Communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium. The method comprises: receiving transmit beams belonging to different beam groups, wherein the reception times of the different beam groups are different, and each beam group comprises at least one transmit beam. The present disclosure can reduce the latency of beam scanning performed by a terminal for transmit beams.

Description

Communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, large-scale antenna arrays, known as Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems, have become a key technology for wireless communication. In MIMO systems, network devices can be equipped with dozens to hundreds of antennas, thereby effectively improving the capacity and throughput of wireless communication systems.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] To improve the transmission efficiency of transmit beams in large-scale antenna array scenarios, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0006] Receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception time of different beam groups is different, and each beam group includes at least one transmitted beam.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] Transmitting transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising:

[0010] The transceiver module is configured to receive transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising:

[0012] The transceiver module is configured to transmit transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of the different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising:

[0014] One or more processors;

[0015] The processor is used to execute the communication method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0016] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising:

[0017] One or more processors;

[0018] The processor is used to execute the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0019] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0020] A terminal, the terminal being configured to implement the communication method described in any one of the first aspects;

[0021] A network device configured to implement the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0022] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a communication method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0023] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0024] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal can receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups, and the reception time of different beam groups is different. Each beam group includes at least one transmitted beam. By grouping the transmitted beams and using time division multiplexing to receive the transmitted beams of different beam groups, the waste of wireless resources can be avoided, and the latency of the terminal accessing the network device can be reduced.

[0025] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0027] Figure 1A is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary scenario of electromagnetic field division provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 1C is an exemplary scenario diagram showing the arrival direction of the transmit beams of the far-field terminal and the near-field terminal provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 2 is an exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3A is one of the exemplary flowcharts of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 3B is a second exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 3C is a third exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 3D is a fourth exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary scenario combining time-division multiplexing and space-division multiplexing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 5A is an exemplary block diagram of a terminal provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 5B is an exemplary block diagram of a network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 6A is an exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 6B is an exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] This disclosure provides a communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium.

[0042] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use time-division multiplexing to receive transmitted beams from different beam groups, which can reduce the latency of the terminal accessing network devices.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group that is transmitted using a spatial division multiplexing method.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the terminal can receive the transmitted beam sent by the network device using a combination of time-division multiplexing and space-division multiplexing, which can reduce the latency of the terminal accessing the network device and improve availability.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the total number of beam groups is M, and each beam group includes N transmit beams; or the total number of beam groups is N, and each beam group includes M transmit beams; or the total number of beam groups is greater than or equal to (M×N÷L), and each beam group includes L transmit beams; wherein, M is the number of antenna ports of the network device, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of the network device, and L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the transmitted beams can be grouped using any of the above methods, which improves the availability and reliability of transmitting transmitted beams by beam group.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: performing beam scanning in parallel using at least one receiving beam for the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group; performing beam scanning sequentially using at least one receiving beam for the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group; and reducing the number of receiving beams performing beam scanning for the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use any of the above methods to perform beam scanning on at least one transmitted beam belonging to the same beam group by receiving the beam, thereby improving the reliability of beam scanning.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: performing channel quality measurements on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group; and transmitting the measurement results.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the terminal can perform channel quality measurement on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group and send the measurement results to the network device, thereby reducing the latency of the terminal accessing the network device and improving availability.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first measurement period; wherein the first measurement period is the period for performing channel quality measurements on the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0053] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the first measurement period for channel quality measurement of at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group, which is simple to implement and highly available.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first measurement period includes: determining the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam.

[0055] The above embodiments involve minor modifications to the protocol, allowing for rapid determination of the first measurement period and high availability.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first measurement period includes any one of the following: the number of transmit beams included in each beam group is less than or equal to L, and the first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam; the number of transmit beams included in each beam group is greater than L, and the first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam and a first quantity; wherein, the first quantity is the total number of subgroups obtained by dividing the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group based on L; the number of antenna panels of the terminal is 1, and the first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam and the number of transmit beams included in each beam group; wherein, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the first measurement cycle can be determined by combining the terminal capabilities, thereby improving the efficiency of determining the first measurement cycle and increasing its availability.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam based on the number of reference signals to be measured, the period of the reference signals, and the receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0059] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam based on the above parameters, which is simple to implement and highly usable.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the receiving beam scanning scaling factor includes at least one of the following: a first receiving beam scanning scaling factor; a second receiving beam scanning scaling factor; wherein the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor is smaller than the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the receiving beam scanning scaling factor includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the above, which improves the efficiency of beam scanning and has high availability.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the first quantity includes: determining a second quantity and a third quantity; wherein the second quantity is the number of subgroups using the first received beam scanning scaling factor, and the third quantity is the number of subgroups using the second received beam scanning scaling factor; determining a first value based on the second measurement period of a transmitted beam using the first received beam scanning scaling factor and the second quantity; determining a second value based on the second measurement period of a transmitted beam using the second received beam scanning scaling factor and the third quantity; and determining the first measurement period based on the first value and the second value.

[0063] In the above embodiments, the first measurement period can be determined based on the first quantity and the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam, which has high availability.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending first indication information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the value of L, where L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the terminal can send first indication information to the network device to improve the reliability of transmitted beam packets.

[0066] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method performed by a network device, the method comprising: transmitting transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of the different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the network device can use time-division multiplexing to transmit transmit beams belonging to different beam groups, avoiding waste of wireless resources and ensuring high availability.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: transmitting at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group using a spatial division multiplexing method.

