Wireless powering method and related apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a wireless powering method and a related apparatus. In the method, a first apparatus to be powered can perform channel measurement on the basis of reference signals received on K frequency-domain units, and on the basis of the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency-domain units, select L target frequency-domain units and feed back same to a second apparatus, wherein the L target frequency-domain units can be used for determining a frequency-domain unit carrying a powering signal. The second apparatus can send a powering signal on the basis of the L target frequency-domain units, such that energy focusing can be achieved in the frequency domain dimension, improving energy conversion efficiency. The first apparatus can also feed back to the second apparatus the channel state corresponding to each frequency-domain unit among the L target frequency-domain units, wherein the channel state can be used for generating the powering signal, such as for beamforming of the powering signal, such that energy focusing can be achieved in the spatial dimension, further improving energy conversion efficiency.

Description

Wireless charging methods and related devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410687769.9, filed on May 29, 2024, entitled "Wireless Charging Method and Related Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of wireless charging, and more particularly to a wireless charging method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of wireless networks and the evolution of business needs, a massive number of Internet of Things (IoT) nodes exist in the network. IoT nodes are low-cost and small in size, but typically do not carry large-capacity batteries, facing the problem of short standby time. A method has been proposed to wirelessly charge IoT nodes using radio electromagnetic waves emitted by base stations in cellular mobile communication networks.

[0004] However, when using this wireless charging solution to power IoT nodes, the conversion efficiency of the received energy is relatively low, and it may not even meet the daily usage needs of the IoT nodes. Therefore, how to achieve higher energy conversion efficiency remains a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a wireless charging method and related apparatus to improve energy conversion efficiency.

[0006] Firstly, a wireless charging method is provided. This method can be applied to a first device, which may be, for example, a terminal; or, the first device may be a component configured within the first device, such as circuitry or a chip inside the terminal (e.g., 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, etc.); or, the first device may be a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the terminal's functionalities, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the method. For ease of understanding and explanation, the following description uses the interaction between the first device and the second device as an example.

[0007] For example, the method includes: performing channel measurements on the K frequency domain units based on reference signals received on the K frequency domain units to obtain the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units, where K is a positive integer; sending first information, the first information being used to indicate L target frequency domain units, the L target frequency domain units being determined based on the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units, the L target frequency domain units including one or more frequency domain units from the K frequency domain units, the L target frequency domain units being used to determine the frequency domain units carrying a charging signal, the charging signal being used to charge the first device; where L is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0008] Here, K frequency domain units can be one or more frequency domain units. The reference signal received in the K frequency domain units can be a broadband reference signal. The first device performs channel measurement on the K frequency domain units, that is, measures the reference signal received in the K frequency domain units. By measuring, the received energy of the reference signal in the K frequency domain units can be obtained, and then L target frequency domain units can be determined based on the received energy of the reference signal in the K frequency domain units.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, the first device measures the reference signals on K frequency domain units and feeds back the determined L target frequency domain units to the second device. This allows the second device to determine the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal based on these L target frequency domain units. Since these L target frequency domain units are determined based on the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units, the first device can select the frequency domain unit with the higher received energy of the reference signal as the target frequency domain unit for feedback in order to obtain higher energy reception efficiency. Therefore, when the second device charges the first device, it can determine the frequency domain unit for transmitting the charging signal based on these target frequency domain units, thereby enhancing the radio frequency energy in the frequency domain and improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0010] As mentioned earlier, the first device can be applied to a terminal, and the second device interacting with it can be applied to a network device. Therefore, the reference signal is a downlink reference signal. Since the transmission power of the downlink reference signal is greater than that of the uplink reference signal, the terminal's measurement of the downlink reference signal is more conducive to obtaining more accurate channel measurement results compared to the network device measuring the uplink reference signal. This allows the terminal to more accurately adapt the target frequency domain unit based on the measurement feedback to its own needs, thereby improving energy conversion efficiency to a greater extent. Moreover, the terminal does not need to send an uplink reference signal, which can save the terminal's power consumption and is friendly to low-power terminals (such as IoT nodes).

[0011] Secondly, a wireless charging method is provided, which can be applied to a second device, such as a network device; or, the second device can be a component configured in the second device, such as a module, circuit, or chip (e.g., a modem chip, or a SoC chip containing a modem core, or a SIP chip, etc.) inside the network device; or, the second device can be a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the second device, etc. This application does not limit this. For ease of understanding and explanation, the following description uses the interaction between a first device and a second device as an example.

[0012] For example, the method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating L target frequency domain units, the L target frequency domain units being included in K frequency domain units, the K frequency domain units being frequency domain units for transmitting reference signals, the L target frequency domain units being used to determine frequency domain units carrying charging signals for charging; K is a positive integer, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0013] The first information can be sent by the first device. The first device can determine L target frequency domain units by measuring the reference signals on K frequency domain units, and feeds back the first information to the second device. The L target frequency domain units can be used by the first device to determine the frequency domain units to send (or carry) the charging signal, and the charging signal sent based on this can be used to charge the first device.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, the second device can determine the frequency domain unit for transmitting the charging signal according to the L target frequency domain units indicated by the first information. Since the L target frequency domain units are determined by the first device based on the received energy of the reference signal in the K frequency domain units, the first device can select the frequency domain unit with higher received energy of the reference signal as the target frequency domain unit for feedback in order to obtain higher energy reception efficiency. Therefore, when the second device charges the first device, it can determine the frequency domain unit for transmitting the charging signal based on the target frequency domain units, which is beneficial to enhance the radio frequency energy in the frequency domain and improve the energy conversion efficiency.

[0015] As mentioned earlier, the first device can be applied to a terminal, and the second device interacting with it can be applied to a network device. Therefore, the reference signal is a downlink reference signal. Since the transmission power of the downlink reference signal is greater than that of the uplink reference signal, the terminal's measurement of the downlink reference signal is more conducive to obtaining more accurate channel measurement results compared to the network device measuring the uplink reference signal. This allows the terminal to more accurately adapt the target frequency domain unit based on the measurement feedback to its own needs, thereby improving energy conversion efficiency to a greater extent. Moreover, the terminal does not need to send an uplink reference signal, which can save the terminal's power consumption and is friendly to low-power terminals (such as IoT nodes).

[0016] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations, the reference signal is a downlink reference signal transmitted via broadcast or a downlink reference signal transmitted via multicast.

[0017] The reference signal transmitted via broadcast can be, for example, a cell-level downlink reference signal. The reference signal transmitted via multicast can be, for example, a group-specific downlink reference signal. This application does not limit this.

[0018] By transmitting downlink reference signals via broadcast or multicast, one or more terminals with charging needs can perform measurements and provide feedback based on the received downlink reference signals. When multiple terminals have charging needs, compared to each terminal transmitting uplink reference signals to obtain channel measurement results, this scheme reduces the resource overhead caused by multiple terminals transmitting uplink reference signals and also reduces the computational overhead of network equipment processing uplink reference signals from multiple terminals.

[0019] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations, the received energy of the reference signal in any one of the L target frequency domain units is not less than the received energy of the reference signal in any one of the remaining (KL) frequency domain units in the K frequency domain units.

[0020] Here, "not less than" means "higher than or equal to". In other words, the L target frequency domain units are the top-ranked frequency domain units obtained by sorting the received energy of the reference signal in the K frequency domain units in descending order. That is to say, the L target frequency domain units are the L frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the K frequency domain units.

[0021] By feeding back the L frequency domain units with higher received energy of the reference signal to the second device, the second device can use these L target frequency domain units as a reference to determine the frequency domain units used to carry the charging signal when charging the first device. This is beneficial for enhancing radio frequency energy in the frequency domain and improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0022] Optionally, the L target frequency domain units are the frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the K frequency domain units.

[0023] That is, L is 1. By feeding back the first information to a target frequency domain unit, a reference can be provided for the second device to determine the frequency domain unit used to carry the charging signal, without requiring too much feedback overhead. In other words, an improvement in energy conversion efficiency is achieved with a small amount of feedback overhead.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving the charging signal.

[0025] Accordingly, in conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending the charging signal.

[0026] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations, the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal includes some or all of the frequency domain units among the L target frequency domain units.

[0027] The second device can use some or all of the frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units to send a charging signal.

[0028] Of course, the second device can also use other frequency domain units besides the L target frequency domain units to carry the charging signal. The L target frequency domain units provide a reference for determining the frequency domain unit for carrying the charging signal in the second device. The second device can also combine other factors, such as the scheduling of communication resources, to determine the frequency domain unit for carrying the charging signal.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: transmitting capability information, the capability information being used to indicate the operating frequency band of the first device.

[0030] Accordingly, in conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving capability information, the capability information being used to indicate the operating frequency band of the first device.

[0031] The operating frequency band of the first device is used to determine the K frequency domain units.

[0032] The operating frequency band of the first device refers to the frequency band suitable for charging the first device, or in other words, the preferred (or superior) operating frequency band for charging the first device. The operating frequency band of the first device can be determined, for example, based on one or more of the following: the rectifier chip model, the model of the electronic components (such as diodes or transistors) in the rectifier, or the operating frequency band of the antenna (or, in other words, the receiving antenna). This application does not limit the specific method for determining the operating frequency band of the first device.

[0033] The second device can determine K frequency domain units based on the operating frequency band of the first device. Since charging the first device within its operating frequency band reduces losses and achieves higher energy conversion efficiency, sending reference signals across the K frequency domain units is precisely for determining the frequency domain units carrying the charging signal. Therefore, the first device does not need to send reference signals to frequency domain units outside its operating frequency band. Thus, by indicating its operating frequency band to the second device, the first device can provide a general frequency range for sending reference signals, effectively performing a preliminary screening of frequency domain resources. This avoids unnecessary power consumption caused by sending reference signals over an excessively large bandwidth.

[0034] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, prior to sending the first information, the method further includes: receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources of the first information.

[0035] Accordingly, in conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, before receiving the first information, the method further includes: sending second information, the second information being used to indicate the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources of the first information.

[0036] The second device can configure time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources for the first device, which can be used to carry the first information. The first device can transmit the first information on the resource, and the second device can receive the first information on the resource, thereby facilitating the correct reception of the first information and supporting the first device in determining the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal based on L target frequency domain units.

[0037] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first information, the method further includes: receiving third information, the third information being used to indicate the number of target frequency domain units that need to be reported.

[0038] Accordingly, in conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, before receiving the first information, the method further includes: sending third information, the third information being used to indicate the number of target frequency domain units that need to be reported.

[0039] The second device can also configure the first device to specify the number of target frequency domain units to be reported. The first device can determine L target frequency domain units based on the third information. It should be understood that the number of target frequency domain units to be reported indicated by the third information may be the same as or different from the number L of target frequency domain units indicated by the first information, and this application does not limit this.

[0040] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, before sending the first information, the method further includes: receiving fifth information, the fifth information being used for determining a threshold value, the threshold value being used for determining the L target frequency domain units.

[0041] Accordingly, in conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, before receiving the first information, the method further includes: sending fifth information, the fifth information being used for determining a threshold value, the threshold value being used for determining the L target frequency domain units.

[0042] Specifically, this threshold value can refer to the threshold value of the received energy of the reference signal, and this threshold value can be used to determine the target frequency domain cell.

[0043] In one possible design, the fifth piece of information indicates the threshold value.

[0044] In another possible design, the fifth piece of information indicates the parameters used to determine the threshold value. For example, the fifth piece of information indicates an offset, and the threshold value can be determined based on the offset.

[0045] It should be noted that the second device may send one or more of the third or fifth information to the first device so that the first device can determine L target frequency domain units. Both the third and fifth information can be used to determine the L target frequency domain units, and therefore can be referred to as information for determining the L target frequency domain units, or conditions, rules, etc., for determining the L target frequency domain units, without limitation.

[0046] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the fourth information being used for generating the charging signal, and each target frequency domain unit group including one or more frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units.

[0047] Accordingly, in conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group among the L target frequency domain units, the fourth information being used for generating the charging signal, and each target frequency domain unit group including one or more frequency domain units among the L target frequency domain units.

[0048] The charging signal can be beamformed, or precoded. Therefore, the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain elements can be used to generate the charging signal. Alternatively, the channel state can be used to determine the weights for transmitting the charging signal at each antenna port, or to determine the precoding used to generate the charging signal, or to determine the beam of the charging signal.

[0049] After beamforming, the charging signal has a certain spatial directionality, thus concentrating radio frequency energy in the direction of the first device to charge it. That is, based on energy focusing in the frequency domain, energy focusing in the spatial dimension can be achieved, further improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0050] The target frequency domain unit group can be a frequency domain unit group that includes one or more target frequency domain units. The frequency domain unit group can be divided according to predefined rules, according to rules indicated by the second device, or by the first device itself. This application does not limit this.

[0051] Optionally, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending sixth information, the sixth information being used to indicate one or more target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group. Correspondingly, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving sixth information, the sixth information being used to indicate one or more target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group.

[0052] The sixth information indicates the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group, so that the second device can generate charging signals carried on different frequency domain units accordingly.

[0053] It is understood that when each target frequency domain unit group includes one target frequency domain unit, the fourth information is used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units. Alternatively, the fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each frequency domain unit in the L target frequency domain units.

[0054] Indicating the corresponding channel state for each of the L target frequency domain units is beneficial for the second device to obtain the channel state at the frequency domain unit granularity, that is, it is beneficial to obtain a more accurate channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit.

[0055] When a target frequency domain unit group includes multiple target frequency domain units, for the aforementioned L target frequency domain units, the fourth information can indicate the channel state corresponding to fewer than L target frequency domain unit groups, which helps to reduce signaling overhead.

[0056] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations, the second device is configured with M antenna ports, and the first device is configured with N antenna ports, where M and N are both positive integers greater than or equal to 1; the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M sets of channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, an index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients, or, an index corresponding to the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients; wherein, the m-th set of channel coefficients in the M sets of channel coefficients includes: N channel coefficients corresponding to the channel between the m-th antenna port in the M antenna ports of the second device and the N antenna ports of the first device; the sum of the m-th channel coefficients in the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients is the sum of the m-th set of channel coefficients.

[0057] It is understood that, when each target frequency domain unit group includes one target frequency domain unit, the fourth information may also be referred to as including an indication of one or more of the following: M sets of channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, an index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients; wherein, the m-th set of channel coefficients in the M sets of channel coefficients includes: N channel coefficients corresponding to the channel between the m-th antenna port in the M antenna ports of the second device and the N antenna ports of the first device; the sum of the m-th channel coefficients in the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients is the sum of the m-th set of channel coefficients.

[0058] Optionally, the charging signal includes a first charging signal carried on the first frequency domain unit, and the first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port is generated based on the conjugate of the sum of the m-th channel coefficients of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

[0059] It should be understood that performing a conjugate operation on a signal in the frequency domain is a time-reversal technique. Time-reversal techniques utilize the spatial multipath effect, causing the signal energy from multiple paths to coherently superimpose at the receiver, achieving energy focusing in both the time and spatial dimensions. Therefore, based on the aforementioned energy focusing in the frequency domain, energy conversion efficiency is further improved.

[0060] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations, N is 1, and the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M channel coefficients corresponding to each group of target frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the M channel coefficients corresponding to the M antenna ports of the second device.

[0061] It is understood that, when each target frequency domain unit group includes one target frequency domain unit, the fourth information may also be referred to as including an indication of one or more of the following: M channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit in the L target frequency domain units, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, wherein the M channel coefficients correspond to the M antenna ports. That is, the target frequency domain unit group can be replaced with target frequency domain units or frequency domain units.

[0062] It should be understood that N=1 is a case where N is greater than or equal to 1. The M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units are also an example of the M groups of channel coefficients mentioned above, except that when N=1, each group of channel coefficients includes one channel coefficient. Similarly, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients is also an example of the conjugate of the M groups of channel coefficients mentioned above; the index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients is also an example of the M groups of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M group of channel coefficients mentioned above.

[0063] Optionally, the charging signal includes a first charging signal carried on the first frequency domain unit. The first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port among the M antenna ports is generated based on the conjugate of the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

[0064] As mentioned earlier, taking the conjugate of a signal in the frequency domain is a time inversion technique. Time inversion utilizes the spatial multipath effect to coherently superimpose the signal energy from the multipath at the receiver, achieving energy focusing in both the time and spatial dimensions. This further improves energy conversion efficiency on top of the aforementioned energy focusing in the frequency domain.

[0065] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations, the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

[0066] Thirdly, an apparatus is provided, which may include modules corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first or second aspect. The module may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0067] In one design, the device may include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving actions performed by the first device in the method described in the first aspect above, while the processing module is used to perform processing-related actions performed by the first device in the method described in the first aspect above.

