Communication method, communication apparatus, and system

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a system. In the method, a network device may generate K OFDM symbols, and send the K OFDM symbols to a terminal device, K being a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols may occupy M sub-carriers; the K OFDM symbols comprise a first OFDM symbol; in the first OFDM symbol, m1 first sub-carriers among the M sub-carriers are used for carrying a reference signal, and m2 second sub-carriers among the M sub-carriers are used for carrying a sensing signal, both m1 and m2 being positive integers; and the m1 first sub-carriers comprise at least one first sub-carrier occupied by each antenna port in a first antenna port set. In this way, an improvement in the communication and sensing performance is facilitated.

Description

Communication methods, communication devices and systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410791246.9, filed on June 18, 2024, entitled "Communication Method, Communication Apparatus and System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is widely considered a key application scenario for future communication networks. Specifically, ISAC means that the wireless signals transmitted by the transmitter simultaneously possess sensing and communication capabilities. The communication requirement simply means sending information from the transmitter to the receiver, while the sensing requirement simply includes sensing the surrounding environment, the speed of moving objects, and distances.

[0004] In the frame structure of existing wireless communication systems (such as 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems or new radio (NR) systems), reference signals (such as demodulation reference signals (DMRS)) and sensing signals (such as physical downlink shared channels (PDSCH)) are carried by different orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in resource blocks.

[0005] However, carrying reference and sensing signals in this way will prevent communication or sensing from achieving optimal performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method, communication device, and system that are beneficial for improving the performance of communication and sensing.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a network device, for example, executed by the network device itself, or executed by components configured in the network device (such as processors, chips, chip systems, etc.), or implemented by logic modules or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this approach.

[0008] The method includes: a network device generating K OFDM symbols, where K is a positive integer, and transmitting the K OFDM symbols. The K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers, where M is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols include a first OFDM symbol, in which m1 first subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 second subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals, where m1 and m2 are both positive integers. The m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in a first antenna port set.

[0009] In the first OFDM symbol, m1 of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals, where m1 and m2 are both positive integers. That is, the same OFDM symbol carries both reference signals and sensing signals for communication. In this way, the reference signals and sensing signals are jointly distributed in each OFDM symbol, which can improve communication and sensing performance.

[0010] Furthermore, from the perspective of spatial resources, the m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set. In other words, within the first OFDM symbol, each antenna port occupies at least one first subcarrier to transmit the reference signal. This ensures a balanced distribution of the reference signal across spatial resources, thereby improving the accuracy of channel measurements in MIMO scenarios.

[0011] Based on the above scheme, reference signals and sensing signals are carried on different subcarriers within the same OFDM symbol, allowing for a balanced distribution of both signals across time-frequency resources. This distribution not only enables more accurate channel measurements but also improves sensing performance.

[0012] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a terminal device. For example, it can be executed by the terminal device itself, or by components configured in the terminal device (such as processors, chips, chip systems, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0013] The method includes: a terminal device receiving K OFDM symbols, where K is a positive integer, and demodulating the K OFDM symbols. The K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers, where M is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols include a first OFDM symbol. In the first OFDM symbol, m1 first subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 second subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals. Both m1 and m2 are positive integers. The m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in a first antenna port set.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, reference signals and sensing signals are carried on different subcarriers within the same OFDM symbol, allowing for a balanced distribution of both signals across time-frequency resources. This distribution not only enables more accurate channel measurements but also improves sensing performance.

[0015] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some implementations, the K OFDM symbols further include a second OFDM symbol adjacent to the first OFDM symbol; wherein, in the second OFDM symbol, m3 third subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m4 fourth subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry the sensing signal, where m3 and m4 are both positive integers, and the first subcarrier is different from the third subcarrier; or, the M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are not used to carry reference signals.

[0016] The first OFDM symbol and the second OFDM symbol can be any two adjacent OFDM symbols among the K OFDM symbols. For the other OFDM symbols among the K OFDM symbols, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the first OFDM symbol and / or the second OFDM symbol.

[0017] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some implementations, the different subcarriers occupied by one antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the m1 first subcarriers.

[0018] In this way, the subcarriers carrying the reference signal on the same OFDM symbol can be adjacent subcarriers occupied by the same antenna port.

[0019] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some implementations, the K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, with the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupying the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources.

[0020] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some implementations, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources. The K OFDM symbols occupy the M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers, where M′ is a positive integer. In the first OFDM symbol, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers.

[0021] The M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers mentioned above are different subcarriers, and the M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers do not overlap.

[0022] The above M subcarriers can be a set of subcarriers, and M′ subcarriers can also be a set of subcarriers.

[0023] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some implementations, the K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords.

[0024] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some implementations, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port and the second antenna port use different orthogonal codewords. In the first OFDM symbol, at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0025] Thirdly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a network device, for example, executed by the network device itself, or executed by components configured in the network device (such as processors, chips, chip systems, etc.), or implemented by logic modules or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0026] The method includes: a network device generating R OFDM symbols, where R is a positive integer, and transmitting the R OFDM symbols. The R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block, and the R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals, and the second OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, reference signals are carried on different subcarriers on multiple non-adjacent OFDM symbols, while sensing signals are carried on different subcarriers on the remaining multiple adjacent and non-adjacent OFDM symbols. This ensures that both reference and sensing signals are evenly distributed across time-frequency resources. This distribution method not only enables more accurate channel measurements but also improves sensing performance.

[0028] In one possible implementation, a first indication is sent, indicating whether the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information.

[0029] In one possible implementation, a second indication message is sent, which indicates the subcarrier offset information.

[0030] Both the first and second instruction information mentioned above can be preset, for example, as agreed upon in the agreement.

[0031] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a terminal device. For example, it can be executed by the terminal device itself, or by components configured in the terminal device (such as processors, chips, chip systems, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0032] The method includes: a terminal device receiving R OFDM symbols, where R is a positive integer, and demodulating the R OFDM symbols. The R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block, and the R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals, and the second OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals.

[0033] Based on the above scheme, reference signals are carried on different subcarriers on multiple non-adjacent OFDM symbols, while sensing signals are carried on different subcarriers on the remaining multiple adjacent and non-adjacent OFDM symbols. This ensures that both reference and sensing signals are evenly distributed across time-frequency resources. This distribution method not only enables more accurate channel measurements but also improves sensing performance.

[0034] In one possible implementation, a first indication is received, which indicates whether the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information.

[0035] In one possible implementation, a second indication information is received, which indicates the subcarrier offset information.

[0036] Both the first and second instruction information mentioned above can be preset, for example, as agreed upon in the agreement.

[0037] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, no two of the first OFDM symbols in the R OFDM symbols are adjacent.

[0038] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the resource block includes w subcarriers, where w is an integer greater than 1, and in each of the R OFDM symbols, the w subcarriers include at least one subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set.

[0039] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the different subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the w subcarriers.

[0040] In this context, adjacent subcarriers can refer to subcarriers that are adjacent in the frequency domain, or subcarriers that are adjacent in the subcarrier index. It should be understood that there can be a frequency domain interval between adjacent subcarriers.

[0041] In this way, when each antenna port carries a signal, the subcarrier is first offset to ensure that the signal carried by each antenna port (such as a reference signal or a sensing signal) can be fully propagated to the entire RB, thereby improving communication performance and sensing performance.

[0042] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the R OFDM symbols include adjacent third OFDM symbols and fourth OFDM symbols. The subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information. The subcarrier offset information is used to indicate the difference between the subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in different OFDM symbols.

[0043] The difference between the subcarriers mentioned above can be the difference in their indices.

[0044] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the R OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, with the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupying the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources.

[0045] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources. The R OFDM symbols occupy the w subcarriers and t subcarriers. Subcarriers in the w subcarriers are used to carry the first antenna port set, and subcarriers in the t subcarriers are used to carry the second antenna port set. In each of the R OFDM symbols, the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the t subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the w subcarriers.

[0046] The w subcarriers and t subcarriers mentioned above are different subcarriers, and the w subcarriers and t subcarriers do not overlap.

[0047] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the R OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords.

[0048] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some implementations, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords. In each of the R OFDM symbols, at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0049] Fifthly, a communication apparatus is provided that can implement the communication method described in any of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects. The apparatus includes one or more corresponding functional units or modules for performing the described method. The functional units or modules included in the apparatus can be implemented by software and / or hardware.

