Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method. In a scenario where a device supporting a cellular communication protocol coexists with a device supporting a wireless local area network, that is, when a first device supports the cellular communication protocol, a second device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol; and when the first device supports the wireless local area network communication protocol, the second device supports the cellular communication protocol. A network device can send second information to the second device by receiving first information of the first device and on the basis of an interference value comprised in the first information, so as to reduce transmission power of the second device, thereby preventing a transmission signal of the second device from causing interference to a transmission signal of the first device, ensuring signal transmission of the second device, thus reducing mutual interference between a cellular system and a Wi-Fi system in a cellular and Wi-Fi coexistence scenario.

Description

Communication method and communication apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411063988.6, filed on August 2, 2024, and entitled "Communication method and communication apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the development of communication technology, many countries and organizations are now considering the coexistence transmission of cellular and wireless fidelity (WiFi). As the main spectrum resource for the continuous expansion of the mid-band, the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band has passed a new draft on the feasibility of multi-frequency cellular network (MFCN) and wireless access point (WAS) / radio local area network (RLAN) sharing the use of 6425-7125 megahertz (MHz) (which can be referred to as U6G) in 6 GHz.

[0004] In the scenario of coexistence of cellular and WiFi, the frequency resources allocated to the cellular system and the WiFi system change over time, and the situation that the cellular system and the WiFi system use the same frequency band at the same time may occur. When the cellular system and the WiFi system share the same time-frequency resource, there will be mutual interference between the cellular system and the WiFi system.

[0005] Therefore, in the coexistence scenario, how to reduce the mutual interference between the cellular system and the WiFi system needs to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a communication method to reduce the mutual interference between the cellular system and the WiFi system in the scenario of coexistence of cellular and WiFi.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: receiving first information from a first device, the first information comprising an interference value; and transmitting, to a second device, second information according to the first information, the second information being used to instruct the second device to reduce transmission power, wherein the first device supports a cellular communication protocol, and the second device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol; or the first device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol, and the second device supports a cellular communication protocol.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, in scenarios where devices supporting cellular communication protocols and devices supporting wireless LAN communication protocols coexist, when the first device supports cellular communication protocols and the second device supports wireless LAN communication protocols, by receiving first information from the first device, second information can be sent to the second device based on the interference value included in the first information. This reduces the transmission power of the second device, thereby preventing the WiFi signal transmitted by the second device from interfering with the cellular signal transmitted by the first device, ensuring the transmission of the cellular signal. Similarly, when the first device supports wireless LAN communication protocols and the second device supports cellular communication protocols, second information is sent to the second device based on the interference value reported by the first device, reducing the transmission power of the second device. This prevents the cellular signal transmitted by the second device from interfering with the WiFi signal transmitted by the first device, ensuring the transmission of the WiFi signal. This achieves the goal of reducing mutual interference between cellular and WiFi systems in scenarios where cellular and WiFi coexist.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the interference value corresponds to a first frequency band, which is a frequency band shared by the transmission signals of the first device and the transmission signals of the second device.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, by receiving first information from the first device, the interference value included in the first information corresponds to the first frequency band shared by the transmission signals of the first device and the second device. In other words, by using the interference value of the transmission signals of the first device and the second device reported by the first device on the shared frequency band, the transmission power of the second device is reduced, thereby avoiding interference between the transmission signals of the second device and the transmission signals of the first device, and ensuring the transmission of the first signal.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes a first index; the second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power to a first power value corresponding to the first index.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, when the second information includes the first index, the second information can also specifically instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power to the first power value corresponding to the first index, so that the second device can subsequently reduce the transmission power to the first power value corresponding to the first index according to the first index in the second information, thus improving the process of reducing transmission power.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes a reduction ratio; the second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power according to the reduction ratio.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, when the second information includes a reduction ratio, the second information can also specifically instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power according to the reduction ratio, so that the second device can subsequently reduce the transmission power according to the reduction ratio in the second information, thus improving the process of reducing transmission power.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power according to a configured proportional parameter.

[0016] Based on the above scheme, the second information can also specifically instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power according to its own configured proportional parameters, so that after the second device receives the second information, it can reduce the transmission power according to its own configured proportional parameters, thus improving the process of reducing transmission power.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the frequency band shared by the first device's transmitted signal and the second device's transmitted signal includes multiple sub-bands; the interference value corresponds to the index of the first sub-band, and the first sub-band belongs to the multiple sub-bands.