[0068] In one design, the device can be a terminal, a module, circuit, or chip configured in the terminal, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the terminal.

[0069] In one design, the device may include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving actions performed by the second device in the method described in the second aspect above, while the processing module is used to perform processing-related actions performed by the second device in the method described in the second aspect above.

[0070] In one design, the device can be a network device, or a module, circuit, or chip configured in the network device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the network device.

[0071] Fourthly, an apparatus is provided, comprising a processor and a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause a method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented, or cause a method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0072] Fifthly, an apparatus is provided, comprising a processing circuit for processing data and / or information such that a method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof is implemented, or a method as in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof is implemented.

[0073] The processing circuit may include one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used for control or processing functions.

[0074] Optionally, the apparatus may further include a memory for storing programs or instructions, and the processor for running the programs or instructions to implement the methods as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to implement the methods as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0075] Optionally, the device may also include the transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface.

[0076] In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided, including processing circuitry for running a program or instructions to cause the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented, or to cause the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0077] Optionally, the chip may further include a memory for storing programs or instructions.

[0078] Optionally, the chip may also include transceiver circuitry, or input / output interfaces.

[0079] A seventh aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented, or cause the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0080] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer program code or instructions, which, when executed, cause the method as described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof to be implemented, or cause the method as described in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0081] Ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system including means for performing the first or second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0082] It should be understood that the third to ninth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first to second aspects of this application, and the beneficial effects obtained by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0083] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0084] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the chip architecture of radio access network (RAN) equipment;

[0085] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of several different scenarios applicable to the wireless charging method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0086] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of the wireless charging method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of reference signals carried on different time-frequency resources;

[0088] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the process from the transmission of the reference signal to the transmission of the charging signal;

[0089] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic block diagrams of the apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0090] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0091] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the network device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0092] The technical solution provided in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0093] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained first:

[0094] First, in this application, the indication includes explicit indication (also known as direct indication) and implicit indication (also known as indirect indication). Explicit indication information A means including information A; implicit indication information A means indicating information A through the correspondence between information A and information B, and through direct indication information B. The correspondence between information A and information B can be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured; or it can refer to indicating information A through information B and preset rules.

[0095] Second, in this application, information C is used to determine information D, which includes both determining information D based solely on information C and determining it based on information C and other information. Furthermore, information C can also be used to determine information D indirectly, for example, in the case where information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C.

[0096] Third, 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 alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it does not exclude the possibility of indicating an "and" relationship; the specific meaning can be understood in context. "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, or c can mean: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0097] Fourth, in this application, the use of prefixes such as "first" and "second" is merely for the purpose of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first information" and "second information" are simply different pieces of information, and there is no temporal sequence, size, or priority relationship between them.

[0098] Fifth, in this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to the first device" can be understood as the destination of the information being the first device, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from the second device" can be understood as the source of the information being the second device, which may include direct reception from the second device via the air interface or indirect reception from the second device via the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0099] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between a terminal and a network device; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0100] Sixth, in the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0101] Seventh, in this application, the words "example," "exemplarily," "for example," or "such as" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "example," "exemplarily," "for example," or "such as" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "example," "exemplarily," "for example," or "such as" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0102] Eighth, in this application, for ease of distinction and explanation, the antenna port on the second device side that transmits the reference signal and the charging signal is designated as the transmitting antenna port, and the antenna port on the first device side that receives the reference signal and the charging signal is designated as the receiving antenna port. However, this should not constitute any limitation on this application. The transmitting antenna port on the second device side can also be used for receiving, and the receiving antenna port on the first device side can also be used for transmitting.

[0103] Ninth, for ease of distinction and explanation, the frequency domain unit indicated by the first information in this document is denoted as the target frequency domain unit, and the frequency domain unit not indicated by the first information is denoted as the non-target frequency domain unit. In the embodiments of this application, any one of the L target frequency domain units is a target frequency domain unit, and it cannot be considered not to be a target frequency domain unit simply because the word "target" is not preceding "frequency domain unit". For the sake of brevity, this will not be specifically explained further below.

[0104] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, and future communication systems, such as integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to other communication networks such as Zig Bee, long-range radio (Lora), Bluetooth (BT), and Wi-Fi.

[0105] The radio access network (RAN) device in this application is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The RAN device can provide wireless communication services, enabling terminal devices to access the wireless network. The RAN can also be called an access network device or a network device. In the embodiments of this application, the RAN device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) used in a cellular network (or mobile network) to connect terminal devices to the wireless network; it can also be a Zig Bee base station, a Bluetooth master, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) master, a LoRa base station, or a Wi-Fi access point.

[0106] RAN equipment can be, for example, a base station. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station, auxiliary station, motor slide retainer (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a device used to set up communication modules, modems, or chips within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, a device performing base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, a network-side device in future communication networks, or a device performing base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the network equipment.

[0107] In some deployments, the network devices mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be devices including CU, DU, or CU and DU, or devices with control plane CU nodes (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and user plane CU nodes (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and DU nodes. For example, the network devices may include gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP, and gNB-DU.

[0108] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or RUs. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network device, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0109] In one possible design, the processing unit in the BBU used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband high (BBH) unit, and the processing unit in the RRU / AAU / RRH used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband low (BBL) unit.

[0110] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the RAN device (e.g., an eNB, gNB, or next-generation access network device) in this communication system has a distributed architecture, including CU, DU, and RU. The RAN device can communicate with the core network (CN) device through a backhaul link and can communicate with the terminal through an air interface.

[0111] For example, the BBU in the RAN device communicates with the core network device via a backhaul link; the RU in the RAN device communicates with at least one terminal via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link, and the BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU may include at least one CU and at least one DU, and the CU and DU can communicate with each other via a midhaul link.

[0112] It should be understood that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open-RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application may be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0113] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. This apparatus can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In this embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the functions of a network device is provided only and does not constitute a limitation on the solutions described in this embodiment.

[0114] The network device in this application can be a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a software function running on general-purpose hardware. It can also be a virtualized device, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. Among them, the general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0115] The terminal equipment in this application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device.

[0116] Terminal devices can be devices that provide voice / data, such as handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, etc. Currently, examples of terminals include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future public land mobile communication networks. Terminal devices in a network (PLMN), devices in a Zigbee network, devices in a LoRa network, Bluetooth slaves, BLE slaves, Wi-Fi stations (STAs), etc. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0117] Terminal devices can also be terminal devices in an IoT system, also known as IoT nodes. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network that enables human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. Connectivity can be achieved through broadband or narrowband technologies. IoT technology, for example, can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low terminal power consumption through narrowband (NB) technology. IoT technologies include reflective communication technology, spread spectrum technology, and ultra-wideband (UWB), which will not be elaborated further.

[0118] In addition, terminal devices may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Their main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from network devices, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to network devices.

[0119] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0120] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components. This embodiment only uses the terminal device as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device, and does not constitute a limitation on the solution of this embodiment.

[0121] The terminal device in this application can be a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a software function running on general-purpose hardware. It can also be a virtualized device, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. Among them, the general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0122] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a possible RAN device chip architecture. Figure 2 illustrates the chip architecture in the CU, DU, and RU. In the architecture shown in Figure 2, the CU communicates with the core network equipment via a fronthaul link; the CU is a platform that performs all or part of the Layer 2 (L2) and Layer 3 (L3) functions; the midhaul and backhaul links are used to carry traffic between the CU and DU, and between the CU and the core network, respectively; the DU performs all or part of the Layer 1 (L1) functions, or all or part of the L1 and part of the L2 functions; the RU performs part of the L1 and radio frequency (RF) digital functions; the fronthaul and midhaul links are used to carry traffic between the RU and DU, and between the CU and DU, respectively; the RU is connected to an antenna, which can be used to transmit and receive RF signals. Optionally, an integrated DU may include the aforementioned DU and RU functions.

[0123] The CU / DU hardware includes a chassis platform, motherboard, peripherals, and cooling system. The motherboard contains processing units, memory, internal input / output (I / O) interfaces, and external connection ports. Its hardware accelerators are designed with interfaces, and hardware functional components include: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller.

[0124] CU systems are typically implemented using multi-core processors and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the CU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on multi-core processors, such as x86 or non-x86 processors. Hardware accelerators can be, for example, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) / graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware accelerators or other accelerators. Hardware accelerators interconnect with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, accelerators have a multi-channel peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface pointing to the central processing unit (CPU) and external connections via a gigabit Ethernet (GbE) interface.

[0125] DU systems are typically implemented using multi-core processors and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators or other accelerators; alternatively, all L1 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators or other accelerators, while other protocol stack components are implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. Hardware accelerators support interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, accelerators have multi-channel PCIe interfaces pointing to the CPU and external connections via GbE.

[0126] The RU consists of three parts: the RAN fronthaul (FH) processing unit, the digital processing unit (DPU), and the RF processing unit.

[0127] Taking O-RAN as an example, the RAN FH processing unit of the O-RU can be an O-RAN processing unit (OPU). The OPU receives enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and performs fronthaul interface processing, the lowest level L1 (coding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The O-RU's DPU performs synchronization, digital downconversion (DDC) system (digital downconversion in uplink (UL)), digital upconversion (DUC) (digital upconversion in downlink (DL)), crest factor reduction (CFR), and digital pre-distortion (DPD). It improves power amplifier efficiency by reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PARP) / adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of the RF front end. The DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC. The O-RU's RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and transmit (Tx) / receive (Rx) filters. All conversions between the analog and digital domains (digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and analog-to-digital converter (ADC)) (e.g., RF sampling, frequency conversion using RF in up-conversion and down-conversion, and mixing of intermediate frequency (IF) and local oscillator (LO)) are performed within the transceiver module. It should be noted that physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries.

[0128] In cellular mobile communication networks, network devices are equipped with multiple antenna ports, which can transmit electromagnetic waves to achieve wireless energy transfer (WPT). Therefore, this can be used to charge terminal devices, such as IoT nodes. Currently, charging IoT nodes via network devices has become an important way to solve the problem of short battery standby time for IoT nodes.

[0129] Network devices transmit energy as electromagnetic waves. Terminals receive these waves via antennas and convert them into alternating current (AC) signals. The AC signals then enter a rectifier, which processes them through rectification and filtering to convert them into direct current (DC) signals, thus charging the load. For example, the load may include a power management module and a battery. The DC signal output from the rectifier is then fed into the power management module, which in turn supplies the DC signal to the battery for energy storage. In this way, the terminal achieves downlink energy harvesting.

[0130] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of several different scenarios applicable to the wireless charging method provided in the embodiments of this application. For example, point-to-point transmission between RAN nodes and terminals or between terminals (as shown in Figure 3(a) is point-to-point transmission between RAN nodes and terminals), multi-hop transmission between RAN nodes and terminals (as shown in Figure 3(b) and Figure 3(c)), dual connectivity (DC) of multiple RAN nodes and terminals (as shown in Figure 3(d)), or multiple connectivity scenarios.

[0131] It should be understood that Figure 3 is merely exemplary and does not limit the network architecture applicable to the wireless charging method provided in this application. The wireless charging method provided in this application can be used and the applicable network architecture can be applied as long as any network device in a cellular network charges other devices. For example, application scenarios of this application include, but are not limited to, scenarios where one or more network devices charge one or more devices, such as base stations charging terminals, base stations charging each other, base stations charging relays, relay base stations charging terminals, multiple base stations charging one terminal, or multiple base stations charging multiple terminals.

[0132] In cellular mobile communication networks, electromagnetic wave signals emitted by network devices can be used to wirelessly charge terminals (such as IoT nodes). Network devices have multiple antenna ports and can use beamforming technology to focus the emitted wireless energy towards the terminal, making it a crucial means of solving the future power supply problem for IoT nodes. However, current wireless charging using network devices suffers from low energy conversion efficiency, sometimes failing to meet the daily needs of IoT nodes. Energy conversion efficiency is represented by the ratio of DC power from the input load to AC power consumption of the transmitted signal. High energy conversion efficiency means that the received energy is utilized efficiently; low energy conversion efficiency means that the received energy is not utilized efficiently.

[0133] In view of this, this application provides a method in which a terminal measures reference signals transmitted by a network device across multiple frequency domain units to determine the target frequency domain unit for transmitting a charging signal. Since this target frequency domain unit is selected and fed back by the terminal based on measurements, the terminal can choose a frequency domain unit with higher received reference signal energy as the target frequency domain unit for feedback in order to obtain higher energy reception efficiency. Therefore, when the network device charges the terminal, it can determine the frequency domain unit for transmitting the charging signal based on this target frequency domain unit, thereby enhancing radio frequency energy in the frequency domain and improving energy conversion efficiency. Furthermore, since the downlink reference signal has a relatively high transmit power, it is beneficial to obtain more accurate channel measurement results, allowing the terminal to more accurately adapt the target frequency domain unit based on measurement feedback to its own needs, thus further improving energy conversion efficiency. Moreover, the terminal does not need to transmit an uplink reference signal, saving power consumption and making it friendly to low-power terminals (such as IoT nodes).

[0134] The method provided in this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0135] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following explanations will first cover several parameters:

[0136] K: The number of frequency domain units carrying the reference signal, where K is a positive integer;

[0137] k: can have K different values, for example, it can be an integer value from 1 to K, or an integer value from 0 to K-1. This application does not limit it in this way.

[0138] L: The number of target frequency domain units, where L is a positive integer less than or equal to K;

[0139] l: can have L different values, for example, it can be an integer value from 1 to L, or an integer value from 0 to L-1. This application does not limit this.

[0140] F: The number of frequency domain units carrying the charging signal, which can be determined based on L target frequency domain units, where F is a positive integer;

[0141] M: The number of antenna ports of the second device, where M is a positive integer. In this embodiment, the M antenna ports are used to transmit reference signals and charging signals. These M antenna ports are referred to as M transmitting antenna ports (or, transmit antenna ports) to distinguish them from the N antenna ports of the first device.

[0142] m: refers to one of the M antenna ports of the second device, which can have M different values. For example, it can be an integer value from 1 to M, or an integer value from 0 to M-1. This application does not limit this. For ease of explanation, it is assumed that m is an integer value from 1 to M in the following text.

[0143] N: The number of antenna ports of the first device, where N is a positive integer. In this embodiment, the N antenna ports are used to receive reference signals and charging signals, and are referred to as N receiving antenna ports to distinguish them from the M antenna ports of the second device.

[0144] n: refers to one of the N antenna ports of the first device, which can have N different values. For example, it can be an integer value from 1 to N, or an integer value from 0 to N-1. This application does not limit this. For ease of explanation, it is assumed that n is an integer value from 1 to N in the following text.

[0145] J: Number of target frequency domain cell groups, J is a positive integer.

[0146] j: One of the J target frequency domain units, which can have J different values, such as integer values ​​from 1 to J or integer values ​​from 0 to J-1.

[0147] I j : The number of target frequency domain elements included in the j-th target frequency domain element group among the J target frequency domain element groups, I j It is a positive integer.

[0148] It should also be noted that the frequency domain unit in this application may include one or more subcarriers, one or more resource blocks (RBs), one or more subbands, or resource units divided at other frequency domain granularities. The time unit in this application may include one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, one or more time slots, one or more subframes, one or more radio frames, or resource units divided at other time domain granularities. This application does not limit the resource granularity of either the frequency domain unit or the time unit.

[0149] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of the wireless charging method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 illustrates the wireless charging method 400 provided in this application from the perspective of the interaction between the network device and the terminal. The terminal is an example of a first device, but can also be replaced by a component configured inside the terminal, or a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the terminal's functions, etc. The network device is an example of a second device, but can also be replaced by a component inside the network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the network device's functions, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0150] The method 400 shown in Figure 4 includes steps 410 and 420. Optionally, it also includes one or more of steps 430 to 490. The various steps of method 400 are described in detail below.

[0151] In step 410, the terminal performs channel measurements on the K frequency domain units based on the reference signals received on the K frequency domain units to obtain the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units.

[0152] Where K is a positive integer. Optionally, K is greater than 1. That is, the reference signal is carried on multiple frequency domain units. By measuring the reference signals received on multiple frequency domain units, the terminal can determine the received energy of the reference signal on each frequency domain unit. It should be understood that the terminal's measurement of the reference signals received on K frequency domain units is equivalent to measuring the channel corresponding to those K frequency domain units, which is also equivalent to performing channel measurement on those K frequency domain units.

[0153] In this embodiment, the reference signal can be carried on frequency domain resources within a certain frequency band. That is, the K frequency domain units can be frequency domain units distributed within a certain frequency band in the frequency domain.