[0050] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor for executing the communication method described in any of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0051] Optionally, the apparatus may further include a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, which, when executing the instructions stored in the memory, can implement the methods described in the foregoing aspects.

[0052] Optionally, the device may further include a communication interface for communicating with other devices. For example, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, a chip system is provided, the chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in any of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects above, such as receiving or processing data and / or information involved in the methods described above.

[0054] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, which may be located within or outside the processor.

[0055] In one possible design, the chip system further includes an interface circuit and / or a power supply circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to transmit data and the power supply circuit is used to supply power to the chip system.

[0056] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0057] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, which includes the aforementioned network device.

[0058] Ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including a computer program that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement the method in any of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0059] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when the computer program is run, causes a computer to perform a method in any of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a satellite inter-satellite link communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the time-frequency resource distribution of a reference signal and a sensing signal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of four antenna ports provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of 6 antenna ports provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of a reference signal and a sensing signal on four antenna ports provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on four antenna ports according to an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of a reference signal and a sensing signal on six antenna ports provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of a reference signal and a sensing signal on a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0074] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 17 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 18 is another schematic diagram of the distribution of 6 antenna ports provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on six antenna ports according to an embodiment of this application.

[0079] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of another reference signal and sensing signal on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 22 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 23 is another schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0083] The technical solution provided in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0084] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained first:

[0085] 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 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.

[0086] Second, 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.

[0087] Third, 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 name category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first OFDM symbol" and "second OFDM symbol" are simply different OFDM symbols, and do not limit the number of OFDM symbols or their priority relationship; similarly, "first subcarrier" and "first subcarrier" are simply different subcarriers, and do not limit the number of subcarriers or their priority relationship.

[0088] Fourth, 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.

[0089] Fifth, 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.

[0090] Sixth, the PDSCH involved in the embodiments of this application can be understood as physical resources, or as data, signaling, etc. transmitted through these resources. For example, when a network device sends data through the PDSCH, it can also be described as the network device sending the PDSCH. Those skilled in the art will understand its meaning.

[0091] To facilitate understanding of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application, the system architecture and application scenarios of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below. It is understood that the system architecture and application scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0092] 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, inter-satellite link communication systems, future communication networks (such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems), or integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0093] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The device can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This application uses a device as an example for description. For instance, a communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink signals to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink signals to the network device.

[0094] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device 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 device, user agent, or user apparatus.

[0095] 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, 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 a wireless modem, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future public land mobile communication networks. Terminal devices in a network (PLMN), etc., are not limited to this in the embodiments of this application.

[0096] 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 detection.

[0097] 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.

[0098] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device for communicating with a terminal device. This network device can also be called an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. In this application embodiment, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. 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, transmission reception point (TRP), transmission point (TP), master station, auxiliary station, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, satellite base station, cellular base station, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar entities, or combinations thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, equipment performing base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, network-side equipment in 6G networks, and equipment 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.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.

[0099] 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 element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0100] RAN nodes can support one or more types of fronthaul interfaces, each corresponding to a DU and RU with different functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is a common public radio interface (CPRI), the DU is configured to implement one or more baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement one or more radio frequency functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is another type of interface, relative to CPRI, some downlink and / or uplink baseband functions, such as, for downlink, precoding, digital beamforming (BF), or one or more of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / cyclic prefix addition (CP), are moved from the DU to the RU; and for uplink, digital beamforming (BF), or one or more of fast Fourier transform (FFT) / cyclic prefix removal (CP), are moved from the DU to the RU. In one possible implementation, the interface can be an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). Under the eCPRI architecture, the segmentation between DU and RU differs, corresponding to different categories (Cat) of eCPRI, such as eCPRI Cat A, B, C, D, E, F.

[0101] Taking eCPRI Cat A as an example, for downlink transmission, the DU is configured to implement one or more functions before and after layer mapping (i.e., coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping), while other functions after layer mapping (e.g., RE mapping, digital beamforming (BF), or one or more functions of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / adding cyclic prefix (CP)) are moved to the RU. For uplink transmission, the DU is configured to implement one or more functions before and after de-RE mapping (i.e., decoding, de-rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, and de-RE mapping), while other functions after de-RE mapping (e.g., digital BF or one or more functions of fast Fourier transform (FFT) / removing CP) are moved to the RU. It is understandable that the functional descriptions of the DU and RU corresponding to various types of eCPRI can be found in the eCPRI protocol, and will not be elaborated here.

[0102] 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.

[0103] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0104] 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.

[0105] Network devices and / or terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located. Furthermore, terminal devices and network devices can be hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware or general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal devices and network devices.

[0106] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system applicable to the method of this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the satellite communication system 100 may include at least one network device, such as the satellite base station 110 shown in Figure 1; the communication system 100 may also include at least one terminal device, such as terminal device 120 and terminal device 130 shown in Figure 1.

[0107] Satellite base station 110 and terminal device 120, and satellite base station 110 and terminal device 130, can communicate wirelessly via (UTRAN-to-UE, UU) air interfaces. Terminal device 120 and terminal device 130 can communicate wirelessly directly via PC5 air interfaces. Communication devices in this system, for example, satellite base station 110 and terminal devices 120 and 130, can communicate using multi-antenna technology.

[0108] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an inter-satellite link communication system applicable to the method of this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the inter-satellite link communication system 200 may include at least two network devices, such as satellite base station 210 and satellite base station 220 shown in Figure 1. Satellite base station 210 and satellite base station 220 communicate through a channel. Among them, satellite base station 210 includes a communication module 2101, a transceiver antenna 2102, an acquisition pointing tracking (APT) module 2103, and an APT transmit / receive module 2104. Satellite base station 220 includes a communication module 2201, a transceiver antenna 2202, an APT module 2203, and an APT transmit / receive module 2204.

[0109] Specifically, the communication module 2101 and the transceiver antenna 2102 communicate through an internal connection path, the APT module 2103 and the APT transmitter / receiver 2104 communicate through an internal connection path, the communication module 2201 and the transceiver antenna 2202 communicate through an internal connection path, and the APT module 2203 and the APT transmitter / receiver 2204 communicate through an internal connection path.

[0110] The communication module (e.g., communication module 2101) and transceiver antenna (e.g., transceiver antenna 2102) belong to the communication subsystem, while the APT transmitter / receiver (e.g., APT transmitter / receiver 2104) and APT module (e.g., APT module 2103) belong to the APT subsystem. The communication subsystem is responsible for the transmission of inter-satellite information and is the main body of the inter-satellite communication system. The APT subsystem is responsible for the acquisition, alignment, and tracking between satellites. Among these, determining the direction of arrival of the incident signal is acquisition; adjusting the transmitted wave to aim at the receiving direction is alignment; and continuously adjusting alignment and acquisition throughout the communication process is tracking.

[0111] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to the method of this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, in the communication system 300a shown in Figure 3(a), a network device (such as 310) communicates with multiple terminal devices (such as 320 and 330). In the communication system 300b shown in Figure 3(b), a terminal device (such as 370) communicates with multiple network devices (such as 340 to 360).

[0112] For example, when the above-mentioned communication system (such as 300a or 300b) is a cellular communication system, the network device in the communication system can be implemented as a cellular base station. For example, when the above-mentioned communication system (such as 300a or 300b) is a wireless local area network communication system, the network device in the communication system can be implemented as an access point (AP), and the terminal device in the communication system can be implemented as a station (STA).

[0113] It should be noted that Figures 1, 2, and 3 are simplified schematic diagrams for ease of understanding. In practical applications, the communication system may include more or fewer network devices and more or fewer terminal devices. This application does not limit the number of network devices and terminal devices included in the communication system.

[0114] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of this application, the technical terms involved in this application will be explained by way of example first.

[0115] 1. Integrated Communication and Sensing Signal: This refers to a wireless signal that simultaneously possesses sensing and communication capabilities. An integrated communication and sensing signal can include communication signals and sensing signals. The communication signal can include a reference signal, which can be a reference signal sent from a network device to a terminal device, such as a DMRS; or a sensing reference signal sent from a network device to a terminal device and reflected back to that network device or other network devices, such as a dedicated sensing enhancement reference signal (SeRS). The communication signal can include data signals, such as a PDSCH; the sensing signal can be carried on the PDSCH, and can be a dedicated sensing signal, or the sensing signal can multiplex communication signals, such as reference signals and / or data signals, to achieve sensing.

