by the first terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second information indicates that the first terminal adopts a relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when adopting the first modulation order is the first EVM value; Alternatively, the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is the second EVM value; Wherein, the first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the modulation order is the first modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal, and the second terminal is a terminal that does not have the first capability.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The second information instructs the first terminal to adopt a relaxed EVM, and the method further includes: The message is sent based on a first EVM value, which is the maximum EVM corresponding to the modulation order used in the message.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first ability is one of N abilities, which correspond to N different EVM levels of relaxation. The first ability corresponds to the first EVM level, and N is a positive integer.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second information is used to indicate the EVM reference level, which is one of the N EVM levels, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The second information indicates the EVM reference level, and the method further includes: A message is sent based on a first EVM value, wherein the first EVM value is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The first EVM level is determined based on one or more of the following: modulation order, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), carrier frequency position, carrier bandwidth, subcarrier spacing (SCS), and uplink carrier transmit power.

9. The method of claim 4 or 7, wherein, The first EVM value is associated with the value of the maximum backoff power (MPR) or a decrease in the MPR.

10. The method of any one of claims 4, 7 or 9, wherein, The first EVM value is associated with the amplifier's energy efficiency or a reduction in the amplifier's energy efficiency.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The second information includes an identifier of the first carrier or an identifier of the first frequency band, and the second information is used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band.

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The first information is also used to indicate one or more of the following: the first terminal has the ability to support relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band combination of the first terminal that supports relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band of the first terminal that supports relaxed EVM, or the power class corresponding to the first terminal.

13. A method of communication, comprising: The method includes: Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate that the first terminal has a first capability, the first capability being the ability to support the relaxation error vector magnitude EVM; Send a second message, which indicates the EVM used by the first terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second information indicates that the first terminal adopts a relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when adopting the first modulation order is the first EVM value; Alternatively, the second information indicates that the first terminal uses a non-relaxed EVM, and the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal when using the first modulation order is the second EVM value; Wherein, the first EVM value is greater than the second EVM value.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, When the modulation order is the first modulation order, the maximum EVM supported by the first terminal is greater than the maximum EVM supported by the second terminal, and the second terminal is a terminal that does not have the first capability.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first ability is one of N abilities, which correspond to N different EVM levels of relaxation. The first ability corresponds to the first EVM level, and N is a positive integer.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The second information is used to indicate the EVM reference level, which is one of the N EVM levels, and the maximum EVM corresponding to the EVM reference level is less than or equal to the maximum EVM corresponding to the first EVM level.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: Scheduling is performed based on the EVM reference level.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13-18, characterized in that, The second information includes an identifier of the first carrier or an identifier of the first frequency band, and the second information is used to indicate the EVM used by the first terminal on the first carrier or the first frequency band.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate one or more of the following: the first terminal has the ability to support relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band combination of the first terminal that supports relaxed EVM, information on the frequency band of the first terminal that supports relaxed EVM, or the power class corresponding to the first terminal.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 13-20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The processor is included, the processor being configured to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or the processor being configured to implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-20.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-20.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-20.

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