[0154] Optionally, the K frequency domain units are multiple consecutive frequency domain units.

[0155] Given a fixed bandwidth in a frequency band, carrying the reference signal across all frequency domain units in that band is beneficial for obtaining accurate channel measurement results for all frequency domain units.

[0156] Optionally, the K frequency domain units include at least two discontinuous frequency domain units. For example, the K frequency domain units are comb-shaped, with at least two adjacent comb teeth having a frequency domain unit offset. For instance, the offsets of multiple frequency domain units corresponding to the K frequency domain units are equal. That is, the K frequency domain units are discretely distributed on the frequency domain resources, for example, the K frequency domain units are equally spaced on the frequency domain resources.

[0157] Given a fixed bandwidth in a frequency band, carrying the reference signal on K discrete frequency domain units can reduce the frequency domain resource occupation of the reference signal, which is beneficial to improving resource utilization. Given a fixed value of K, carrying the reference signal on K discrete frequency domain units can increase the total bandwidth covered by the reference signal in the frequency domain, enabling the terminal to perform measurements in a wider range of frequency bands.

[0158] Optionally, the reference signal is carried over one or more time units. These multiple time units may be continuous, or at least two of the included time units may be discontinuous.

[0159] Optionally, the frequency domain units occupied by the reference signal may be the same or different in at least two time units.

[0160] Figures 5(a) and (b) show reference signals carried on different time-frequency resources. The reference signal shown in Figure 5(a) occupies four consecutive frequency domain units (e.g., subcarriers) in the frequency domain, i.e., K is 4. This reference signal also occupies four consecutive time domain units (e.g., symbols) in the time domain. The reference signal shown in Figure 5(b) occupies two frequency domain units in the frequency domain, i.e., K is 2. These two frequency domain units are comb-shaped with an offset of one frequency domain unit. Similar to Figure 5(a), this reference signal also occupies four consecutive time domain units.

[0161] The following details the process by which the terminal determines the received energy of the reference signal in K frequency domain units, and then obtains the corresponding channel coefficients.

[0162] Based on measurements of the reference signals received in K frequency domain units, the terminal can obtain the received energy of the reference signals in those K frequency domain units. The received energy of the reference signals in those K frequency domain units reflects the channel state corresponding to those K frequency domain units. The terminal can then derive the corresponding channel coefficients from the received energy of the reference signals in those K frequency domain units.

[0163] For example, suppose the network device is configured with M antenna ports, and the terminal is also configured with N antenna ports. That is, the reference signal is transmitted through the M transmit antenna ports and received by the N receive antenna ports. The reference signal received by the terminal in the k-th frequency domain unit out of K frequency domain units can be estimated to obtain the channel matrix H(k) corresponding to the k-th frequency domain unit as follows:

[0164] The channel matrix has a dimension of N×M, which is the number of receive antenna ports × the number of transmit antenna ports. The element H in the nth row and mth column... nm(k) can represent the channel coefficient between the nth receive antenna port and the mth transmit antenna port corresponding to the kth frequency domain element. This channel coefficient can be obtained by measuring the reference signal carried on the kth frequency domain element received at the mth receive antenna port. Each channel coefficient may include amplitude and phase. In one possible implementation, the channel coefficient can be represented by a complex number. In other words, H... nm (k) is a complex number, and the channel matrix is ​​a complex matrix.

[0165] It should be noted that the channel coefficient in this application is obtained by measuring the reference signal, and the channel coefficient takes into account the attenuation of the wireless channel air interface propagation and the case of hardware non-ideals.

[0166] It can be understood that when N is 1, the channel matrix can be represented as a channel vector of length M: [H 11 (k) … H 1M (k)];When M is 1, the channel matrix can be represented as a channel vector of length N: [H 11 (k) … H N1 (k)] T When both M and N are 1, the channel matrix can be represented as a vector of length 1 [H]. 11 (k)]. It can be understood that the channel vector is also a special form of the channel matrix. For ease of explanation, the N×M dimensional channel matrix, the N-dimensional channel vector, and the M-dimensional channel vector will be collectively referred to as the channel matrix in the following text.

[0167] During the transmission of the reference signal to the receiver via the channel, its received energy is related to the energy of the channel and the energy of the reference signal itself. The terminal can determine the received energy of the reference signal in the k-th frequency unit based on the received reference signal, and thus determine the channel coefficients corresponding to that frequency unit.

[0168] In one possible design, the reference signal carried on the K frequency domain units can be a reference signal transmitted via omnidirectional beamforming. That is, the reference signal is obtained by precoding a precoded vector (e.g., an M-dimensional vector [1 … 1]) with weights all equal to 1. In other words, this precoded vector is not determined based on channel state information (CSI). Therefore, when there are multiple transmit antenna ports for the reference signal (i.e., M > 1), there is no energy difference introduced by beamforming between the reference signals carried on the channel between these multiple transmit antenna ports and receive antenna ports. This allows the terminal to more accurately measure the channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit, thus enabling the terminal to obtain more accurate channel measurement results.

[0169] For ease of explanation, the reference signal transmitted through the k-th frequency domain unit (or, the reference signal carried on the k-th frequency domain unit) of the reference signal carried on the K frequency domain units is denoted as r(k).

[0170] The following will explain how to determine the channel coefficients from the received energy of the reference signal in four cases: 1) both N and M are 1; 2) M is greater than 1 and N is 1; 3) N is greater than 1 and M is 1; 4) both N and M are greater than 1.

[0171] 1) Both N and M are 1:

[0172] The channel matrix corresponding to the kth frequency domain unit can be represented as a vector of length 1 [H 11 (k)], the energy of the channel corresponding to the kth frequency domain unit is (H 11 (k)) 2 The energy of the reference signal transmitted by the k-th frequency domain unit is (r(k)). 2 Therefore, the received energy of the reference signal in the k-th frequency domain unit can be obtained as (H). 11 (k)r(k)) 2 Since the terminal knows the reference signals in each frequency domain unit, it can obtain the channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit from the received energy of the reference signals in each frequency domain unit.

[0173] 2) M is greater than 1, N is 1:

[0174] The channel matrix corresponding to the k-th frequency domain unit can be represented as a vector H(k) of length M = [H 11 (k) ... H 1M (k)];The reference signal in the k-th frequency domain unit is r(k)=[r1(k) ... r M [(k)], the energy of the reference signal transmitted in the k-th frequency domain unit is Therefore, the received energy of the reference signal in the k-th frequency domain unit can be obtained as follows: Since the terminal knows the reference signals in each frequency domain unit, it can obtain the channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit from the received energy of the reference signals in each frequency domain unit.

[0175] 3) N is greater than 1, M is 1:

[0176] The channel matrix corresponding to the k-th frequency domain unit can also be represented as a vector H(k) of length N = [H 11 (k) … H N1 (k)] TThe reference signal transmitted in the k-th frequency domain unit is r(k) = [r(k)], and the energy of the reference signal transmitted in the k-th frequency domain unit is (r(k)). 2 Therefore, the received energy of the reference signal in the k-th frequency domain unit can be obtained. Since the terminal knows the reference signals in each frequency domain unit, it can obtain the channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit from the received energy of the reference signals in each frequency domain unit.

[0177] 4) Both N and M are greater than 1:

[0178] The channel matrix corresponding to the k-th frequency domain unit can be represented as an N×M dimensional matrix. Each row of this matrix corresponds to a receive antenna port and may include M channel coefficients between the receive antenna port and M transmit antenna ports corresponding to the k-th frequency domain unit; each column of this matrix corresponds to a transmit antenna port and may include N channel coefficients between the transmit antenna port and N receive antenna ports corresponding to the k-th frequency domain unit. Since the reference signal transmitted in the k-th frequency domain unit is r(k) = [r1(k) … r M [(k)], the energy of the reference signal transmitted in the k-th frequency domain unit is Therefore, the received energy of the reference signal in the k-th frequency domain unit can be obtained as follows: Since the terminal knows the reference signals in each frequency domain unit, it can obtain the channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit from the received energy of the reference signals in each frequency domain unit.

[0179] It should be noted that the sequences of reference signals carried in at least two of the K frequency domain units can be the same or different, and this application does not impose any limitation on this. Since the terminal can predict the sequences of reference signals carried in different frequency domain units, it can determine the channel coefficients corresponding to each frequency domain unit based on the reference signals in each frequency domain unit.

[0180] For example, the measurement of the reference signal received by the terminal over the K frequency domain units can be a measurement of the reference signal received in the most recent time unit, or a measurement of the reference signal received in the most recent time period. This application does not limit this.

[0181] Taking Figure 5(a) and (b) as examples, the terminal can perform measurements based on the reference signal received in time unit 4 (i.e., an example of the most recent time unit) to determine the received energy of the reference signal in K frequency domain units. That is, the channel energy and reference signal energy listed above can be obtained based on the reference signal received in the most recent time unit. Alternatively, the terminal can also perform measurements based on the reference signal received in the four time units from time units 1 to 4 (i.e., an example of the most recent time period). That is, the channel energy and reference signal energy listed above can be obtained based on the reference signal received in the most recent time period. For example, the received energy of the reference signal in the kth frequency domain unit of the K frequency domain units can be obtained by averaging or weighted averaging the received energy of the reference signals measured in the four time units respectively, or by other means, without limitation.

[0182] In step 420, the terminal sends first information, which indicates L target frequency domain elements. Correspondingly, the network device receives this first information.

[0183] The L target frequency domain units are one or more frequency domain units among the K frequency domain units, or in other words, the L target frequency domain units are some or all of the K frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units can be determined based on the received energy of the reference signal corresponding to each of the K frequency domain units. For example, the L target frequency domain units are the top-ranked frequency domain units obtained by sorting the received energy of the reference signal in the K frequency domain units from highest to lowest. That is, the L target frequency domain units are the L frequency domain units among the K frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal. For example, if L is 1, the L target frequency domain units are the frequency domain units among the K frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal.

[0184] As seen in step 410, given that the terminal knows the reference signal, the network device can obtain the channel measurement results by transmitting the reference signal. When the network device transmits an omnidirectional reference signal, that is, when the weight is 1 when transmitting the reference signal through different antenna ports, the comparison of the received energy of the reference signal by the terminal is equivalent to a comparison of the channel energy. Therefore, the determination of the L target frequency domain units based on the received energy of the reference signals corresponding to the K frequency domain units can also be replaced by the determination of the L target frequency domain units based on the channel energy corresponding to the K frequency domain units.

[0185] Optionally, the received energy of the reference signal in any one of the L target frequency domain units is not lower than (or, in other words, higher than or equal to) the received energy of the reference signal in any one of the remaining (KL) frequency domain units in the K frequency domain units. In other words, the L target frequency domain units are the L frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the K frequency domain units.

[0186] One possibility is that L is 1, and the L target frequency domain units are the frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the aforementioned K frequency domain units.

[0187] When used to indicate the L target frequency domain elements, the first information may indicate the number (or index, identifier, ID, etc.) of the L target frequency domain elements, or the offset of each of the L target frequency domain elements relative to a frequency domain reference point. When some or all of the L target frequency domain elements are consecutive in the frequency domain, the first information may also indicate one or more of the following: the first frequency domain element, the last frequency domain element, or the number of frequency domain elements among the consecutive frequency domain elements. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the first information indicating the L target frequency domain elements.

[0188] When L is greater than 1, the first information, when used to indicate L target frequency domain units, can be sorted according to the received energy of the reference signals corresponding to the L target frequency domain units by a preset order, such as sorting from large to small or from small to large, and then the L target frequency domain units can be indicated according to this order.

[0189] Optionally, the first information can also be used to indicate the received energy of the reference signal corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units, or the channel energy corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units.

[0190] When L is greater than 1, the first information, when used to indicate the L target frequency domain units, can also be sorted according to a preset order of the numbers of the L target frequency domain units, such as sorting them in ascending or descending order, and then in order to indicate the received energy or channel energy of the L target frequency domain units and their corresponding reference signals.

[0191] In another implementation, the L target frequency domain elements can be divided into one or more (let's say J) frequency domain element groups. For ease of distinction and explanation, this paper refers to a frequency domain element group containing one or more target frequency domain elements as a target frequency domain element group. That is, the L target frequency domain elements are divided into J target frequency domain element groups, or in other words, the L target frequency domain elements belong to J target frequency domain element groups. The L target frequency domain elements may belong to one target frequency domain element group or multiple target frequency domain element groups. Different target frequency domain element groups may contain the same or different numbers of target frequency domain elements.

[0192] It should be understood that a frequency domain unit group can be viewed as another frequency domain resource unit defined to facilitate differentiation from the granularity of a frequency domain unit. It can be understood that J can be a positive integer less than or equal to L. When each frequency domain unit group includes one frequency domain unit, i.e., J = L, this means that the frequency domain unit group and the frequency domain unit have the same granularity.

[0193] When the terminal indicates the L target frequency domain elements through the first information, it can indicate the J target frequency domain element groups to which the L target frequency domain elements belong, and the target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group. For example, the indication of the J target frequency domain element groups to which the L target frequency domain elements belong through the first information can be the number of the J target frequency domain element groups (or, in other words, the identifier, group number, group identifier, etc.). The indication of the target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group through the first information can be the number of the target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group, or the offset of each target frequency domain element included in each target frequency domain element group relative to the reference point in its respective target frequency domain element group, etc., without limitation. Among them, the reference point in each target frequency domain element group can be predefined, such as the frequency domain element with the smallest or largest number in the group. It is understood that the reference point may be a target frequency domain element or a non-target frequency domain element, and this application does not limit it in this regard.

[0194] There are several possible ways to determine the J target frequency domain unit groups.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the K frequency domain units can be divided into multiple frequency domain unit groups. Each frequency domain unit group includes one or more frequency domain units from the K frequency domain units. Since the L target frequency domain units come from the K frequency domain units, the L target frequency domain units belong to one or more of these multiple frequency domain unit groups (i.e., the aforementioned J target frequency domain unit groups). Each target frequency domain unit group in the J target frequency domain unit groups includes one or more target frequency domain units from the L target frequency domain units. For ease of distinction and explanation, frequency domain units that do not belong to the L target frequency domain units will be referred to as non-target frequency domain units. It can be understood that in this division method, each target frequency domain unit group may also include one or more non-target frequency domain units.

[0196] The division rule for dividing the K frequency domain units into multiple frequency domain unit groups can be predefined, can be indicated in advance by the network device through signaling, or can be determined by the terminal itself. This application does not limit this.

[0197] For example, the above partitioning rule stipulates that the number of frequency domain units included in each frequency domain unit group does not exceed the first threshold value I. Therefore, the terminal can divide each of the K frequency domain units into a group according to the partitioning rule, in ascending or descending order of the frequency domain unit numbers. Finally, the remaining one or more frequency domain units are grouped together, thus obtaining J frequency domain unit groups.

[0198] In another possible implementation, the terminal can first determine L target frequency domain elements, and then group these L target frequency domain elements into J target frequency domain element groups. That is, the terminal can choose not to group the K frequency domain elements, but instead divide the L target frequency domain elements into J target frequency domain element groups. In this case, the target frequency domain element groups are determined specifically for the target frequency domain elements, therefore, target frequency domain element groups can also be simply referred to as frequency domain element groups.

[0199] For example, the terminal can group multiple frequency domain units with similar received energy of reference signals into a target frequency domain unit group based on the measurement results of the received energy of reference signals on K frequency domain units. Whether the received energy of the reference signals is similar can be determined by a predefined discrimination rule. This rule could be, for example, that the difference in received energy of reference signals on each target frequency domain unit within the same target frequency domain unit group is no greater than a second threshold value. Alternatively, the terminal can also group L target frequency domain units according to the division rules listed above, which will not be elaborated further.

[0200] It is understandable that in this partitioning method, each target frequency domain unit group may include target frequency domain units, but not non-target frequency domain units.

[0201] These L target frequency domain units can be used to determine the frequency domain units that carry (or transmit or transmit) the charging signal. Since the frequency domain units carrying the charging signal are determined by the sender of the charging signal (i.e., the network device), this will not be discussed in detail here.