[0116] It should be noted that the aforementioned integrated communication and sensing signal is merely an exemplary name given to describe its function, and may be simply referred to as integrated communication and sensing signal, communication and sensing signal, or simply wireless signal. For consistency, it will be referred to as communication and sensing signal below.

[0117] 2. Transmission resources: These refer to the various physical and logical resources used for transmitting data / signaling, which can be used to carry the aforementioned integrated communication and sensing signals. These include, but are not limited to: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, code-domain resources, and spatial-domain resources.

[0118] In this embodiment, a resource block (RB) is the basic unit used to allocate spectrum resources in a wireless communication system. An RB is a two-dimensional resource unit composed of time and frequency dimensions. Specifically, a resource block typically includes several subcarriers and several time slots. An RB can include multiple resource elements (REs), which are the smallest resource units in LTE physical resources, occupying one OFDM symbol in the time domain and one subcarrier in the frequency domain.

[0119] In this embodiment, the RB may include at least one OFDM symbol. An OFDM symbol is the basic transmission unit in an OFDM system. Each OFDM symbol occupies multiple orthogonal subcarriers in the frequency domain, and at least one OFDM symbol can be used to carry the aforementioned integrated communication and sensing signal. The process of generating OFDM symbols includes, but is not limited to, bit mapping, serial-to-parallel conversion, subcarrier allocation, inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), and adding a cyclic prefix.

[0120] Subcarrier set: This is a concept proposed in the embodiments of this application, used to divide different subcarriers, such as dividing subcarriers carrying different types of information into different subcarrier sets.

[0121] In this embodiment of the application, code domain resources may include codewords; spatial domain resources may include antenna ports, beam numbers, etc.

[0122] Antenna port is a logical concept; one antenna port can correspond to one physical transmit antenna or multiple physical transmit antennas. In both cases, the terminal's receiver will not decompose signals from the same antenna port. From the terminal's perspective, regardless of whether the channel is formed by a single physical transmit antenna or by combining multiple physical transmit antennas, the reference signal corresponding to this antenna port defines that antenna port. For example, the antenna port corresponding to the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is the DMRS port, and the antenna port corresponding to the PDSCH is the PDSCH port.

[0123] Antenna port set: This is a concept proposed in the embodiments of this application. Each antenna port set may include one or more antenna ports. For example, antenna port 0 and antenna port 1 form an antenna port set, and antenna port 2 and antenna port 3 form an antenna port set. For the sake of brevity, antenna port 0 can be referred to as port 0. The descriptions of other antenna ports are similar to those of antenna port 0 and will not be repeated here.

[0124] A code division multiplexing (CDM) group refers to a set of signals or users that are distinguished and transmitted using different code sequences. Each code sequence is orthogonal in time, meaning that ideally, the cross-correlation between different code sequences is zero, allowing multiple signals to be transmitted simultaneously on the same spectrum resource. In a multi-antenna system, different antenna ports are assigned different code sequences, and these antenna ports form a CDM group.

[0125] In ISAC, traditional sensing can be achieved through radar. However, the needs of communication and radar are often contradictory. Specifically, communication often pursues high transmission efficiency, which can be understood as extreme spectral efficiency. However, radar pursues high target detection accuracy and often does not consider the impact of spectral efficiency. In the frame structure of existing wireless communication systems (such as 5G mobile communication systems or NR systems), dedicated OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals (such as DMRS), while the remaining OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals (such as PDSCH).

[0126] For example, Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the time-frequency resource distribution of a reference signal (e.g., DMRS) and a sensing signal (e.g., PDSCH).

[0127] As shown in Figure 4(a), DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 1 occupy the 3rd OFDM symbol in one time slot. DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 1 are distributed on subcarriers in one physical resource block using frequency division multiplexing. Specifically, DMRS port 0 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th subcarriers, and DMRS port 1 occupies the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th subcarriers. As shown in Figure 4(b), DMRS port 2 and DMRS port 3 occupy the 3rd OFDM symbol in one time slot. DMRS port 2 and DMRS port 3 are distributed on subcarriers in one physical resource block using frequency division multiplexing. DMRS port 2 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th subcarriers, and DMRS port 3 occupies the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th subcarriers. In Figures (a) and (b), the different DMRS ports are overlapping. DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 2 use different orthogonal codewords, and DMRS port 1 and DMRS port 3 use different orthogonal codewords, respectively implementing code division between DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 2, and DMRS port 1 and DMRS port 3. As shown in Figure 4(c), taking PDSCH port 0 as an example, the non-interleaved mode of PDSCH port 0 after deinterleaving is shown, that is, PDSCH port 0 is corresponding to all 12 REs. As shown in Figure 4(d), a resource element occupies 1 OFDM symbol in the time domain and 1 subcarrier in the frequency domain.

[0128] As shown in Figure 4(a) or (b), PDSCH port 0, PDSCH port 1, PDSCH port 2 and PDSCH port 3 occupy each OFDM symbol from the 4th to the 14th OFDM symbols in a time slot. PDSCH port 0, PDSCH port 1, PDSCH port 2 and PDSCH port 3 are distributed on each subcarrier of a physical resource block by frequency division. Furthermore, adjacent OFDM symbols of PDSCH port 0, PDSCH port 1, PDSCH port 2 and PDSCH port 3 are distributed on different subcarriers.

[0129] Therefore, it can be seen that DMRS and PDSCH are designed separately. DMRS is distributed within a single OFDM symbol. On the OFDM symbol where DMRS resides, DMRS still follows the existing NR design scheme, achieving orthogonality of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) ports through code division and frequency division. For PDSCH, however, the PDSCH on each port is distributed through frequency division. However, carrying reference and sensing signals in this way leads to resource mismatch, thus preventing optimal performance in communication or sensing.

[0130] In view of this, this application provides a communication method in which reference signals and sensing signals are carried by different subcarriers in the same OFDM symbol, so that the reference signals and sensing signals can be evenly distributed in time-frequency resources. In this case, more accurate channel measurement can be achieved based on the reference signals, and sensing performance can be improved based on the evenly distributed sensing signals.

[0131] The method provided in this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the technical solution of this application can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1, Figure 2 or Figure 3.

[0132] In the embodiments illustrated in the following figures, the various processes are described using the interaction process between a terminal device and a network device as an example, but this should not constitute any limitation on the subject of this application. For example, the terminal device can also be replaced by components configured in the terminal device, such as chips, chip systems, or other modules that can be used to implement some or all of the functions of the terminal device; the network device can also be replaced by components configured in the network device, such as chips, chip systems, or other modules that can be used to implement some or all of the functions of the network device.

[0133] Figure 5 illustrates a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 400 includes steps 410 to 430. The various steps of method 400 are described in detail below.

[0134] In step 410, the network device generates K OFDM symbols, where K is a positive integer.

[0135] In this system, K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers, where M is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols include the first OFDM symbol, which can be any one of the K OFDM symbols. The first OFDM symbol can occupy M subcarriers. Occupying M subcarriers means occupying all of the M subcarriers, for example, occupying 12 subcarriers in a single RB.

[0136] In the first OFDM symbol, m1 of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals, where m1 and m2 are both positive integers. That is, the same OFDM symbol carries both reference signals and sensing signals for communication. In this way, the reference signals and sensing signals are jointly distributed in each OFDM symbol, which can improve communication and sensing performance.

[0137] Furthermore, from the perspective of spatial resources, the m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set. In other words, within the first OFDM symbol, each antenna port occupies at least one first subcarrier to transmit the reference signal. This ensures a balanced distribution of the reference signal across spatial resources, thereby improving the accuracy of channel measurements in MIMO scenarios.

[0138] Optionally, the m² second subcarriers include at least one second subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the second antenna port. In other words, within the first OFDM symbol, each antenna port occupies at least one second subcarrier to transmit sensing signals. This ensures a more even distribution of sensing signals across spatial resources, thereby improving environmental sensing performance.

[0139] It should be understood that m1 can be less than, greater than or equal to m2, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0140] In this embodiment of the application, when each antenna port in the first antenna port set occupies two or more subcarriers out of M subcarriers, the different subcarriers occupied by the same antenna port can be adjacent subcarriers or non-adjacent subcarriers, and this application does not limit this. Adjacent subcarriers can refer to subcarriers that are adjacent in the frequency domain, or subcarriers that are adjacent in their subcarrier indices. It should be understood that there can be a frequency domain interval between adjacent subcarriers.

[0141] Optionally, each antenna port occupies a different subcarrier from among the M subcarriers. In this way, each antenna port can be fully distributed across the entire RB, so that the signal carried by each antenna port (such as a reference signal or a sensing signal) can be fully propagated across the entire RB, thereby improving communication and sensing performance.