[0018] Based on the above scheme, in scenarios where WiFi devices and cellular devices coexist, the frequency band shared by WiFi devices and cellular devices can be divided into multiple sub-bands. That is, the frequency band shared by WiFi devices and cellular devices for transmitting signals includes multiple sub-bands. By receiving first information from the first device, the interference value included in the first information corresponds to the index of the first sub-band. The first sub-band belongs to multiple sub-bands. In other words, by using the interference value corresponding to the index of the first sub-band reported by the first device, the transmission power of the second device is reduced, thereby avoiding interference between the signal transmitted by the second device and the signal transmitted by the first device, and ensuring the transmission of the first signal.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending third information to the second device, the third information being used to instruct the second device to restore the transmission power after a first duration.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, by sending a third message to the second device to instruct the second device to restore the transmission power after a first duration, the second device can restore the reduced transmission power after the first duration upon receiving the third message, thus improving the transmission power restoration process in scenarios where cellular and WiFi coexist.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a fourth message to the second device, the fourth message indicating that the interference value has decreased.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, by sending a fourth message to the second device, which indicates that the interference value has decreased, the second device can restore the reduced transmission power after receiving the fourth message and considering its own conditions, thus improving the transmission power restoration process in scenarios where cellular and WiFi coexist.

[0023] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a second device, comprising: receiving second information from a network device, the second information being determined based on first information, the first information including an interference value, the first information being sent by a first device; and reducing transmission power based on the second information; wherein the first device supports a cellular communication protocol and the second device supports a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol; or, the first device supports a WLAN communication protocol and the second device supports a cellular communication protocol.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the interference value corresponds to a first frequency band, which is a frequency band shared by the transmission signals of the first device and the transmission signals of the second device.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second information includes a first index; reducing the transmission power according to the second information includes reducing the transmission power to the first power value corresponding to the first index.

[0026] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information includes a reduction ratio; reducing the transmission power according to the second information includes reducing the transmission power according to the reduction ratio.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, reducing the transmission power based on the second information includes: reducing the transmission power according to a configured proportional parameter.

[0028] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the frequency band shared by the first device's transmitted signal and the second device's transmitted signal includes multiple sub-bands; the interference value corresponds to the index of the first sub-band, and the first sub-band belongs to the multiple sub-bands.

[0029] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information, the third information being used to indicate the restoration of the transmission power after a first duration; and restoring the transmission power after the first duration based on the third information.

[0030] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving fourth information, the fourth information indicating that the interference value has decreased; and restoring the transmission power based on the fourth information.

[0031] The technical effects of the methods shown in the second aspect and its possible designs above can be referred to the technical effects in the first aspect and its possible designs.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. The communication device is used to execute the first aspect described above and any of its embodiments. Specifically, the communication device includes a processor and a memory for storing a computer program; the processor is used to retrieve and run the computer program from the memory, causing the communication device to execute the first aspect described above and any of its embodiments.

[0033] In one implementation, the communication device is a network device. When the communication device is a network device, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0034] In another implementation, the communication device can be a chip, chip system, or circuit in a network device. In this case, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0035] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device is used to execute the second aspect described above and any of its embodiments. Specifically, the communication device includes a processor and a memory for storing a computer program; the processor is used to retrieve and run the computer program from the memory, causing the communication device to execute the second aspect described above and any of its embodiments.

[0036] In one implementation, the communication device is a second device. When the communication device is a second device, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0037] In another implementation, the communication device can be a chip, chip system, or circuit in a second device. In this case, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0038] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed, causes the method of any implementation of the first and second aspects described above to be performed.

[0039] Sixthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided. When the computer program product is run, it causes the method provided by any implementation of the first and second aspects above to be executed.

[0040] In a seventh aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reading instructions through the communication interface and executing the method provided by any of the implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0041] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory that stores computer programs or instructions, and a processor that executes the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor executes the method provided by any of the implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0042] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, including a communication device of the third aspect and a communication device of the fourth aspect.

[0043] Ninthly, a computer program is provided. When the computer program is run, it causes the method provided by any implementation of the first and second aspects above to be executed. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the communication system 100 applicable to this application.

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a scenario where the base station adjusts the WiFi power in response to interference reported by the cellular UE.

[0048] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a scenario where the base station adjusts its cellular power in response to interference reported by the AP.

[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of the chip system 3000 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained first.