[0202] Based on the above scheme, the terminal measures the reference signals on K frequency domain units and feeds back the determined L target frequency domain units to the network device. This allows the network device to determine the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal based on these L target frequency domain units. Since these L target frequency domain units are determined based on the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units, the terminal can select the frequency domain unit with the higher received energy of the reference signal as the target frequency domain unit for feedback in order to obtain higher energy reception efficiency. Therefore, when the network device charges the terminal, it can determine the frequency domain unit for transmitting the charging signal based on these target frequency domain units, thereby enhancing radio frequency energy in the frequency domain dimension and improving energy conversion efficiency. Furthermore, since this reference signal is a downlink reference signal, its transmission power is greater than that of the uplink reference signal. Therefore, compared to network devices measuring the uplink reference signal, the terminal measuring the downlink reference signal is more conducive to obtaining more accurate channel measurement results. This allows the terminal to more accurately adapt the target frequency domain unit based on the measurement feedback to its own needs, thereby improving energy conversion efficiency to a greater extent. Moreover, the terminal does not need to send the uplink reference signal, which can save the terminal's power consumption and is friendly to low-power terminals (such as IoT nodes).

[0203] Optionally, the method further includes step 430: the network device sends a reference signal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the reference signal.

[0204] One possible scenario is shown in Figure 3(a). The network device can transmit reference signals on K frequency domain elements. The terminal performs channel measurements based on the reference signals received on these K frequency domain elements, and then indicates L target frequency domain elements through first information. The network device can correspond to the base station in Figure 3(a).

[0205] Another possible scenario is shown in Figures 3(b) to (d). The terminal can receive a reference signal from a network device (e.g., denoted as the first network device), perform channel measurements based on the received reference signal, and then send first information to another network device (e.g., denoted as the second network device) to indicate L target frequency domain elements. The second network device can forward this first information to the first network device. In this case, the network device shown in Figure 4 can be understood as the first network device, and the second network device is not shown in Figure 4.

[0206] For example, the first network device mentioned above may be a base station in Figure 3(b) or (c), and the second network device may be a wireless access point in Figure 3(b) or (c); the first network device mentioned above may also be base station 1 in Figure 3(d), and the second network device may be base station 2 in the figure.

[0207] The reference signal in this application can be a communication reference signal sent by a network device, such as channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or synchronization signal block (SSB). That is, the reference signal in the communication process can be reused for channel measurement; or, the reference signal can be a reference signal specifically used for charging scenarios. This application does not limit this. The SSB can include a primary synchronization signal, a secondary synchronization signal, and a physical broadcast channel, and may also include a demodulation reference signal.

[0208] Furthermore, the reference signal can be a downlink reference signal transmitted via unicast or multicast, and the time and frequency resources of the reference signal can be indicated in advance by the network device to the terminal or a group including the terminal via signaling before transmitting the reference signal; the reference signal can also be a downlink reference signal transmitted via broadcast, and the time and frequency resources of the reference signal may not be indicated in advance, and terminals within the network coverage area of ​​the network device may receive the reference signal.

[0209] Sending downlink reference signals via multicast or broadcast allows one or more terminals with charging needs to perform measurements and provide feedback based on the received reference signals. When multiple terminals have charging needs, compared to each terminal sending uplink reference signals to obtain channel measurement results, sending downlink reference signals via multicast or broadcast reduces the resource overhead caused by multiple terminals sending uplink reference signals, and also reduces the processing overhead of network equipment needing to process uplink reference signals from multiple terminals.

[0210] Network devices can transmit reference signals on the operating frequency band of their antennas (or, in other words, the transmitting antennas), or on a portion of the operating frequency band of their antennas.

[0211] Optionally, the method further includes step 440: the terminal sends capability information, which indicates the terminal's operating frequency band. Accordingly, the network device receives the capability information.

[0212] The operating frequency band of the terminal refers to the frequency band suitable for charging the terminal, or in other words, the better (or superior) operating frequency band for charging the terminal. The operating frequency band of the terminal can be determined based on one or more of the following: the rectifier chip model, the model of the electronic components in the rectifier (such as diodes or transistors), and the operating frequency band of the terminal antenna (or receiving antenna). This application does not limit the specific method for determining the operating frequency band of the terminal.

[0213] It's important to clarify that the relationship between an antenna and an antenna port can be understood as follows: An antenna is a physical concept, referring to a device (such as a terminal) used to transmit and / or receive electromagnetic waves. It can convert electrical signals into electromagnetic waves (for transmission) and / or convert electromagnetic waves into electrical signals (for reception). An antenna port is a logical concept, also simply called a port. An antenna port can be understood as a transmit / receive interface on the channel through which a signal passes. Optionally, an antenna port may correspond to one or more antennas (which can be called antenna elements, or simply elements). These elements can jointly transmit signals, and the receiving end can treat them as a whole without distinguishing each element. Optionally, an antenna port may correspond to a beam; similarly, the receiving end can treat a beam as a port without distinguishing each element.

[0214] It is understandable that network devices can reduce losses and achieve higher energy conversion efficiency by charging the terminal within its operating frequency band. Therefore, this operating frequency band is used to determine the K frequency domain units. The network device can determine the K frequency domain units based on the terminal's operating frequency band, and then transmit reference signals on the K frequency domain units.

[0215] Optionally, the K frequency domain units are a subset of the terminal's operating frequency band. That is, the K frequency domain units can cover part or all of the terminal's operating frequency band.

[0216] Optionally, the K frequency domain units represent the intersection of the terminal's operating frequency band and the network device's antenna operating frequency band. When the network device transmits a reference signal, it can consider both the terminal's operating frequency band and its own antenna's operating frequency band, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption caused by transmitting a reference signal over an excessively large bandwidth.

[0217] Optionally, the method 400 further includes step 450: the network device sends second information, which is used to indicate the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources of the first information. Accordingly, the terminal receives the second information.

[0218] In other words, the network device can use the second information to instruct the terminal on the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources for transmitting the first information. Alternatively, the network device can use the second information to instruct the terminal on the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources for feeding back channel measurement results.

[0219] Network devices can indicate one or more time units and / or one or more frequency units through the second information, and terminals can send the first information at the resource location indicated by the second information.

[0220] Taking Figure 5(a) as an example, assuming that the network device instructs frequency domain unit 2 and time units 5 and 6 through the second information, the terminal can send the first information on the resources corresponding to frequency domain unit 2 and time units 5 and 6.

[0221] For example, the indication of the time-domain resources of the first information by the second information can be indicated by one or more of the following information about the time-domain resources: the duration of the time-domain resources, the number of time units included in the time-domain resources, the start position of the time-domain resources, the end position of the time-domain resources, or the number of the time units included in the time-domain resources. The start and end positions of the time-domain resources can be indicated by the number of the time unit, or by the offset of the start and end positions of the time-domain resources relative to a time-domain reference point, without limitation.

[0222] The second information indicating the frequency domain resource of the first information can be indicated by one or more of the following information about the frequency domain resource: the duration of the frequency domain resource, the number of frequency domain cells included in the frequency domain resource, the start position of the frequency domain resource, the end position of the frequency domain resource, or the number of the time cells included in the frequency domain resource. The start and end positions of the frequency domain resource can be indicated by the number of the frequency domain cell, or by the offset of the start and end positions of the frequency domain resource relative to the frequency domain reference point, without limitation.

[0223] For example, one or more of the relevant information regarding the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources mentioned above may be predefined. The second information may indicate one or more of the relevant information that are not predefined.

[0224] The time-domain reference point and the frequency-domain reference point can be predefined or preconfigured, and this application does not impose any restrictions on them.

[0225] Optionally, the method further includes step 460: the network device sends third information, which indicates the number of target frequency domain elements that need to be reported. Accordingly, the terminal receives the third information.

[0226] The network device can use third information to indicate the number of target frequency domain units that the terminal needs to report. The terminal can determine the aforementioned L target frequency domain units based on the number of target frequency domain units that need to be reported indicated by the third information, and then report them through the first information.

[0227] Accordingly, prior to step 420, the method further includes: the terminal determining L target frequency domain units based on the third information.

[0228] In one possible implementation, the number of target frequency domain units to be reported indicated by the third information is L. After the terminal obtains the received energy of the corresponding reference signal by measuring the reference signal on K frequency domain units, it can sort the K frequency domain units in descending order of the received energy of the reference signal, and determine the top L frequency domain units as target frequency domain units.

[0229] Optionally, the method further includes step 470: the network device sends fifth information, which is used to determine a threshold value for determining L target frequency domain elements. Accordingly, the terminal receives the fifth information.

[0230] Specifically, this threshold value can refer to the threshold value of the received energy of the reference signal. This fifth piece of information can be used to determine this threshold value, and then used by the terminal to determine the L target frequency domain units.

[0231] Accordingly, prior to step 420, the method further includes: the terminal determining L target frequency domain units based on the fifth information.

[0232] In one possible design, the fifth piece of information indicates the threshold value.

[0233] In another possible design, the fifth information indicates a parameter used to determine the threshold value. For example, the fifth information indicates an offset, and the threshold value can be determined based on this offset. For instance, the threshold value could be the sum of the average received energy of the reference signal across K frequency domain units and the offset. Since the network device cannot predict the channel state and therefore cannot predict the received energy of the reference signal at the terminal, an offset can be indicated so that the terminal can determine the threshold value. This offset can be positive, negative, or even zero. This application does not limit this.

[0234] Based on this fifth piece of information, the terminal can determine the offset, and then determine the frequency domain cell from the K frequency domain cells whose received energy of the reference signal is higher than (or higher than or equal to) the threshold value, and report it as the target frequency domain cell.

[0235] It is understood that both the third and fifth information can be used to determine L target frequency domain elements, and both can be referred to as information used to determine L target frequency domain elements. The network device can send one or more of the third or fifth information to facilitate the terminal's determination of the L target frequency domain elements. When the network device sends both the third and fifth information, they can be carried in the same signaling message or in different signaling messages; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0236] It should be noted that when the network device sends the third and fifth information, the terminal can determine L target frequency domain elements based on the third and fifth information. For example, the third information indicates the number of target frequency domain elements to be reported as L, and the fifth information indicates the threshold value that the target frequency domain elements to be reported should meet. The terminal can determine the target frequency domain elements based on the number L and the threshold value. In some cases, the number L and the threshold value may not be satisfied simultaneously. In this case, the terminal can determine the frequency domain elements to be reported to the network device based on the priority of the number of target frequency domain elements and the threshold value that the target frequency domain elements should meet. The above priority can be configured by the network device, predefined by the protocol, or determined by the terminal itself; this application does not limit this. It is understandable that when the priority of the number of target frequency domain units is higher than the threshold value that the target frequency domain units should meet, the number of target frequency domain units that need to be reported indicated by the third information is L; when the priority of the number of target frequency domain units is higher than the threshold value that the target frequency domain units should meet, the number of target frequency domain units that need to be reported indicated by the third information is not necessarily L.

[0237] It should also be understood that the third and / or fifth information can be carried in the same signaling as the aforementioned second information. For example, the second, third, and fifth information can be carried in the same signaling, or the second and third information can be carried in the same signaling, or the second and fifth information can be carried in the same signaling. The third and / or fifth information can also be carried in different signalings than the aforementioned second information. For example, the second, third, and fifth information can be carried in different signalings, or the third and fifth information can be carried in the same signaling, but in a different signaling than the second information. For the sake of brevity, these examples will not be listed further. This application does not limit the signaling that carries the second, third, and fifth information.

[0238] Optionally, the method 400 further includes step 480: the network device sends a charging signal, wherein the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal is determined based on L target frequency domain units. Accordingly, the terminal receives the charging signal.

[0239] Network devices can determine the frequency domain units carrying the charging signal based on the L target frequency domain units fed back by the terminal. Since these L target frequency domain units may also be used for other purposes such as carrying communication signals, they are not necessarily all used to carry the charging signal. Network devices can determine the frequency domain units carrying the charging signal based on resource scheduling and the L target frequency domain units.

[0240] Optionally, the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal can be some or all of the target frequency domain units among the L target frequency domain units.

[0241] In one example, the L target frequency domain units are the subcarriers with the highest received energy of the reference signal (i.e., an instance of a frequency domain unit). The frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal is this subcarrier. In this case, the charging signal sent by the network device can be called a single-tone charging signal, that is, a signal containing only a single frequency.

[0242] Optionally, the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal may include frequency domain units near some or all of the L target frequency domain units, or may include some or all of the L target frequency domain units and frequency domain units near some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

[0243] Optionally, the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal can be one or more frequency domain units located near the L target frequency domain units.

[0244] The frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell can be determined based on the target frequency domain cell and a preset range. For example, the preset range can be represented by an offset from the target frequency domain cell. The offset can be represented by one of the following: the number of frequency domain cells with the same granularity as the target frequency domain cell, or the number of frequency domain cells with different granularity than the target frequency domain cell, or the frequency range, etc., without limitation.

[0245] As an example, if the offset is represented by the number T (where T is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1) of frequency domain cells with the same granularity as a target frequency domain cell, then the frequency domain cells located near the target frequency domain cell can be determined by the target frequency domain cell's number and T. For instance, if the first information indicates that the target frequency domain cell is numbered 3 and T is 1, the numbering of the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell can be determined by 3 ± 1, that is, the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell include frequency domain cells numbered 2 and 4.

[0246] Furthermore, this offset can be a positive offset or a negative offset. For ease of explanation, the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell are referred to as nearby frequency domain cells. A positive offset refers to the offset of a nearby frequency domain cell relative to the target frequency domain cell, with the target frequency domain cell as the reference point. A negative offset refers to the offset of a target frequency domain cell relative to a nearby frequency domain cell, with the nearby frequency domain cell as the reference point. It can be understood that when the offset direction is fixed, or when the offset direction is not considered, this offset can be a positive value, or it can be expressed as an absolute value.

[0247] Assume the offset is represented by the number T of frequency domain cells with the same granularity as the target frequency domain cell, for example, T = 1. If the offset is a positive offset, the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell can be determined by the sum of the target frequency domain cell number and T. The number of the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell numbered 3 can be determined by 3 + 1, that is, the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell numbered 3 include the frequency domain cell numbered 4. If the offset is a negative offset, the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell can be determined by the difference between the target frequency domain cell number and T. For example, if T = 1, the number of the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell numbered 3 can be determined by 3 - 1, that is, the frequency domain cells near the target frequency domain cell numbered 3 include the frequency domain cell numbered 2.

[0248] It should be understood that the examples of the preset range and the value of T above are merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application. In the following text, the frequency domain units near the target frequency domain unit can be understood with reference to the above description, and will not be repeated here.

[0249] Taking Figure 5(a) as an example, the K frequency domain units include frequency domain units 1 to 4 in the figure, and the L target frequency domain units are one or more of these four frequency domain units. For example, the L target frequency domain units can be frequency domain unit 1 in the figure, or the L target frequency domain units can be frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 2 in the figure, or the L target frequency domain units can be frequency domain unit 2 in the figure, and so on, without further enumeration.

[0250] Taking Figure 5(b) as an example, the K frequency domain units include frequency domain units 1 and 3 in the figure, and the L target frequency domain units are one or more of these two frequency domain units. For example, the L target frequency domain units are frequency domain unit 1 in the figure, or the L target frequency domain units can be frequency domain unit 3 in the figure, or the L target frequency domain units are frequency domain units 1 and 3 in the figure.

[0251] Figures 6(a) and (b) show two examples of the occupation of time and frequency resources during the entire process from the transmission of the reference signal to the transmission of the charging signal.

[0252] Figure 6(a), based on Figure 5(a), further illustrates the time-frequency resources for the first information and the charging signal. The resource occupancy of the reference signal can be found in the preceding explanation in conjunction with Figure 5(a), and will not be repeated here. The terminal transmits the first information on the resources corresponding to time units 5 and 6 and frequency unit 2, while the network device transmits the charging signal on the resources corresponding to time units 7 to 11 and frequency unit 1. Frequency unit 1 can be determined based on the target frequency unit indicated by the first information. For example, if the first information indicates that the target frequency unit is frequency unit 1, and frequency unit 1 is not currently scheduled, the network device transmits the charging signal on frequency unit 1. Alternatively, if the first information indicates that the target frequency units are frequency units 1 and 2, but frequency unit 2 is scheduled for transmitting communication signals, the network device transmits the charging signal on frequency unit 1. For example, the first information indicates that the target frequency domain unit is frequency domain unit 2, but since frequency domain unit 2 is scheduled to be used to transmit communication signals, the network device selects to send a charging signal on frequency domain unit 1, which is near frequency domain unit 2.

[0253] Figure 6(b), based on Figure 5(b), further illustrates the time-frequency resources for the first information and the charging signal. The resource occupancy of the reference signal can be found in the preceding explanation in conjunction with Figure 5(b), and will not be repeated here. The network device transmits the first information on the resources corresponding to time units 5 and 6 and frequency unit 2, and transmits the charging signal on the resources corresponding to time units 7 to 11 and frequency unit 1. Frequency unit 1 can be determined according to the target frequency unit indicated by the first information. For example, if the first information indicates that the target frequency unit includes frequency unit 1, the network device transmits the charging signal on frequency unit 1. Another example is that the first information indicates that the target frequency units are frequency units 1 and 3, but since frequency unit 3 is scheduled for transmitting communication signals, the network device transmits the charging signal on frequency unit 1. Yet another example is that the first information indicates that the target frequency units are frequency units 1 and 3, but since frequency units 1 and 3 are scheduled for transmitting communication signals, the network device transmits the charging signal on frequency unit 2.