[0069] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the total number of beam groups is M, and each beam group includes N transmit beams; or the total number of beam groups is N, and each beam group includes M transmit beams; or the total number of beam groups is greater than or equal to (M×N÷L), and each beam group includes L transmit beams; wherein, M is the number of antenna ports of the network device, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of the network device, and L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving measurement results; wherein the measurement results are obtained after performing channel quality measurements on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first measurement period; wherein the first measurement period is the period during which the terminal performs channel quality measurements on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first measurement period includes: determining the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam.

[0073] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first measurement period includes any one of the following: the number of transmitted beams included in each beam group is less than or equal to L, and the first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam; the number of transmitted beams included in each beam group is greater than L, and the first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and a first quantity; wherein, the first quantity is the total number of subgroups obtained by dividing transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group based on L; the number of antenna panels of the terminal is 1, and the first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the number of transmitted beams included in each beam group; wherein, L is the maximum number of transmitted beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam based on the number of reference signals to be measured, the period of the reference signals, and the receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0075] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the receiving beam scanning scaling factor includes at least one of the following: a first receiving beam scanning scaling factor; a second receiving beam scanning scaling factor; wherein the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor is smaller than the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0076] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the first quantity includes: determining a second quantity and a third quantity; wherein the second quantity is the number of subgroups using the first received beam scanning scaling factor, and the third quantity is the number of subgroups using the second received beam scanning scaling factor; determining a first value based on the second measurement period of a transmitted beam using the first received beam scanning scaling factor and the second quantity; determining a second value based on the second measurement period of a transmitted beam using the second received beam scanning scaling factor and the third quantity; and determining the first measurement period based on the first value and the second value.

[0077] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving first indication information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the value of L, where L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

[0078] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, including: a transceiver module configured to receive transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0079] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including: a transceiver module configured to transmit transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of the different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0080] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to execute the communication method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0081] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0082] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, comprising: a terminal configured to implement the communication method described in any one aspect; and a network device configured to implement the communication method described in any one aspect.

[0083] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a communication method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0084] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0085] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described according to an optional implementation of the first or second aspect above.

[0086] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, computer program products, chips, or chip systems are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0087] The present invention is described in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, beam transmission method, beam measurement method, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms communication device, beam transmission device, beam measurement device, etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms communication system, beam transmission system, beam measurement system, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0088] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0089] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0090] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0091] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0092] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0093] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0094] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0095] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0096] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0097] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0098] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0099] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0100] In some embodiments, devices, etc., can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as “device”, “equipment”, “circuit”, “network element”, “node”, “function”, “unit”, “section”, “system”, “network”, “chip”, “chip system”, “entity”, and “subject” can be used interchangeably.

[0101] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0102] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0104] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0105] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0106] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0107] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0108] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0109] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0111] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0112] In some embodiments, network device 102 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of access network device and core network device.

[0113] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0114] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0115] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0116] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may be a single device comprising multiple network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the multiple network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0117] In some embodiments, with the rapid development of mobile internet services, the required data transmission rates are also growing rapidly. Due to the congestion of existing spectrum resources in the low and mid-frequency bands, we have to explore higher frequency bands to obtain greater bandwidth. However, electromagnetic waves experience significant propagation attenuation in the high-frequency band, resulting in limited transmission distance and coverage area. Base stations need to be equipped with more antennas to obtain greater beamforming gain to compensate for the attenuation of high-frequency transmission. Therefore, Extremely Large-scale Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (XL-MIMO) technology has emerged. It has not only received widespread attention from academia and industry but is also considered a potential key technology for communication systems.

[0118] It is worth noting that high-frequency XL-MIMO leads to channel hardening, primarily dominated by line-of-sight (LoS) propagation. In practice, for a given antenna array, its electromagnetic field can be divided into near-field and far-field regions, as shown in Figure 1B. The boundary between the near-field and far-field regions is called the Rayleigh distance.

[0119] in, Where D is the antenna aperture and λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

[0120] It can be seen that the range of the near-field region is determined by the antenna aperture D and the wavelength λ.

[0121] Terminals located in the near-field region are called near-field terminals, while those located in the far-field region are called far-field terminals. In cellular wireless communication systems, terminals are mostly located in the far-field region of network equipment, such as the transmit antenna array of a base station (gNB).

[0122] As mentioned above, increasing the carrier frequency (decreasing λ) and / or increasing the antenna array size D will expand the near-field region. Even with unchanged network topology (base station spacing, terminal distribution, etc.), previously far-field terminals may become near-field terminals.

[0123] For example, as shown in Figure 1C, for a far-field terminal, the different transmitted beams from multiple antenna ports of the network device arrive at the terminal in the same direction. However, for a near-field terminal, the transmitted beams from different antenna ports of the network device arrive in different directions.

[0124] Therefore, in traditional beam management, if a network device has 32 transmit beam directions, it only needs to transmit 32 reference signal resources based on any one port. However, for near-field terminals, the first beam direction transmitted by the network device at the first port is different from the second beam direction transmitted at the second port. Therefore, the network device needs to transmit 32 reference signal resources separately at each antenna port. If the network device continues to transmit reference signals for beam measurement in the traditional single-port manner, the terminal's scanning time will increase by a factor of M, where M is the number of antenna ports on the network device. This results in a factor of M also increasing the latency for the terminal to access the network device.

[0125] To reduce latency when a terminal accesses a network device, this disclosure provides the following communication method, terminal, network device and system, and storage medium.

[0126] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0127] In step S2101, terminal 101 sends first instruction information to network device 102.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate the value of L. Here, L is the maximum number of transmit (Tx) beams that the terminal 101 can simultaneously receive.

[0129] In one example, the value of L depends on the terminal capability.

