Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: receiving first configuration information and A reference signals, wherein A is greater than or equal to 2, and the A reference signals correspond to A resources; and sending first channel information, wherein the first channel information comprises channel information corresponding to at least one of B resources, the B resources are obtained on the basis of a first group of reference signals among the A reference signals, the number of reference signals comprised in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals comprised in the first group of reference signals, the first group of reference signals are obtained by grouping the A reference signals on the basis of the first configuration information, and the first group of reference signals comprise at least two reference signals. The method provided in the present application reduces overhead of resources required for acquiring channel information of reference signals, and can obtain better performance.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410699503.6, filed on May 30, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", 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 apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Due to the scarcity of spectrum resources, future mobile communication frequency bands will evolve towards higher frequencies, such as U6G or 13G. As the frequency increases, signal propagation loss also increases, leading to a deterioration in network coverage performance. To improve uplink and downlink coverage, a hybrid analog and digital beamforming (HBF) antenna architecture will be configured.

[0004] Like terminals in digital beamforming (DBF) architectures, user equipment (UEs) in HBF architectures require appropriate weighting to achieve coverage gains. However, in HBF architectures, in order to obtain reference signal channel information, in addition to notifying the user terminal of the digital weights as usual, analog weights also need to be notified. With the increase in massive MIMO antennas, the number of analog beams increases, which leads to a significant increase in reference signal resource overhead.

[0005] Therefore, how to reduce the resource overhead required to acquire reference signal channel information is one of the problems that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus in which a terminal device, by sensing weights, weights the received reference signals to obtain more reference signal resources and more channel information. The method provided in this application reduces the resource overhead required to obtain reference signal channel information and achieves better performance.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal side, or by other entities, and this application does not limit the scope of execution. The terminal side includes a terminal device, or chips or circuits within the terminal device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or functional modules within the terminal device capable of calling and executing programs. For ease of description, the following explanation uses a terminal device as an example.

[0008] The communication method provided in this application includes receiving first configuration information and A reference signals, where A is greater than or equal to 2, and the A reference signals correspond to A resources. The method further includes transmitting first channel information, which includes channel information corresponding to at least one of B resources. The B resources are obtained based on a first set of reference signals from the A reference signals. The number of resources contained in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals contained in the first set of reference signals. The first set of reference signals is obtained by grouping the A reference signals based on the first configuration information. The first set of reference signals includes at least two reference signals.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device can divide A reference signals into at least one group, acquire the first group of reference signals, and acquire B resources based on the first group of reference signals. The number of resources in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals in the first group of reference signals. The terminal device can acquire more reference signal resources based on the received reference signals, reducing the resource overhead required to acquire reference signal channel information. The terminal device reports the channel information corresponding to at least one of the B resources through the first configuration information. The terminal device selects and reports the appropriate channel information according to actual needs, which not only saves signaling overhead but also allows for the reporting of high-performance channel information to achieve better communication performance.

[0010] It should be understood that A reference signals can be divided into one or more sets of reference signals, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0011] It should be understood that the first set of reference signals may include two or all of the A reference signals, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0012] It should be understood that resources include actual resources and virtual resources. Actual resources include reference signals and the beam resources corresponding to the reference signals. Virtual resources include reference signals obtained by interpolation based on the reference signals and virtual beam resources obtained by interpolation based on the actual beam resources.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information is used to indicate a first weight. The first weight is used to acquire B resources. The number of resources distributed along the first dimension among the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device acquires B resources based on the weight information of the first dimension. The number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension for these B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension in the first group of reference signals. The terminal device superimposes the weight information onto the first group of reference signals in the first dimension and performs interpolation to acquire the B resources. The terminal device can acquire more reference signal resources by superimposing weight information on a small number of reference signals and performing interpolation in a specific dimension, thus reducing the resource overhead required to acquire reference signal channel information.

[0015] It should be understood that the first dimension includes the horizontal or vertical direction, and this application does not make any special limitation on it.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the number of resources distributed along the second dimension in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device acquires B resources based on the weight information of the first and second dimensions. The number of reference signals distributed along the first and second dimensions of the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the first and second dimensions in the first group of reference signals. The terminal device superimposes the weight information onto the first group of reference signals in the first and second dimensions and performs interpolation to acquire B reference signals. The terminal device can acquire more reference signal resources by superimposing weight information on a small number of reference signals and performing interpolation in multiple dimensions, thereby reducing the resource overhead required to acquire reference signal channel information.

[0018] It should be understood that the second dimension includes both the vertical and horizontal directions, and this application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0019] In one alternative implementation, the first and second dimensions are perpendicular to each other.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information is used to indicate grouping information. The grouping information is used to acquire reference signals of at least one group, the reference signals of the at least one group including a first group of reference signals. In the first group of reference signals, at least two reference signals are distributed along a first dimension and / or a second dimension.

[0021] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device groups A reference signals according to the first configuration information. The terminal device can divide the groups from different dimensions. The terminal device can obtain B resources by weighting only the reference signals of one group, without needing to weight all A reference signals. This can further save the terminal's operating resources and improve the operating efficiency of the terminal device.

[0022] It should be understood that a terminal device may divide at least two reference signals with the same first dimension into a first reference signal subgroup; a terminal device may also divide at least two reference signals with the same second dimension into a first reference signal subgroup; a terminal device may also divide at least two resources with the same first dimension and at least two resources with the same second dimension into a first reference signal subgroup; this application does not make any special limitations in this regard.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, at least one set of reference signals further includes a second set of reference signals. There is an intersection between the reference signals in the first set and the second set.

[0024] In one alternative implementation, the second set of reference signals may include one or more of the A reference signals, and this application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information further includes a first parameter and / or a second parameter. The first parameter is used to indicate the number of reference signals distributed along a first dimension in the first set of reference signals; the second parameter is used to indicate the number of reference signals distributed along a second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0026] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device groups A reference signals according to the number of reference signals contained in each dimension indicated by the network device.

[0027] In one alternative implementation, the terminal device divides the first group of reference signals based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter.

[0028] In one alternative implementation, the parameters indicated by the network device are used as reference signals to divide one or more groups.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first channel information includes first index information. The first index information is used to indicate at least one resource among the B resources distributed along a first dimension or a second dimension.

[0030] Based on the above technical solution, the first channel information reported by the terminal device includes first index information. The network device uses the first index information to determine the corresponding resource, thereby obtaining the channel information of the corresponding resource. The terminal device reporting the reference signal using an index method can further reduce signaling overhead.

[0031] It should be understood that the first channel information may also include second index information, which is used to indicate B resources, and the first index information is used to indicate at least one of the B resources.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information further includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter. The first interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources distributed along a first dimension among the B resources; the second interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources distributed along a second dimension among the B resources.

[0033] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device acquires B resources according to the first interpolation parameters and / or the second interpolation parameters, based on the first set of reference signals. The terminal device can acquire more reference signal resources by superimposing weight information on a small number of resources and performing interpolation in multiple dimensions, thereby reducing the resource overhead required to acquire reference signal channel information.

[0034] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information is also used to instruct the first set of reference signals to be interpolated in the first dimension and / or the second dimension to obtain B resources.

[0035] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device interpolates by superimposing weights on the first set of reference signals to obtain B resources. The terminal device can obtain more reference signal resources by superimposing weight information on a small number of reference signals and interpolating in multiple dimensions, thus reducing the resource overhead required to obtain reference signal channel information.

[0036] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information further includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter. The first interpolation parameter indicates the number of resources interpolated by the B resources in the first dimension, and the second interpolation parameter indicates the number of resources interpolated by the B resources in the second dimension.

[0037] In one alternative implementation, a first interpolation parameter is used to indicate the interpolation factor of the first set of reference signals in the first dimension; a second interpolation parameter is used to indicate the interpolation factor of the first set of reference signals in the second dimension.

[0038] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the number of resources among the B resources is greater than or equal to the number of resources corresponding to the first set of reference signals.

[0039] Secondly, this application provides a communication method. This method can be executed by a network side, or by other entities; this application does not limit the scope of the method. The network side includes a network device, a chip or chip system within the network device, a circuit, a central unit (CU) or distributed unit (DU) within the network device, or a functional module within the network device capable of calling and executing a program. For ease of description, the following explanation uses execution by a network device as an example.

[0040] The communication method provided in this application includes transmitting first configuration information and A reference signals, where A is greater than or equal to 2, and the A reference signals correspond to A resources. The method further includes transmitting first channel information, which includes channel information corresponding to at least one of B resources. The B resources are obtained based on a first set of reference signals from the A reference signals. The number of resources contained in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals contained in the first set of reference signals. The first set of reference signals is obtained by grouping the A reference signals based on the first configuration information. The first set of reference signals includes at least two reference signals.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information is used to indicate a first weight. The first weight is used to acquire B resources. The number of resources distributed along the first dimension among the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the number of resources distributed along the second dimension in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information is used to indicate grouping information. The grouping information is used to acquire reference signals for at least one group, the reference signals for at least one group including a first group of reference signals. In the first group of reference signals, at least two reference signals are distributed along a first dimension and / or a second dimension.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, at least one set of reference signals further includes a second set of reference signals. There is an intersection between the reference signals of the first set and the second set.

[0045] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information further includes a first parameter and / or a second parameter. The first parameter indicates the number of reference signals distributed along a first dimension in the first set of reference signals; the second parameter indicates the number of reference signals distributed along a second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0046] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first channel information includes first index information. The first index information is used to indicate at least one resource among the B resources distributed along a first dimension or a second dimension.

[0047] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information further includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter. The first interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources distributed along the first dimension among the B resources; the second interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources distributed along the second dimension among the B resources.

[0048] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information is also used to instruct the first set of reference signals to be interpolated in the first dimension and / or the second dimension to obtain B resources.

[0049] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information further includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter. The first interpolation parameter indicates the number of resources interpolated by the B resources in the first dimension, and the second interpolation parameter indicates the number of resources interpolated by the B resources in the second dimension.

[0050] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the number of resources among the B resources is greater than or equal to the number of resources corresponding to the first set of reference signals.

[0051] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions of the first aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first aspect above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0052] The communication device can be a terminal device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the terminal device that corresponds to each of the methods, operations, steps, or actions described in the first aspect above, or a device that can be matched with the terminal.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a transceiver unit (or communication module) and a processing unit (or processing module) connected to the transceiver unit.

[0054] The transceiver unit can perform the receiving and sending processes in the first aspect mentioned above, and the processing unit of the communication device can perform other processes in the first aspect mentioned above besides receiving and sending.

[0055] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions of the second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means that perform the operations involved in the second aspect above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0056] The communication device can be a network device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the network device that corresponds to each of the methods, operations, steps, or actions described in the second aspect above, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the network device.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a transceiver unit (or communication module) and a processing unit (or processing module) connected to the transceiver unit.

[0058] The transceiver unit can perform the receiving and sending processes in the second aspect described above, and the processing unit of the communication device can perform other processes in the second aspect described above besides receiving and sending.

[0059] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device. The communication device can be either the terminal side or the network side as described above. The communication device includes a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The processor controls the transceiver to transmit and receive signals, the memory stores a computer program, and the processor retrieves and runs the computer program from the memory, causing the communication device to perform the methods in any of the possible implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0060] Optionally, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0061] Alternatively, the memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory can be set up separately from the processor.

[0062] Optionally, the communication device may also include a transceiver, including a transmitter and / or a receiver.

[0063] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device, the communication device including a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer program or instructions necessary to implement the functions involved in the first aspect above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, such that when the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect above.