[0254] Optionally, the method further includes step 490: the terminal sends fourth information, which indicates the channel state corresponding to each group of target frequency domain elements in the L target frequency domain elements. Accordingly, the network device receives the fourth information.

[0255] To achieve higher energy conversion efficiency, network devices can beamform, or precode, the charging signal to give it spatial directionality, thus concentrating radio frequency energy towards the terminal. Beamforming (or precoding) can be determined based on the channel state between the terminal and the network device. Therefore, the terminal can feed back the measured channel state to the network device, enabling the network device to generate the charging signal. In this embodiment, since the fourth information is used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, in one possible design, this fourth information can be channel state information (CSI).

[0256] Each target frequency domain unit group may include one or more target frequency domain units from L target frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units may belong to J target frequency domain unit groups. For a description of the frequency domain unit groups, please refer to the relevant description in step 420 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0257] In this embodiment, the second device is configured with M antenna ports, and the first device is configured with N antenna ports. That is, for the charging signal, there are M transmitting antenna ports and N receiving antenna ports.

[0258] When M is 1, the charging signal can be transmitted through one antenna port without beamforming.

[0259] If both N and M are 1, i.e., a single input single output (SISO) scenario. Assume the charging signal is carried across F frequency domain units, and the channel coefficients corresponding to these F frequency domain units are [H1 … H… F The network device transmits energy in the form of E. s The charging signal is [s1 … s F Therefore, the signal received by the terminal through the channel is [H1s1 … H]. F s F ], receiving energy is It is easy to see that when the energy of the charging signal is all concentrated in |H f The maximum received energy can be reached at the largest frequency domain unit, where || represents the absolute value. And from (H f ·s f ) 2 =(H f ) 2 ·(s f ) 2 =(H f ) 2 ·E sIt can be seen that the selection is only made in |H f When transmitting a charging signal on the largest frequency domain unit, the maximum received energy can be achieved regardless of how the charging signal is designed.

[0260] As the mathematical analysis above shows, in a single-transmit, single-receive scenario, given a fixed energy level for the charging signal, the energy of the received charging signal depends on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal, but not on the charging signal transmitted on that frequency domain unit. Therefore, in a single-transmit, single-receive scenario, the terminal does not need to feed back the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units, i.e., it does not need to feed back the aforementioned fourth piece of information.

[0261] Therefore, the terminal primarily feeds back the fourth piece of information when M is greater than 1. In the L target frequency domain units, the channel corresponding to each frequency domain unit can include the channel between the M transmit antenna ports and N receive antenna ports corresponding to each frequency domain unit. The channel state between the M transmit antenna ports and N receive antenna ports corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units is related to the generation of the charging signal.

[0262] For ease of understanding and explanation, the following will focus on two scenarios: 1) M is greater than 1 and N is 1; 2) both N and M are greater than 1, to illustrate how the fourth information indicates the channel state corresponding to each frequency domain unit in the L target frequency domain units, and how the charging signal is generated.

[0263] 1) M is greater than 1, N is 1:

[0264] That is, the multiple input single output (MISO) scenario. In the MISO scenario, assuming the charging signal is carried in F frequency domain cells, the channel coefficient corresponding to the f-th frequency domain cell is an M-dimensional vector: [H1(f) … H M [f], where the m-th term corresponds to the m-th transmit antenna port. The network device transmits energy E through the channel corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit. s The charging signal for (f) is [s1(f) … s M (f)] T Therefore, the signal received by the terminal through the channel corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit is [H1(f)s1(f) ... H M (f)s M (f)], receiving energy is From the Cauchy-Schwarz indeterminate form, we can obtain: and Therefore And the maximum value is It can be obtained at that time. The symbol "*" represents the conjugate operation. H represents m (f) conjugate.

[0265] Furthermore, extending to F frequency domain units, the network device transmits energy of E in F frequency domain units. s The energy of the charging signal transmitted through the channel corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit is E. s (f), and when the terminal receives the charging signal with the maximum energy in each frequency domain unit, the total energy of the charging signals received by the terminal in the F frequency domain units is in Assume f max This represents the frequency domain cell with the largest received energy out of F frequency domain cells, i.e. The largest frequency domain unit allows network devices to concentrate the energy of the transmitted charging signal at f to further obtain frequency-selective gain. max Above, that is, E s (f max ) = E s The energy of the charging signals transmitted by the remaining frequency domain units is 0. At this point, the total energy of the reference signals received by the terminal across the F frequency domain units can reach its maximum, which is [value missing]. And the maximum value is It can be retrieved at that time.

[0266] As the mathematical analysis above shows, in a multi-transmitter, single-receiver scenario, given a fixed charging signal energy, the energy of the received charging signal depends not only on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal but also on the charging signal transmitted within that frequency domain unit. The frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal can be determined based on L target frequency domain units fed back by the terminal. The charging signal within the frequency domain unit can be determined through the fourth information fed back by the terminal, specifically generated based on the conjugate of the channel coefficients. The feedback from the L target frequency domain units has already been explained in detail above in conjunction with steps 410 and 420, and will not be repeated here. The following section will provide a detailed explanation of the fourth information and the generation of the charging signal in the multi-transmitter, single-receiver scenario.

[0267] As mentioned earlier, the fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups. One possible scenario is that each target frequency domain unit group may include one target frequency domain unit; that is, the frequency domain granularity of the frequency domain unit group and the frequency domain unit is the same, then J equals L, and the fourth information is used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups. Alternatively, the fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units. Another possible scenario is that at least one of the J target frequency domain unit groups includes multiple target frequency domain units; that is, different target frequency domain unit groups do not include the same number of target frequency domain units. In other words, the fourth information can provide feedback on the channel state at a larger granularity than the frequency domain unit. The fourth information will be described below for these two scenarios.

[0268] Case A: Each target frequency domain unit group includes one target frequency domain unit:

[0269] Case A can be viewed as the terminal indicating the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units at the granularity of frequency domain units.

[0270] Optionally, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain elements, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the channel coefficients; the M channel coefficients correspond to the M antenna ports of the network device.

[0271] It is understandable that this fourth piece of information can also be obtained by measuring the reference signals on the aforementioned K frequency domain units. For a reference signal on a frequency domain unit, since the reference signal is transmitted through M (M > 1) antenna ports and received by N (N = 1) antenna ports, the channel traversed by the charging signal includes the channel between the M transmitting antenna ports and the N receiving antenna ports. The channel state between the M transmitting antenna ports and the N receiving antenna ports can be represented by their respective corresponding channel coefficients. That is, the channel state of each frequency domain unit can be represented by M channel coefficients. The m-th channel coefficient among these M channel coefficients is the channel coefficient between the m-th transmitting antenna port and the 1 receiving antenna port. In other words, these M channel coefficients correspond one-to-one with the M transmitting antenna ports.

[0272] For each of the L target frequency domain units, the terminal can indicate M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the network device can then determine the conjugate of the M channel coefficients itself; alternatively, the terminal can also indicate the conjugate of the M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the network device can directly use the conjugate of the M channel coefficients; alternatively, the terminal can also indicate the index corresponding to the M-dimensional vector formed by the M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the index corresponding to the M-dimensional vector can be the index of a precoded vector that is the same as or similar to the M-dimensional vector formed by the M channel coefficients, determined in a predefined codebook (or a set of precoded vectors); alternatively, the terminal can also indicate the index corresponding to the M-dimensional vector formed by the conjugate of the M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the index corresponding to the M-dimensional vector can be the index of a precoded vector that is the same as or similar to the M-dimensional vector formed by the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, determined in the predefined codebook.

[0273] In other words, for the above L target frequency domain units, the terminal can indicate L groups of channel coefficients through the fourth information, each group of channel coefficients including M channel coefficients; or it can indicate the conjugate of L groups of channel coefficients through the fourth information, each group of channel coefficients including M channel coefficients; or it can indicate L indices through the fourth information, each index corresponding to a group of channel coefficients or a conjugate of a group of channel coefficients, each group of channel coefficients including M channel coefficients.

[0274] In another implementation, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M sets of channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain elements, or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients; the M sets of channel coefficients correspond to the M antenna ports of the network device.

[0275] Each of the M groups of channel coefficients includes one channel coefficient, corresponding to one receive antenna port. The m-th channel coefficient in the M groups represents the channel coefficient between the m-th transmit antenna port and one receive antenna port among the M transmit antenna ports.

[0276] The index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients can be the index corresponding to an M-dimensional vector composed of the M sets of channel coefficients. This index can be the index of a precoding vector that is the same as or similar to the M-dimensional vector, determined in a predefined codebook. Similarly, the index corresponding to the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients can be the index corresponding to an M-dimensional vector composed of the conjugates of the M sets of channel coefficients. This index can also be the index of a precoding vector that is the same as or similar to the M-dimensional vector, determined in a predefined codebook.

[0277] It can be understood that, when each group of channel coefficients includes one channel coefficient, the index corresponding to the M groups of channel coefficients can be a single index, and the index corresponding to the conjugate of the M groups of channel coefficients can also be a single index. Therefore, the indices corresponding to the M groups of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M groups of channel coefficients corresponding to the L target frequency domain units can be L indices.

[0278] In another implementation, an M-dimensional vector composed of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units is projected onto a predefined basis to obtain a set of coefficients. The terminal can indicate the M channel coefficients by indicating this set of coefficients. Alternatively, an M-dimensional vector composed of the conjugates of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units is projected onto a predefined basis to obtain a set of coefficients. The terminal can also indicate the conjugates of the M channel coefficients by indicating this set of coefficients. For example, the predefined basis can be an inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) matrix, including P (where P is a positive integer greater than 1) vectors (e.g., denoted as basis vectors), respectively denoted as w1, ..., w P Assuming each basis vector is an M-dimensional vector, the relationship between the M-dimensional vector w formed by the M channel coefficients or their conjugates and the basis vectors can satisfy: w = a1w1 + ... + a P w P That is, the M-dimensional vector can be represented as a weighted sum of multiple vectors in the basis, with coefficients a1, ..., a2. P This is a set of coefficients obtained from the projection, also known as weighting coefficients. For example, the terminal can indicate the weighting coefficients a1, ..., a2 through the fourth information. P Or, a vector [a1 ... a] consisting of the P weighted coefficients. P ], or, the vector [a1 ... a P The index corresponding to the predefined codebook (or set of coefficient vectors).

[0279] In other words, for L target frequency domain units, the terminal can indicate L sets of weighting coefficients through the fourth information, with each set of weighting coefficients including P weighting coefficients; or, it can also indicate L indices through the fourth information, with each index corresponding to a target frequency domain unit, indicating a set of weighting coefficients corresponding to that target frequency domain unit.

[0280] It should be understood that the basis example above is merely one example of a predefined basis and should not impose any limitations on the dimension of the basis or the number of basis vectors. It should also be understood that both the basis and the codebook mentioned above can be predefined, so network devices and terminals can anticipate them. Terminals can determine and feed back projection coefficients based on this basis, and network devices can also recover M channel coefficients or the conjugate of M channel coefficients based on the projection coefficients and the basis.

[0281] Network devices can determine the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units based on the fourth information, and then generate a charging signal based on the channel states corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units. The following will use the first charging signal on the first frequency domain unit as an example to explain in detail how to generate the charging signal.

[0282] Optionally, the charging signal includes a first charging signal carried on the first frequency domain unit. The first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port among the M antenna ports is generated based on the conjugate of the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

[0283] The first charging signal can be understood as a sequence of charging signals carried on the first frequency domain unit. Since the first charging signal can be transmitted through M antenna ports, it can include M elements corresponding to the M antenna ports, and the first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port is the m-th element among the M elements.

[0284] One possibility is that the first frequency domain unit is one of L target frequency domain units. For example, the first frequency domain unit is the one with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the L target frequency domain units. In this case, transmitting the first charging signal on the first frequency domain unit means transmitting the first charging signal on the frequency domain unit with the highest received energy among the aforementioned F frequency domain units.

[0285] The first charging signal can be generated based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the first frequency domain unit. If the first charging signal in the first frequency domain unit is pre-coded based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the above-mentioned requirements can be met. This allows the terminal to receive the maximum total energy in the first frequency domain unit.

[0286] The first charging signal is generated based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the first frequency domain unit. Specifically, it can mean that the first charging signal transmitted through the m-th transmit antenna port is generated based on the conjugate of the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients. As can be seen from the preceding mathematical analysis, an M-dimensional vector can be obtained from the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the first frequency domain unit. The precoding vector used to generate the first charging signal can be positively correlated with the M-dimensional vector. For example, the M-dimensional vector can be used as a precoding vector to precode (or beamform) the charging signal that will be carried through the first frequency domain unit (it should be understood that the charging signal at this time is the charging signal that has not been precoded), and then the precoded first charging signal can be sent through the first frequency domain unit.

[0287] The precoding vector is determined based on the conjugate of the channel coefficients, and then the charging signal is precoded. The multipath effect is utilized so that the signal energy on the multipath is coherently superimposed at the receiving end (such as the terminal in this embodiment), achieving energy focusing in the time and space dimensions, and further improving the energy conversion efficiency.

[0288] Another possibility is that the first frequency domain unit does not belong to the L target frequency domain units. For example, the first frequency domain unit is determined based on the L target frequency domain units, such as a frequency domain unit located near the L target frequency domain units. In this case, the first charging signal transmitted on the first frequency domain unit can be generated based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units.

[0289] In one possible design, the first charging signal is generated based on the conjugate of M channel coefficients corresponding to a frequency unit near the first frequency unit; in another possible design, the first charging signal is generated based on the conjugate of the average or weighted average of M channel coefficients corresponding to multiple frequency units near the first frequency unit.

[0290] Take Figure 5(b) as an example. Assume that the L target frequency domain units fed back by the terminal include frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 3, but the network device sends a charging signal in frequency domain unit 2. This frequency domain unit 2 is an example of the first frequency domain unit. The terminal can generate the first charging signal based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 1 or frequency domain unit 3; or, it can also generate the first charging signal based on the conjugate of the average value or weighted average value of the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 3.

[0291] Since the example shown in Figure 5(b) may only show a portion of the L target frequency domain units, the network device can transmit the reference signal over a larger bandwidth, and the L target frequency domain units fed back by the terminal may also include more frequency domain units. Therefore, the first charging signal can also be generated based on the average or weighted average of the M channel coefficients corresponding to more frequency domain units. For the sake of simplicity, this will not be illustrated here.

[0292] Since the greater the offset between frequency domain units, the greater the difference between channels, when the first frequency domain unit does not belong to the L target frequency domain units, the first charging signal can be generated based on the channel coefficients corresponding to the frequency domain units near the first frequency domain unit. This also enables precoding of the charging signal, achieving energy focusing in both time and space dimensions to a certain extent, further improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0293] Case B: At least one of the J target frequency domain unit groups includes multiple target frequency domain units.

[0294] Case B can be viewed as the terminal indicating the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units at the granularity of frequency domain unit groups.

[0295] Optionally, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the channel coefficients; the M channel coefficients correspond to the M antenna ports of the network device.

[0296] Among the J target frequency domain cell groups, at least one target frequency domain cell group includes multiple target frequency domain cells; that is, each target frequency domain cell group may include one or more target frequency domain cells. Assume the j-th target frequency domain cell group includes I... j There are 1 target frequency domain unit, and the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to the j-th target frequency domain unit group can be I. j The weighted sum, weighted average, or average value of the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit.

[0297] For example, suppose a target frequency domain unit group includes two target frequency domain units, frequency domain units 1 and 3. The M channel coefficients corresponding to this target frequency domain unit group can be obtained by taking the weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 1 and the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 3. More specifically, the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to this target frequency domain unit group is the weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 1 and the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 3.

[0298] It can be understood that if a target frequency domain unit group includes a target frequency domain unit, the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group can be the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit.

[0299] The indices corresponding to the M channel coefficients, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the M channel coefficients, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients have been explained in detail in Case A above. They can be implemented through various possible methods provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0300] Furthermore, this fourth piece of information also includes the numbers (or identifiers, group numbers, group identifiers, etc.) of the J target frequency domain unit groups. This is achieved through the numbers of the J target frequency domain unit groups.