[0130] In one example, the value of L can be related to the number of antenna panels that the terminal 101 supports being active simultaneously. For example, the value of L is equal to the number of antenna panels that the terminal 101 supports being active simultaneously.

[0131] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send first indication information to network device 102 via first signaling.

[0132] In one example, the first signaling may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0133] Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling;

[0134] Uplink Control Information (UCI);

[0135] Media Access Control Element (MAC CE).

[0136] Terminal 101 can perform receive beam scanning on the transmit beam in the following manner:

[0137] Method a involves using the receiving beam to scan in parallel for at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0138] In other words, terminal 101 simultaneously uses multiple receiving beams to scan each transmitting beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0139] Method b involves sequentially scanning the receiving beam for at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0140] In other words, terminal 101 sequentially uses multiple receiving beams to scan each transmitting beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0141] Method c reduces the number of receiving beams for at least one transmitting beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0142] In other words, terminal 101 scans a portion of the transmit beams belonging to the same beam group using a portion of the receive beams.

[0143] For example, beam group #1 includes two transmit beams, transmit beam #1 and transmit beam #2, and eight receive beams. Normally, transmit beam #1 can be received using receive beams #1 through #8, and transmit beam #2 can be received using receive beams #1 through #8. When the number of receive beams is reduced, transmit beam #1 can be received using receive beams #1 through #4, and transmit beam #2 can be received using receive beams #5 through #8.

[0144] This means reducing the number of receiving beams that perform beam scanning for the same transmitting beam.

[0145] For the above method, terminal 101 needs to be equipped with at least one antenna panel, which can form multiple receiving beams. Therefore, it is necessary to define the ability of terminal 101 to simultaneously receive transmitting beams. Terminal 101 needs to send information about this terminal capability to network device 102. For example, in this step, terminal 101 sends first indication information to network device 102, the first indication information indicating the value of L.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first indication information can also be used to indicate other terminal capability information. For example, the first indication information can be used to indicate the receive (Rx) beam scanning scaling factor.

[0147] In one example, a transmit beam needs to be received by one or more receive beams. The receive beam scanning scaling factor refers to the number of receive beams used to receive a transmit beam. Its value range can be [1, K], where K is a positive integer greater than 1, such as 8.

[0148] For example, the receiving beam scanning scaling factor may include a first receiving beam scanning scaling factor and / or a second receiving beam scanning scaling factor. The second receiving beam scanning scaling factor is smaller than the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0149] The first receiving beam scanning scaling factor can refer to the maximum number of receiving beams that scan a transmitting beam, for example, 8.

[0150] Considering the similarity between transmit beams from different antenna ports, when using receive beams for reception, in order to save resources, each transmit beam can be received by a portion of the receive beams. The second receive beam scanning scale factor can refer to the number of receive beams that scan a transmit beam. This number of receive beams is less than the maximum number, that is, the value of the second receive beam scanning scale factor is less than the value of the first receive beam scanning scale factor. For example, the second receive beam scanning scale factor is 4.

[0151] In one example, the first indication information may indicate the second receive beam scanning scaling factor.

[0152] In one example, the first indication information may indicate the terminal capability used to determine the receive beam scanning scaling factor. For example, the first indication information may indicate whether terminal 101 has the capability to use a second receive beam scanning scaling factor. As another example, the first indication information may indicate the capability of terminal 101 to use a first receive beam scanning scaling factor and / or a second receive beam scanning scaling factor. The above are merely illustrative examples, and this disclosure does not limit the specific content of the first indication information.

[0153] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives first instruction information.

[0154] In some embodiments, the name of the first indication information is not limited and can be interchanged with capability indication information, terminal capability information, etc.

[0155] In step S2102, network device 102 sends transmit beams belonging to different beam groups.

[0156] In some embodiments, the reception times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0157] In some embodiments, network device 102 may transmit at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group each time.

[0158] In some embodiments, network device 102 can divide multiple transmit beams into at least one beam group, and can transmit at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group each time, so as to achieve the purpose of transmitting transmit beams belonging to different beam groups through time division multiplexing (TDD).

[0159] For example, the total number of beam groups is 3, and each beam group includes 3 transmit beams. Network device 102 can transmit the 3 transmit beams belonging to beam group #1 at time T1, transmit the 3 transmit beams belonging to beam group #2 at time T2, and transmit the 3 transmit beams belonging to beam group #3 at time T3. Here, time T1 is before time T2, and time T2 is before time T3.

[0160] In some embodiments, network device 102 may employ a combination of TDD and Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) to transmit multiple transmit beams. Specifically, SDM refers to network device 102 simultaneously transmitting at least one transmit beam through at least one antenna port.

[0161] For example, at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group can be transmitted simultaneously using SDM, while transmit beams from different beam groups can be transmitted using TDM.

[0162] By combining time-division multiplexing and space-division multiplexing to transmit the beam, the waste of wireless resources can be effectively avoided, and the latency of terminal access to network devices can be reduced, resulting in high availability.

[0163] In some embodiments, network device 102 may group multiple transmit beams using the following grouping method:

[0164] Grouping method A, the total number of beam groups is M, and each beam group includes N transmission beams.

[0165] Where M and N are both positive integers.

[0166] Where M is the number of antenna ports of network device 102, and N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of network device 102.

[0167] For example, network device 102 can group according to the number of its own antenna ports, and transmit at least one transmit beam corresponding to the same port each time.

[0168] For example, if the number of antenna ports M is 3, and the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port is 2, then network device 102 can transmit the 2 transmit beams corresponding to antenna port #1 through antenna port #1 at time T1, transmit the 2 transmit beams corresponding to antenna port #2 through antenna port #2 at time T2, and transmit the 2 transmit beams corresponding to antenna port #3 through antenna port #3 at time T3.