[0142] For example, Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the time-frequency resource distribution of four antenna ports. As shown in Figure 6, taking a first antenna port set including four antenna ports with 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers as an example, the four antenna ports occupy different subcarriers within one RB. Ports 0, 1, 2, and 3 are distributed on at least one subcarrier among the 12 carriers using frequency division multiplexing. Port 0 occupies the 1st, 5th, and 9th subcarriers; Port 1 occupies the 2nd, 6th, and 10th subcarriers; Port 2 occupies the 3rd, 7th, and 11th subcarriers; and Port 3 occupies the 4th, 8th, and 12th subcarriers. Ports 0, 1, 2, and 3 each occupy every one of the 14 OFDM symbols, and occupy the same subcarrier on each OFDM symbol.

[0143] As shown in Figure 6, the network device first establishes a full-frequency division architecture for the four ports, that is, it establishes how the time and frequency resources of ports 0 to 3 are distributed. However, this should not be interpreted as a limitation on the distribution of time and frequency resources of the four antenna ports.

[0144] Optionally, the different subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the M subcarriers. In this way, when each antenna port carries a signal, the subcarriers are first offset to ensure that the signal carried by each antenna port (such as a reference signal or a sensing signal) can be fully propagated to the entire RB, thereby improving communication performance and sensing performance.

[0145] For example, Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of six antenna ports. As shown in Figure 7, taking a first set of antenna ports including 14 OFDM symbols, M subcarriers comprising 12 subcarriers, and six antenna ports as an example, the six antenna ports occupy different subcarriers within a resource block. Ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are distributed on at least one subcarrier among the 12 carriers using frequency division multiplexing. Port 0 occupies the 1st and 2nd subcarriers, port 1 occupies the 3rd and 4th subcarriers, port 2 occupies the 5th and 6th subcarriers, port 3 occupies the 7th and 8th subcarriers, port 4 occupies the 9th and 10th subcarriers, and port 5 occupies the 11th and 12th subcarriers. All six antenna ports (i.e., ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) occupy each of the 14 OFDM symbols, and occupy the same subcarrier on each OFDM symbol.

[0146] As shown in Figure 7, the network device first establishes a full-frequency division architecture for 6 ports, that is, it establishes how ports 0 to 5 are distributed in terms of time and frequency resources. However, this should not be interpreted as a limitation on the distribution of time and frequency resources of the 6 antenna ports.

[0147] The correspondence between antenna ports and time-frequency resources (as shown in Figure 6 or Figure 7) can be preset, such as by protocol agreement or pre-stored in network devices and / or terminal devices or pre-configured, or it can be pre-configured, such as by the network device configuring the terminal device.

[0148] Optionally, the aforementioned K OFDM symbols also include a second OFDM symbol adjacent to the first OFDM symbol. The first OFDM symbol and the second OFDM symbol can be any two adjacent OFDM symbols among the K OFDM symbols, and the other OFDM symbols among the K OFDM symbols can be found in the relevant descriptions of the first OFDM symbol and / or the second OFDM symbol.

[0149] Continuing with the previous example, for communication, channel estimation requires the use of a reference signal. Therefore, how to carry both reference and sensing signals based on the various antenna port distribution methods described above to improve communication and sensing performance is addressed below, with several possible examples provided in two possible scenarios.

[0150] In one possible scenario, in the second OFDM symbol, m3 of the M subcarriers are used to carry the reference signal, and m4 of the M subcarriers are used to carry the sensing signal, where m3 and m4 are both positive integers. In the first example, the m3 third subcarriers and the aforementioned m1 first subcarriers can all be different; that is, the reference signal will not occupy the same subcarriers in two adjacent OFDM symbols. In the second example, the m3 third subcarriers and the aforementioned m1 first subcarriers can be partially the same. In the third example, the m3 third subcarriers and the aforementioned m1 first subcarriers can be completely identical; that is, the reference signal occupies the same number of subcarriers in two adjacent OFDM symbols.

[0151] In the first example above, the reference signal exhibits a frequency-hopping distribution on adjacent OFDM symbols, allowing the reference signal to spread sufficiently throughout the entire RB, thereby obtaining more channel frequency domain diversity gain and improving channel estimation performance.

[0152] For example, Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of the reference signal and the sensing signal on four ports. Figure 8 is based on Figure 6. As shown in Figure 8, DMRS port 0, DMRS port 1, DMRS port 2, and DMRS port 3 are distributed on at least one subcarrier of 12 carriers using frequency division. DMRS port 0 occupies the 1st, 5th, and 9th subcarriers; DMRS port 1 occupies the 2nd, 6th, and 10th subcarriers; DMRS port 2 occupies the 3rd, 7th, and 11th subcarriers; and DMRS port 3 occupies the 4th, 8th, and 12th subcarriers. DMRS port 0, DMRS port 1, DMRS port 2, and DMRS port 3 each occupy every one of the 14 OFDM symbols, and they do not occupy a single subcarrier on adjacent OFDM symbols. PDSCH ports 0, 1, 2, and 3 are distributed across at least one subcarrier of the 12 carriers using a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) method. PDSCH port 0 occupies the 1st, 5th, and 9th subcarriers; PDSCH port 1 occupies the 2nd, 6th, and 10th subcarriers; PDSCH port 2 occupies the 3rd, 7th, and 11th subcarriers; and PDSCH port 3 occupies the 4th, 8th, and 12th subcarriers. PDSCH port 0, PDSCH port 1, PDSCH port 2, and PDSCH port 3 occupy 14 OFDM symbols, excluding DMRS port 0, DMRS port 1, DMRS port 2, and DMRS port 3.

[0153] It can be seen that DMRS exhibits a frequency-modulated distribution across any two adjacent OFDM symbols (or, in other words, DMRS will not occupy the same subcarrier across any two adjacent OFDM symbols), and the remaining subcarriers on each OFDM symbol are used to carry PDSCH. In this way, DMRS and PDSCH can be fully distributed across the entire RB, which not only obtains more channel frequency domain diversity gain and improves channel estimation performance, but also enhances sensing performance.

[0154] In another possible scenario, the subcarriers of the M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are not used to carry reference signals, and the different subcarriers occupied by one antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the aforementioned m1 first subcarriers.

[0155] The subcarriers of the M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are not used to carry reference signals. In other words, there are no reference signals on the second OFDM symbol, or the subcarriers of the M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are only used to carry sensing signals.

[0156] For example, in one possible implementation, Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of the reference signal and the sensing signal on four ports. Figure 9 is based on Figure 6. As shown in Figure 9, DMRS port 0, DMRS port 1, DMRS port 2 and DMRS port 3 are distributed on at least one subcarrier of 12 carriers by frequency division. DMRS port 0 occupies the 1st, 5th and 9th subcarriers, DMRS port 1 occupies the 2nd, 6th and 10th subcarriers, DMRS port 2 occupies the 3rd, 7th and 11th subcarriers, and DMRS port 3 occupies the 4th, 8th and 12th subcarriers. DMRS ports 0, 1, 2, and 3 occupy the same OFDM symbols out of the 14 OFDM symbols. Specifically, DMRS port 0 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th OFDM symbols; DMRS port 1 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th OFDM symbols; DMRS port 2 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th OFDM symbols; and DMRS port 3 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th OFDM symbols. It can be seen that the DMRS ports are distributed every other OFDM symbol. PDSCH port 0, PDSCH port 1, PDSCH port 2, and PDSCH port 3 are distributed across at least one subcarrier of the 12 carriers using frequency division multiplexing. PDSCH port 0 occupies the 1st, 5th, and 9th subcarriers; PDSCH port 1 occupies the 2nd, 6th, and 10th subcarriers; PDSCH port 2 occupies the 3rd, 7th, and 11th subcarriers; and PDSCH port 3 occupies the 4th, 8th, and 12th subcarriers. PDSCH ports 0, 1, 2, and 3 occupy all positions on the 14 OFDM symbols except for DMRS ports 0, 1, 2, and 3.

[0157] As can be seen, with the above distribution method, DMRS can be distributed across one OFDM symbol in adjacent OFDM symbols, and PDSCH can be distributed across each OFDM symbol in adjacent OFDM symbols, but only PDSCH is distributed across one OFDM symbol. For example, between adjacent first OFDM symbols and adjacent second OFDM symbols, DMRS is more concentrated on the first OFDM symbol, while PDSCH is less concentrated on the first OFDM symbol and is completely distributed on the second OFDM symbol. This distribution method also allows DMRS and PDSCH to be fully distributed across the entire RB, which is beneficial for improving communication and sensing performance.