[0301] Furthermore, for cases where each of the J target frequency domain unit groups may include one or more target frequency domain units, the terminal may also indicate the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group, so that the network device can generate charging signals carried on different frequency domain units accordingly.

[0302] Optionally, the method further includes: the terminal sending sixth information, which indicates one or more target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group. Accordingly, the network device receives the sixth information.

[0303] The specific implementation of the terminal indicating one or more target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group through the sixth information can be found in the relevant description in step 420 above, and will not be repeated here. It can be understood that this sixth information is the same as a possible implementation of the first information used to indicate L target frequency domain units. If the terminal indicates L target frequency domain units through this implementation in step 420, the steps of the terminal sending the sixth information and the network device receiving the sixth information can be omitted; in other words, the steps of the terminal sending the sixth information and the network device receiving the sixth information are the same as the steps of the terminal sending the first information and the network device receiving the first information, or the sixth information and the first information are the same information. If the terminal indicates L target frequency domain units through other implementations in step 420, the terminal can indicate the target frequency domain units included in each of the J target frequency domain unit groups by sending the sixth information.

[0304] In one possible design, the sixth information is carried in the same signaling as the fourth information. This signaling may include J sets of information corresponding to J target frequency domain unit groups. Each set of information indicates the target frequency domain units included in a target frequency domain unit group and the corresponding channel state.

[0305] In another possible design, the channel states corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group indicated by the fourth information and the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group indicated by the sixth information can be associated through the number of the same target frequency domain unit group. In this case, the sixth information and the fourth information are carried in different signaling messages, or they are carried in the same signaling message, without limitation.

[0306] Based on the above design, the network device can determine the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group, as well as the frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group, and then associate the target frequency domain units with the channel state.

[0307] After receiving the fourth information, the network device can generate a charging signal based on the fourth and sixth information.

[0308] In one implementation, the network device can determine the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups based on the fourth information. Then, based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the J target frequency domain unit groups respectively, it can determine the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units. For example, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group can be used as the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit within the group. Then, based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units respectively, a charging signal can be generated.

[0309] In this implementation, the specific process by which the network device generates a charging signal based on the conjugate of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units has been explained in detail in Case A above, and can be referred to the relevant description above, so it will not be repeated here.

[0310] In another implementation, the network device can determine the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups based on the fourth information. Then, based on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal and the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the J target frequency domain unit groups, a charging signal is generated. The following section will use the first charging signal on the first frequency domain unit as an example to explain in detail the implementation of generating the charging signal.

[0311] One possible scenario is that the first frequency domain unit is one of L target frequency domain units, and the first charging signal can be generated based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group to which the first frequency domain unit belongs. For example, the network device can obtain an M-dimensional vector based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group to which the first frequency domain unit belongs. The precoding vector used to generate the first charging signal can be positively correlated with this M-dimensional vector. For instance, this M-dimensional vector can be used as a precoding vector to precode (or beamform) the first charging signal, and then the precoded first charging signal can be transmitted through the first frequency domain unit.

[0312] The precoding vector is determined based on the conjugate of the channel coefficients, and then the charging signal is precoded. The multipath effect is utilized so that the signal energy on the multipath is coherently superimposed at the receiving end (such as the terminal in this embodiment), achieving energy focusing in the time and space dimensions, and further improving the energy conversion efficiency.

[0313] Another possibility is that the J target frequency domain unit groups are determined based on the frequency domain unit groups to which the L target frequency domain units belong, and these frequency domain unit groups are grouped based on the K frequency domain units. The aforementioned J target frequency domain unit groups can include both target frequency domain units and non-target frequency domain units. The first frequency domain unit does not belong to the L target frequency domain units, but belongs to at least one of the J target frequency domain unit groups. For example, the first frequency domain unit is determined based on the L target frequency domain units and the J target frequency domain unit groups; for instance, the first frequency domain unit is located near the L target frequency domain units and belongs to at least one of the J target frequency domain unit groups.

[0314] For example, the network device can determine the precoding vector based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency unit group to which the first frequency unit belongs, so as to precode (or beamform) the charging signal that will be carried through the first frequency unit (it should be understood that the charging signal at this time is the charging signal that has not been precoded).

[0315] For example, the L target frequency domain units include frequency domain units 1 and 3, and frequency domain units 1 and 3 belong to the same target frequency domain unit group. The fourth information may indicate the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the index corresponding to the M channel coefficients, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients. If the network device selects frequency domain unit 2 (i.e., an example of the first frequency domain unit) to carry the charging signal, since frequency domain unit 2 belongs to the aforementioned target frequency domain unit group, the precoding vector can be determined according to the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group indicated by the fourth information.

[0316] Since the greater the offset between frequency domain units, the greater the difference between channels, when the first frequency domain unit does not belong to L target frequency domain units but belongs to J target frequency domain unit groups, the first charging signal can be generated based on the channel state corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group to which the first frequency domain unit belongs. This also enables precoding of the charging signal, achieving energy focusing in both time and space dimensions to a certain extent, further improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0317] Another possibility is that the J target frequency domain unit groups are grouped based on L target frequency domain units. These J target frequency domain unit groups include target frequency domain units but exclude non-target frequency domain units. The first frequency domain unit does not belong to either the L target frequency domain units or the J target frequency domain unit groups. For example, the first frequency domain unit might be determined based on the L target frequency domain units, or it might be a frequency domain unit located near the L target frequency domain units. In this case, the first charging signal can be generated based on the channel states corresponding to some or all of the target frequency domain unit groups within the J target frequency domain unit groups.

[0318] One possible implementation is that the network device can determine the precoding vector based on the distance (or proximity) between the first frequency domain unit and the J target frequency domain unit groups, using the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group closest to the first frequency domain unit. The distance (or proximity) between the first frequency domain unit and each target frequency domain unit group can be determined by the offset (e.g., minimum offset, maximum offset, or the average of the minimum and maximum offsets) between the first frequency domain unit and the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group.

[0319] For example, the L target frequency domain units include frequency domain units 1 and 3, and frequency domain units 1 and 3 belong to different target frequency domain unit groups (e.g., group 1 and group 2). The fourth information can indicate the index corresponding to the M channel coefficients, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the M channel coefficients, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the two target frequency domain unit groups (i.e., group 1 and group 2). If the network device selects frequency domain unit 4 (i.e., an example of the first frequency domain unit) to carry the charging signal, although frequency domain unit 4 does not belong to the two target frequency domain unit groups mentioned above, it is relatively close to group 2. Therefore, the network device can determine the precoding vector based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to group 2 indicated by the fourth information.

[0320] Another possible implementation is that the network device can perform a weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the conjugates of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the J target frequency domain units based on the distance (or proximity) between the first frequency domain unit and the J target frequency domain unit groups, thereby obtaining the precoding vector. The weights of the conjugates of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group can be determined based on the proximity between the first frequency domain unit and the J target frequency domain unit groups. The distance (or proximity) between the first frequency domain unit and each target frequency domain unit group can be determined by the offset (e.g., minimum offset, maximum offset, or the average of the minimum and maximum offsets) between the first frequency domain unit and the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group.

[0321] For example, the L target frequency domain units include frequency domain units 1 and 3, and frequency domain units 1 and 3 belong to different target frequency domain unit groups (e.g., group 1 and group 2). The fourth information can indicate the index corresponding to the M channel coefficients, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the M channel coefficients, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the two target frequency domain unit groups (i.e., group 1 and group 2). If the network device selects frequency domain unit 2 (i.e., an example of the first frequency domain unit) to carry the charging signal, although frequency domain unit 2 does not belong to the two target frequency domain unit groups mentioned above, it is located between the two target frequency domain unit groups (i.e., group 1 and group 2) 3, and is relatively close to both target frequency domain unit groups, with the same degree of closeness. Therefore, the network device can determine the precoding vector based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the two target frequency domain unit groups indicated by the fourth information, such as calculating the weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the two target frequency domain unit groups, without limitation.

[0322] For example, the L target frequency domain units include frequency domain units 1 and 3, and frequency domain units 1 and 3 belong to the same target frequency domain unit group. The fourth information can indicate the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group, the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, the index corresponding to the M channel coefficients, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients. If the network device selects frequency domain unit 2 (i.e., an example of the first frequency domain unit) to carry the charging signal, although frequency domain unit 2 does not belong to the aforementioned target frequency domain unit group, it is located between frequency domain units 1 and 3, and is relatively close to both frequency domain units 1 and 3. Moreover, frequency domain units 1 and 3 belong to the same target frequency domain unit group. Therefore, the network device can determine the precoding vector based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group indicated by the fourth information.

[0323] It should be understood that the specific method described above for the network device to determine the precoding vector based on the conjugate of the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the J target frequency domain cell groups is merely an example. The network device can also determine the precoding vector in other ways. This application includes, but is not limited to, these methods.

[0324] Since the greater the offset between frequency domain units, the greater the difference between channels, when the first frequency domain unit belongs to neither the L target frequency domain units nor the J target frequency domain unit groups, the first charging signal can be generated based on the channel state corresponding to the target frequency domain unit groups near the first frequency domain unit. This also enables precoding of the charging signal, achieving energy focusing in both time and space dimensions to a certain extent, further improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0325] 2) Both N and M are greater than 1:

[0326] That is, a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scenario. In a MIMO scenario, assuming the charging signal is carried in F frequency domain units, the channel coefficient corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit can be expressed as an N×M dimensional matrix: The m-th column corresponds to the m-th transmit antenna port, and the n-th row corresponds to the n-th receive antenna port. The network device transmits energy E through the channel corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit. s The charging signal of (f) can be represented as an M-dimensional vector: [s1(f) ... s M (f)] T The m-th element corresponds to the m-th transmit antenna port. Therefore, the signal received by the terminal through the channel corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit can be represented as an N×M dimensional matrix: Received energy is because And from the Cauchy-Schwarz indeterminate form, we can obtain: and Therefore And the maximum value is It can be retrieved at that time.

[0327] Furthermore, extending to F frequency domain units, the network device transmits energy of E in F frequency domain units. s The energy of the charging signal transmitted through the channel corresponding to the f-th frequency domain unit is E. s (f), and when the terminal receives the charging signal with the maximum energy in each frequency domain unit, the total energy of the charging signals received in the F frequency domain units is in To further obtain frequency-selective gain, the energy of the transmitted charging signal can be concentrated... On the largest frequency domain unit, i.e. f max In other words, in the frequency domain unit f max The energy of the charging signal emitted from above is E s E s (f max ) = E s The energy of the charging signals transmitted by the remaining frequency domain units is 0. At this point, the total energy of the reference signals received by the terminal across the F frequency domain units can reach its maximum, and the maximum is [value missing]. Maximum value at It can be retrieved at any time; This represents the sum of N channel coefficients between the m-th transmit antenna port and the N receive antenna ports, or simply the sum of channel coefficients corresponding to the m-th transmit antenna port.

[0328] As the mathematical analysis above shows, in a multiple-transmit, multiple-receive scenario, given a fixed energy level for the charging signal, the energy of the received charging signal depends not only on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal but also on the specific charging signal transmitted within that frequency domain unit. The frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal can be determined based on the L target frequency domain units fed back by the terminal. The charging signal transmitted within the frequency domain unit can be determined through the fourth information fed back by the terminal, specifically generated based on the conjugate of the channel coefficients. The feedback from the L target frequency domain units has already been explained in detail above in conjunction with steps 410 and 420, and will not be repeated here. The following section will provide a detailed explanation of the fourth information and the generation of the charging signal in a multiple-transmit, multiple-receive scenario.

[0329] As mentioned earlier, the fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups. One possible scenario is that each target frequency domain unit group may include one target frequency domain unit; that is, the frequency domain granularity of the frequency domain unit group and the frequency domain unit is the same, then J equals L, and the fourth information is used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups. Alternatively, the fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units. Another possible scenario is that at least one of the J target frequency domain unit groups includes multiple target frequency domain units; that is, different target frequency domain unit groups do not include the same number of target frequency domain units. In other words, the fourth information can provide feedback on the channel state at a larger granularity than the frequency domain unit. The fourth information will be described below for these two scenarios.

[0330] Case C: Each target frequency domain unit group includes one target frequency domain unit:

[0331] Case C can be viewed as the terminal indicating the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units at the granularity of frequency domain units.

[0332] Optionally, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the sum of M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients; wherein the m-th channel coefficient sum among the M channel coefficient sums corresponds to the m-th transmit antenna port among the M transmit antenna ports, and the m-th channel coefficient sum is the sum of channel coefficients measured based on reference signals received from the m-th transmit antenna port on the N receive antenna ports respectively. It can be understood that N channel coefficients can be obtained by measuring the reference signal from the same transmit antenna port on the N receive antenna ports; therefore, the m-th channel coefficient sum is the sum of N channel coefficients between the N receive antenna ports and the m-th transmit antenna port.

[0333] For example, for the l-th target frequency domain cell among L target frequency domain cells, the channel coefficients between the M transmit antenna ports and the N receive antenna ports can be expressed by an N×M dimensional matrix as follows:

[0334] The nth row of this matrix corresponds to the nth receive antenna port and represents the channel coefficients between the nth receive antenna port and the M transmit antenna ports; the mth column corresponds to the mth transmit antenna port and represents the channel coefficients between the mth transmit antenna port and the N receive antenna ports. The sum of the M channel coefficients is obtained by summing the elements in the M columns of this matrix. For example, the sum of the mth channel coefficient in the sum of the M channel coefficients is...

[0335] For each of the L target frequency domain units, the terminal can indicate the sum of M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the network device can then determine the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients. Alternatively, the terminal can also indicate the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the network device can directly use the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients. Alternatively, the terminal can also indicate the index of the vector formed by the sum of M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the index of this vector can be the index of a precoded vector in a predefined codebook (or a set of precoded vectors) that is the same as or similar to the vector formed by the sum of M channel coefficients. Alternatively, the terminal can also indicate the index of the vector formed by the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients through the fourth information, and the index of this vector can be the index of a precoded vector in a predefined codebook that is the same as or similar to the vector formed by the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients.

[0336] In other words, for the above L target frequency domain units, the terminal can indicate L sets of channel coefficient sums through the fourth information, each set of channel coefficient sums including M channel coefficient sums; or it can indicate the conjugate of L sets of channel coefficient sums through the fourth information, each set of channel coefficient sums including M channel coefficient sums; or it can indicate L indices through the fourth information, each index corresponding to a set of channel coefficient sums or a conjugate of a set of channel coefficient sums, each set of channel coefficient sums including M channel coefficient sums.

[0337] In another implementation, the M-dimensional vector formed by the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units is projected onto a predefined basis to obtain a set of weighting coefficients. The terminal can indicate the M channel coefficients by indicating this set of weighting coefficients. Alternatively, the M-dimensional vector formed by the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units is projected onto a predefined basis to obtain a set of weighting coefficients. The terminal can indicate the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients by indicating this set of weighting coefficients. For a description of the basis and weighting coefficients, please refer to the description in case 1) above, which will not be repeated here. In case 2), the terminal can project the M-dimensional vector formed by the sum of the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients onto the basis, so that the M-dimensional vector is represented by the weighted sum of multiple basis vectors in the basis, and then the weighting coefficients of these multiple basis vectors are indicated by the fourth information. For example, the terminal may indicate the plurality of weighted coefficients through the fourth information, or a vector composed of the plurality of weighted coefficients, or the index of the vector in a predefined codebook (or a set of coefficient vectors).

[0338] In other words, for L target frequency domain units, the terminal can indicate L sets of weighting coefficients through the fourth information, with each set of weighting coefficients including P weighting coefficients; or, it can also indicate L indices through the fourth information, with each index corresponding to a target frequency domain unit, indicating a set of weighting coefficients corresponding to that target frequency domain unit.

[0339] It should be understood that the basis example above is merely one example of a predefined basis and should not impose any limitations on the dimension of the basis or the number of basis vectors. It should also be understood that both the basis and the codebook mentioned above can be predefined, so network devices and terminals can anticipate them. Terminals can determine and feed back projection coefficients based on this basis, and network devices can also recover M channel coefficients or the conjugate of M channel coefficients based on the projection coefficients and the basis.

[0340] In another implementation, the terminal may feed back the M sets of channel coefficients used to determine the sum of the M channel coefficients to the network device via fourth information, and the network device may sum each set of channel coefficients in the M sets to obtain the conjugate of the corresponding sum of the M channel coefficients; or, the terminal may feed back the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients to the network device, and the network device may determine the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients; or, the terminal may feed back the index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients, or the index corresponding to the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, to the network device, and the network device may determine the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients.