[0169] Grouping method B, the total number of beam groups is N, and each beam group can include M transmission beams.

[0170] Where M and N are both positive integers.

[0171] Where M is the number of antenna ports of network device 102, and N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of network device 102.

[0172] For example, network device 102 can combine TDM and SDM methods to simultaneously transmit the transmit beam of the same beam group through M antenna ports.

[0173] For example, if the number of antenna ports M is 3, and each antenna port corresponds to 2 transmit beams, then network device 102 can transmit one transmit beam corresponding to antenna port #1 through antenna port #1, one transmit beam corresponding to antenna port #2 through antenna port #2, and one transmit beam corresponding to antenna port #3 through antenna port #3 at time T1. At time T2, it transmits the other transmit beam corresponding to antenna port #1 through antenna port #1, another transmit beam corresponding to antenna port #2 through antenna port #2, and yet another transmit beam corresponding to antenna port #3 through antenna port #3.

[0174] Grouping method C, the total number of beam groups is greater than or equal to (M×N÷L), and each beam group can include L transmit beams.

[0175] Where M, N, and L are all positive integers.

[0176] Where M is the number of antenna ports of network device 102, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of network device 102, and L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal 101 can receive simultaneously.

[0177] Understandable in This is a function that rounds up, such as the ceil function.

[0178] For example, if the number of antenna ports M is 3, the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port is 4, and the maximum number of transmit beams L that terminal 101 can receive simultaneously is 2, then network device 102 can determine that there are a total of 6 beam groups, and network device 102 sends 2 transmit beams each time.

[0179] For example, network device 102 can transmit two transmit beams corresponding to one antenna port at the same time.

[0180] For example, network device 102 can combine TDM and SDM modes, and can transmit one corresponding transmit beam at the same time through two different antenna ports.

[0181] Grouping method D, the total number of beam groups is (total number of transmit beams ÷ S), and each beam group includes S transmit beams.

[0182] Where S is a positive integer.

[0183] Wherein, S can be any positive integer; for example, S can be any positive integer less than or equal to L, or S can be any positive integer greater than L. This disclosure does not impose any limitation on this.

[0184] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the grouping method of multiple transmitted beams.

[0185] In some embodiments, terminal 101 can receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups, and the reception time of different beam groups is different, with each beam group including at least one transmitted beam.

[0186] In one example, terminal 101 may perform beam scanning in parallel using at least one receive beam for the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0187] In one example, terminal 101 may sequentially perform beam scanning on the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group using at least one receive beam.

[0188] In one example, terminal 101 can reduce the number of received beams that perform beam scanning for at least one transmitted beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0189] In one example, terminal 101 can perform beam scanning in parallel using at least one receiving beam for a portion of the transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group, and reduce the number of receiving beams used for beam scanning for the remaining transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group.

[0190] In one example, terminal 101 can sequentially use at least one receiving beam to perform beam scanning on a portion of the transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group, and reduce the number of receiving beams used for beam scanning on the remaining transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group.

[0191] In one example, terminal 101 can perform beam scanning in parallel using at least one receiving beam for a portion of the transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group, and sequentially perform beam scanning using at least one receiving beam for the remaining transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group.

[0192] In one example, terminal 101 may perform beam scanning in parallel using at least one receiving beam for a portion of the transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group, perform beam scanning sequentially using at least one receiving beam for another portion of the transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group, and reduce the number of receiving beams used for beam scanning for the remaining transmitted beams belonging to the same beam group.

[0193] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the method of beam scanning.

[0194] In one example, the number of transmit beams included in each beam group is K, and K can be equal to any of the values ​​of M, N, L, and S mentioned above.

[0195] In one example, K is less than or equal to L, and terminal 101 receives K transmit beams from the same beam group each time.

[0196] In one example, K is greater than L, and terminal 101 can divide the K transmit beams into... Each subgroup receives L transmit beams belonging to the same subgroup at a time.

[0197] For example, each beam group includes 5 transmit beams K, the terminal 101 can receive a maximum number of transmit beams L = 2 at the same time, the number of subgroups is 3, the network device 101 simultaneously sends 5 transmit beams belonging to beam group #1, namely transmit beams #11 to transmit beams #15, the terminal 101 first receives transmit beams #11 and #12, then receives transmit beams #13 and #14, and finally receives transmit beam #15.

[0198] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the specific scheme for terminal 101 to receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups.

[0199] In step S2103, terminal 101 performs channel quality measurement on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0200] In some embodiments, for each transmit beam in at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group, terminal 101 can receive signals through one or more receive (Rx) beams and perform channel quality measurements to obtain measurement results. These measurement results may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: measured Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ), and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI).

[0201] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the scheme by which the terminal 101 obtains measurement results.

[0202] In step S2104, terminal 101 determines the first measurement cycle.

[0203] In some embodiments, the first measurement period is the period for performing channel quality measurements on the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

[0204] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine the first measurement period using, but is not limited to, any of the following methods:

[0205] Method 1: Determine the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to a single transmitted beam.

[0206] In one example, the second measurement period T' corresponding to a single transmitted beam can be determined using formula 1 or formula 2: T' = P × T RS ×R sweeping Formula 1 T'=P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced Formula 2

[0207] Where P is the number of reference signals to be measured, and T RS It is the period of the reference signal, R sweeping It is the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor, R sweeping_reduced It is the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0208] The concepts of the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor and the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor have been introduced in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0209] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the method for determining the second measurement period T'.