[0158] In another possible implementation, Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of the reference signal and the sensing signal across six antenna ports. Figure 10 is based on Figure 7. As shown in Figure 10, DMRS ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are distributed across at least one subcarrier of the 12 carriers using frequency division multiplexing. DMRS port 0 occupies the 1st and 2nd subcarriers, DMRS port 1 occupies the 3rd and 4th subcarriers, DMRS port 2 occupies the 5th and 6th subcarriers, DMRS port 3 occupies the 7th and 8th subcarriers, DMRS port 4 occupies the 9th and 10th subcarriers, and DMRS port 5 occupies the 11th and 12th subcarriers. DMRS ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 each occupy the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th OFDM symbols, respectively. PDSCH ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are distributed across at least one subcarrier of the 12 carriers using frequency division multiplexing. PDSCH port 0 occupies the 1st and 2nd subcarriers, PDSCH port 1 occupies the 3rd and 4th subcarriers, PDSCH port 2 occupies the 5th and 6th subcarriers, PDSCH port 3 occupies the 7th and 8th subcarriers, PDSCH port 4 occupies the 9th and 10th subcarriers, and PDSCH port 5 occupies the 11th and 12th subcarriers. PDSCH ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 14th OFDM symbols, respectively. As can be seen from the above distribution method, DMRS and PDSCH are independently distributed across multiple OFDM symbols, and they are distributed at intervals across these symbols. This allows DMRS and PDSCH to be fully distributed across the entire RB, which is beneficial for improving communication and sensing performance.

[0159] Optionally, when a network device needs to distribute multiple antenna ports (e.g., 2n, 4n, where n is a positive integer) in an RB, the multiple antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets, namely the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set.

[0160] In one possible implementation, when K OFDM symbols occupy a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set can be distributed in a block frequency division manner. That is, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. Specifically, it can include: K OFDM symbols occupying M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers, where M′ is a positive integer. For example, in the first OFDM symbol, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers. Here, the first OFDM symbol can be any one of the K OFDM symbols.

[0161] The M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers mentioned above are different subcarriers, and the M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers do not overlap.

[0162] For example, when a network device needs to distribute eight antenna ports (e.g., ports 0 to 7) throughout the entire RB, the eight antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets: a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set may include ports 0, 1, 2, and 3, and the second antenna port set may include ports 4, 5, 6, and 7. Each antenna port in the second antenna port set can be distributed as shown in Figure 6, or it can carry reference signals (e.g., DMRS) and sensing signals (e.g., PDSCH) as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Further details are omitted here.

[0163] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The distribution shown in Figure 11 is based on Figures 6 and 8. As shown in Figure 11, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including M subcarriers of 12 subcarriers and M′ subcarriers of 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set including 4 antenna ports, and a second antenna port including 4 antenna ports as an example. First, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 6. Next, the 4 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 4 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using a block frequency division method. In each OFDM symbol of the 14 OFDM symbols, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 8, which will not be elaborated here.

[0164] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals at the first and second antenna ports. The distribution shown in Figure 12 is based on Figures 6 and 9. As shown in Figure 12, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including M subcarriers of 12 subcarriers and M′ subcarriers of 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set including 4 antenna ports, and a second antenna port including 4 antenna ports as an example. First, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 6. Next, the 4 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 4 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using a block frequency division method. In each OFDM symbol of the 14 OFDM symbols, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 9, which will not be elaborated here.

[0165] For example, when a network device needs to distribute 12 antenna ports (e.g., ports 0 to 11) throughout the entire RB, the 12 antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets: a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set may include ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the second antenna port set may include ports 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Each antenna port in the second antenna port set can be distributed as shown in Figure 7, or it can carry reference signals (e.g., DMRS) and sensing signals (e.g., PDSCH) as shown in Figure 10. Further details are omitted here.

[0166] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The distribution shown in Figure 13 is based on Figures 7 and 10. As shown in Figure 13, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including M subcarriers of 12 subcarriers and M′ subcarriers of 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set including 6 antenna ports, and a second antenna port including 6 antenna ports as an example. First, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 7. Next, the 6 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 6 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using a block frequency division method. In each OFDM symbol of the 14 OFDM symbols, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 10, which will not be elaborated here.

[0167] In another possible implementation, when K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set can be distributed in a frequency division plus code division manner. That is, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time and frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords. Specifically, in the first OFDM symbol, at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0168] For example, when a network device needs to distribute eight antenna ports (e.g., ports 0 to 7) throughout the entire RB, the eight antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets: a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set may include ports 0, 1, 2, and 3, and the second antenna port set may include ports 4, 5, 6, and 7. Each antenna port in the second antenna port set can be distributed as shown in Figure 6, or it can carry reference signals (e.g., DMRS) and sensing signals (e.g., PDSCH) as shown in Figure 8 or Figure 9. Further details are omitted here.

[0169] For example, Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The distribution shown in Figure 14 is based on Figures 6 and 8. As shown in Figure 14, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including M subcarriers with 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set with 4 antenna ports, and a second antenna port set with 4 antenna ports as an example, firstly, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 6. Next, the 4 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 4 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using code division. Taking DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 4 as an example, they are superimposed in the first OFDM symbol using the form of OCC to achieve orthogonal code division, that is, to realize data transmission for multiple users on the same frequency band. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 8, which will not be elaborated here.

[0170] For example, Figure 15 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The distribution shown in Figure 15 is based on Figures 6 and 9. As shown in Figure 15, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including M subcarriers with 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set with 4 antenna ports, and a second antenna port set with 4 antenna ports as an example, firstly, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 6. Next, the 4 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 4 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using code division. Taking DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 4 as an example, they are superimposed in the first OFDM symbol using the form of OCC to achieve orthogonal code division, that is, to realize data transmission for multiple users on the same frequency band. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 9, which will not be elaborated here.

[0171] For example, when a network device needs to distribute 12 antenna ports (e.g., ports 0 to 11) throughout the entire RB, the 12 antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets: a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set may include ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the second antenna port set may include ports 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Each antenna port in the second antenna port set can be distributed as shown in Figure 7, or it can carry reference signals (e.g., DMRS) and sensing signals (e.g., PDSCH) as shown in Figure 10, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0172] For example, Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The distribution shown in Figure 16 is based on Figures 7 and 10. As shown in Figure 16, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including M subcarriers with 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set with 6 antenna ports, and a second antenna port set with 6 antenna ports as an example, firstly, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 7. Next, the 6 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 6 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using code division. Taking DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 4 as an example, they are superimposed in the first OFDM symbol in the form of OCC to achieve orthogonal code division, that is, to realize data transmission of multiple users on the same frequency band. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 10, which will not be elaborated here.

[0173] In step 420, the network device sends K OFDM symbols to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives K OFDM symbols from the network device. In step 430, the terminal device demodulates the K OFDM symbols.

[0174] The aforementioned terminal demodulates K OFDM symbols. In other words, the terminal device can convert the received K OFDM symbols into original data information. This can include: the terminal can demodulate the OFDM symbols, demodulate the frequency domain signal into the original modulation symbols, and decode and deinterleave the demodulated symbols to recover the original bit stream. Furthermore, the decoded bit stream can be reassembled into the original data packets or frames.

[0175] Based on the above scheme, reference signals and sensing signals are carried on different subcarriers within the same OFDM symbol, allowing for a balanced distribution of both signals across time-frequency resources. This distribution not only enables more accurate channel measurements but also improves sensing performance.

[0176] Optionally, the distribution of each antenna port in the first antenna port set or each antenna port in the second antenna port set can also be a time-division distribution, in which each antenna port in the first antenna port set occupies at least one OFDM symbol among K OFDM symbols, and each antenna port has the same distribution on each of the M subcarriers; or each antenna port in the second antenna port set occupies at least one OFDM symbol among K OFDM symbols, and each antenna port has the same distribution on each of the M′ subcarriers.

[0177] For example, when the first antenna port includes two antenna ports, namely port 0 and port 1, port 0 occupies the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th OFDM symbols, and port 1 occupies the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, and 14th OFDM symbols. Furthermore, ports 0 and 1 occupy each subcarrier.

[0178] Figure 17 illustrates a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 500 includes steps 510 to 530. The various steps of method 500 are described in detail below.