[0341] Here, the M groups of channel coefficients correspond to the M transmit antenna ports, which are also the M columns in the N×M dimensional matrix mentioned above. Each group of channel coefficients includes N channel coefficients corresponding to the N receive antenna ports. The m-th group of channel coefficients includes the N channel coefficients between the m-th transmit antenna port and the N receive antenna ports. The sum of the m-th channel coefficients in the sum of the M channel coefficients is also the sum of the N channel coefficients included in the m-th group of channel coefficients in the M group of channel coefficients.

[0342] The indices corresponding to the M groups of channel coefficients can include M indices, which are determined from a predefined codebook. The index corresponding to the m-th group of channel coefficients is the index of the precoding vector in the codebook that is the same as or similar to the vector composed of the N channel coefficients in the m-th group. Similarly, the indices corresponding to the conjugates of the M groups of channel coefficients can include M indices, which are determined from a predefined codebook. The index corresponding to the conjugate of the m-th group of channel coefficients is the index of the precoding vector in the codebook that is the same as or similar to the vector composed of the conjugates of the N channel coefficients in the m-th group.

[0343] In summary, the fourth information includes indications of one or more of the following: M sets of channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, an index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the sum of M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients.

[0344] Network devices can determine the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units based on the fourth information, and then generate a charging signal based on the channel states corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units. The following will use the first charging signal on the first frequency domain unit as an example to explain in detail how to generate the charging signal.

[0345] Optionally, the charging signal includes a first charging signal carried on the first frequency domain unit. The first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port among the M antenna ports is generated based on the conjugate of the m-th channel coefficient sum among the M channel coefficient sums corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

[0346] One possible scenario is that the first frequency domain unit is one of L target frequency domain units. For example, the first frequency domain unit is the one with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the L target frequency domain units. In this case, transmitting the first charging signal on the first frequency domain unit is equivalent to transmitting the first charging signal on the frequency domain unit with the highest received energy among the aforementioned F frequency domain units. The first charging signal can be generated based on the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the first frequency domain unit. If the first charging signal on the first frequency domain unit is precoded based on the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients, the above-mentioned requirements can be met. This allows the terminal to receive the maximum total energy in the first frequency domain unit.

[0347] The first charging signal is generated based on the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to the first frequency domain unit. Specifically, it can mean that the first charging signal transmitted through the m-th transmit antenna port is generated based on the conjugate of the sum of the m-th channel coefficients among the M channel coefficient sums. According to the mathematical analysis above, the M-dimensional vector obtained from the conjugate of the sum of channel coefficients corresponding to the first frequency domain unit is as follows: The precoding vector used to generate the first charging signal can be positively correlated with the M-dimensional vector. For example, the M-dimensional vector can be used as a precoding vector to precode (or beamform) the charging signal, and then the precoded first charging signal can be sent through the first frequency domain unit.

[0348] The precoding vector is determined based on the conjugate of the channel coefficients, and then the charging signal is precoded. The multipath effect is utilized so that the signal energy on the multipath is coherently superimposed at the receiving end (such as the terminal in this embodiment), achieving energy focusing in the time and space dimensions, and further improving the energy conversion efficiency.

[0349] Another possibility is that the first frequency domain unit does not belong to the L target frequency domain units. In this case, the first charging signal transmitted on the first frequency domain unit can be generated based on the conjugate of the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

[0350] In one possible design, the first charging signal is generated based on the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to a frequency unit near the first frequency unit; in another possible design, the first charging signal is generated based on the conjugate of the average or weighted average of the sums of M channel coefficients corresponding to multiple frequency units near the first frequency unit. For a detailed explanation, please refer to the example in case 1) above, combined with Figure 5(b), and will not be repeated here.

[0351] Since the greater the offset between frequency domain units, the greater the difference between channels, when the first frequency domain unit does not belong to the L target frequency domain units, the first charging signal can be generated based on the channel coefficients corresponding to the frequency domain units near the first frequency domain unit. This also enables precoding of the charging signal, achieving energy focusing in both time and space dimensions to a certain extent, further improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0352] Case D, at least one of the target frequency domain cell groups in J includes multiple target frequency domain cells:

[0353] Case D can be viewed as the terminal indicating the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units at the granularity of frequency domain unit groups.

[0354] Optionally, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups, or the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients, or the index corresponding to the sum of M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients; the sum of M channel coefficients corresponds to the M antenna ports of the network device.

[0355] Among the J target frequency domain unit groups, at least one target frequency domain unit group includes multiple target frequency domain units; that is, each target frequency domain unit group may include one or more target frequency domain units. Then, the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group can be determined based on the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to the one or more target frequency domain units included in that target frequency domain unit group. Assume the j-th target frequency domain unit group includes I...j There are 1 target frequency domain unit, and the sum of the m-th channel coefficients in the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the j-th target frequency domain unit group can be I. j The weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the m-th channel coefficients among the M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit.

[0356] For example, suppose a target frequency domain unit group includes two target frequency domain units, frequency domain units 1 and 3. The sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to this target frequency domain unit group can be obtained by taking a weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 1 and the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 3. More specifically, the m-th channel coefficient sum among the M channel coefficient sums corresponding to this target frequency domain unit group is the weighted sum, weighted average, or average of the sum of the m-th channel coefficients among the M channel coefficient sums corresponding to frequency domain unit 1 and the sum of the m-th channel coefficients among the M channel coefficients corresponding to frequency domain unit 3.

[0357] It can be understood that if a target frequency domain unit group includes a target frequency domain unit, the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit group can be the sum of the M channel coefficients corresponding to the target frequency domain unit.

[0358] The indices for the sum of M channel coefficients, the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients, the sum of M channel coefficients, or the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients have been explained in detail in Case 1 above, and can be found in the relevant description above. They will not be repeated here.

[0359] Furthermore, for cases where each of the J target frequency domain unit groups may include one or more target frequency domain units, the terminal may also indicate the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group, so that the network device can generate charging signals carried on different frequency domain units accordingly.

[0360] Optionally, the method further includes: the terminal sending sixth information, which indicates one or more target frequency domain elements included in each target frequency domain element group. Accordingly, the network device receives the sixth information.

[0361] The specific implementation of the terminal indicating one or more target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group through the sixth information can be found in the relevant description in step 420 above, and will not be repeated here. It can be understood that this sixth information is the same as a possible implementation of the first information used to indicate L target frequency domain units. If the terminal indicates L target frequency domain units through this implementation in step 420, the steps of the terminal sending the sixth information and the network device receiving the sixth information can be omitted; in other words, the steps of the terminal sending the sixth information and the network device receiving the sixth information are the same as the steps of the terminal sending the first information and the network device receiving the first information, or the sixth information and the first information are the same information. If the terminal indicates L target frequency domain units through other implementations in step 420, the terminal can indicate the target frequency domain units included in each of the J target frequency domain unit groups by sending the sixth information.

[0362] In one possible design, the sixth information is carried in the same signaling as the fourth information. This signaling may include J sets of information corresponding to J target frequency domain unit groups. Each set of information indicates the target frequency domain units included in a target frequency domain unit group and the corresponding channel state.

[0363] In another possible design, the channel states corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group indicated by the fourth information and the target frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group indicated by the sixth information can be associated through the number of the same target frequency domain unit group. In this case, the sixth information and the fourth information are carried in different signaling messages, or they are carried in the same signaling message, without limitation.

[0364] Based on the above design, the network device can determine the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group, as well as the frequency domain units included in each target frequency domain unit group, and then associate the target frequency domain units with the channel state.

[0365] After receiving the fourth and sixth information, the network device can generate a charging signal based on the fourth and sixth information.

[0366] In one implementation, the network device can determine the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups based on the fourth information. Then, based on the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to the J target frequency domain unit groups respectively, it can determine the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units. For example, the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group can be used as the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit within the group. Then, based on the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units respectively, a charging signal can be generated.

[0367] In this implementation, the specific process by which the network device generates a charging signal based on the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units has been explained in detail in Case A above. Please refer to the relevant description above, and it will not be repeated here.

[0368] In another implementation, the network device can determine the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each of the J target frequency domain unit groups based on the fourth information, and then generate the charging signal based on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal and the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the J target frequency domain unit groups respectively.

[0369] In this implementation, the process by which the network device generates a charging signal based on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal and the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the target frequency domain unit groups in the J target frequency domain unit groups is similar to the process in Case B above, which generates a charging signal based on the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal and the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the target frequency domain unit groups in the J target frequency domain unit groups. The only difference is that the channel coefficients are replaced by the sum of channel coefficients. Therefore, please refer to the relevant description above, and it will not be repeated here.

[0370] It should be understood that the above example of generating a charging signal based on the conjugate of M channel coefficients (corresponding to a multiple-transmit single-receive scenario) or the conjugate of the sum of M channel coefficients (corresponding to a multiple-transmit multiple-receive scenario) is only one possible implementation. Those skilled in the art can also generate the charging signal using existing beamforming techniques, based on determining the frequency domain units carrying the charging signal according to L target frequency domain units. In this case, the fourth information can be used to feed back channel information or precoding information, such as a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), thereby achieving spatial energy focusing and improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0371] It should also be understood that the fourth information and the first information mentioned above can be carried in the same signaling message or in different signaling messages. As mentioned earlier, the second information is used to indicate the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources of the first information. When the first information and the fourth information are carried in the same signaling message, the terminal can send the signaling message on the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources indicated by the second information. When the first information and the fourth information are carried in different signaling messages, the terminal can send the first information on the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources indicated by the second information, or send the fourth information on the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources indicated by the second information, or send the fourth information on other resources. These other resources can be configured by the network device or determined by the terminal itself, and this application does not limit this.

[0372] Based on the above scheme, the terminal measures the reference signals on K frequency domain units and feeds back the determined L target frequency domain units to the network device. This allows the network device to determine the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal based on these L target frequency domain units. Since these L target frequency domain units are determined based on the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units, the terminal can select the frequency domain unit with the higher received energy of the reference signal as the target frequency domain unit for feedback in order to obtain higher energy reception efficiency. Therefore, when the network device charges the terminal, it can determine the frequency domain unit for transmitting the charging signal based on these target frequency domain units, thereby enhancing radio frequency energy in the frequency domain dimension and improving energy conversion efficiency. Furthermore, since this reference signal is a downlink reference signal, its transmission power is greater than that of the uplink reference signal. Therefore, compared to network devices measuring the uplink reference signal, the terminal measuring the downlink reference signal is more conducive to obtaining more accurate channel measurement results. This allows the terminal to more accurately adapt the target frequency domain unit based on the measurement feedback to its own needs, thereby improving energy conversion efficiency to a greater extent. Moreover, the terminal does not need to send the uplink reference signal, which can save the terminal's power consumption and is friendly to low-power terminals (such as IoT nodes).

[0373] In addition, the terminal can also feed back the channel status of L target frequency domain units to the network device, so that the network device can perform beamforming on the charging signal. On the basis of realizing energy focusing in the frequency domain dimension, it can further realize energy focusing in the time and space dimensions, thereby further improving energy conversion efficiency.

[0374] The methods described above can be applied to different network architectures. For example, the functions on the network device side can be implemented by multiple RAN devices (or RAN nodes) deployed in a distributed manner, which may include CU, DU, and RU.

[0375] For example, one possible process for applying the wireless charging method provided in this application to the architecture shown in Figure 1 is as follows:

[0376] Step 1: The core network device sends a measurement request to the CU through the backhaul link, and the CU receives the measurement request.

[0377] Step 2: The CU sends a measurement command to the DU, and the DU receives the measurement command.

[0378] Step 3: The DU sends a signal measurement and feedback request to the RU via the fronthaul link. The RU receives the signal measurement and feedback request. This request instructs the RU to send a reference signal for channel measurement and requests the terminal to provide feedback on the channel measurement results. Optionally, the signal measurement and feedback request may also indicate the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources to be fed back. These time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources may be determined by the CU and instructed to the DU via measurement commands, or they may be determined by the core network equipment and sent to the CU via a measurement request, and then instructed to the DU by the CU via measurement commands. This application does not limit this.

[0379] Step 4: The RU transmits a reference signal, which is used for channel measurement. The terminal receives the reference signal.

[0380] Step 5: The terminal performs channel measurement based on the received reference signal and feeds back first information. Optionally, the terminal also feeds back fourth information. The RU receives the signal fed back by the terminal. The signal fed back by the terminal received by the RU may include the first information and optionally also include the fourth information.

[0381] The first information can be used to indicate L target frequency domain elements. The fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain elements. The first and fourth information can be found in the detailed description of method 400 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0382] Step 6: After receiving feedback from the terminal, the RU will downconvert the feedback signal and send it to the DU for further processing.

[0383] Step 7: The DU receives the baseband signal and processes it to obtain the indices of L target frequency domain units. Optionally, it can also obtain the channel state information corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units.

[0384] Step 8: The DU sends the processed information (i.e., the first information received in step 4, and optionally the fourth information) to the CU.

[0385] Step 9: The CU packages the received information and returns it to the core network equipment.

[0386] Step 10: The core network device receives the information from the CU and sends a power request to the CU, which then receives the power request. The power request may indicate the frequency domain unit carrying the power signal, and optionally may also indicate the precoding vector for precoding the power signal.

[0387] Step 11: The CU sends a charging command to the DU, and the DU receives the charging command. The charging command may indicate the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal, and optionally may also indicate the precoding vector for precoding the charging signal.

[0388] Step 12: The DU sends a charging signal through the RU, which is used to charge the terminal.

[0389] For example, one possible process for applying the wireless charging method provided in this application to the architecture shown in Figure 2 is as follows:

[0390] Step 1: The core network device sends a measurement request to the CU via the backhaul link, and the CU receives the measurement request. The CU includes an x86 or non-x86 architecture CPU, as well as FPGA, GPU, or other accelerator chips. The x86 or non-x86 architecture CPU processes the request from the core network device. Some logical operations involved, such as simple summation, are handled by the FPGA, GPU, or other accelerators. After processing, the result is fed back to the CPU, which then performs further control operations, such as determining whether to send a measurement command to the DU. The interface between the CPU and the FPGA, GPU, or other accelerators can be a PCIe interface.

[0391] Step 2: The CU sends measurement commands to the DU, and the DU receives the measurement commands. The DU also includes an x86 or non-x86 architecture CPU, as well as FPGA, GPU, or other accelerator chips. The x86 or non-x86 architecture CPU processes the measurement commands from the CU. Some of the underlying logical operations, such as simple summation, are handled by the FPGA, GPU, or other accelerators. After processing, the results are fed back to the CPU, which then performs further control operations, such as determining whether to send control commands to the RU. The interface between the CPU and the FPGA, GPU, or other accelerators can be a PCIe interface.

[0392] Step 3: The DU sends a signal measurement and feedback request to the RU via the fronthaul link. The RU receives the signal measurement and feedback request. More detailed information regarding this signal measurement and feedback request can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0393] The RU includes a fronthaul processing unit for processing instructions from the DU. The fronthaul processing unit can be a CPU or a dedicated chip, such as an FPGA or ASIC. Based on the instructions from the DU, the fronthaul processing chip schedules the digital signal processing module to process signals from the RF processing module. The digital signal processing module performs operations including fast Fourier transform (FFT), modulation and demodulation, etc. The RF processing chip mainly handles down-conversion, spectrum splicing / shifting operations, and sends the processing results to the digital processing chip.

[0394] Step 4: The RU transmits a reference signal, which is used for channel measurement. The terminal receives the reference signal.

[0395] Step 5: The terminal performs channel measurement based on the received reference signal and feeds back first information. Optionally, the terminal also feeds back fourth information. The RU receives the signal fed back by the terminal. The signal fed back by the terminal received by the RU may include the first information and optionally also include the fourth information. The first information can be used to indicate L target frequency domain elements. The fourth information can be used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain elements. The first and fourth information can be referred to in the detailed description of method 400 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0396] Step 6: The RU downconverts the received terminal feedback signal and sends it back to the DU for further processing.

[0397] Step 7: The DU receives the baseband signal and processes it to obtain the indices of L target frequency domain units. Optionally, it can also obtain the channel state information corresponding to each of the L target frequency domain units.

[0398] Step 8: DU sends the processed information to CU.

[0399] Step 9: The CU packages the received information and returns it to the core network equipment.

[0400] Step 10: The core network device receives the information from the CU and sends a power request to the CU, which then receives the power request. The power request may indicate the frequency domain unit carrying the power signal, and optionally may also indicate the precoding vector for precoding the power signal.

[0401] Step 11: The CU sends a charging command to the DU, and the DU receives the charging command. The charging command may indicate the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal, and optionally may also indicate the precoding vector for precoding the charging signal.