[0064] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0065] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0066] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip that contains a modem module.

[0067] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device, the communication device including a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer program or instructions necessary to implement the functions involved in the second aspect above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect above.

[0068] Eighthly, this application provides a communication system. The communication system includes a terminal device and / or a network device, wherein the terminal side is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above, and the network side is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0069] Ninthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer program code or instructions, which, when executed, cause the method in any of the possible implementations of the first and second aspects described above to be implemented.

[0070] In a tenth aspect, a chip or chip system is provided. The chip or chip system includes at least one processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program that, when executed, causes the methods in any of the possible implementations of the first and second aspects described above to be implemented.

[0071] For example, the chip may include input circuitry or interface for transmitting information or data, and output circuitry or interface for receiving information or data.

[0072] In one aspect, this application provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes: computer program code or instructions, which, when executed, cause the method in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect to be implemented.

[0073] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a computer program. When the computer program is run, it causes the method in any of the possible implementations of the first or second aspect to be implemented.

[0074] It should be understood that the beneficial effects of the second to twelfth aspects mentioned above can be referenced from the first aspect mentioned above and any possible implementation thereof, which will not be elaborated here. Attached Figure Description

[0075] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0076] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of hybrid beamforming.

[0077] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a channel information acquisition method provided in this embodiment.

[0078] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of a reference signal on a two-dimensional plane according to an embodiment of this application.

[0079] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0080] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0081] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a reference signal distribution provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0082] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of an M simulated beams obtained according to an embodiment of this application.

[0083] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0084] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0085] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments provided in this application, the following points are first explained:

[0086] 1) In this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0087] 2) 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 mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or, b, or, c, or, a and b, or, a and c, or, b and c, or, a, b, and c. Here, a, b, and c can each be single or multiple.

[0088] 3) In this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations (e.g., #1, #2, etc.) indicate distinctions made for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they may distinguish different messages, rather than describing a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such descriptions can be interchanged where appropriate to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application.

[0089] 4) In this application, descriptions such as “when…”, “under the circumstances of…” and “if” all refer to the fact that the device will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0090] 5) In this application, "instruction" or "for instruction" can include both direct and indirect instruction. When describing an instruction as being used to instruct A, it may include whether the instruction directly instructs A or indirectly instructs A, but does not necessarily mean that the instruction carries A.

[0091] The indication methods involved in the embodiments of this application should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately. Moreover, the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. This application does not limit the sending method, for example.

[0092] The "instruction information" in the embodiments of this application can be an explicit instruction, that is, a direct instruction through signaling, or an instruction obtained by combining other rules or parameters with the parameters indicated by the signaling, or by deduction. It can also be an implicit instruction, that is, an instruction obtained based on rules or relationships, or based on other parameters, or by deduction. This application does not specifically limit it in this regard.

[0093] 6) In this application, "protocol" can refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as 5th generation (5G) protocols, new radio (NR) protocols, and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this term. "Predefined" can include predefined terms, such as protocol definitions. "Preconfiguration" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. This application does not limit the implementation method, for example.

[0094] 7) In this application, "communication" can also be described as "data transmission", "information transmission", "data processing", etc. "Transmission" includes "sending" and "receiving". "Transmission" can be described as "output".

[0095] 8) In this application, "sending information to XX (device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being that device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to that device. "Receiving information from XX (device), or receiving information from XX (device)" can be understood as the source of the information being that device, and can include receiving information directly or indirectly from that device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source.

[0096] 9) In this application, when comparing A and B, the description "when A is greater than or equal to B, execute method A; when A is less than or equal to B, execute method B" can be implemented in a way that is either "when A is greater than or equal to B, execute method A; or when A is less than B, execute method B" or "when A is greater than B, execute method A; or when A is less than or equal to B, execute method B". This application does not limit the implementation in this way. For ease of description, the implementation methods provided in this application are all illustrated using "when A is greater than or equal to B, execute method A; or when A is less than B, execute method B" as an example.

[0097] 10) This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches may also be used.

[0098] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0099] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0100] First, the communication scenarios and systems applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0101] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5G systems or NR, and future communication systems / networks. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems.

[0102] As an example, V2X communication can include: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, and vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0103] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems, such as inter-satellite communication systems, satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication, integrated communication and navigation (ICaN) systems, and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).

[0104] As an example, a satellite communication system includes a satellite base station and terminal equipment. The satellite base station provides communication services to the terminal equipment. Satellite base stations can also communicate with each other. A satellite can act as a base station or as a terminal device. Here, "satellite" can refer to drones, hot air balloons, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, high-Earth orbit satellites, etc. "Satellite" can also refer to non-terrestrial base stations or non-terrestrial equipment. It should be understood that satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems.

[0105] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals may include reference signals, information, signaling, or data. The term "device" can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, network element, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This disclosure uses "device" as an example. For instance, a communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink signals to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink signals to the network device. In this application, "device" can be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc.

[0106] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of a terminal device, i.e., the terminal device, can be the terminal device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, chip, circuit, or communication module (i.e., a communication module that performs communication functions). This device can be installed in the terminal device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. Furthermore, the device can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0107] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device or module with corresponding communication functions. The network device can be a device used to communicate with terminal devices; it can also be called an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. In this application embodiment, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network.

[0108] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0109] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and 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 equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to CN 200. The core network equipment in CN 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0110] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system, a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system or a future-oriented communication network. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0111] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in this communication system can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0112] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (or transmit / receive point, TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a future mobile communication system / network, a base station in a future mobile communication system / network, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node may also include communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node may also be configured with program instructions for performing these functions, as well as corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application may also be a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node's functions.

[0113] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0114] In different systems, CU (including open CU-CP (O-CU-CP) and open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0115] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer); the DU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and / or the Physical (PHY) layer). Alternatively, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer (such as the RRC and / or SDAP layers), and the DU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the RLC, MAC, and / or PHY layers).

[0116] When a CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP, CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when a CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0117] The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the AMF network element in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover.

[0118] CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements, such as the user plane function (UPF) network elements in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices.

[0119] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples for ease of understanding; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0120] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0121] Terminal 120 can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, or 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, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. Terminals typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0122] For example, the terminal in this application embodiment can be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a drone, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home (e.g., game consoles, smart TVs, smart speakers, smart refrigerators, and fitness equipment), a transport vehicle with wireless communication capabilities, a communication module, or a roadside unit (RSU) with terminal capabilities.

[0123] RAN 100 and terminal 120 can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which RAN 100 and terminal 120 are located.

[0124] CN 200 can be the core network of a future communication network / system, a 5G core network, or an evolved 5G core network. Taking a 5G core network as an example, CN 200 includes AMF network elements responsible for mobility management and access management services, session management function (SMF) network elements responsible for session management, user plane function (UPF) network elements responsible for user plane packet routing and forwarding and quality of service (QoS) control, and policy control function (PCF) network elements. These core network elements can work independently or be combined to implement certain control functions; for example, AMF, SMF, and PCF can be combined into a single core network device.

[0125] Optionally, CN 200 and / or RAN 100 can be connected to the Internet 300 for information exchange.

[0126] It should be understood that the above naming is defined solely for the purpose of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of using other naming conventions in 5G networks and other future networks. For example, in future communication networks, some or all of the above-mentioned network elements may use the terminology from 5G, or they may use other names, etc.

[0127] It is understood that Figure 1 is merely an example provided for ease of understanding and does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application may also involve network elements not shown in Figure 1, and of course, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application may also include only some of the network elements shown in Figure 1.

[0128] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terms or technologies involved in this application will be explained first.

[0129] 1. Antenna Port:

[0130] An antenna port is a logical concept; there is no direct correspondence between an antenna port and a physical antenna. An antenna port is typically associated with a reference signal, and its meaning can be understood as a transmit / receive interface on the channel through which the reference signal passes. In low-frequency systems, an antenna port may correspond to one or more antenna elements that jointly transmit the reference signal; the receiver can treat them as a whole without distinguishing between individual elements. In high-frequency systems, an antenna port may correspond to a beam; similarly, the receiver only needs to treat this beam as an interface and does not need to distinguish between individual elements.

[0131] In this embodiment of the application, the antenna port that transmits the analog beam can be called an analog antenna port, or an antenna port, a port, or a channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS) port.

[0132] In this embodiment, the set of multiple antenna ports can be referred to as a port group. For example, multiple digital ports of a base station can be grouped to form multiple port groups. As another example (especially in a hybrid digital-analog beamforming architecture), a port group can be multiple digital ports corresponding to the same analog beam, simply referred to as a port group or a digital-analog port group; or, a port group can be a set of digital ports corresponding to multiple analog beams, simply referred to as a port group or a digital-analog port group. Alternatively, multiple digital ports of the same analog beam can be divided into multiple subsets, each subset being called a port group or a digital-analog port group.

[0133] 2. Beam:

[0134] A beam is a communication resource. Beams can be wide, narrow, or other types. The technology used to form beams is called beamforming. Beamforming refers to adjusting the amplitude and / or phase of a signal so that the radiated signal through an antenna array has a certain directionality, enabling higher antenna array gain. The main lobe of the antenna array's radiation pattern can be called the beam.

[0135] In beamforming technology, the amplitude and / or phase of a signal are adjusted after being filtered by a spatial domain transmission filter. Different spatial domain transmission filters using different spatial filtering parameters can achieve beams in different directions. In the embodiments of this application, the spatial filtering parameters can be replaced by beams, or the spatial filtering parameters can be replaced by spatial domain transmission filters. Spatial domain transmission filters can also be called spatial filters.

[0136] Specifically, beamforming technology includes digital beamforming, analog beamforming, and hybrid digital-analog beamforming. Digital beamforming has multiple digital processing channels. Each channel adjusts the phase (or amplitude and phase) of the signal in the digital domain, giving the radiated signal through the antenna directionality. Therefore, digital beamforming can achieve the function of a spatial transmission filter through multiple digital processing channels. Analog beamforming can transmit signals simultaneously using an antenna array composed of multiple antenna elements. Each antenna element corresponds to a phase shifter. By adjusting the phase of the phase shifter corresponding to each antenna element, the radiated signal through the antenna array is made directional. Therefore, analog beamforming can achieve the function of a spatial transmission filter through multiple phase shifters corresponding to multiple elements in the antenna array. Hybrid beamforming combines analog and digital beamforming technologies, incorporating both multiple digital processing channels and multiple analog phase shifters. Therefore, for hybrid beamforming technology, the function of the aforementioned spatial transmission filter can be achieved through multiple phase shifters corresponding to multiple array elements in the antenna array and multiple digital processing channels. However, this application is not limited to this; the aforementioned spatial transmission filter can also be implemented through other technologies.

[0137] It is understandable that one or more antenna ports that form a beam can be regarded as a set of antenna ports or a group of antenna ports. For ease of description, the following text will uniformly describe a beam as being formed by one antenna port, and one or more digital ports that form a beam as a group of ports.

[0138] In practical communication systems, beams can be characterized by resources (or signals, reference signals). A beam may include one or more antenna ports for transmitting reference signals, data channels, control channels, or sounding signals. Additionally, a beam can also be understood as a transmission configuration indicator (TCI), a transmission resource pattern (TRP), or a sounding reference signal resource indicator (SRI) (used for uplink data transmission). That is, different beams can be represented by different TCIs, TRPs, or SRIs.

[0139] 3. Reference signal (RS):

[0140] It can also be called a pilot, reference sequence, or reference signal. For consistency, it will be referred to as reference signal below. Reference signals can be used for channel measurement, channel estimation, or beam quality monitoring.