[0179] In step 510, the network device generates R OFDM symbols, where R is a positive integer.

[0180] Among them, R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block. The R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbol can be any one of the R OFDM symbols, and the second OFDM symbol can be any one of the R OFDM symbols.

[0181] The first OFDM symbol is used to carry the reference signal. In other words, each subcarrier on the first OFDM symbol carries the reference signal, or the reference signal occupies the first OFDM symbol.

[0182] The second OFDM symbol is used to carry sensing signals. In other words, each subcarrier on the second OFDM symbol carries a sensing signal, or the sensing signal occupies the second OFDM symbol.

[0183] The r1 mentioned above can be greater than, less than or equal to r2, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0184] Optionally, the resource block includes w subcarriers, where w is an integer greater than 1. In each of the R OFDM symbols, the w subcarriers include at least one subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set.

[0185] In one possible scenario, the different subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set are the adjacent subcarriers among w subcarriers. Here, adjacent subcarriers can refer to subcarriers that are adjacent in the frequency domain, or subcarriers that are adjacent in their subcarrier indices. It should be understood that there can be a frequency domain interval between adjacent subcarriers.

[0186] For example, as shown in Figure 7, each antenna port occupies two adjacent subcarriers. The correspondence between the antenna ports and the time-frequency resources (as shown in Figure 7) can be preset, such as by agreement in a protocol, or pre-stored in the network device and / or terminal device, or pre-configured, or it can be pre-configured, such as by the network device configuring the terminal device.

[0187] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols include an adjacent third OFDM symbol and a fourth OFDM symbol. The subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information. The subcarrier offset information is used to indicate the difference between the subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in different OFDM symbols.

[0188] The aforementioned third OFDM symbol can refer to multiple third OFDM symbols on R OFDM symbols, and the fourth OFDM symbol can refer to multiple fourth OFDM symbols on R OFDM symbols that are adjacent to the third OFDM symbol. For example, when R in R OFDM symbols is 14, the third OFDM symbol can be the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th OFDM symbols among the 14 OFDM symbols, and the fourth OFDM symbol can be the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 14th OFDM symbols among the 14 OFDM symbols.

[0189] The aforementioned subcarrier offset information may include: in terms of time-frequency resources, any one subcarrier carries the signal of each port.

[0190] The difference between the subcarriers mentioned above can be the difference in their indices. For example, changing from the 1st subcarrier to the 3rd subcarrier.

[0191] For example, Figure 18 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution after the six antenna ports are offset. Figure 18 is based on Figure 14. As shown in Figure 18, the antenna ports on the 1st and 7th OFDM symbols are not offset. The antenna ports on the 2nd OFDM symbol are offset to the next subcarrier in the order of [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Port 0 is offset to the position of port 1 (i.e., it changes from the 1st and 2nd subcarriers to the 3rd and 4th subcarriers), and port 1 is offset to the position of port 2 (i.e., ...). The third and fourth subcarriers change to the fifth and sixth subcarriers), port 2 shifts to the position of port 3 (i.e., the fifth and sixth subcarriers change to the seventh and eighth subcarriers), port 3 shifts to the position of port 4 (i.e., the seventh and eighth subcarriers change to the ninth and tenth subcarriers), port 4 shifts to the position of port 5 (i.e., the ninth and tenth subcarriers change to the eleventh and twelfth subcarriers), and port 5 shifts to the position of port 0 (i.e., the eleventh and twelfth subcarriers change to the first and second subcarriers). On the third OFDM symbol, the antenna ports are shifted to the next subcarrier in the order of [5, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4]. Port 5 is shifted to the position of port 0 (i.e., from subcarriers 1 and 2 to subcarriers 3 and 4), port 0 is shifted to the position of port 1 (i.e., from subcarriers 3 and 4 to subcarriers 5 and 6), port 1 is shifted to the position of port 2 (i.e., from subcarriers 5 and 6 to subcarriers 7 and 8), port 2 is shifted to the position of port 3 (i.e., from subcarriers 7 and 8 to subcarriers 9 and 10), port 3 is shifted to the position of port 4 (i.e., from subcarriers 9 and 10 to subcarriers 11 and 12), and port 4 is shifted to the position of port 5 (i.e., from subcarriers 11 and 12 to subcarriers 1 and 2). The antenna ports on the 4th OFDM symbol are shifted to the next subcarrier in the order of [4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3]. Port 4 is shifted to the position of port 5 (i.e., from subcarriers 1 and 2 to subcarriers 3 and 4), port 5 is shifted to the position of port 0 (i.e., from subcarriers 3 and 4 to subcarriers 5 and 6), port 0 is shifted to the position of port 1 (i.e., from subcarriers 5 and 6 to subcarriers 7 and 8), port 1 is shifted to the position of port 2 (i.e., from subcarriers 7 and 8 to subcarriers 9 and 10), port 2 is shifted to the position of port 3 (i.e., from subcarriers 9 and 10 to subcarriers 11 and 12), and port 3 is shifted to the position of port 4 (i.e., from subcarriers 11 and 12 to subcarriers 1 and 2).On the 5th OFDM symbol, the antenna ports are shifted to the next subcarrier in the order of [3, 4, 5, 0, 1, 2]. Port 3 is shifted to the position of port 4 (i.e., from subcarriers 1 and 2 to subcarriers 3 and 4), port 4 is shifted to the position of port 5 (i.e., from subcarriers 3 and 4 to subcarriers 5 and 6), port 5 is shifted to the position of port 0 (i.e., from subcarriers 5 and 6 to subcarriers 7 and 8), port 0 is shifted to the position of port 1 (i.e., from subcarriers 7 and 8 to subcarriers 9 and 10), port 1 is shifted to the position of port 2 (i.e., from subcarriers 9 and 10 to subcarriers 11 and 12), and port 2 is shifted to the position of port 3 (i.e., from subcarriers 11 and 12 to subcarriers 1 and 2). On the 6th OFDM symbol, the antenna ports are shifted to the next subcarrier in the order of [2, 3, 4, 5, 0, 1]. Port 2 is shifted to the position of port 3 (i.e., from subcarriers 1 and 2 to subcarriers 3 and 4), port 3 is shifted to the position of port 4 (i.e., from subcarriers 3 and 4 to subcarriers 5 and 6), port 4 is shifted to the position of port 5 (i.e., from subcarriers 5 and 6 to subcarriers 7 and 8), port 5 is shifted to the position of port 0 (i.e., from subcarriers 7 and 8 to subcarriers 9 and 10), port 0 is shifted to the position of port 1 (i.e., from subcarriers 9 and 10 to subcarriers 11 and 12), and port 1 is shifted to the position of port 2 (i.e., from subcarriers 11 and 12 to subcarriers 1 and 2). The antenna port position transfer method on the remaining OFDM symbols 8 to 14 is similar to that on OFDM symbols 2 to 6, and will not be described again here.

[0192] Optionally, the method further includes: the network device sending first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information indicating whether the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device.

[0193] The aforementioned first indication information can be carried on downlink control information (DCI) and may include one byte (bit) of information, such as a 0 or 1 identifier, where "0" indicates no and "1" indicates yes. After receiving the first indication information from the network device, the terminal device can determine whether the subcarrier has shifted.

[0194] Optionally, the method further includes: the network device sending second indication information to the terminal device, the second indication information indicating subcarrier offset information. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second indication information from the network device.

[0195] It should be understood that both the first and second instruction information mentioned above can be preset, for example, as agreed upon in an agreement.

[0196] Continuing with the previous example, for communication, channel estimation requires the use of a reference signal. Therefore, based on the various antenna port distributions shown in Figure 18, how can reference and sensing signals be carried to improve communication and sensing performance? The following provides possible examples.

[0197] For example, Figure 19 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of the reference signal and the sensing signal on six ports. Figure 19 is based on Figure 18. As shown in Figure 19, DMRS port 0, DMRS port 1, DMRS port 2, DMRS port 3, DMRS port 4, and DMRS port 5 occupy the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th OFDM symbols, respectively. DMRS port 0, DMRS port 1, DMRS port 2, DMRS port 3, DMRS port 4, and DMRS port 5 each occupy 2 / 3 of a subcarrier, while DMRS port 0 occupies the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 10th subcarriers. MRS port 1 occupies the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th, and 12th subcarriers; DMRS port 2 occupies the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th subcarriers; DMRS port 3 occupies the 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th subcarriers; DMRS port 4 occupies the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th subcarriers; and DMRS port 5 occupies the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 11th, and 12th subcarriers. PDSCH ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 occupy the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th OFDM symbols, respectively. Each of these ports occupies one of the 14 subcarriers, with each PDSCH port occupying a different subcarrier in adjacent OFDM symbols. PDSCH port 5 occupies the 11th and 12th subcarriers. PDSCH port 0, PDSCH port 1, PDSCH port 2, PDSCH port 3, PDSCH port 4, and PDSCH port 5 each occupy the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th OFDM symbols, respectively. Optionally, when the network device needs to distribute multiple antenna ports (e.g., 2n, 4n, where n is a positive integer) in the RB, the multiple antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets, namely the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set.