[0210] In one example, the first measurement period T for the terminal 101 to perform channel quality measurements on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group can be determined using Formula 3 or Formula 4 based on the second measurement period described above. measure For example, T measure =T'=P×T RS ×R sweeping Formula 3, for example, T measure =T'=P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced Formula 4

[0211] Method 2: Determine the first measurement period based on the beam group.

[0212] In method 2-1, the number of transmit beams K included in each beam group is less than or equal to L, that is, the number of transmit beams K sent by network device 102 each time does not exceed the terminal's capacity. In this case, the first measurement period can be determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam.

[0213] Where K can be equal to M, N, L or S, M is the number of antenna ports of network device 102, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of network device 102, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal 101 can receive simultaneously, and S is any positive integer less than or equal to L.

[0214] For example, Formula 3 or Formula 4 can be used to determine the first measurement period T for the channel quality measurement of the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group by terminal 101. measure T measure =T'=P×T RS ×R sweeping Formula 3 T measure =T'=P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced Formula 4

[0215] In one example, R sweeping_reduced This can be determined by the terminal's capabilities.

[0216] In one example, R can be included in the first indication information. sweeping_reduced The specific value or includes determining R sweeping_reduced Specific values ​​of terminal capability information.

[0217] In method 2-2, the number of transmit beams K included in each beam group is greater than L, that is, the number of transmit beams sent by network device 102 in each transmission exceeds the terminal's capacity. In this case, the first measurement period can be determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam and the first quantity.

[0218] Where K can be equal to M, N, L or S, M is the number of antenna ports of network device 102, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of network device 102, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal 101 can receive simultaneously, and S is any positive integer less than or equal to L.

[0219] The first quantity is the total number of subgroups obtained by dividing the transmit beams belonging to the same beam group based on L.

[0220] Assuming each beam group contains K transmitted beams, where K is greater than L, the first quantity Q can be... in This is a function that rounds up, such as the ceil function.

[0221] Method 2-2-1, First measurement period T measure It can be equal to the product of the second measurement period T' and the first quantity Q.

[0222] For example, either Formula 5 or Formula 6 can be used to determine the first measurement period T for the channel quality measurement of the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group by terminal 101. measure :

[0223] Method 2-2-2, First measurement period T measure It can be determined based on the second measurement cycle, the second quantity, and the third quantity.

[0224] Wherein, the second quantity is the number of subgroups using the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor, and the third quantity is the number of subgroups using the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

[0225] In this case, the sum of the second and third quantities is equal to the first quantity. For example, if the first quantity is Q, the third quantity is Y, and the second quantity is (QY).

[0226] Terminal 101 can calculate a first value, which is equal to the product of the second measurement period based on a transmit beam using the first receive beam scanning scaling factor and the second quantity. For example, the first value = P × T RS ×R sweeping ×(QY).

[0227] Terminal 101 can calculate a second value, which is equal to the product of the second measurement period of a transmit beam using the second receive beam scanning scaling factor and the third quantity. For example, the second value = P × T RS ×R sweeping_reduced×Y.

[0228] First measurement period T measure T can be determined based on the following formula 7: measure =First value + Second value = P × T RS ×R sweeping ×(QY)+P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced ×Y Formula 7

[0229] In methods 2-3, the number of antenna panels on the terminal is 1. In this case, the first measurement period can be determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the number of transmitted beams K included in each beam group.

[0230] Where K can be equal to M, N, L or S, M is the number of antenna ports of network device 102, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of network device 102, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal 101 can receive simultaneously, and S is any positive integer.

[0231] Since the terminal 101 has only one antenna panel, regardless of the value of L, even if the network device 102 simultaneously transmits multiple transmit beams belonging to the same beam group, the terminal 101 can only receive one transmit beam at a time. In this case, the first measurement period can be equal to the product of the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam and the number of transmit beams K included in each beam group.

[0232] For example, the first measurement period T measure T can be determined using the following formula 8 or formula 9: measure =T'×K=P×T RS ×R sweeping ×K Formula 8 T measure =T'×K=P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced ×K Formula 9

[0233] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the scheme for determining the first measurement cycle.

[0234] In step S2105, network device 102 determines the first measurement cycle.

[0235] In some embodiments, the scheme by which network device 102 determines the first measurement period is similar to step S2104, and will not be described again here.

[0236] In step S2106, terminal 101 sends the measurement result to network device 102.

[0237] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 performs signal quality measurement according to the first measurement cycle described above, and can send the measurement results to the network device 102.

[0238] In some embodiments, terminal 101 can send the measurement result to network device 102 via a second signaling. In one example, the second signaling can be at least one of RRC signaling, UCI, and MAC CE.

[0239] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives measurement results.

[0240] In some embodiments, network device 102 listens for and receives measurement results based on a first measurement cycle.

[0241] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0242] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0243] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0244] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0245] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0246] The information transmission method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2106. For example, step S2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101+S2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2106 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2103+S2106 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S2101 to S2106 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0247] In some embodiments, step S2101 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments. For example, if network device 102 obtains the first indication information from another execution entity or if network device 102 does not consider terminal capabilities when determining the beam group, step S2101 may not be executed.

[0248] In some embodiments, step S2106 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments. For example, if network device 102 obtains measurement results from another entity, step S2106 may not be executed.

[0249] In some embodiments, steps S2101 to S2106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0250] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S2101 to S2106 is not limited.

[0251] In the above embodiments, by grouping the transmitted beams and using time-division multiplexing or a combination of time-division multiplexing and space-division multiplexing to transmit the transmitted beams of different beam groups, the waste of wireless resources can be avoided, and the latency of terminal access to network devices can be reduced, resulting in high availability.

[0252] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101, and includes:

[0253] Step S3101: Send the first instruction information.