[0141] Taking CSI-RS as the reference signal as an example, the configuration information can include configuration information elements (IEs), such as CSI resource configuration (CSI-ResourceConfig) and CSI reporting configuration (CSI-ReportConfig).

[0142] The aforementioned channel status information (CSI) resource configuration can be used to configure resource-related information for CSI measurements.

[0143] The channel measurements involved in this application also include beam measurements, i.e., obtaining beam quality information by measuring a reference signal. As an example, parameters used to measure beam quality include at least one of the following: reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) (or simply signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio). In the embodiments of this application, for ease of explanation, unless otherwise specified, the channel measurements involved can be regarded as beam measurements.

[0144] At the physical layer, uplink communication includes the transmission of uplink physical channels and uplink signals. Uplink physical channels include the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), etc. Uplink signals include sounding reference signals (SRS), PUCCH demodulation reference signals (PUCCH-DMRS), PUSCH-DMRS, phase tracking reference signals (PTRS), positioning reference signals (e.g., uplink positioning RS, positioning SRS, or SRS for positioning), etc. Downlink communication includes the transmission of downlink physical channels and downlink signals.The downlink physical channels include the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), etc. The downlink signals include the primary synchronization signal (PSS) / secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical downlink control channel demodulation reference signal PDCCH-DMRS, physical downlink shared channel demodulation reference signal PDSCH-DMRS, phase tracking reference signal PTRS, channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS), cell reference signal (CRS), tracking reference signal (TRS), CSI-RS for tracking (TRS), and positioning reference signal (RS), etc.

[0145] The reference signal in the embodiments of this application is mainly used for channel measurement. For example, it may refer to the CSI-RS used in downlink channel measurement, the SRS used in uplink channel measurement, or other reference signals that can be used for channel measurement. This application does not limit this.

[0146] For example, in frequency division duplex (FDD) communication scenarios, since uplink and downlink channels lack reciprocity or cannot guarantee reciprocity, network devices typically send CSI-RS to terminal devices. The terminal devices then measure the downlink channel CSI based on the received CSI-RS and feed it back to the network device. The network device can then use this CSI to determine the resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and precoding configurations for scheduling the downlink data channels of the terminal devices.

[0147] As an example, CSI includes at least one of the following: channel quality indication (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), rank indicator (RI), CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI), layer indicator (LI), reference signal received power (RSRP), or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR). The signal to interference plus noise ratio can also be called the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

[0148] Among them, CQI, PMI, and RI are also known as the 3I.

[0149] 4. Precoding and codebook:

[0150] In a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication system, the mathematical expression for communication is y = Hx + n, where y is the received signal, H is the MIMO channel, x is the transmitted signal, and n is noise. In a communication system with multiple antennas, the signals from multiple transmit antennas can be superimposed on any one receive antenna. Therefore, the method of transmitting signals at the transmitter affects the system performance, and recovering the transmitted signal at the receiver is often complex. In this context, precoding is used to reduce system overhead and maximize the system capacity of MIMO, while also reducing the complexity of eliminating inter-channel interference at the receiver. In this case, the mathematical expression is y = HPx + n, where P is the precoding matrix (or vector). To simplify implementation complexity, P can be selected from a predefined set of matrices (or vectors), called the codebook; this method is also known as the codebook-based transmission method. If the transmitter has all the information in H, P can be obtained at the transmitter itself; this method is also known as the non-codebook (NCB) transmission method.

[0151] 5. Reference signal resources:

[0152] It can be used to configure the transmission attributes of reference signals, such as time-frequency resource location, port mapping relationship, power factor, and scrambling code. For details, please refer to the relevant chapters on reference signal resources in 3GPP technical specifications (TS) 38.211 and 38.331. The transmitting device can transmit reference signals based on the reference signal resources, and the network side can receive reference signals based on the reference signal resources.

[0153] To distinguish different reference signal resources, each reference signal resource can correspond to a reference signal resource identifier, such as a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI), an SSB resource indicator (SSB resource indicator, or SS / PBCH block resource indicator, SSBRI), or an SRS resource index or indicator (SRI).

[0154] In this embodiment, the reference signal resource may further include virtual resources that have not transmitted a reference signal. Virtual resources can be understood as resources that can be used for transmission but have not transmitted a reference signal. To distinguish them from virtual resources, resources used for transmitting reference signals can be referred to as actual resources.

[0155] In this embodiment, the virtual resource can also be replaced by coefficients or weights, whereby the weights can be used to determine the channel coefficients of the virtual resource. The coefficients can include one or more weights used to determine the channel coefficients of the virtual resource; for example, the coefficients can be a vector composed of one or more weights.

[0156] In this embodiment of the application, the channel coefficient of the virtual resource can be determined by the channel coefficient of the actual resource and the corresponding weight.

[0157] 6. Reference signal configuration:

[0158] Reference signal configuration can be divided into two parts: reference signal resource configuration and reference signal reporting configuration. The following uses CSI-RS configuration as an example.

[0159] The two most important parts of the CSI-RS configuration are "CSI-ReportConfig" and "CSI-ResourceConfig". "CSI-ReportConfig" and "CSI-ResourceConfig" are names used for ease of description only; other names may be used. This application does not impose any restrictions on their use.

[0160] The "CSI-ReportConfig" configuration allows you to set parameters related to CSI reporting, such as "Report Configuration Id," "Report Configuration Type," and "Report Quantity." "ReportConfigId" identifies a "CSI-ReportConfig," meaning one "ReportConfigId" corresponds to one "CSI-ReportConfig." "ReportConfigType" configures the reporting type, which can be periodic, semi-continuous, or aperiodic. "ReportQuantity" configures the reported information, including CRI, PMI, RI, LI, CQI, RSRP, RSRQ, SNR, and SINR. Different configurations allow you to report different information.

[0161] "CSI-ResourceConfig" can be used to configure information related to CSI-RS resources, such as the "CSI Resource Configuration Id" and the CSI-RS resources used for measurement. "CSI-ResourceConfigId" is the identifier for the "CSI Resource Configuration," used to identify the "CSI-ResourceConfig," and can be associated with "CSI-ReportConfig." The CSI-RS resources used for measurement in this application are primarily non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS resources.

[0162] For example, each terminal device can be configured with one or more NZP CSI-RS resource sets through the high-level parameters “NZP-CSI-RS-Resource”, “CSI-ResourceConfig”, and “NZP-CSI-RS Resource Set”, and each NZP CSI-RS resource set includes one or more NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0163] Each NZP CSI-RS resource can be identified by an "NZP-CSI-RS Resource Identifier (nzp-CSI-RS-ResourceId)". The identifiers of NZP CSI-RS resources within the NZP CSI-RS resource set are not necessarily sequential. For example, the identifiers (e.g., nzp-CSI-RS-ResourceId) of resources in the NZP CSI-RS resource set, ordered by beam index, may include {002, 004, 008, 003, 005}. 002 could correspond to resource index 0, 004 to resource index 1, 008 to resource index 2, 003 to resource index 3, and 005 to resource index 4. The resource index is used to indicate the transmission order of the NZP CSI-RS resources; it should be understood that the resource index is merely an exemplary naming convention.

[0164] When the terminal device reports measurements based on the above configuration, the CRI in the CSI is used to indicate the resources in the current NZP CSI-RS resource set. For example, if the NZP CSI-RS resource set is configured with K... s >1 NZP CSI-RS resource, where CRI k (k is greater than or equal to 0) corresponds to the (k+1)th NZP CSI-RS resource in the NZP CSI-RS resource set for channel measurement, where k can be the value of CRI, or k can be the index of the resource indicated by CRI.

[0165] To transmit data to the terminal, the base station needs to perform precoding on the digital port and select appropriate coding and modulation orders. The purpose of precoding is to better match the antenna (or beam) with the channel, ensuring better signal quality and less interference when the transmitted data reaches the terminal. A good modulation order and code rate maximize channel transmission capacity while ensuring reliable data transmission. The precoding and modulation and coding scheme (MCS) settings need to be determined based on channel quality and channel response. One approach is for the base station to transmit a reference signal, which the terminal uses to determine the channel and then feeds back the corresponding channel state information (i.e., CSI feedback), including PMI, precoding information, and the number of transport streams supported by the channel, i.e., rank indicator (RI) and CQI. Another approach is to use an uplink reference signal to measure and obtain uplink channel information, and then, based on channel reciprocity, further obtain downlink channel information.

[0166] 7. Channel Information:

[0167] It represents information that reflects channel characteristics and channel quality.

[0168] As an example, channel information includes at least one of the following: channel state information (CSI), channel time-varying information, or channel frequency offset information. The following explanation primarily uses CSI as an example of channel information; however, it is understood that any information reflecting channel characteristics and channel quality is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0169] Taking the method of obtaining downlink CSI through uplink feedback from terminal devices on the network side as an example, specifically, the network side sends downlink reference signals to the terminal devices, and the terminal devices receive the downlink reference signals. Since the terminal devices know the transmission information of the downlink reference signals, they can estimate (or measure) the downlink channel that the downlink reference signals have passed through based on the received downlink reference signals. Then, based on the measurement, the terminal devices can obtain the downlink channel matrix, generate CSI, and feed the CSI back to the network side.

[0170] The beamforming technology will be described below with reference to Figure 2.

[0171] In higher frequency communication systems, base stations (and some terminals in certain frequency bands) typically use large-scale antenna arrays (MAA) to compensate for path loss caused by higher frequency bands and improve coverage. Because higher frequencies result in greater signal energy transmission loss over the same transmission distance, larger antenna arrays are usually used on the network equipment side to weight the transmitted signal, achieving higher array gain and thus increasing signal transmission energy. From the perspective of base station implementation, even with large arrays, different frequency bands and array sizes use different array weighting methods (i.e., different beamforming methods). Based on the beamforming implementation scheme, they can be broadly classified into three categories: digital beamforming (DBF), analog beamforming (ABF), and hybrid beamforming (HBF).

[0172] To reduce implementation costs, large-scale antenna arrays on the network device side typically adopt the HBF architecture, which means that a digital channel drives multiple antenna elements through multiple phase shifters. Downlink signal transmission on the network device side usually adopts two-level weighting in both analog and digital domains.

[0173] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of hybrid beamforming.

[0174] When transmitting / receiving signals, digital (channels, RF units, or antenna ports) can digitally weight the signals (e.g., sub-band digital weighting, where different weights are applied to different frequency bands), while analog (channels or phase shifters) can only perform analog weighting (or full-band analog weighting, where the same weights are used across the entire frequency band). By combining digital and analog weighting, a beamforming effect is created that focuses signals in a specific direction in space.

[0175] As an example, and not a limitation, the digital channels are evenly divided into K1 groups (K1 being a positive integer) (or, K1 subarrays, K1 port groups), with each group (or subarray, port group) containing the same number of digital channels, for example, K2 (K2 being a positive integer). The weights for the first-stage beamforming are W0 = [W 0,0 W 0,1 ,...,W 0,K2-1 The K2 elements correspond to the K2 digital channels. The weights for the first-stage beamforming are broadband, and all groups use the same first-stage weight, W0. The weights for the second-stage beamforming are W1 = [W 1,0 W 1,1 ,...,W 1,K1-1 In this matrix, K1 elements correspond one-to-one with K1 digital channels. The weights for the second-level beamforming are sub-band weights, and the second-level weights differ between different groups (or subarrays, port groups), meaning the weight matrix corresponding to each digital channel is... or in, This represents the Kronecker product. The figure shows... This represents the weighting vector corresponding to the first-level weights (or simulated beam). As can be seen, different weighting vectors result in different beam directions. Therefore, network devices can adjust the beam direction by adjusting the weighting vectors.