[0198] In one possible implementation, when R OFDM symbols occupy a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources, it can include: the R OFDM symbols occupy w subcarriers and t subcarriers, the subcarriers in the w subcarriers are used to carry the first antenna port set, and the subcarriers in the t subcarriers are used to carry the second antenna port set. In each of the R OFDM symbols, the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the t subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the w subcarriers.

[0199] For example, when a network device needs to distribute 12 antenna ports (e.g., ports 0 to 11) throughout the entire RB, the 12 antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets: a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set may include ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the second antenna port set may include ports 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Each antenna port in the second antenna port set can be distributed as shown in Figure 18, or it can carry reference signals (e.g., DMRS) and sensing signals (e.g., PDSCH) as shown in Figure 19. Further details are omitted here.

[0200] Figure 20 shows a schematic diagram of the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals on the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The distribution shown in Figure 20 is based on Figures 18 and 19. As shown in Figure 20, taking 14 OFDM symbols, including w subcarriers of 12 subcarriers, t subcarriers of 12 subcarriers, a first antenna port set including 6 antenna ports, and a second antenna port including 6 antenna ports as an example. First, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution method shown in Figure 18. Next, the 6 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 4 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using a block frequency division method. In each OFDM symbol of 14 OFDM symbols, the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the w subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the t subcarriers. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 19, which will not be elaborated here.

[0201] In another possible implementation, R OFDM symbols occupy a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords. This can include: in each of the R OFDM symbols, at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0202] For example, when a network device needs to distribute 12 antenna ports (e.g., ports 0 to 11) throughout the entire RB, the 12 antenna ports can be divided into two antenna port sets: a first antenna port set and a second antenna port set. The first antenna port set may include ports 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the second antenna port set may include ports 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Each antenna port in the second antenna port set can be distributed as shown in Figure 18, or it can carry reference signals (e.g., DMRS) and sensing signals (e.g., PDSCH) as shown in Figure 19. Further details are omitted here.

[0203] Figure 21 illustrates the distribution of reference signals and sensing signals across the first and second antenna port sets. The distribution shown in Figure 21 is based on Figures 18 and 19. As shown in Figure 21, taking a first antenna port set with 6 antenna ports and a second antenna port set with 6 antenna ports (14 OFDM symbols, including w subcarriers of 12 subcarriers) as an example, firstly, each antenna port in the first antenna port set and each antenna port in the second antenna port set are distributed according to the antenna port distribution shown in Figure 18. Next, the 6 antenna ports in the first antenna port set and the 6 antenna ports in the second antenna port set are superimposed using code division. Taking DMRS port 0 and DMRS port 4 as an example, they are superimposed in the first OFDM symbol using OCC to achieve orthogonal code division, thus realizing data transmission for multiple users on the same frequency band. Finally, DMRS and PDSCH are carried according to the method shown in Figure 19, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0204] In step 520, the network device sends R OFDM symbols to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives R OFDM symbols from the network device.

[0205] In step 530, the terminal device demodulates K OFDM symbols.

[0206] The aforementioned terminal device demodulates R OFDM symbols. In other words, the terminal device can convert the received R OFDM symbols into original data information. This can include: the terminal device can demodulate the OFDM symbols, demodulate the frequency domain signal into the original modulation symbols, and decode and deinterleave the demodulated symbols to recover the original bit stream. Furthermore, the decoded bit stream can be reassembled into the original data packets or frames.

[0207] Based on the above scheme, reference signals are carried on different subcarriers on multiple non-adjacent OFDM symbols, while sensing signals are carried on different subcarriers on the remaining multiple adjacent and non-adjacent OFDM symbols. This ensures that both reference and sensing signals are evenly distributed across time-frequency resources. This distribution method not only enables more accurate channel measurements but also improves sensing performance.

[0208] It should be understood that the processes shown in Figure 5 or Figure 17 are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. In other embodiments, these processes may also include more or fewer steps.

[0209] It should also be understood that the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0210] The communication 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.

[0211] Figures 22 and 23 are schematic block diagrams of possible communication devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0212] The communication device provided in this application is shown in Figure 22. The communication device 2200 includes a communication unit 2210 and a processing unit 2220. The communication unit 2210 can be used to perform receiving or sending actions, and the processing unit 2220 can be used to perform actions other than receiving and sending, such as generating information or messages, processing received information or messages, etc.

[0213] One possible design is that the communication device 2200 is used to implement the functions of the network device in any of the method embodiments shown in FIG5 or FIG17. For example, the communication device may be a network device, a component configured in the network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the network device.

[0214] For example, when the communication device 2200 is used to implement the function of the network device in method 400, the processing unit 2220 is used to generate K OFDM symbols, where K is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers. The K OFDM symbols include a first OFDM symbol. In the first OFDM symbol, m1 first subcarriers in the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 second subcarriers in the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals. m1 and m2 are both positive integers. The m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set. The communication unit 2210 is used to transmit the K OFDM symbols.

[0215] Optionally, the K OFDM symbols may further include a second OFDM symbol adjacent to the first OFDM symbol; wherein, in the second OFDM symbol, m3 third subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry the reference signal, and m4 fourth subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry the sensing signal, where m3 and m4 are both positive integers, and the first subcarrier is different from the third subcarrier; or, the M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are not used to carry the reference signal.

[0216] Optionally, the different subcarriers occupied by one antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the m1 first subcarriers.

[0217] Optionally, the K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, with the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupying the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources.

[0218] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. The K OFDM symbols occupy the M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers. In the first OFDM symbol, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers.

[0219] Optionally, the K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords.

[0220] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port and the second antenna port use different orthogonal codewords. In the first OFDM symbol, at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0221] For example, when the communication device 2200 is used to implement the function of the network device in method 500, the processing unit 2220 is used to generate R OFDM symbols, where R is a positive integer. The R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block. The R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals, and the second OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals. The communication unit 2210 is used to transmit the R OFDM symbols.

[0222] Optionally, no two of the first OFDM symbols in the R OFDM symbols are adjacent.

[0223] Optionally, the resource block includes w subcarriers, where w is an integer greater than 1, and in each of the R OFDM symbols, the w subcarriers include at least one subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set.

[0224] Optionally, the different subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the w subcarriers.

[0225] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols include an adjacent third OFDM symbol and a fourth OFDM symbol. The subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information. The subcarrier offset information is used to indicate the difference between the subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in different OFDM symbols.

[0226] Optionally, the communication unit 2210 is further configured to transmit first indication information, which indicates whether the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information.

[0227] Optionally, the communication unit 2210 is further configured to transmit second indication information, which indicates the subcarrier offset information.

[0228] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, with the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupying the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources.

[0229] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources. The R OFDM symbols occupy the w subcarriers and t subcarriers. The subcarriers in the w subcarriers are used to carry the first antenna port set, and the subcarriers in the t subcarriers are used to carry the second antenna port set. In each OFDM symbol of the R OFDM symbols, the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the t subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the w subcarriers.

[0230] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time and frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords.

[0231] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords. In each of the R OFDM symbols, at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0232] One possible design is that the communication device 2200 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in any of the method embodiments shown in Figure 5 or Figure 17. For example, the communication device can be the terminal device, a component configured in the terminal device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal device.

[0233] For example, when the communication device 2200 is used to implement the function of the terminal device in method 400, the communication unit 2210 is used to receive K OFDM symbols, where K is a positive integer, the K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers, the K OFDM symbols include a first OFDM symbol, in which m1 first subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 second subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals, where m1 and m2 are both positive integers, and the m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set; the processing unit 2220 is used to demodulate the K OFDM symbols.

[0234] Optionally, the K OFDM symbols may further include a second OFDM symbol adjacent to the first OFDM symbol; wherein, in the second OFDM symbol, m3 third subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry the reference signal, and m4 fourth subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry the sensing signal, where m3 and m4 are both positive integers, and the first subcarrier is different from the third subcarrier; or, the M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are not used to carry the reference signal.