[0054] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing an indication message as indicating A, it can include whether the indication message directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the indication message carries A.

[0055] The information indicated by the instruction is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the instruction overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0056] Second, in this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more (including two). Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "first," "second," and various numerical designations (e.g., "#1," "#2," etc.) are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The sequence numbers of the processes below do not imply an order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application. Moreover, in the embodiments of this application, terms such as "S210" are merely identifiers for descriptive convenience and do not limit the order of execution steps.

[0057] Third, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0058] Fourth, the term "storage" in the embodiments of this application can refer to storage in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into an encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others can be integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0059] Fifth, in the implementation of this application, "protocol" may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as the NR protocol and related protocols applied in future communication systems, and this application does not limit it.

[0060] Sixth, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "of", "corresponding (relevant)", "corresponding", and "associate" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when their differences are not emphasized, their intended meanings are consistent.

[0061] Seventh, in the embodiments of this application, "under the circumstances", "when", and "if" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction is not emphasized, their intended meanings are consistent.

[0062] Eighth, the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0063] Ninth, the terms "message" and "information" can be used interchangeably in this article. There are no restrictions on the names of messages or information, as long as they can achieve the corresponding functions.

[0064] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, and "send information" can include direct transmission or indirect transmission through other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, and "receive information" can include direct reception from YY or indirect reception from YY through other units or modules. Besides air interface transmission or reception signals implemented at the system level, such as network devices or terminal devices, "send" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. For example, a modem or system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip transmits or receives signals. "Send" or "receive" can also be performed through device components, for example, by using buses, traces, or interfaces to transmit or receive signals through several parts, modules, or chips of a device.

[0065] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR) systems and future communication systems, vehicle-to-other devices (V2X), where V2X can include vehicle-to-network (V2N), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), etc., Long Term Evolution-V (LTE-V) technology for vehicle-to-everything (V2X), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT). Things (IoT), Long Term Evolution of Machines (LTE-M), Machine to Machine (M2M), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), etc.

[0067] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The term "device" can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc.; this application uses "device" as an example. For instance, a communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink signals to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink signals to the network device.

[0068] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes at least one network device, such as network device 111, network device 112, and network device 113 shown in Figure 1. The wireless communication system may also include at least one terminal device, such as terminal device 121, terminal device 122, terminal device 123, terminal device 124, terminal device 125, terminal device 126, and terminal device 127 shown in Figure 1.

[0069] As one possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1 can be a communication system that conforms to the requirements of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard, referred to as a 3GPP network. 3GPP networks typically include, but are not limited to, 5G networks, 4th-generation (4G) mobile communication networks, and other future communication systems. In this implementation, the network equipment and terminal equipment can be communication devices within the 3GPP network.

[0070] For example, in this implementation, network devices and terminal devices can communicate with each other, including but not limited to: multi-site transmission, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) transmission, etc., wherein network devices 112 and 113 as shown in FIG1 can transmit with terminal device 124 through multi-site transmission, and network device 112 as shown in FIG1 can transmit with terminal devices 121, 122 and 123 through eMBB transmission.

[0071] For example, in this implementation, network devices can also communicate with each other, including but not limited to: backhaul. As shown in FIG1, network device 111 and network device 112 can communicate through backhaul, and network device 111 and network device 113 can also communicate through backhaul. In this case, network device 112 and network device 113 can act as relay nodes in the system.

[0072] For example, in this implementation, terminal devices can also communicate with each other, including but not limited to: device-to-device (D2D) transmission, as shown in FIG1, terminal device 122 can communicate with terminal device 125 through D2D transmission.

[0073] A network device is a network-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. A network device can be a device in a radio access network (RAN) that provides wireless communication functionality to terminal devices. Network devices can be cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems (such as Future Mobile Communications Systems). Network devices can also be open radio access networks (O-RAN or ORAN), cloud radio access networks (CRAN), or wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems. For example, the network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a 3GPP subsequent evolution base station, a transmission reception point (TRP), an access node, a wireless relay node, or a wireless backhaul node in a WiFi system. In communication systems employing different radio access technologies (RATs), the names of devices with base station functionality may differ. For example, in an LTE system, it may be called an eNB or eNodeB, and in a 5G or NR system, it may be called a gNB. This application does not limit the specific name of the base station. The network equipment may include one or more co-located or non-co-located transmitting and receiving points. Furthermore, the network equipment may include at least one of the following: one or more central units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), and one or more radio units (RUs).