[0176] In a two-dimensional HBF system (horizontal and vertical), each digital channel is connected to analog channels in two dimensions, e.g., horizontal and vertical. The analog (channel, or phase shifter) weighting is also two-dimensional, horizontal and vertical, and the corresponding weighting vector can be represented as follows: Where W0 and W1 represent the simulated weight vectors in the first and second dimensions, respectively, which are used to achieve better beamforming effects in two-dimensional HBF.

[0177] In one implementation, multiple digital channels are digitally weighted in the same way across the entire frequency band, which has an effect similar to analog beamforming.

[0178] In another implementation, the digital channel (or digital weighting) can be divided into multiple levels. The first level performs the same digital weighting across the entire frequency band, and the second level performs weighting of sub-bands. The effect is also equivalent to hybrid beamforming.

[0179] In some implementations, the transmission method is also used to characterize digital weighting and / or analog weighting, that is, different transmission methods correspond to different digital or analog weights (combinations).

[0180] The process of acquiring channel information and codebook will be described below with reference to Figure 3.

[0181] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a channel information acquisition method provided in this embodiment.

[0182] As shown in Figure 3, the method includes the following steps. It should be understood that the order of one or more of these steps can be adjusted, and one or more steps can be added or deleted at any point.

[0183] S301: The network device sends configuration information to the base station.

[0184] Network devices send configuration information to terminal devices. The configuration information includes, but is not limited to, reference signal configuration information and channel information reporting (or measurement) configuration information.

[0185] Channel information reporting configuration information is sent by network devices to terminals via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. It mainly consists of two parts: resource configuration information and reporting configuration information. Resource configuration information is related to measurement resources and is configured in the protocol using a three-level structure (resource configuration - resource set - resource). A network device can configure one or more resource configurations for a terminal device. Each resource configuration includes one or more resource sets, and each resource set can include one or more resources. Each resource configuration / resource set / resource includes its own index. It also includes other parameters such as the resource period and the corresponding signal type. Reporting configuration information refers to information related to the reporting of measurement results and is configured in the protocol using a reporting configuration (ReportConfig). A network device can configure one or more reporting configurations (ReportConfig) for a terminal device. Each reporting configuration includes reporting metrics, reporting time and period, reporting format, and other reporting-related information. Furthermore, the reporting configuration includes an index of the resource configuration, indicating which measurement configuration was used to measure the reported results.

[0186] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of a reference signal on a two-dimensional plane according to an embodiment of this application.

[0187] The fields n1-n2 indicate the size of the first and second dimensions of the antenna (denoted as N1 and N2). This parameter exists only for ordinary codebooks and can be understood as the distribution of the ports of the reference signal in a two-dimensional plane (single polarization), with a total number of ports P across the two polarizations. CSI-RS = 2 × N1 × N2.

[0188] The standard codebooks in existing protocols (Release 15, 16, 17, 18) are based on the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) principle. In the oversampled Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) matrix, column vectors are used to quantize and feed back the pre-coding matrix. For example, vector v... l,m The expression for is given by equation (1).

[0189] in,

[0190] In equations (1), (2) and (3) above, N1 and N2 are the sizes of the first and second dimensions, respectively, and O1 and O2 are the oversampling parameters of the two dimensions, respectively.

[0191] S302: The network device sends a reference signal to the base station.

[0192] Network devices send downlink signals (usually downlink reference signals) on the resources configured in the resource configuration information so that terminal devices can measure the downlink signals and determine the quality of each resource (i.e., the quality of the beam corresponding to the resource).

[0193] It should be understood that in a set of reference signal resources, there are at most 8 resources, K s The quantity of resources, i.e., K s ≤8.

[0194] In addition, the number of digital ports can be 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 72, 96, 128, 192, or 256.

[0195] S303: The terminal equipment performs channel information measurement.

[0196] The terminal equipment measures the downlink reference signal based on the configuration information reported by the channel information. The downlink reference signal mainly includes the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), the synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block, abbreviated as SSB), the tracking reference signal (TRS), and the CSI-RS for tracking (TRS), etc.

[0197] The terminal will perform measurements based on one or more parameters such as the number of ports of the reference signal, the codebook type, and the codebook subset limitation.

[0198] S304: The terminal sends channel information to the network device.

[0199] The terminal reports channel information to the network device, which includes, but is not limited to, the results of the terminal's channel information measurement.

[0200] It should be understood that the terminal only measures and provides feedback on the channel based on a subset of the codebook that is permitted by the configuration information.

[0201] Therefore, it can be seen that during actual measurement, the terminal is not aware of the base station's HBF or the simulated weights of the transmitted reference signals. It also does not consider the transmission of reference signals under multi-dimensional HBF. Furthermore, the terminal can only obtain the channel information corresponding to each reference signal by measuring each individual reference signal. In other words, if there are K simulated weights, the network device needs to send K reference signals to the terminal device, and the terminal device obtains the channel information corresponding to each reference signal based on these K reference signals.

[0202] When a large-scale antenna adopts a two-dimensional HBF architecture, the number of analog beams increases. The sensing method of terminal devices sensing the channel information of one (beam) based on a reference signal will cause the reference signal resource overhead to multiply, making the system unbearable.

[0203] Based on this, this application provides a communication method that enables a terminal to perceive the way the base station weights the beam based on different dimensions, and the terminal can deduce the encrypted beam and complete the beam sampling based on the perceived weighting method and the new weights indicated by the base station.

[0204] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0205] The communication method flow is shown in Figure 5. It should be understood that the order of one or more steps can be adjusted, and one or more steps can be added or deleted at any position.

[0206] S501: The network device sends the first configuration information to the terminal device.

[0207] S502: The network device sends A reference signals to the terminal device.

[0208] It should be understood that network devices can send the first configuration information and A reference signals simultaneously, or they can send them separately; this application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0209] The first configuration information is used to group A reference signals and obtain at least one group of reference signals. A is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and A reference signals correspond to A resources.

[0210] It should be understood that resources include actual resources and virtual resources. Actual resources include reference signals and the beam resources corresponding to the reference signals. Virtual resources include reference signals obtained by interpolation based on the reference signals and virtual beam resources obtained by interpolation based on the actual beam resources.

[0211] It should be understood that A reference signals can be divided into one group or multiple groups, and this application does not make any special limitation in this regard.

[0212] Based on the first configuration information, the terminal device groups the A reference signals into a first group of reference signals, which includes at least two reference signals.

[0213] It should be understood that the first set of reference signals may include two or more of the A reference signals, and the application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0214] In one alternative implementation, the first configuration information is used to indicate a first weight, which is used to acquire B resources. The number of resources distributed along the first dimension in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0215] It should be understood that in some implementations, the first weight is also called the permission vector or the weight matrix, etc., and this application does not make any special limitation on it.

[0216] It should be understood that the first configuration information can be used to directly indicate the first weight, or it can be used to indicate the index corresponding to the first weight, thereby indirectly indicating the first weight. That is, the first configuration information can also be used to indicate the index corresponding to the weight vector, or the index corresponding to the weight matrix, and this application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0217] It should be understood that in some implementations, the B resources are also referred to as the B reference signals, or the B resources corresponding to the B reference signals, or the resources corresponding to the B beams, including virtual resources. This application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0218] As an example rather than a limitation, the first set of reference signals is interpolated along the first dimension and based on the first weight to obtain B resources.

[0219] It should be understood that the first dimension includes the horizontal or vertical direction, and this application does not make any special limitation on it.

[0220] In one alternative implementation, the number of resources distributed along the second dimension in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0221] As an example rather than a limitation, the first set of reference signals is interpolated along the first and second dimensions based on the first weight to obtain B resources.

[0222] It should be understood that the first dimension includes the horizontal or vertical direction, and the second dimension includes the vertical or horizontal direction; this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0223] In one alternative implementation, the first configuration information is used to indicate grouping information, which is used to acquire reference signals of at least one group, including a first group of reference signals. In the first group of reference signals, at least two reference signals are distributed along a first dimension and / or a second dimension.

[0224] As an example and not a limitation, the first set of reference signals includes four reference signals, two of which are distributed along the first or second dimension; of the four reference signals, two are distributed along the first dimension and two along the second dimension.

[0225] In one alternative implementation, the first dimension is perpendicular to the second dimension.

[0226] In one alternative implementation, at least one set of reference signals further includes a second set of reference signals. There is an intersection between the reference signals in the first set and the second set.

[0227] As an example and not a limitation, the first set of reference signals includes reference signal 1, and the second set of reference signals also includes reference signal 1; this application does not impose any special limitations on this. Nor is there any special limitation on the number of intersections of reference signals in different sets.

[0228] In one optional implementation, the first configuration information further includes a first parameter and a second parameter. The first parameter indicates the number of reference signals distributed along a first dimension in the first set of reference signals. The second parameter indicates the number of reference signals distributed along a second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

[0229] It should be understood that the product of the first parameter and the second parameter is equal to the number of reference signals in the first set of reference signals, and the first dimension and the second dimension are perpendicular.

[0230] In one optional implementation, the first configuration information further includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter. The first interpolation parameter indicates the number of resources distributed along a first dimension among the B resources. The second interpolation parameter indicates the number of resources distributed along a second dimension among the B resources.

[0231] As an example and not a limitation, the first interpolation parameter and / or the second interpolation parameter are used to indicate the number of B reference signals obtained after interpolating the first set of reference signals based on the first dimension and / or the second dimension. The value of B is equal to the product of the first interpolation parameter and the second interpolation parameter.

[0232] In one alternative implementation, the first configuration information is further used to instruct the first set of reference signals to be interpolated in the first dimension and / or the second dimension to obtain B resources.

[0233] In one optional implementation, the first configuration information further includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter. The first interpolation parameter indicates the number of reference signals interpolated from the B reference signals in the first dimension. The second interpolation parameter indicates the number of reference signals interpolated from the B reference signals in the second dimension.

[0234] By way of example and not limitation, the first interpolation parameter and / or the second interpolation parameter are used to indicate the multiple information required for interpolation of the first set of reference signals in the first and / or second dimensions. The value of B is equal to the product of the first parameter, the second parameter, the first interpolation parameter, and the second interpolation parameter. This application does not impose any particular limitation on this.

[0235] S503: Terminal equipment obtains channel information.

[0236] S504: The terminal device sends the first channel information to the network device.

[0237] The first channel information includes the channel information corresponding to at least one of the B resources.

[0238] Resources B are obtained based on the first set of reference signals from the A set of reference signals.

[0239] The number of resources contained in resource B is greater than the number of reference signals contained in the first set of reference signals.

[0240] The number of resources in resource B is greater than the number of resources corresponding to the first set of reference signals.

[0241] In one alternative implementation, the first channel information includes first index information. The first index information is used to indicate at least one resource among the B resources that is distributed along a first dimension or a second dimension.

[0242] As an example and not a limitation, the first channel information does not need to include all reference signal information. The network device can determine the corresponding reference signals based on the first index information and obtain the channel information corresponding to these reference signals.

[0243] In one alternative implementation, the first channel information further includes second index information, which indicates B resources and the first index information indicates at least one of the B resources.

[0244] The method provided in this application allows a terminal device to acquire more channel information based on received reference signals, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the reference signals used to measure channel information. Furthermore, the terminal device can report only the necessary channel information as required for measurement, instead of reporting all channel information, further reducing the signaling overhead.