[0235] Optionally, the different subcarriers occupied by one antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the m1 first subcarriers.

[0236] Optionally, the K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, with the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupying the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources.

[0237] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. The K OFDM symbols occupy the M subcarriers and M′ subcarriers. In the first OFDM symbol, the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the M′ subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the M subcarriers.

[0238] Optionally, the K OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set. The first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords.

[0239] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port and the second antenna port use different orthogonal codewords. In the first OFDM symbol, at least one first subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one first subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0240] For example, when the communication device 2200 is used to implement the function of the terminal device in method 500, the communication unit 2210 is used to receive R OFDM symbols, where R is a positive integer. The R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block. The R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals, and the second OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals. The processing unit 2220 is used to demodulate the R OFDM symbols.

[0241] Optionally, no two of the first OFDM symbols in the R OFDM symbols are adjacent.

[0242] Optionally, the resource block includes w subcarriers, where w is an integer greater than 1, and in each of the R OFDM symbols, the w subcarriers include at least one subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set.

[0243] Optionally, the different subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set are adjacent subcarriers among the w subcarriers.

[0244] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols include an adjacent third OFDM symbol and a fourth OFDM symbol. The subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information. The subcarrier offset information is used to indicate the difference between the subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in different OFDM symbols.

[0245] Optionally, the communication unit 2210 is further configured to receive first indication information, which indicates whether the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information.

[0246] Optionally, the communication unit 2210 is further configured to receive second indication information, which indicates the subcarrier offset information.

[0247] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, with the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupying the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources.

[0248] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources. The R OFDM symbols occupy the w subcarriers and t subcarriers. The subcarriers in the w subcarriers are used to carry the first antenna port set, and the subcarriers in the t subcarriers are used to carry the second antenna port set. In each OFDM symbol of the R OFDM symbols, the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port in the t subcarriers is the same as the position of at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port in the w subcarriers.

[0249] Optionally, the R OFDM symbols occupy the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set, the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set occupy the same time and frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords.

[0250] Optionally, the first antenna port in the first antenna port set and the second antenna port in the second antenna port set occupy the same time-frequency resources, and the first antenna port set and the second antenna port set use different orthogonal codewords. In each of the R OFDM symbols, at least one subcarrier occupied by the second antenna port is the same as at least one subcarrier occupied by the first antenna port.

[0251] It should also be understood that the communication unit 2210 in the communication device 2200 can also be called a transceiver unit. The communication unit 2210 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the communication unit 2210 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by the communication device 2200 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. The receiving module can be used to perform the receiving action in the above-described scheme, and the transmitting module can be used to perform the transmitting action in the above-described scheme.

[0252] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed 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.

[0253] Another communication device provided in this application is shown in FIG23. The communication device 2300 includes at least one processor 2310. The at least one processor 2310 can be used to execute computer programs or instructions in memory to implement the steps performed by the network device in any of the method embodiments shown in FIG5 or FIG17.

[0254] Optionally, the communication device 2300 may further include at least one memory 2320 for storing instructions executed by the processor 2310, or storing input data required by the processor 2310 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 2310 executes instructions. The at least one processor 2310 and the at least one memory 2320 may be configured separately. For example, each memory may be connected to one or more processors, enabling the connected processors to read information from, store, and / or write information to the memory. Alternatively, the at least one processor 2310 and the at least one memory 2320 may be integrated together; for example, one or more memories may be integrated into a single processor.

[0255] Optionally, the communication device 2300 further includes an interface circuit 2330 for transmitting data and / or signaling. The at least one processor 2310 and the interface circuit 2330 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 2330 can be a transceiver, input / output circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface, wherein the input circuit in the input / output circuit can be used for receiving, and the output interface can be used for transmitting.

[0256] Optionally, the communication device 2300 further includes a power supply circuit 2340, which can be used to supply power to the communication device 2300.

[0257] When the communication device 2300 is used to implement the method shown in any embodiment of the method embodiments shown in FIG5 or FIG17, the processor 2310 is used to perform the functions of the above-mentioned processing unit, and the interface circuit 2320 is used to perform the functions of the above-mentioned receiving unit and / or transmitting unit. Whether the interface circuit 2320 is used for transmitting or receiving depends on whether the communication device 2300 is used to perform the transmitting or receiving action in the scheme executed by the communication device 2300.

[0258] It is understood that when the communication device 2300 is a communication device (e.g., a terminal or network device), the interface circuit 2320 can be a transceiver, specifically including a transmitter and a receiver, with the transmitter used to send signals and the receiver used to receive signals. When the communication device 2300 is a chip used in a communication device, the interface circuit 2320 can be an input / output circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or other type of communication interface, wherein the input circuit in the input / output circuit can be used for receiving, and the output interface can be used for sending.

[0259] It should be understood that in the communication device 2300 shown in FIG23, the processor 2310 may correspond to the processing unit 2220 in the communication device 2200 above, and the interface circuit 2320 may correspond to the communication unit 2210 in the communication device 2200 above.

[0260] It should also be understood that the coupling in the embodiments of this application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information interaction between devices, units, or modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific connection medium between the at least one processor 2310, at least one memory 2320, interface circuit 2330, and power supply circuit 2340. In Figure 23, the processor 2310, memory 2320, interface circuit 2330, and power supply circuit 2340 are connected via a bus 2350. The bus 2350 is represented by a thick line in Figure 23. The connection methods between other components are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting. The bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 23, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0261] 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.

[0262] 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.

[0263] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned network equipment and terminal equipment.

[0264] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when run, causes a computer to perform the method executed by the network device or terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIG5 or FIG17.

[0265] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it causes the computer to perform the method executed by the network device or terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIG5 or FIG17.

[0266] 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.

[0267] 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.

[0268] 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.

[0269] 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.

[0270] 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)).

[0271] 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.

[0272] 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 technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: K OFDM symbols are generated, where K is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers, where M is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols include a first OFDM symbol. In the first OFDM symbol, m1 first subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 second subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals. m1 and m2 are both positive integers. The m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set. Send the K OFDM symbols.

2. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: K OFDM symbols are received, where K is a positive integer. The K OFDM symbols occupy M subcarriers. The K OFDM symbols include a first OFDM symbol. In the first OFDM symbol, m1 first subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry reference signals, and m2 second subcarriers of the M subcarriers are used to carry sensing signals. m1 and m2 are both positive integers. The m1 first subcarriers include at least one first subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set. Demodulate the K OFDM symbols.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The K OFDM symbols also include a second OFDM symbol adjacent to the first OFDM symbol; wherein... In the second OFDM symbol, m3 third subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry the reference signal, and m4 fourth subcarriers out of the M subcarriers are used to carry the sensing signal, where m3 and m4 are both positive integers, and the first subcarrier is different from the third subcarrier; or, The M subcarriers occupied by the second OFDM symbol are not used to carry the reference signal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the first set of antenna ports, the different subcarriers occupied by one antenna port are the adjacent subcarriers among the m1 first subcarriers.

5. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: R OFDM symbols are generated, where R is a positive integer. The R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block. The R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals, and the second OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals. Send the R OFDM symbols.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive R OFDM symbols, where R is a positive integer. The R OFDM symbols occupy the same resource block. The R OFDM symbols include r1 first OFDM symbols and r2 second OFDM symbols, where r1 is an integer greater than 1 and r2 is a positive integer. The first OFDM symbols are used to carry reference signals, and the second OFDM symbols are used to carry sensing signals. Demodulate the R OFDM symbols.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, In the R OFDM symbols, no two of the first OFDM symbols are adjacent.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The resource block includes w subcarriers, where w is an integer greater than 1. In each of the R OFDM symbols, the w subcarriers include at least one subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The different subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set are the adjacent subcarriers among the w subcarriers.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The R OFDM symbols include an adjacent third OFDM symbol and a fourth OFDM symbol. The subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the first antenna port set in the fourth OFDM symbol is determined by the subcarrier occupied by each antenna port in the third OFDM symbol and the subcarrier offset information. The subcarrier offset information is used to indicate the difference between the subcarriers occupied by each antenna port in different OFDM symbols.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes one or more functional units for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for executing program code to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, characterized in that, It also includes a memory for storing the program code.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 is performed.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when run, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 to be performed.

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