[0074] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU (open DU), CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. Exemplarily, the function of CU can be implemented by one entity or different entities. For example, the function of CU can be further divided, that is, the control plane and user plane can be separated and implemented through different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (i.e., the CU-CP entity) and the user plane CU entity (i.e., the CU-UP entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with the DU to jointly complete the function of the access network device. For example, the CU (Complex Unit) is responsible for handling non-real-time protocols and services, implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The DU (Digital Unit) is responsible for handling physical layer protocols and real-time services, implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers. This allows multiple network function entities to implement some of the functions of a radio access network device. These network function entities can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Network devices can also include active antenna units (AAUs). The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and related functions of the active antenna. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered as being sent by the DU, or by the DU+AAU. It is understood that network devices can be one or more of the following: CU nodes, DU nodes, and AAU nodes. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as a network device in the RAN, or it can be classified as a network device in the core network (CN); this application does not limit this classification.For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network equipment can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in the communication system can be the same type of base station or different types of base stations. Base stations can communicate directly with terminal devices, or they can communicate with terminal devices through relay stations.

[0075] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the network device function can be the network device itself, or it can be a device that supports the network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components that can implement the access network device function. This device can be installed in the network device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0076] A terminal device is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can be a fixed device, mobile device, handheld device (e.g., mobile phone), wearable device, in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip system) built into the aforementioned devices. Terminal devices are used to connect people, objects, and machines, and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D communication, V2X communication, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, etc. For example, a terminal device can be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a surveillance camera in smart transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone. Terminal equipment is sometimes referred to as user equipment (UE), user terminal, user device, user unit, user station, terminal, access terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, mobile device, or wireless communication device, etc. Terminal equipment can also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. In the embodiments of this application, IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and terminal power saving through, for example, narrowband (NB) technology. In the embodiments of this application, the device used to implement the functions of the terminal equipment can be the terminal equipment itself, or it can be a device that supports the terminal equipment in implementing the functions, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components that can implement the functions of the terminal equipment. This device can be installed in the terminal equipment. The terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip) that performs the corresponding communication functions. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0077] As another possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1 can be a communication system that conforms to the requirements of the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard, referred to as a WLAN network. WLAN networks typically include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Ultra Wideband, IrDA infrared connectivity (infrared), HomeRF, and support for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and the IEEE 802.11ax next-generation WiFi protocol. In this implementation, network devices and terminal devices can be communication devices within the WLAN network.

[0078] For example, in this implementation, the network device described above can be an access point (AP) (or wireless access point (WAS)). The access point can be a node through which a terminal (e.g., a mobile phone) accesses a wired (or wireless) network. It is mainly deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. The access point acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet.

[0079] For example, in this implementation, the terminal device can facilitate data communication between stations (STAs). A station can be a non-access point station (non-AP STA), also referred to simply as a non-AP station or STA. A non-AP station or STA can also be called a WiFi UE. Specifically, the access point can be a terminal or network device with a WiFi chip. This network device can be a server, router, switch, bridge, computer, mobile phone, relay station, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, network equipment in a 5G network, network equipment in future networks, or network equipment in a public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these categories. The access point can be a device that supports the WiFi standard. For example, access points can also support one or more standards from the IEEE 802.11 series, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11bn, and 802.11bf.

[0080] For example, in this implementation, the non-AP site can be a wireless communication chip, wireless sensor, or wireless communication terminal, etc., and can also be referred to as a user, user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The non-AP site can be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, IoT device, wearable device, terminal device in a 5G network, terminal device in a future network, or terminal device in a PLMN, etc., and this application embodiment is not limited in this regard. The non-AP site can be a device that supports the WLAN standard. For example, non-AP sites can support one or more standards in the IEEE 802.11 series, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, and 802.11bf.

[0081] For example, non-AP sites can be mobile phones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs, smart wearable devices, vehicle communication devices, computers, Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, sensors, smart home devices such as smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0082] The aforementioned AP or non-AP sites may include transmitters, receivers, memory, processors, etc., wherein the transmitter and receiver are used for transmitting and receiving packet structures, respectively, the memory is used for storing signaling information and pre-agreed preset values, etc., and the processor is used for parsing signaling information and processing related data, etc.