[0245] The technical solution provided in this application can be applied to both uplink channel information measurement and downlink channel information measurement. As an example and not a limitation, this application describes downlink channel information measurement as an example.

[0246] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0247] The procedure for measuring downlink channel information is shown in Figure 6. It should be understood that the order of one or more steps can be adjusted, and one or more steps can be added or deleted at any position.

[0248] S601: The network device sends configuration information 1 and / or request information 1 to the terminal device.

[0249] S601a: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device 1.

[0250] Configuration information 1 is used to configure reference signals and / or measurements. As an example and not a limitation, configuration information 1 includes, but is not limited to, reference signal configuration information and channel information reporting (or measurement) configuration information.

[0251] It should be understood that configuration information 1 is a specific implementation of the first configuration information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0252] S601b: The network device sends a request message to the terminal device 1.

[0253] Request message 1 is used to request CSI to trigger CSI measurements and / or reporting. As an example and not a limitation, request message 1 includes a CSI request.

[0254] It should be understood that S601a and S601b can be executed simultaneously or separately, and this application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0255] It should be understood that configuration information 1 and request information 1 can be sent in one message or in multiple separate messages, and this application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0256] It should be understood that S601a and S601b can be executed in one step or separately, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0257] It should be understood that S601 is an optional step, and the configuration information 1 and / or request information 1 involved in S601 can be pre-configured. That is, S601a and S601b can both be executed, or neither can be executed, or one can be executed. This application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0258] The reference signal configuration information in configuration information 1 includes, but is not limited to, port grouping, carrier index and other related information of the reference signal.

[0259] It should be understood that in some implementations, the port grouping of the reference signal is also referred to as the analog beam of the reference signal or the beam of the reference signal, which is only a designation and is not specifically limited in this application.

[0260] It should be understood that in some implementations, the carrier index is also called the component carrier index, which is only a name reference and is not specifically limited in this application.

[0261] In one specific implementation, the number of port groups is denoted as K. s Let the carrier index be denoted as c, and the number of ports in each group be denoted as P. CSI-RS,k (c), where k = 0, 1, ..., K s -1; c = 0, 1, ..., C-1.

[0262] As an example rather than a limitation, K is set. s =3, or K s =4, or K s =8, which can correspond to K of the base station respectively. s An analog beam (or a digital beam, or a hybrid digital-analog beam).

[0263] In one specific implementation, on each carrier, the number of ports in port groups with the same reference signal port grouping index is exactly the same. That is, when the index k is the same, P CSI-RS,k (c) has the same quantity, i.e., P CSI-RS,k (c1)=P CSI-RS,k (c2), c1∈c, c2∈c.

[0264] In another specific implementation, the number of ports in each port group is exactly the same. That is, the number of ports in index k of different port groups is the same, i.e., P CSI-RS,k1 =P CSI-RS,k2 ,k1∈k,k2∈k.

[0265] In another specific implementation, the number of ports is exactly the same in each carrier and each reference signal port group. That is, the number of ports in different port group indices k and different carrier indices c is the same, i.e., P CSI-RS,k1 (c1)=P CSI-RS,k2 (c2),k1∈k,k2∈k,c1∈c,c2∈c.

[0266] For the sake of brevity and clarity, this application will describe the concept based on reference signal port groups (or port groups) unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that the scenario of reference resource groups also applies, but will not be elaborated upon here.

[0267] The reference signal configuration information in configuration information 1 may also include the transmission method of the reference signal, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0268] The channel information reporting configuration information in configuration information 1 includes, but is not limited to, the number and content to be reported.

[0269] In one specific implementation, the configuration information includes the number of measured channel information groups, the number of reported channel information groups, and the PMI configuration corresponding to each information group. Here, the number of measured channel information groups is denoted as M, and the number of reported channel information groups is denoted as P. The PMI configuration corresponding to each information group includes, but is not limited to, relevant parameters for PMI reporting; this application does not impose any special limitations on these parameters.

[0270] The reference signal configuration information and / or channel information reporting configuration information in configuration information 1 may also include the method of transmitting the reference signal and / or the relationship between the reference signal and the channel information. This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0271] In one specific implementation, a set of reference signal resources includes multiple reference signals. It should be understood that the multiple reference signals correspond to multiple beams, or multiple reference signals correspond to multiple groups of reference signal ports.

[0272] When a reference signal corresponds to a port group, K s reference signals correspond to K s port groupings.

[0273] In a specific implementation manner, K s reference signal resources are located in adjacent time slots. By way of example and not limitation, K s reference signal resources are located in the same time slot; or, K s reference signal resources are located in two adjacent downlink time slots; or, again, the first and last resources among K s reference signal resources do not exceed T orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, where T is an integer.

[0274] In another specific implementation manner, K s reference signal resources are arranged in the order of the reference signal time, that is, the k1-th reference signal resource is located before the k2-th reference resource in time, where k1 < k2. Based on this manner, it is beneficial to the order of measurement and the design of the CSI measurement feedback timing.

[0275] In yet another specific implementation manner, K s reference signal resources correspond to the same subcarrier spacing.

[0276] It should be understood that, in combination with the actual scenario, the configuration information 1 may further include other configuration information related to the reporting of reference signals and channel information, and the request information 1 may further include other relevant information for requesting CSI. This application does not make special limitations here. By way of example and not limitation, the configuration information 1 may further include RRC messages or MAC control element (MAC-CE) signaling; the request information 1 may be configured by MAC-CE and / or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

[0277] S602: The network device sends reference signal 1 to the terminal.

[0278] The network device sends a downlink signal (generally a downlink reference signal) on the resources configured by the configuration information 1.

[0279] It should be understood that reference signal 1 is a specific implementation manner of the A reference signals in the embodiments of this application. The specific protection scope is subject to the claims and does not constitute any limitation to the protection scope of this application.

[0280] In one specific implementation, different reference signals correspond to different reference signal port groups or different reference signal resource groups, and are transmitted using a time-division multiplexing method, i.e., transmitted on different time-domain resources (i.e., time slots or OFDM symbols). Under the HBF architecture, time-division multiplexing allows for the transmission of multiple reference signals based on different analog beams, enabling channel information measurement. Alternatively, time-division multiplexing facilitates the joint acquisition of channel information with a larger number of ports based on multiple transmissions of reference signals (each corresponding to a smaller number of ports).

[0281] In another implementation, different reference signals correspond to different reference signal port groups or different reference signal resource groups, and are transmitted on different frequency domain resources (i.e., component carriers, resource blocks, or different subcarriers). As an example, and not a limitation, a first antenna group is used for transmission based on a first analog beam; and / or a second antenna group is used for transmission based on a second analog beam. This frequency division transmission method is beneficial for enabling the base station to quickly scan channel information.

[0282] It should be understood that the reference signal resource configured / triggered to be transmitted in this step can be periodic, aperiodic, or semi-persistent, and this application does not impose any special limitations on it.

[0283] It should be understood that reference signal 1 may include multiple reference signals, which can be sent through multiple messages or multiple steps. For the sake of simplicity, these are not shown in the figure.

[0284] In one specific implementation, reference signal 1 includes one or more beams or port groups, K s A beam or port group can be transmitted through one or more reference signals, K s A beam or port group can be accessed via K s A reference signal is sent.

[0285] S603: Terminal device obtains channel information 1.

[0286] The terminal device receives reference signal 1 from the network device and obtains channel information 1 based on the reference signal and configuration information 1.

[0287] In one specific implementation, the terminal device receives K. s The system obtains M sets of downlink reference signals and reports configuration information based on the reference signals and channel information to acquire channel information 1. Channel information 1 includes M sets of channel information.

[0288] It should be understood that K sThe downlink reference signal is a specific implementation of the A reference signals in the embodiments of this application. The specific protection scope is subject to the claims and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of this application.

[0289] In one specific implementation, K s The reference signal is divided into multiple reference signal subgroups (or reference signal subsets).

[0290] As an example rather than a limitation, the grouping of the reference signal subgroup is described below with reference to Figure 7.

[0291] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a reference signal distribution provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0292] In Figure 7, K is used as an example rather than a limitation. s =8, and the 8 reference signals are numbered as #0, #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7. The 8 reference signals are distributed in two dimensions: horizontal and vertical.

[0293] In one specific implementation, the reference signal is grouped into multiple reference signal subgroups. At least one reference signal subgroup includes at least two reference signals.

[0294] K s A reference signal can be divided into one or more reference signal subgroups.

[0295] It should be understood that when K s When a reference signal can be divided into multiple reference signal subgroups, the multiple reference signal subgroups include the first group of reference signals.

[0296] It should be understood that when K s When a reference signal can be divided into a reference signal subgroup, the reference signal subgroup is a specific implementation of the first group of reference signals.

[0297] As an example rather than a limitation, when K s When = 8, it can be divided into reference signal subgroups including but not limited to the following: {#0,#1,#2,#3},{#4,#5,#6,#7},{#0,#1},{#1,#2},{#2,#3},{#4,#5},{#5,#6},{#6,#7},{#0,#4},{#1,#5},{#2,#6},{#3,#7},{#0,#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7},{#0,#1,#4,#5},{#1,#2,#5,#6},{#2,#3,#6,#7}, etc.

[0298] In one alternative implementation, K sEach reference resource can be divided into a reference signal subgroup, which includes K. s One reference resource.

[0299] It should be understood that K s A reference resource can be divided into several reference signal subgroups. At least one reference signal subgroup includes at least two reference signals. This application does not specifically limit the number of reference signals in the remaining reference signal subgroups, which may include one or more reference signals.

[0300] In one alternative implementation, the network device is further configured to indicate the number of reference signals to be included in each reference signal subgroup, and the terminal device adjusts K based on the number of reference signals to be included in each subgroup. s The reference signals are used to divide the signal into subgroups.

[0301] It should be understood that network devices can be indicated through configuration information 1 or other messages, and this application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0302] It should be understood that configuration information 1 can configure the same number of reference signals for all reference signal subgroups, or it can configure a different number of reference signals for each reference signal subgroup. This application does not make any special limitation in this regard.

[0303] Based on the subgroups, the terminal device can further perceive the distribution of the reference signal in different dimensions within the reference signal subgroups. Different subgroups (or subsets) correspond to different dimensions, and different dimensions correspond to different directions.

[0304] As an example, and not a limitation, Figure 7 illustrates two dimensions: the first dimension corresponds to the horizontal direction, and the second dimension corresponds to the vertical direction. Specifically, {#0,#1,#2,#3},{#4,#5,#6,#7},{#0,#1},{#1,#2},{#2,#3},{#4,#5},{#5,#6},{#6,#7} correspond to the second dimension, i.e., the vertical dimension. {#0,#4},{#1,#5},{#2,#6},{#3,#7} correspond to the first dimension, i.e., the horizontal dimension. {#0,#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7},{#0,#1,#4,#5},{#1,#2,#5,#6},{#2,#3,#6,#7} correspond to both the first and second dimensions, i.e., both the horizontal and vertical dimensions.

[0305] In one alternative implementation, the number of resources in the resource subgroup corresponding to the second dimension is greater than the number of resources in the resource subgroup corresponding to the first dimension.

[0306] In another specific implementation, resource subgroups are formed based on resource indexes. The subgroup division is determined by the first parameter K1 and the second parameter K2. K1 represents the number of resources in the first dimension, and K2 represents the number of resources in the second dimension.