[0254] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate the value of L. Here, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal 101 can receive simultaneously.

[0255] In some embodiments, terminal 101 sends first instruction information to network device 102.

[0256] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives first instruction information.

[0257] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3101 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0258] Step S3102: Obtain the transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups.

[0259] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may obtain the transmission beam from network device 102, but is not limited thereto, and may also receive the transmission beam sent by other entities.

[0260] In some embodiments, terminal 101 acquires the transmission beam specified by the protocol.

[0261] In some embodiments, terminal 101 obtains the transmit beam from upper layer(s).

[0262] In some embodiments, terminal 101 processes the data to obtain the transmitted beam.

[0263] In some embodiments, step S3102 is omitted, and the terminal 101 autonomously implements the function indicated by the transmission beam, or the terminal 101 obtains the transmission beam based on predefined rules or protocol agreements, or the above function is the default or default.

[0264] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3102 can be found in optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0265] Step S3103: Perform channel quality measurement on the transmitted beam.

[0266] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3103 can be found in optional implementations of step S2103 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0267] Step S3104: Determine the first measurement cycle.

[0268] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3104 can be found in optional implementations of step S2104 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0269] Step S3105: Send the measurement results.

[0270] In some embodiments, terminal 101 sends the measurement result to network device 102.

[0271] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives the measurement result.

[0272] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3105 can be found in optional implementations of step S2105 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0273] In some embodiments, steps S3101 to S3105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0274] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S3101 to S3105 is not limited.

[0275] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use time-division multiplexing to receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups, and at least one transmitted beam received each time belongs to the same beam group. By grouping the transmitted beams and using time-division multiplexing to receive transmitted beams from different beam groups, wireless resources are avoided, and the latency of the terminal accessing network devices can be reduced, resulting in high availability.

[0276] Figure 3B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101, and includes:

[0277] Step S3201: Obtain the transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups.

[0278] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may obtain the transmission beam from network device 102, but is not limited thereto, and may also receive the transmission beam sent by other entities.

[0279] In some embodiments, terminal 101 acquires the transmission beam specified by the protocol.

[0280] In some embodiments, terminal 101 obtains the transmit beam from upper layer(s).

[0281] In some embodiments, terminal 101 processes the data to obtain the transmitted beam.

[0282] In some embodiments, step S3201 is omitted, and the terminal 101 autonomously implements the function indicated by the transmission beam, or the terminal 101 obtains the transmission beam based on predefined rules or protocol agreements, or the above function is the default or default.

[0283] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0284] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use time-division multiplexing to receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups, and at least one transmitted beam received each time belongs to the same beam group. By grouping the transmitted beams and using time-division multiplexing to receive transmitted beams from different beam groups, wireless resources are avoided, and the latency of the terminal accessing network devices can be reduced, resulting in high availability.

[0285] Figure 3C is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3C, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by a network device 102, and includes:

[0286] Step S3301: Obtain the first instruction information.

[0287] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate the value of L. Here, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal 101 can receive simultaneously.

[0288] In some embodiments, network device 102 may obtain first indication information from terminal 101, but is not limited thereto, and may also receive first indication information sent by other entities.

[0289] In some embodiments, network device 102 obtains first indication information as defined by a protocol.

[0290] In some embodiments, network device 102 obtains first indication information from upper layer(s).

[0291] In some embodiments, network device 102 processes information to obtain first instruction information.

[0292] In some embodiments, step S3301 is omitted, and the network device 102 autonomously implements the function indicated by the first indication information, or the network device 102 obtains the first indication information based on predefined rules or protocol agreements, or the above function is a default or default setting.

[0293] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3301 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0294] Step S3302: Send the transmit beams belonging to different beam groups.

[0295] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3302 can be found in optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0296] Step S3303: Determine the first measurement cycle.

[0297] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3303 can be found in optional implementations of step S2105 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0298] Step S3304: Obtain the measurement results.

[0299] In some embodiments, network device 102 may obtain first indication information from terminal 101, but is not limited thereto, and may also receive first indication information sent by other entities.

[0300] In some embodiments, network device 102 acquires measurement results as defined by a protocol.

[0301] In some embodiments, network device 102 obtains measurement results from upper layer(s).

[0302] In some embodiments, network device 102 processes the data to obtain the measurement results.

[0303] In some embodiments, step S3304 is omitted, and the network device 102 autonomously implements the function indicated by the measurement result, or the network device 102 obtains the measurement result based on predefined rules or protocol agreements, or the above function is a default or default setting.

[0304] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3304 can be found in optional implementations of step S2106 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0305] In some embodiments, steps S3301 to S3304 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0306] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S3301 to S3304 is not limited.

[0307] In the above embodiments, the network device transmits different beam groups by grouping the transmitted beams and using time-division multiplexing or a combination of time-division multiplexing and space-division multiplexing. This avoids wasting wireless resources and can reduce the latency of terminal access to the network device, resulting in high availability.

[0308] Figure 3D is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3D, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by a network device 102, and includes:

[0309] Step S3401: Send the transmit beams belonging to different beam groups.

[0310] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3401 can be found in optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0311] In the above embodiments, the network device groups the transmitted beams and uses time-division multiplexing to send transmitted beams from different beam groups, avoiding waste of wireless resources and reducing the latency of terminal access to the network device, thus achieving high availability.

[0312] The above process is further illustrated with examples below.

[0313] In near-field transmission of a very large-scale antenna array, assuming that the network device has M antenna ports and each antenna port has N transmit beams, the total number of transmit beams is M×N.

[0314] This network device can divide all transmit beams into at least one beam group. It transmits transmit beams within different beam groups using TDM (Transmit Direct Marketing) mode, and simultaneously transmits multiple beams within the same beam group using SDM (Single Direct Marketing).