[0083] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0084] For example, the communication system 100 may further include an application function (AF) network element, which is a control plane network function provided by the operator's network for providing application layer information; the communication system 100 may also include a session management function (SMF) network element, which is a control plane network function provided by the operator's network. In this embodiment, when the communication system 100 includes both AF and SMF network elements, the AF can send service-related information to the network device through the SMF.

[0085] In this application, the terminal device can correspond to a cellular UE or a WiFi UE (or STA). A cellular UE is a device that communicates by accessing a cellular network, supports cellular communication protocols, and communicates with a base station via wireless signals. A WiFi UE is a device that communicates by accessing a WiFi network, supports wireless LAN communication protocols, and can search for and connect to nearby WiFi access points (i.e., APs). The AP can communicate with the base station. The network device can correspond to an AP and a base station (BS). The AP supports wireless LAN communication protocols, and the BS is the device responsible for wireless communication in the cellular network. A cellular system can be understood as a system in which devices supporting cellular communication protocols communicate with a base station. A WiFi system can be understood as a system in which devices supporting wireless LAN communication protocols (such as WiFi UEs and APs) communicate with each other. A WiFi system can also be understood as a system in which a WiFi UE accesses a local area network through an AP and accesses the Internet through that local area network.

[0086] Currently, the 6 GHz band is the primary spectrum resource for the continued expansion of the mid-band. Several countries and organizations are considering the coexistence of cellular and WiFi transmissions in the 6425-7125 MHz range (U6G). Potential coexistence methods include location-based coexistence (e.g., outdoor cellular, indoor WiFi) and time-sharing coexistence. To date, a new draft has been adopted regarding the feasibility of MFCN and WAS / RLAN sharing the 6425-7125 MHz band. RLAN, a term defined by the International Telecommunication Union's recommended standard H.323, can encompass various wireless network technologies (e.g., WiFi). In scenarios where cellular and WiFi coexist, the frequency domain resources allocated to cellular and WiFi systems change over time. Cellular and WiFi systems may simultaneously use the same frequency band, leading to mutual interference when they share the same time-frequency resources.

[0087] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a communication method. In scenarios where devices supporting cellular communication protocols and devices supporting wireless LAN communication protocols coexist, when the first device supports cellular communication protocols and the second device supports wireless LAN communication protocols, by receiving first information from the first device, second information can be sent to the second device based on the interference value included in the first information. This reduces the transmission power of the second device, thereby preventing the WiFi signal transmitted by the second device from interfering with the cellular signal transmitted by the first device, thus ensuring the transmission of the cellular signal. Similarly, when the first device supports wireless LAN communication protocols and the second device supports cellular communication protocols, second information is sent to the second device based on the interference value reported by the first device to reduce the transmission power of the second device. This also prevents the cellular signal transmitted by the second device from interfering with the WiFi signal transmitted by the first device, thus ensuring the transmission of the WiFi signal. This reduces mutual interference between cellular and WiFi systems in scenarios where cellular and WiFi coexist.

[0088] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of this application. Method 200 is proposed for a scenario where WiFi and cellular coexist, and mainly involves the interaction between a first device, a second device, and a network device. The first device supports cellular communication protocols, and the second device supports wireless LAN communication protocols; or, the first device supports wireless LAN communication protocols, and the second device supports cellular communication protocols. The following provides an illustrative description of a scenario where the first and second devices coexist.

[0089] For example, the first device is a cellular UE, the second device is a WiFi UE, and the network device is a BS; or, the first device is a cellular UE, the second device is a network device (such as an AP) that supports wireless local area network communication protocols, and the network device is a BS; or, the first device is a cellular UE, the second device is a network device (such as an AP) that supports wireless local area network communication protocols, the WiFi UE can access the second device, and the network device is a BS.

[0090] For example, the first device is a WiFi UE, the second device is a cellular UE, and the network device is a BS; or, the first device is a network device (such as an AP) that supports wireless local area network communication protocols, the second device is a cellular UE, and the network device is a BS; or, the first device is a network device (such as an AP) that supports wireless local area network communication protocols, the second device is a cellular UE, the WiFi UE can access the first device, and the network device is a BS.

[0091] The following describes method 200 in detail, including the following steps:

[0092] S210, the first device sends first information to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the first information from the first device.

[0093] In one approach, a first device periodically sends a first message to a network device. Specifically, the first device periodically performs interference measurements and periodically reports the interference values ​​obtained from the interference measurements to the network device via the first message.

[0094] In another approach, the network device sends an interference measurement request message to the first device, requesting the first device to perform interference measurement. The first device responds to the interference measurement request message, performs interference measurement, and reports the obtained interference value to the network device via a first message.