[0307] In one alternative implementation, the network device is further configured to indicate the resource indexes required to partition the reference signal subgroups. The network device is also configured to indicate the first parameter K1 and the second parameter K2. The terminal device, based on the resource indexes in both dimensions, determines K... s The reference signals are used to divide the signal into subgroups.

[0308] It should be understood that network devices can be indicated through configuration information 1 or other messages, and this application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0309] It should be understood that a reference signal can also be referred to as a reference signal resource, resource, etc.; a reference signal index can also be referred to as a reference signal resource index, signal index, resource index, etc.; a reference signal subgroup can also be referred to as a reference signal subset, reference signal resource subset (group), resource subgroup (set), etc.; this application does not make any special limitation in this regard.

[0310] As an example and not a limitation, the terminal device obtains K. s There are 1 reference signal and K reference resources. s = K1 × K2. K1 corresponds to the first dimension, which includes the horizontal direction; K2 corresponds to the second dimension, which includes the vertical direction.

[0311] In one alternative implementation, K1 = 1 or K2 = 1, meaning grouping is performed only on one dimension, or the terminal is unaware of the first or second dimension.

[0312] In one alternative implementation, the first dimension includes the horizontal direction, and the second dimension includes the vertical direction. Resources with the same resource index in the first and / or second dimensions are grouped into a subgroup.

[0313] As an example, and not a limitation, when the first dimension is the same, resources with an index range of K2×i to K×(i+1)-1 can be grouped into a subgroup, where i∈[0,K1-1]. Furthermore, these resources correspond to the same dimension and are in the same position within that dimension.

[0314] As an example rather than a limitation, when the second dimension is the same, resources with the index range of j,K2+j,...,k2×(k1-1)+j have the same second dimension and can be divided into a subgroup, where j∈[0,K2-1].

[0315] As an example and not a limitation, the network device indicates the values ​​of the first and second parameters through configuration information 1, i.e., K1 = 2 and K2 = 4. The terminal device calculates the reference signal number in the reference signal subset by substituting the values ​​of K1 and K2 based on the above index range calculation method.

[0316] As an example, not a limitation, when the first dimension is the same, substituting i = 0 and 1, we can calculate that the reference signals numbered {#0~#3} can be divided into one reference signal subgroup, and the reference signals numbered {#4~#7} can be divided into another reference signal subgroup. That is, the divided reference signal subgroups include {#0,#1,#2,#3} and {#4,#5,#6,#7}.

[0317] As an example rather than a limitation, when the first dimension is the same, substituting j = 0, 1, 2, 3, we can calculate that the reference signal subgroups include {#0, #4}, {#1, #5}, {#2, #6}, and {#3, #7}.

[0318] In another alternative implementation, the first dimension includes the vertical direction, and the second dimension includes the horizontal direction. Resources with the same resource index in the first and / or second dimensions are grouped into a subgroup.

[0319] As an example rather than a limitation, resources with the index range of i, K1+i, ..., K1×(K2-1)+i have the same first dimension and can be divided into a subgroup, where i∈[0,K1-1].

[0320] As an example, and not a limitation, resources with an index range of K1×j to K1×(j+1)-1 share the same second dimension and can be grouped into a subgroup, where j∈[0,K2-1]. Furthermore, these resources correspond to the same dimension and are in the same position within the same dimension (or another dimension).

[0321] As an example and not a limitation, the network device indicates the values ​​of the first and second parameters through configuration information 1, i.e., K1 = 4 and K2 = 2. The terminal device calculates the reference signal number in the reference signal subset by substituting the values ​​of K1 and K2 based on the above index range calculation method.

[0322] As an example rather than a limitation, when the first dimension is the same, substituting i = 0, 1, 2, 3, we can calculate that the reference signal subgroups include {#0, #4}, {#1, #5}, {#2, #6}, and {#3, #7}.

[0323] As an example, not a limitation, when the second dimension is the same, substituting j = 0 and 1, we can calculate that the reference signals numbered {#0~#3} can be divided into one reference signal subgroup, and the reference signals numbered {#4~#7} can be divided into another reference signal subgroup. That is, the divided reference signal subgroups include {#0,#1,#2,#3} and {#4,#5,#6,#7}.

[0324] It should be understood that the above-described formula for calculating resource indexes is merely one specific implementation and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, other methods for calculating resource indexes designed by those skilled in the art based on the methods described in this application should not be considered to exceed the scope of protection of this application.

[0325] It should be understood that the above expression for the scope of the resource index is a specific implementation of the first index information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0326] In another alternative implementation, the terminal device can configure the horizontal and vertical relationships of resources individually.

[0327] As an example rather than a limitation, terminal devices can divide resource subgroups using predefined parameter tables and corresponding weights.

[0328] It should be understood that K, as indicated in reference information 1 received by the terminal device, s A reference resource can be divided into the same resource set or into multiple resource sets; this application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0329] It should be understood that K s The reference resources may be located in the same time slot, or in T adjacent time slots, or the resources in each group may be located in the same time slot, or the resources in each group may be located in T' adjacent time slots. This application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0330] It should be understood that the values ​​of K1 and K2 can be indicated by the base station or pre-configured, and this application does not impose any special limitations on them.

[0331] The above-described method of dividing resources into subgroups allows terminal devices with relatively small single-dimensional angular expansion to measure and report beams in only a single dimension, saving signaling overhead.

[0332] In one specific implementation, channel information is acquired based on any subgroup. The terminal device acquires X groups of channel coefficients (X>1) based on K received reference signals. Then, the X groups of channel coefficients are split and combined to form M groups of channel coefficients (M>1). Based on the M groups of channel coefficients, the terminal device acquires channel information 1. The terminal device can acquire channel information 1 through operations such as compression and quantization. Compared to the M groups of channel coefficients, the processed channel information 1 is easier to report, reducing feedback overhead and improving feedback efficiency.

[0333] There are several ways to obtain X groups of channel information. As examples, the following describes two methods respectively.

[0334] Method 1: X = K, the terminal device obtains X sets of channel coefficients based on K reference signals.

[0335] It should be understood that in some implementations, the channel coefficient is also referred to as the channel response, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0336] In one implementation, each reference signal port group corresponds to an analog beam, and the terminal device can obtain the channel coefficients of the K analog beams based on the K groups.

[0337] Method 2: X>K, the terminal device obtains X sets of channel coefficients based on K reference signals.

[0338] Based on K reference signals, the terminal device can acquire K channel coefficients (or channel responses), denoted as A0, A1, ..., A2. K-1 Taking the channel coefficient on the k-th subcarrier as an example, then the channel coefficient A... k The corresponding dimension is N UE ×P CSI-RS,k (c). Wherein, N UE P represents the number of UE receive antenna ports. CSI-RS,k (c) represents the number of ports in the k-th port group. The UE obtains the X group of channel coefficients based on the channel information of the K port groups and the weighted vector corresponding to the simulated beam. The weighted vector corresponding to the simulated beam is denoted as... but Let H denote the channel coefficients of group X. x ,but

[0339] It should be understood that the weighted vector is a specific implementation of the first weight in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0340] It should be understood that the weighting vector corresponding to the simulated beam It can also be represented as a row vector, that is This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0341] As an example, and not a limitation, when K=2 and X=4, the K channel coefficients corresponding to the K reference signals are A0 and A1, respectively. The weighting vectors corresponding to the K reference signals are... Then the X channel coefficients are H0 = A0, H1 = A1, H2 = jA0 + A1, H3 = A0 + jA1, where, It is the imaginary unit.

[0342] It should be understood that the terminal device can obtain channel information based on any subgroup using method one and / or method two. That is, for a subgroup with K resources, the terminal device can obtain channel information based on X weighted vectors. Obtain information from X channels.

[0343] It should be understood that any subgroup includes the first set of reference signals.

[0344] When the terminal device uses method two to obtain channel information, for HBF architecture or analog beamforming architecture, it can obtain more channel information by sending fewer reference signals, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the reference signals.

[0345] It should be understood that in some implementations, a weighted vector is also referred to as a weight, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0346] It should be understood that the number of resources in each subgroup can be the same or different; that is, the value of the number of resources K included in different subgroups can be the same or different, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0347] It should be understood that the reference signal 1 received by the terminal device includes K. s One reference signal, K s Each reference signal can belong to a subgroup, i.e., K s =K. K s A reference signal can also belong to multiple subgroups, that is... Where i is the index of the subgroup, K i This represents the number of reference signals in the i-th subgroup. This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0348] In one specific implementation, the number of resources in different subgroups varies, resulting in different vector dimensions. As an example, and not a limitation, the vector dimension for subgroups {#0,#1},{#1,#2},{#2,#3},{#4,#5},{#5,#6},{#6,#7} is 2, while the vector dimension for subgroups {#0,#1,#2,#3},{#4,#5,#6,#7},{#0,#1,#4,#5},{#1,#2,#5,#6},{#2,#3,#6,#7} is 4.

[0349] In one specific implementation, the vector dimensions in different dimensional subgroups are different, which can also be understood as the number of resources in different dimensional subgroups being different. As an example, and not a limitation, the vector dimension of subgroups {#0,#1},{#1,#2},{#2,#3},{#4,#5},{#5,#6},{#6,#7} is 2, corresponding to the second dimension, i.e., the vertical dimension; the vector dimension of subgroups {#0,#1,#2,#3},{#4,#5,#6,#7} is 4, corresponding to the second dimension, i.e., the vertical dimension; the vector dimension of subgroups {#0,#1,#4,#5},{#1,#2,#5,#6},{#2,#3,#6,#7} is 4, corresponding to the first and second dimensions, i.e., the horizontal and vertical dimensions.

[0350] In one specific implementation, multiple resource subgroups share the same weight vector. This is an example, not a limitation, illustrating that multiple resource subgroups can correspond to the same weight vector along the same dimension. This can be understood as the base station configuring one or more weight vectors to determine the weight vector corresponding to each subgroup.

[0351] In one specific implementation, the elements in different weight vectors correspond sequentially to the various resources in the resource subgroup. As an example, and not a limitation, the K resources in the resource subgroup are sequentially mapped to weight vectors according to their indices. The K elements in the vector. As an example and not a limitation, the terminal device can also determine the elements in the weight vector corresponding to each resource in the resource subgroup based on the mapping relationship indicated by the base station.

[0352] In one specific implementation, the base station can employ K sets of orthogonal analog weights, each used to transmit a reference signal. Based on the K reference signals, the terminal device can obtain channel information corresponding to the K analog ports. Based on the K channel information and through weighting the analog port channels, the terminal device can obtain channel information for M analog beams, where M > K. That is, the terminal device, based on the K channel information and the analog weights... Obtain channel information for M simulated beams. Simulated weights. It can be equivalent to a simulated beam. The terminal device obtains the channel information of M simulated beams based on the simulated beam and K channel information.

[0353] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of an M simulated beams obtained according to an embodiment of this application.

[0354] In one specific implementation, the terminal device uses the weighted weights configured by the network device. Interpolation is performed in both the first and / or second dimensions.

[0355] It should be understood that weighted vectors This is a specific implementation of the first weight in the embodiments of this application. The specific scope of protection is subject to the claims and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0356] As an example, and not a limitation, the network device indicates the weighted weights to the terminal device. To interpolate new beams, several interpolation beams are used in the horizontal direction corresponding to the first dimension and / or the vertical direction corresponding to the second dimension, and two-dimensional interpolation is performed.

[0357] It should be understood that in some implementations, interpolation is also referred to as derivation, calculation, etc., which is only a reference to a physical calculation process, and this application does not make any special limitation on it.