[0315] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the transmit beams will be divided into 3 groups, with 3 transmit beams in each group. The 3 transmit beams in a group will be emitted simultaneously. Beam group #1, beam group #2, and beam group #3 will be transmitted at T1, T2, and T3, respectively.

[0316] Beamgroup:

[0317] There are multiple options for beam grouping, and different beam grouping methods will affect the beam measurement period.

[0318] Option A divides the signal into M groups, each with N transmit beams. For Option A, multiple transmit beams from the same port will be emitted simultaneously.

[0319] Option B involves dividing the signal into N groups, each with M transmit beams. For option B, the M transmit beams from different antenna ports will be emitted simultaneously.

[0320] Option C is divided into... The terminal is configured to receive a maximum number of transmit beams simultaneously, with each group containing L transmit beams, where L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously, as indicated by its capability.

[0321] A set of Rx beam scans:

[0322] On the terminal side, for each group, the UE needs to receive and measure all beams from different ports within that group. For each TX beam in a group, there are several RX beam scanning options:

[0323] - Option 1: Apply RX beam scanning in parallel for each beam in a set.

[0324] - Option 2: Apply RX beam scanning sequentially for each beam in a group.

[0325] - Option 3: For beams in a group, the RX beam scan of some beams can be reduced.

[0326] Measurement cycle (i.e., the first measurement cycle mentioned above):

[0327] Option 1, the measurement period is defined based on a single TX beam.

[0328] For each Tx beam, an Rx beam scan is required.

[0329] The total measurement time is: T measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping .

[0330] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS This is the period of the reference signal. R sweep It is the Rx beam scanning scaling factor.

[0331] Option 2, the measurement period is based on the beam group definition.

[0332] Option 2-1: If the number of beams in each group is less than or equal to the terminal capability L, perform Rx beam scanning in parallel.

[0333] Option 2-1-1, total measurement time is T measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping .

[0334] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS This is the period of the reference signal. R sweep It is the Rx beam scanning scaling factor.

[0335] Option 2-1-2, the Rx beam scan factor can be reduced by considering the similarity of beams within a group. For example, in Option B, the same beams from different ports are transmitted simultaneously. There is some similarity between beams from different ports. The terminal does not need to perform all Rx beam scans on all beams. For example, assume 8 RX beams cover the entire spatial range. Then, for beam 1 in the group, Rx beam indices from 1 to 4 can be used for beam measurement. For beam 2 in the group, beam measurement can be performed using Rx beam indices from 5 to 8. Therefore, the total Rx beam scan factor can be reduced. The reduced Rx beam scan can be indicated by the terminal capability.

[0336] The total measurement time is T measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced .

[0337] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS This is the period of the reference signal. R sweeping_reduced It is a reduced Rx beam scan scaling factor indicated by the terminal capability.

[0338] Option 2-2: The number of beams in each group is greater than the terminal capability L, and Rx beam scanning is performed in parallel.

[0339] Within a group, the terminal can simultaneously measure L beams. If the number of transmitted beams in a beam group is greater than L, the total measurement time will be scaled proportionally.

[0340] Option 2-2-1, taking option B above as an example, for each group, M beams may exceed the terminal's capacity, thus further extending the total measurement time: T measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping ×ceil(M÷L)

[0341] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS It is the periodicity of the reference signal. R sweepRx is the beam scanning scaling factor. M is the number of transmit beams in each group. L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can simultaneously receive, indicating its capability. Here, ceil(x) is the floor function.

[0342] Option 2-2-2, the reduced Rx beam scan factor can be applied to all beams in the group. measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced ×ceil(M÷L).

[0343] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS It is the periodicity of the reference signal. R sweep_reduced This is the reduced Rx beam scanning scaling factor. M is the number of transmit beams in each group. L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can simultaneously receive, indicating its capability. Here, ceil(x) is the floor function.

[0344] Option 2-2-3 allows the reduced Rx beam scanning factor to be applied to some subgroups within the same beam group. For example, suppose a beam group has 12 transmit beams, and the terminal can simultaneously receive 3 beams. There are 4 subgroups. The Rx beam scanning factor for each subgroup can be different. T measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced ×Y+R sweeping ×(ceil(M÷L)-Y))

[0345] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS It is the periodicity of the reference signal. R sweep It is the Rx beam scanning scaling factor. sweep_reduced This is the reduced Rx beam scanning scaling factor. M is the number of transmit beams in each group. L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can simultaneously receive, indicating its capability. Here, ceil(x) is the floor function.

[0346] Option 2-3: Assuming the terminal has only one antenna panel, then each transmit beam needs to be scanned using the Rx beam method sequentially.

[0347] Option 2-3-1, T measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping ×M

[0348] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS It is the periodicity of the reference signal. R sweep Rx is the beam scanning scaling factor. M is the number of transmitted beams in each beam group.

[0349] Option 2-3-2, the reduced Rx beam scan factor can be applied to all transmitted beams in the same beam group. measure =P×T RS ×R sweeping_reduced ×M

[0350] Where P is the number of reference signals required for the measurement. T RS It is the periodicity of the reference signal. R sweep_reduced This is the reduced Rx beam scanning scaling factor. M is the number of transmitted beams in each beam group.

[0351] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0352] This disclosure also provides embodiments of an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods.

[0353] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0354] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0355] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5A, the terminal 5100 may include a transceiver module 5101.

[0356] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5101 is configured to receive transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0357] Optionally, the transceiver module 5101 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2101, step S2102, step S2106, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal 5100 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0358] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5B, the network device 5200 may include a transceiver module 5201.