[0402] Step 12: The DU sends a charging signal through the RU, which is used to charge the terminal.

[0403] Within access network equipment, the collaboration between different chips—for example, the CPU primarily controls logic decisions, the accelerator handles simple parallel calculations, and the digital processing chip specializes in digital signal processing—improves efficiency. This inter-chip cooperation enables energy focusing in at least one dimension, including the frequency domain, thereby enhancing energy conversion efficiency.

[0404] The wireless charging method provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0405] Figures 7 to 10 are schematic block diagrams of possible devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or network device side in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the device can be the terminal or network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4, or it can be a component (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.) configured in the terminal or network device, or it can be a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal or network device.

[0406] It is understood that the devices shown in Figures 7 to 10 can realize the wireless charging method shown in Figure 4, therefore the devices shown in Figures 7 to 10 can also be called wireless charging devices.

[0407] The device 700 shown in Figure 7 includes a processing module 710 and a communication module 720.

[0408] One possible design is that the device 700 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 above. For example, the processing module 710 can be used to implement the processing-related functions such as channel measurement and determination performed by the terminal in the method embodiment; the communication module 720 is used to implement the functions of receiving signals (such as reference signals, charging signals), transmitting and receiving information (such as capability information, one or more of the first to sixth information) performed by the terminal in the method embodiment, and / or receiving them.

[0409] For example, the processing module 710 is used to perform channel measurements on the K frequency domain units based on the reference signals received on the K frequency domain units to obtain the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units, where K is a positive integer; the communication module 720 is used to send first information, which is used to indicate L target frequency domain units, which are determined according to the received energy of the reference signals on the K frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units include one or more frequency domain units from the K frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units are used to determine the frequency domain units carrying the charging signal, which is used to charge the device 700, where L is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0410] It should be understood that when the device 700 is used to execute method 400, the processing module 710 can be used to execute step 410 of method 400, and the communication module 720 can be used to execute step 420 of method 400. Optionally, the communication module 720 can also be used to execute steps 430 to 490 of method 400. A more detailed description of the above-mentioned processing module 710 and communication module 720 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG4, and will not be repeated here.

[0411] Another possible design is that the device 700 is used to implement the functions of the network device side in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 above. The network device side may include, for example, a base station or RAN equipment. For example, the processing module 710 can be used to implement processing-related functions such as determination performed by the network device in the method embodiment; the communication module 720 is used to implement the functions of sending and / or receiving signals (such as reference signals, charging signals), transmitting and receiving information (such as capability information, one or more of the first to sixth information) performed by the network device in the method embodiment.

[0412] For example, the communication module 720 is used to receive first information, which indicates L target frequency domain units, which are included in K frequency domain units, and the L target frequency domain units are used to determine the frequency domain units carrying a charging signal, which is used to charge the first device, where L is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0413] It should be understood that when the device 700 is used to execute method 400, the communication module 720 can be used to execute step 420 of method 400. Optionally, the communication module 720 can also be used to execute steps 430 to 490 of method 400. Optionally, the processing module 710 can be used to determine the frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal, and can also be used to determine the time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources of the first information, etc. A more detailed description of the above-mentioned processing module 710 and communication module 720 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG4, and will not be repeated here.

[0414] It should be understood that when the functions of the network device are implemented by one or more RAN devices (such as one or more of the CU, DU, or RU mentioned above), the modules included in the device 700 can be deployed in one or more RAN devices. For example, the communication module can be divided into one or more communication sub-modules and distributed in one or more RAN devices; the processing module can also be divided into one or more processing sub-modules and distributed in one or more RAN devices. The communication sub-module and processing sub-module in each RAN device can implement their respective functions so that the processes executed through the RAN devices in the above method embodiments can be executed.

[0415] It should be noted that the communication module can also be called a transceiver module, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, or transceiver apparatus, etc. The processing unit can also be called a processor, processing board, processing module, or processing apparatus, etc. Optionally, the communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving operations on the terminal or network device side in the above method. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function can be considered as a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the sending function can be considered as a sending unit; that is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit.

[0416] It should also be noted that, in one possible design, the aforementioned transceiver unit and / or processing unit can be implemented through virtual modules. For example, the processing unit can be implemented through software functional units or virtual devices, and the transceiver unit can be implemented through software functions or virtual devices. In another possible design, the processing unit or transceiver unit can also be implemented through physical devices. For example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing unit is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0417] The module division in this embodiment is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; in actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various examples of this embodiment can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0418] The device 800 shown in Figure 8 includes a processing circuit 810 and a communication circuit 820. The processing circuit 810 and the communication circuit 820 are coupled to each other.

[0419] It is understood that the processing circuit 810 can be one or more processors, or it can be all or part of the circuitry for control and / or processing functions in one or more processors.

[0420] Understandably, the communication circuit 820 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0421] Optionally, the device 800 may further include a memory 830 for storing instructions executed by the processing circuit 810, or storing input data required for the running instructions of the processing circuit 810, or storing data generated after the running instructions of the processing circuit 810.

[0422] It is understood that the memory 830 may be located outside the processing circuit 810, or inside the processing circuit 810.

[0423] As an example, the processing circuit 810 is used to implement the functions of the processing module 710 described above, and the communication circuit 820 is used to implement the functions of the communication module 720 described above.

[0424] As an example, device 800 can be a communication device or a chip used in a communication device.

[0425] When device 800 is a communication device, the communication circuit can be a transceiver; when device 800 is a chip, the communication circuit can be an input / output circuit, a bus, pins, or other types of communication interfaces. The input circuit in the input / output circuit can be used for receiving, and the output interface can be used for transmitting.

[0426] It should be understood that when the functions on the network device side are implemented by one or more RAN devices (such as one or more of the CU, DU, or RU mentioned above), the modules included in the device 800 can be deployed in one or more RAN nodes. For example, each RAN node may include one or more processors, or part or all of the control and / or processing circuitry in one or more processors, to implement part or all of the functions of the processing circuitry 810; each RAN node may include a transceiver or input / output interface to implement part or all of the functions of the communication circuitry 820. Multiple RAN devices enable the processes executed through RAN nodes in the above method embodiments to be executed by implementing their respective functions.

[0427] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the terminal provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the terminal 900 can be applied to the system shown in Figure 1 to perform the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiment. As shown, the terminal 900 includes a processor 901 and a transceiver 902. Optionally, the terminal 900 also includes a memory 903. The processor 901, transceiver 902, and memory 903 can communicate with each other through internal connection channels to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 903 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 901 is used to call and run the computer programs from the memory 903 to control the transceiver 902 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the terminal 900 may also include an antenna 904 for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 902 via wireless signals.

[0428] The processor 901 and memory 903 can be combined into a single processing device. The processor 901 executes the program code stored in memory 903 to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, memory 903 can be integrated into processor 901 or independent of processor 901. The processor 901 can correspond to the processing module in FIG7 or the processor in FIG8.

[0429] The transceiver 902 described above can correspond to the communication module in Figure 7 or the communication interface in Figure 8, and can also be referred to as a transceiver unit. The transceiver 902 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0430] It should be understood that the terminal 900 shown in Figure 9 can implement the various processes involving the terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. The operations and / or functions of each module in the terminal 900 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0431] The processor 901 described above can be used to execute the actions implemented internally by the terminal as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the transceiver 902 can be used to execute the actions described in the preceding method embodiments of sending data to or receiving data from the network device by the terminal. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0432] Optionally, the terminal 900 may further include a power supply 905 for providing power to various devices or circuits in the terminal. In this embodiment, a rectifier may be connected between the power supply 905 and the antenna 904. After the electromagnetic wave signal is received by the antenna 904 and converted into an alternating current signal, it can be further converted into a direct current signal by the rectifier and then output to the power supply 905.

[0433] Optionally, the terminal 900 may also include one or more of an input unit 906, a display unit 907, an audio circuit 908, a camera 909, and a sensor 910, etc. The audio circuit may also include a speaker 908a, a microphone 908b, etc.

[0434] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the network device provided in this application example, such as a schematic diagram of a base station. The base station 1000 shown in Figure 10 can be applied to the system shown in Figure 1 to perform the functions of the network device in the above method embodiment. As shown, the base station 1000 may include one or more of the following: one or more (DU+RU) 1010s and one or more CUs 1020s. The CU 1020 can communicate with the next-generation core (NG core). The DU may include at least one antenna 1011, at least one radio frequency unit 1012, at least one processor 1013, and at least one memory 1010. The DU is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, converting radio frequency signals to baseband signals, and performing some baseband processing. The CU 1020 may include at least one processor 1022 and at least one memory 1021. The CU 1020 and the DU can communicate through an interface. The control plane (CP) interface can be Fs-C, such as F1-C, and the user plane (UP) interface can be Fs-U, such as F1-U. DUs and RUs can work together to implement the functions of the physical (PHY) layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DUs and RUs 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 and RF functions in the PHY layer. Higher-level functions in the PHY layer may include a portion of the PHY layer's functions, which are closer to the medium access control (MAC) layer, while lower-level functions in the PHY layer may include another portion of the PHY layer's functions, which are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0435] The CU 1020 is mainly used for baseband processing and base station control. The DU and CU 1020 can be physically installed together or separately, i.e., a distributed base station. The CU 1020 is the control center of the base station, which can correspond to the processing module in Figure 7 or the processor in Figure 8, and can also be called a processing unit, mainly used to complete baseband processing functions. For example, the CU 1020 can be used to control the base station to execute the operation procedures of the access network equipment in the above method embodiments.

[0436] Specifically, baseband processing on the CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above are set in the CU, while the functions of protocol layers below PDCP, such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer and the MAC layer, are set in the DU. For another example, the CU implements the functions of the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and the PDCP layer, while the DU implements the functions of the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer.

[0437] Alternatively, the base station 1000 may include one or more radio frequency units (RUs), one or more DUs, and one or more CUs. A DU may include at least one processor 1013 and at least one memory 1010, an RU may include at least one antenna 1011 and at least one radio frequency unit 1012, and a CU may include at least one processor 1022 and at least one memory 1021.

[0438] In one example, the CU 1020 can be composed of one or more single boards. Multiple single boards can collectively support a single access indication wireless access network (such as a 5G network), or they can each support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as LTE, 5G, or other networks). The memory 1021 and processor 1022 can serve one or more single boards. That is, each single board can have its own memory and processor, or multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. Furthermore, each single board can also have necessary circuitry. Similarly, the DU can be composed of one or more single boards. Multiple single boards can collectively support a single access indication wireless access network (such as a 5G network), or they can each support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as LTE, 5G, or other networks). The memory 1010 and processor 1013 can serve one or more single boards. That is, each single board can have its own memory and processor, or multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. Furthermore, each single board can also have necessary circuitry.

[0439] It should be understood that the base station 1000 shown in Figure 10 can implement the various processes involving the network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. The operation and / or function of each module in the base station 1000 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiment; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0440] The BBU 1020 described above can be used to perform the actions implemented internally by the network device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the RRU 1010 can be used to perform the actions sent by the network device to the terminal or received from the terminal as described in the preceding method embodiments. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0441] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0442] The memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0443] In some embodiments of this application, a computer program product is also provided. When the computer program product runs on a processor, it can implement the wireless charging method implemented by the terminal in the above method embodiments, or it can implement the wireless charging method implemented by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0444] In some embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which contains computer instructions that, when executed on a processor, can implement the wireless charging method implemented by a terminal in the above method embodiments, or can implement the wireless charging method implemented by a network device in the above method embodiments.

[0445] In some embodiments of this application, a communication system is also provided, including the aforementioned terminal and network device.

[0446] The terms “unit”, “module”, etc., used in this specification may be used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution.

[0447] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps 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. In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units is merely 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 shown or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0448] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separate. The component shown as a unit may or may not be a physical unit; that is, it 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.

[0449] 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.

[0450] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0451] If this function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it 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 of 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, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0452] 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 wireless charging method, characterized in that, Applied to a first device, the method includes: Based on the reference signal received in K frequency domain units, channel measurements are performed on the K frequency domain units to obtain the received energy of the reference signal in the K frequency domain units; K is a positive integer; Send first information, which is used to indicate L target frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units are determined based on the received energy of the reference signal on the K frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units include one or more frequency domain units from the K frequency domain units. The L target frequency domain units are used to determine the frequency domain units that carry the charging signal, which is used to charge the first device. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the charging signal.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The frequency domain unit carrying the charging signal includes some or all of the frequency domain units among the L target frequency domain units.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The received energy of the reference signal in any one of the L target frequency domain units is not less than the received energy of the reference signal in any one of the remaining (KL) frequency domain units in the K frequency domain units.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Before sending the first information, the method further includes: Receive second information, which is used to indicate the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources of the first information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Before sending the first information, the method further includes: Receive third information, which indicates the number of target frequency domain units that need to be reported.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, L is 1, and the L target frequency domain units are the frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the K frequency domain units.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fourth message, which is used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units. The fourth message is used to generate the charging signal. Each target frequency domain unit group includes one or more frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The reference signal comes from a second device, which is equipped with M antenna ports, and the first device is equipped with N antenna ports, where M and N are both positive integers greater than or equal to 1. The fourth information includes indications of one or more of the following: M sets of channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, an index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, a sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients; wherein, the m-th set of channel coefficients in the M sets of channel coefficients includes: N channel coefficients corresponding to the channel between the m-th antenna port in the M antenna ports of the second device and the N antenna ports of the first device; the sum of the m-th channel coefficients in the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients is the sum of the m-th set of channel coefficients.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, When N is 1, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M channel coefficients corresponding to each group of target frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, wherein the M channel coefficients correspond to the M antenna ports of the second device.

11. A wireless charging method, characterized in that, Applied to a second device, comprising: Receive first information, the first information is used to indicate L target frequency domain units, the L target frequency domain units are included in K frequency domain units, the K frequency domain units are frequency domain units used to transmit reference signals, the L target frequency domain units are used to determine the frequency domain units carrying charging signals, the charging signals are used for charging; K is a positive integer, L is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the charging signal.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The frequency domain unit that sends the charging signal includes some or all of the frequency domain units among the L target frequency domain units.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The received energy of the reference signal in any one of the L target frequency domain units is not less than the received energy of the reference signal in any one of the remaining (KL) frequency domain units in the K frequency domain units.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, Before receiving the first information, the method further includes: Send a second message, which is used to indicate the time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources of the first message.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, Before receiving the first information, the method further includes: Send a third message, which indicates the number L of target frequency domain units that need to be reported.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, L is 1, and the L target frequency domain units are the frequency domain units with the highest received energy of the reference signal among the K frequency domain units.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: The fourth information is received, which is used to indicate the channel state corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units. The fourth information is used to generate the charging signal. Each target frequency domain unit group includes one or more frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, The charging signal is used to charge the first device. The second device is equipped with M antenna ports, and the first device is equipped with N antenna ports, where M and N are both positive integers greater than or equal to 1. The fourth information includes indications of one or more of the following: M sets of channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, an index corresponding to the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M sets of channel coefficients, a sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to each target frequency domain unit group in the L target frequency domain units, the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients or the conjugate of the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients; wherein, the m-th set of channel coefficients in the M sets of channel coefficients includes: N channel coefficients corresponding to the channel between the m-th antenna port in the M antenna ports of the second device and the N antenna ports of the first device; the sum of the m-th channel coefficients in the sum of the M sets of channel coefficients is the sum of the m-th set of channel coefficients.

20. The method as described in claim 19, characterized in that, The charging signal includes a first charging signal carried on the first frequency domain unit. The first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port is generated based on the conjugate of the sum of the m-th channel coefficients of the sum of M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

21. The method as described in claim 19, characterized in that, When N is 1, the fourth information includes an indication of one or more of the following: M channel coefficients corresponding to each group of target frequency domain units in the L target frequency domain units, or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, or an index corresponding to the M channel coefficients or the conjugate of the M channel coefficients, wherein the M channel coefficients correspond to the M antenna ports of the first device.

22. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The charging signal includes a first charging signal carried on a first frequency domain unit. The first charging signal transmitted through the m-th antenna port among the M antenna ports is generated based on the conjugate of the m-th channel coefficient among the M channel coefficients corresponding to some or all of the L target frequency domain units.

23. A wireless charging device, characterized in that, Includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. A wireless charging device, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors and communication circuitry, the communication circuitry being used by the communication device to perform at least one of signal input or output; the one or more processors being used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

25. An apparatus, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors and a storage medium storing instructions that are executed by the one or more processors to cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22 to be implemented.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22 to be implemented.

27. A system, characterized in that, It includes means for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 and means for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 22.

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