[0358] As an example and not a limitation, Figure 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of M beams formed after interpolation. The beams shown in Figure 8 are a single beam obtained by interpolating the received reference signal distribution in Figure 7 for the first and second dimensions respectively. In Figure 8, the solid shaded area represents the actual transmitted reference signal beam, and the dashed line represents the beam obtained after interpolation by the terminal.

[0359] It should be understood that the M beams formed after interpolation are a specific implementation of the B resources in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0360] In one alternative implementation, the network device instructs the terminal device to interpolate in one dimension for the resource subgroup.

[0361] As an example and not a limitation, the terminal device interpolates the resource subgroup 1 in Figure 8 in the horizontal direction corresponding to the first dimension, according to the instructions. At this time, the weighted values ​​are as shown in equation (2) of this application specification, i.e.:

[0362] As an example and not a limitation, resource subgroup 1 includes resources {#0, #1, #2, #3}. Based on the weighted values, interpolation is performed in the horizontal direction corresponding to the first dimension to obtain virtual resource subgroup 1, which includes {#0, #1, #2, #3, #8, #9, #10, #11}.

[0363] It should be understood that resource subgroup 1 is a specific implementation of the first group of reference signals in the embodiments of this application, and the specific protection scope is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of this application.

[0364] It should be understood that virtual resource subgroup 1 is a specific implementation of B resources in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0365] As an example and not a limitation, the terminal device interpolates the resource subgroup 2 in Figure 8 in the vertical direction corresponding to the second dimension, according to the instructions. At this time, the weighted values ​​are as shown in formula (3) in this application specification, i.e.:

[0366] As an example and not a limitation, resource subgroup 2 includes resources {#0, #4}. Based on the weighted values, interpolation is performed in the horizontal direction corresponding to the first dimension to obtain virtual resource subgroup 2, which includes {#0, #4, #12, #13}.

[0367] It should be understood that resource subgroup 2 is a specific implementation of the first group of reference signals in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0368] It should be understood that virtual resource subgroup 2 is a specific implementation of B resources in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0369] In another alternative implementation, the network device instructs the terminal device to interpolate in two dimensions for the resource subgroup.

[0370] As an example, and not a limitation, the terminal device, according to instructions, performs two-dimensional interpolation on resource subgroup 2 simultaneously in the first and second dimensions. At this time, the weighted values... or The following is Let's take an example to describe it.

[0371] As an example and not a limitation, resource subgroup 2 includes resources {#0, #4}. Based on the weighted values, interpolation is performed simultaneously in the horizontal direction corresponding to the first dimension and the vertical direction corresponding to the second dimension to obtain virtual resource subgroup 3, which includes {#0, #4, #8, #15, #12, #13, #14, #16}.

[0372] In one implementation, the weights of the first dimension and the second dimension are the same.

[0373] It should be understood that virtual resource subgroup 3 is a specific implementation of B resources in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0374] It should be understood that the terminal device may, according to instructions, first interpolate the resource subgroup in the first dimension and then interpolate in the second dimension to obtain the virtual resource subgroup 3; or the terminal device may, according to instructions, first interpolate the resource subgroup in the second dimension and then interpolate in the first dimension to obtain the virtual resource subgroup 3; this application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0375] In some implementations, the beam obtained after interpolation is also referred to as a "virtual" beam, or a "virtual" resource, or a resource (i.e., based on a resource index, corresponding to the beam), and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0376] In another specific implementation, the terminal device can perform interpolation in both the first and second dimensions based on weights such as fixed DFT or orthogonal cover code (OCC).

[0377] As an example rather than a limitation, the terminal device interpolates based on the parameters shown in Table 1.

[0378] Table 1 Two-dimensional DFT parameters

[0379] In Table 1, K represents the actual number of resources, which can also be understood as the number of reference signals received by the terminal device. M represents the total number of resources after interpolation, which can also be understood as the amount of channel information that the terminal device needs to acquire based on K reference signals. K1 represents the actual number of resources in the first direction, and K2 represents the actual number of resources in the second direction. O1 represents the interpolation factor in the first direction, which can also be understood as the oversampling parameter in the first direction; O2 represents the interpolation factor in the second direction, which can also be understood as the oversampling parameter in the second direction.

[0380] It should be understood that the parameters in Table 1 above can also represent the parameter settings in a reference signal subgroup.

[0381] It should be understood that O1 is a specific implementation of the first interpolation parameter in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0382] It should be understood that O2 is a specific implementation of the second interpolation parameter in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0383] As an example and not a limitation, K represents the actual number of resources in the reference signal subgroup, and M represents the total number of resources formed by interpolation of the reference signal subgroup. K1 represents the actual number of resources distributed in the first direction of the reference signal subgroup, and K2 represents the actual number of resources distributed in the second direction of the reference signal subgroup. O1 represents the interpolation multiple of the reference signal subgroup in the first direction, and O2 represents the interpolation multiple of the reference signal subgroup in the second direction.

[0384] It should be understood that the product of K1 and O1 represents the number of resources distributed along the first dimension among the M resources, and the product of K2 and O2 represents the number of resources distributed along the second dimension among the M resources.

[0385] It should be understood that the K actual resource numbers are a specific implementation of the first set of reference signals in the embodiments of this application, and the specific protection scope is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of this application.

[0386] It should be understood that the total number of resources M is a specific implementation of the resources B in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0387] It should be understood that K1 is a specific implementation of the first parameter in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0388] It should be understood that K2 is a specific implementation of the second parameter in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0389] It should be understood that the product of K1 and O1 is a specific implementation of the first interpolation parameter in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0390] It should be understood that the product of K2 and O2 is a specific implementation of the second interpolation parameter in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0391] The terminal device performs interpolation in the first and / or second dimension based on the parameter values ​​indicated by the network device. This is described as an example, not a limitation, of the terminal device using DFT-based weighted interpolation.

[0392] As an example and not a limitation, the terminal device uses the vector v shown in formula (1) of this application specification. l,m The interpolation is performed using the parameter values ​​specified by the network device, and in two dimensions. The vector is... The expression is:

[0393] It should be understood that This is a specific implementation of the first weight in the embodiments of this application. The specific scope of protection is subject to the claims and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0394] As an example and not a limitation, Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the interpolated simulated beam when K=8, M=32, K1=2, K2=4, O1=2, and O2=2. There are 2 beam resources distributed in the first dimension and 4 beam resources distributed in the second dimension. The interpolation factor for both the first and second dimensions is 2. After interpolation, there are 4 beam resources distributed in the first dimension and 8 beam resources distributed in the second dimension. Based on 8 reference signals and weight information, the terminal device obtains 32 channel information points, greatly reducing the signaling overhead of the reference signals.

[0395] In this way, the terminal device can measure the encrypted beam channel information, saving the signaling overhead of the reference signal.

[0396] It should be understood that the values ​​of parameters K, M, K1, K2, O1, O2, etc. in Table 1 are merely illustrative examples. Other values ​​can also be used for each parameter. This application does not impose any special limitations on these values, and other values ​​will not be elaborated upon here.

[0397] It should be understood that the terminal device can perform interpolation for only one dimension, based on the instructions from the network device. That is, the terminal device performs interpolation for only the first or second dimension, based on the parameters indicated by the network device. The specific implementation method is similar to the one described above, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0398] It should be understood that the above method can also be applied to digital beamforming architectures. The specific steps and methods are similar to those described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0399] In one specific implementation, the parameters At least one of them is obtained based on base station configuration information.

[0400] In one specific implementation, the parameters At least one of them is a preset value or a predefined value.

[0401] In one specific implementation, the parameters Among them, the weights corresponding to K vectors are preset values, which are respectively a row (or a column) in the identity matrix (or DFT matrix, or any other matrix) of dimension K.

[0402] In a specific implementation manner, the parameter Among the remaining X - K vectors are configured by the base station.

[0403] In a specific implementation manner, the K resources are the actually transmitted resources, and the X or X - K resources are virtual resources.

[0404] It should be understood that the K actually transmitted resources include K reference signals; the X or X - K virtual resources include resources on the channel information determined by superimposing the analog weights based on the K reference signals.

[0405] In a specific implementation manner, the X vectors or X - K vectors in the parameter are determined according to a preset manner.

[0406] As an example rather than a limitation, the terminal device determines the X vectors or X - K vectors in the parameter based on DFT or oversampled DFT (or, IDFT, oversampled IDFT).

[0407] As an example rather than a limitation, the base station indicates to the terminal device at least one subgroup's dimension, oversampling factor (or the dimension of the DFT or IDFT vector, and the oversampling parameter), etc. through indication information, and the terminal device determines the X vectors or X - K vectors in the parameter based on the indication information.

[0408] It should be understood that the numerical relationship between X and K includes X = K.

[0409] It should be understood that the numerical relationship between X and K includes X > K. At this time, the terminal device can determine more channel information and measure more beams with fewer resource quantities.

[0410] It should be understood that the numerical relationship between X and K includes X < K. Based on this method, the terminal only needs to calculate CSI for part (X) of the channel information, reducing the calculation requirements and processing complexity.

[0411] The terminal device obtains M groups of channel coefficients and / or the corresponding M groups of channel information based on X groups of channel coefficients.

[0412] The terminal device obtains K s reference signals and the subgroup division information of the reference signals through reference information 1, and measures K s analog beams or K sA reference signal or K s For each reference signal, obtain the channel coefficients for its corresponding resources. Based on these channel coefficients, obtain M sets of channel information, including but not limited to the channel information corresponding to the reference signal port and beam combination.

[0413] In one specific implementation, M ≤ 4.

[0414] In one specific implementation, M≤K s .

[0415] It should be understood that a larger value of M results in better performance, but also higher overhead. Therefore, limiting the value of M can reduce feedback overhead, striking a balance between cost and performance.

[0416] In one specific implementation, the value of M is configured by the network device.

[0417] S604: The terminal device sends channel information 1 to the network device.

[0418] The terminal device sends channel information 1 to the network device. Channel information 1 includes one or more of the following: one or more carrier indices, indices of one or more resources, indices of one or more resource groups, indices of one or more ports, P channels (groups) of channel quality indicator (CQI) information, P reference signal received power (RSRP) information, P channels (groups) of channel quality indicator (CQI), and P precoding matrix indicator (PMI).

[0419] It should be understood that channel information 1 is a specific implementation of the first channel information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific protection scope is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of this application.

[0420] In one specific implementation, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal device includes P groups of channel information, where P = M or P = K. s .

[0421] In another specific implementation, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal device includes P groups of channel information, where P <K s .

[0422] In another specific implementation, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal device includes P groups of channel information, where P <M。

[0423] It should be understood that the P individuals (or P groups) here can also be characterized by a single channel information. This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0424] In one specific implementation, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal includes P group channel information, which corresponds to the same resource subgroup.

[0425] As an example and not a limitation, channel information 1 includes the index of the resource subgroup, and the index of one or more resources in the subgroup.

[0426] In another specific implementation, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal includes P group channel information, corresponding to at least two resource subgroups.

[0427] As an example and not a limitation, channel information 1 includes indices of the at least two resource subgroups, and indices corresponding to one or more resources in the at least two subgroups.

[0428] It should be understood that the index of one or more resource subgroups is a specific implementation of the first index information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0429] Based on the virtual beam in Figure 8, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal after measurement based on the resource subgroup is described.

[0430] In one specific implementation, the terminal device reports one or more resources based on a specific group of one or more resource subgroups.

[0431] As an example rather than a limitation, taking a resource subgroup as an example, the terminal selects one or more resources corresponding to the resource subgroup formed by interpolation and reports the channel information.