[0359] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5201 is configured to transmit transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

[0360] Optionally, the transceiver module 5201 is used to perform at least one of the sending and / or receiving communication steps (such as steps S2101, S2102, and S2106, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device 5200 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0361] In some embodiments, the transmitting module and / or receiving module may be referred to as a transceiver module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0362] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor.

[0363] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 6100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 6100 can be a terminal (e.g., user equipment, vehicle, IoT device, etc.) or a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), or it can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods, or it can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0364] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 6100 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0365] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2106, but not limited thereto) in the above method, and the processor 7101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2105, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0366] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6103 may be located outside the communication device 6100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuits 6104 are connected to the memories 6103 and can be used to receive data from the memories 6103 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 6104 can read data stored in the memories 6103 and send that data to the processor 6101.

[0367] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0368] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 6200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0369] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0370] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data stored in memory 6203 and send the data to processor 6201.

[0371] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, and S2106, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 6202 performing data interaction between the processor 6201, the chip 6200, the memory 6203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, and S2105, but not limited thereto).

[0372] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0373] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 6100, cause the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0374] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 6100, causes the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0375] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0376] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0377] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: Receive transmitted beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception time of different beam groups is different, and each beam group includes at least one transmitted beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group that is transmitted using spatial division multiplexing.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The total number of beam groups is M, and each beam group includes N transmit beams; or The total number of beam groups is N, and each beam group includes M transmit beams; or The total number of beam groups is greater than or equal to (M×N÷L), and each beam group includes L transmit beams; Where M is the number of antenna ports of the network device, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of the network device, and L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: For the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group, beam scanning is performed in parallel using at least one receive beam. For the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group, beam scanning is performed sequentially using at least one receive beam. For at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group, the number of receive beams performing beam scanning is reduced.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Channel quality measurements are performed on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group; Send the measurement results.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: A first measurement period is determined; wherein the first measurement period is the period for performing channel quality measurements on the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the first measurement period includes: The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the first measurement period includes any one of the following: The number of transmit beams included in each beam group is less than or equal to L. The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam. The number of transmit beams included in each beam group is greater than L. The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam and the first quantity; wherein, the first quantity is the total number of subgroups obtained by dividing the at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group based on L. The terminal has one antenna panel. The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the number of transmitted beams included in each beam group. Wherein, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam is determined based on the number of reference signals to be measured, the period of the reference signals, and the receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The receiving beam scanning scaling factor includes at least one of the following: First beam scanning scaling factor; A second receiving beam scanning scaling factor; wherein the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor is smaller than the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The determination of the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the first quantity includes: Determine a second quantity and a third quantity; wherein the second quantity is the number of subgroups using the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor, and the third quantity is the number of subgroups using the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor; The first value is determined based on the second measurement period of a transmit beam using the first receive beam scanning scaling factor and the second quantity; The second value is determined based on the second measurement period of a transmit beam using the second receive beam scanning scaling factor and the third quantity; The first measurement period is determined based on the first value and the second value.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message; wherein the first indication message is used to indicate the value of L, and L is the value that the terminal can simultaneously The maximum number of transmitted beams that can be received.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Transmitting transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group is transmitted using spatial division multiplexing.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The total number of beam groups is M, and each beam group includes N transmit beams; or The total number of beam groups is N, and each beam group includes M transmit beams; or The total number of beam groups is greater than or equal to (M×N÷L), and each beam group includes L transmit beams; Where M is the number of antenna ports of the network device, N is the number of transmit beams corresponding to each antenna port of the network device, and L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive measurement results; wherein the measurement results are obtained after performing channel quality measurements on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: A first measurement period is determined; wherein the first measurement period is the period during which the terminal performs channel quality measurements on at least one transmit beam belonging to the same beam group.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Determining the first measurement period includes: The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, Determining the first measurement period includes any one of the following: The number of transmit beams included in each beam group is less than or equal to L. The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam. The number of transmit beams included in each beam group is greater than L. The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmit beam and the first number. The first number is the total number of subgroups obtained by dividing transmit beams belonging to the same beam group based on L. The terminal has one antenna panel. The first measurement period is determined based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the number of transmitted beams included in each beam group. Wherein, L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam is determined based on the number of reference signals to be measured, the period of the reference signals, and the receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The receiving beam scanning scaling factor includes at least one of the following: First receiving beam scanning scaling factor; A second receiving beam scanning scaling factor; wherein the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor is smaller than the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The determination of the first measurement period based on the second measurement period corresponding to each transmitted beam and the first quantity includes: Determine a second quantity and a third quantity; wherein the second quantity is the number of subgroups using the first receiving beam scanning scaling factor, and the third quantity is the number of subgroups using the second receiving beam scanning scaling factor; The first value is determined based on the second measurement period of a transmit beam using the first receive beam scanning scaling factor and the second quantity; The second value is determined based on the second measurement period of a transmit beam using the second receive beam scanning scaling factor and the third quantity; The first measurement period is determined based on the first value and the second value.

23. The method according to any one of claims 13-22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the value of L, and L is the maximum number of transmit beams that the terminal can receive simultaneously.

24. A terminal, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is configured to receive transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the reception times of different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

25. A network device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is configured to transmit transmit beams belonging to different beam groups; wherein the transmission times of the different beam groups are different, and each beam group includes at least one transmit beam.

26. A terminal, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-12.

27. A network device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 13-23.

28. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A terminal configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-12; A network device configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 13-22.

29. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on an electronic device, the electronic device causes the electronic device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-12 or 13-23.

30. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the computer program is used to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-12 or 13-23.

Images