[0432] In one specific implementation, the terminal device reports multiple resources based on the resource index of the first dimension.

[0433] It should be understood that a resource index may include only the actual resource index, or only the virtual resource index, or both the actual and virtual resource indexes. This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0434] As an example and not a limitation, the first dimension includes the horizontal direction, and the channel information 1 includes the resource subgroup index j = 0. The resource subgroup at index j = 0 includes {#0, #8, #4, #15}.

[0435] It should be understood that j is a specific implementation of the first index information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0436] In one specific implementation, the terminal device reports multiple resources based on the actual resource index, virtual resource index, or resource index of the second dimension.

[0437] As an example and not a limitation, the second dimension includes the vertical direction, and the channel information 1 includes the resource subgroup index i = 1. The resource subgroup at index i = 1 includes {#4, #13, #5, #17, #6, #18, #7, #19}.

[0438] It should be understood that 'i' is a specific implementation of the first index information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0439] In one specific implementation, the terminal device reports multiple groups of indexes based on the first dimension and the second dimension, and the intersecting resources are the reported beams.

[0440] As an example and not a limitation, the first dimension includes the horizontal direction, the second dimension includes the vertical direction, and channel information 1 includes resource #4. Here, resource #4 is the intersecting resource of the two subgroups with indices j=0 and i=1. Therefore, reporting resource #4 includes reporting all resource subgroups in indices j=0 and i=1.

[0441] It should be understood that #4 is a specific implementation of the first index information in the embodiments of this application, and the specific scope of protection is subject to the claims, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0442] It should be understood that channel information 1 may include multi-level indication information. The first-level indication information is used to indicate the channel information corresponding to one or more resources in a specific resource subgroup, and the second-level indication information is used to indicate the channel information corresponding to one or more resources in a specific resource subgroup.

[0443] It should be understood that channel information 1 may include multi-level indexes. The first-level index is used to indicate one or more resource subgroups of characteristics, and the second-level index is used to indicate the channel information corresponding to one or more resources in a specific resource subgroup.

[0444] It should be understood that terminal devices can report all resources in each dimension simultaneously, or they can further report multiple specific resources based on a bitmap in each dimension.

[0445] It should be understood that, in actual reporting, the aforementioned various reporting methods can be either configured by the network device for specific reporting methods by the terminal device, or the terminal device can independently determine and select an appropriate reporting method. This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0446] It should be understood that the terminal device may report all resources obtained after interpolation of a subset of reference signals, or it may report only a portion of the obtained resources. This application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0447] By reporting using the reporting method described in this application, the signaling overhead of reporting can be further reduced.

[0448] It should be understood that the term "includes" in this application may directly include the field / information / index; or it may indirectly include it by including other indicative information used to indicate the field / information / index; this application does not make any special limitation in this regard.

[0449] In one specific implementation, the channel information 1 reported by the terminal also includes information on P weighted parameters. These P weighted parameters correspond to P groups of channel information. That is, the P weighted parameters each correspond to one of the P channel coefficients H. x Furthermore, these channel coefficients correspond to P groups of channel information.

[0450] As an example, and not a limitation, the information for the P weighted parameters can be the index set of the weighted parameters {i0, i1, ..., i...}. p-1}, where i p ∈[0,M-1], i p For the channel coefficients in M ​​(or K) s The index of channel information, p∈[0,P-1).

[0451] It should be understood that some terminals can implement the methods described in this application, while others do not. In this case, the network device can determine whether the terminal device supports any of the reference signal reception or channel information feedback methods in the above process through the capability information reported by the terminal device. The network device can decide whether to configure the above implementation methods based on the capability information reported by the terminal device.

[0452] It should be understood that when the technical solution provided in this application is used for uplink channel measurement, the terminal device sends a reference signal to the base station, the base station performs the measurement, and then sends the channel information back to the terminal device. The steps are reversed compared to downlink channel measurement, but the execution entity is replaced. The specific execution steps can be referred to the uplink channel measurement method described above; for simplicity, they will not be repeated here.

[0453] The method described in this application involves time-division multiple CSI-RS resources transmitted using different beams. The terminal device, based on the weighting relationships configured by the base station, determines more "virtual" CSI-RS resources in both the first and second dimensions. This application can effectively reduce the number of actual CSI-RS resources that need to be transmitted, saving signaling overhead.

[0454] It should be understood that the number of ports for virtual CSI-RS resources corresponds to the number of ports for actual transmission resources.

[0455] It is understood that the various embodiments described in this application can be independent solutions or combinations based on internal logic, and all such solutions fall within the protection scope of this application. Furthermore, the explanations or descriptions of the various terms appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or interpreted mutually in the various embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

[0456] The communication method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The communication device embodiments of this application will now be described in detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. It should be understood that the descriptions of the device embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the method embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the preceding method embodiments.

[0457] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0458] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 1000 may include a transceiver unit 1010 and a processing unit 1020. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 1010 may also be referred to as a communication interface or communication unit. The processing unit 1020 can be used to determine resources and generate information. Optionally, the transceiver unit 1010 may include a receiving unit and a sending unit, whereby the receiving unit performs the function of receiving data and the sending unit performs the function of sending data.

[0459] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage unit, which can be used to store programs / instructions and / or data. The processing unit 1020 can read the programs / instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the device can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0460] The communication device 1000 can be a terminal device in the above method embodiments, or it can be a chip used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. It should be understood that the communication device 1000 can correspond to the terminal device in the implementation described in Figures 5 to 8 of this application, and the communication device 1000 can execute the steps corresponding to the terminal device in the implementation described in Figures 5 to 8 of this application.

[0461] In one possible design, the processing unit 1020 is used to acquire channel information of the reference signals; the processing unit 1020 is used to group A reference signals; the processing unit 1020 is used to acquire B resources based on the first group of reference signals; the transceiver unit 1010 can be used to receive first configuration information from the network device; the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to receive A reference signals from the network device, and the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send the first channel information to the network device.

[0462] The communication device 1000 may be a network device in the above method embodiments, or it may be a chip used to implement the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. It should be understood that the communication device 1000 may correspond to the network device in the implementation described in Figures 5 to 8 of this application, and the communication device 1000 may execute the steps corresponding to the network device in the implementation described in Figures 5 to 8 of this application.

[0463] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to send first configuration information to the terminal device, and the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send A reference signals to the terminal device, and the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive first channel information from the terminal device.

[0464] It should also be understood that the communication device 1000 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here may refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that support the described functions.

[0465] The communication device 1000 of each of the above schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device or network device in the above methods. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing units, can be replaced by processors, which respectively execute the transmission and reception operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0466] In addition, the transceiver unit 1010 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit 1020 may be a processing circuit.

[0467] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0468] The communication device 2000 shown in Figure 10 may include a processor 2010.

[0469] Optionally, the device 2000 further includes a transceiver 2020 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 2010 controls the transceiver 2020 to receive and / or transmit signals. Optionally, the transceiver 2020 may include a receiver and a transmitter, with the receiver used for receiving signals and the transmitter used for transmitting signals. If the device 2000 is a chip, the transceiver 2020 may be a communication interface, such as an input / output interface, where the output corresponds to transmitting and the input corresponds to receiving.

[0470] The processor 2010 may be coupled to the memory 2030, which is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 2010 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 2030, or to read the data stored in the memory 2030, in order to perform the methods in the above method embodiments.

[0471] Optionally, there may be one or more processors 2010.

[0472] Optionally, the memory 2030 may be one or more.

[0473] Alternatively, the memory 2030 can be integrated with the processor 2010, or it can be set up separately.

[0474] As an example, processor 2010 may have the functions of processing unit 1020 shown in FIG9, memory 2030 may have the functions of storage unit, and transceiver 2020 may have the functions of transceiver unit 1010 shown in FIG9.

[0475] For example, the communication device 2000 can be used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0476] In one possible design, the processor 2010 is used to acquire channel information of reference signals; the processor 2010 is used to group A reference signals; the processor 2010 is used to acquire B resources based on the first group of reference signals; the transceiver 2020 can be used to receive first configuration information from the network device; the transceiver 2020 is also used to receive A reference signals from the network device, and the transceiver 2020 is also used to send the first channel information to the network device.

[0477] For example, the communication device 2000 can also be used to implement the operations performed by the network device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0478] In one possible design, the transceiver 2020 is used to send first configuration information to the terminal device, the transceiver 2020 is also used to send A reference signals to the terminal device, and the transceiver 2020 is used to receive first channel information from the terminal device.

[0479] It should be understood that the specific process by which each transceiver and processor performs the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0480] This application also provides a processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in a memory, or reading data / signaling stored in a memory, to perform the methods in the above-described method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors.

[0481] This application also provides a chip, including a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in the memory through the communication interface and executes the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0482] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0483] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to implement the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in the various embodiments of the above methods.

[0484] This application also provides a computer program product comprising a program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by a terminal device or network device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0485] This application also provides a communication system, including the terminal device and network device described in any of the preceding embodiments. Further, the communication system may also include the first node described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0486] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0487] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0488] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0489] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0490] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0491] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0492] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive first configuration information and A reference signals, where A is greater than or equal to 2, and the A reference signals correspond to A resources; Send first channel information, which includes channel information corresponding to at least one of the B resources; The B resources are obtained based on the first group of reference signals in the A reference signals. The number of resources contained in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals contained in the first group of reference signals. The first group of reference signals is obtained by grouping the A reference signals based on the first configuration information. The first group of reference signals includes at least two reference signals.

2. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send the first configuration information and A reference signals, where A is greater than or equal to 2, and the A reference signals correspond to A resources; Receive first channel information, the first channel information including channel information corresponding to at least one of the B resources; The B resources are obtained based on the first group of reference signals in the A reference signals. The number of resources contained in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals contained in the first group of reference signals. The first group is obtained by grouping the A reference signals based on the first configuration information. The first group of reference signals includes at least two reference signals.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first configuration information is used to indicate a first weight, which is used to acquire the B resources; Wherein, the number of resources distributed along the first dimension in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension in the first group of reference signals.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of resources distributed along the second dimension in the B resources is greater than the number of reference signals distributed along the second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first configuration information is used to indicate grouping information, the grouping information is used to obtain reference signals of at least one group, and the reference signals of at least one group include the reference signals of the first group; In the first set of reference signals, at least two reference signals are distributed along the first dimension and / or the second dimension.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The reference signals of at least one group further include a second group of reference signals; There is an overlap between the reference signals in the first set of reference signals and the reference signals in the second set of reference signals.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first configuration information also includes a first parameter and / or a second parameter. The first parameter is used to indicate the number of reference signals distributed along the first dimension in the first group of reference signals; The second parameter is used to indicate the number of reference signals distributed along the second dimension in the first set of reference signals.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first channel information includes first index information; The first index information is used to indicate at least one resource among the B resources that is distributed along a first dimension or a second dimension.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first configuration information also includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter; The first interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources distributed along the first dimension among the B resources; The second interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources distributed along the second dimension among the B resources.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first configuration information is also used to instruct the first set of reference signals to be interpolated in the first dimension and / or the second dimension to obtain the B resources.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first configuration information also includes a first interpolation parameter and / or a second interpolation parameter; The first interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources interpolated in the first dimension among the B resources. The second interpolation parameter is used to indicate the number of resources interpolated in the second dimension of the B resources.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The number of resources in the B resources is greater than or equal to the number of resources corresponding to the first set of reference signals.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory storing a computer program or instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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