[0095] The first piece of information may include interference values, such as the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

[0096] In one approach, the interference value included in the first information corresponds to a first frequency band, which is a frequency band shared by the transmission signals of the first device and the transmission signals of the second device.

[0097] Specifically, the interference value reported in the first information can be an interference table containing multiple frequency bands, as shown in Table 1. For example, these multiple frequency bands can be frequency bands shared by the transmission signals of the first device and the transmission signals of the second device (such as the U6G coexisting frequency band).

[0098] Table 1

[0099] As shown in Table 1, each frequency band corresponds to one interference value. For example, frequency bands freq_lb1 to freq_ub1 correspond to interference value Interference1, and frequency bands freq_lb2 to freq_ub2 correspond to interference value Interference2. The first device can report the corresponding interference value based on different frequency bands. Frequency bands freq_lb1 to freq_ub1 and freq_lb2 to freq_ub2 are examples of the first frequency band, and Interference1 and Interference2 are examples of the interference values ​​corresponding to the first frequency band.

[0100] In one embodiment, the frequency band shared by the first device's transmitted signal and the second device's transmitted signal includes multiple sub-bands, and the interference value included in the first information corresponds to the index of the first sub-band, which belongs to the multiple sub-bands.

[0101] Specifically, the first information can also be reported as interference values ​​based on subbands, with different subbands corresponding to different interference values, as shown in Table 2.

[0102] Table 2

[0103] As shown in Table 2, each subband index corresponds to one interference value. For example, subband index 1 corresponds to interference value Interference1, and subband index 2 corresponds to interference value Interference2. The first device can report the corresponding interference value based on different subband indices. Subband index 1 and subband index 2 are examples of indices for the first subband, and Interference1 and Interference2 are examples of interference values ​​corresponding to indices in the first subband.

[0104] The sub-band index is the identifier corresponding to the divided sub-band. The following defines the sub-band division method for the frequency band shared by the first device's transmission signal and the second device's transmission signal (e.g., the U6G frequency band).

[0105] For the same bandwidth, such as 300MHz, different subband partitioning methods can be defined. These methods can be either uniform or non-uniform, forming a subband partitioning table.

[0106] The intervals for uniform division can be different, and there are multiple ways to divide the data non-uniformly, as shown in Table 3.

[0107] Table 3

[0108] As shown in Table 3, for each subband index, it is necessary to define parameters such as subband bandwidth, subband start position or the start position of each subband, and end to determine the subband corresponding to each subband index. The end parameter determines the end position of the subband.

[0109] For a uniform division, the range of each sub-band is [start, end]. The starting position of each sub-band satisfies the following relationship: start = starting position of the divided frequency band + sub-band bandwidth × sub-band index. The ending position of each sub-band satisfies the following relationship: end = starting position of the divided frequency band + sub-band bandwidth × (sub-band index + 1).

[0110] For non-uniform partitioning, each sub-band has a range of [start, end]. The starting position of each sub-band satisfies the following relationship: start = starting position of each sub-band. The ending position of each sub-band satisfies the following relationship: end = starting position of each sub-band + sub-band bandwidth.

[0111] Each uniformly divided subband and each non-uniformly divided subband (such as subband 0, subband 1, etc.) are examples of the first subband.

[0112] It should be noted that the examples shown in Table 3 are only examples. The bandwidth of each subband in a uniform partition can also be 80MHz, etc. In a non-uniform partition, the bandwidth of each subband can be the same or different. The subband configuration of a non-uniform partition is not necessarily the form listed in the table. It can also be other forms. For example, in subband index 3, the subband bandwidth corresponding to subband 0 can be 40MHz or 20MHz, and it is not limited to subband 2. There can also be subband 3, 4, etc., without limitation.

[0113] S220. Based on the first information, the network device sends a second information to the second device, which instructs the second device to reduce the transmission power.

[0114] In one approach, when the interference value included in the first information is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the network device sends second information to the second device, which instructs the second device to reduce its transmission power.

[0115] It is understandable that the second information can be determined based on the first information, or in other words, the second information is determined based on the first information. When the interference value included in the first information is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the second information is determined. This second information is sent by the network device to the second device.

[0116] In one embodiment, the second information includes a first index, which is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power value corresponding to the first index.

[0117] Specifically, the second information includes an index in a pre-configured power table, an example of which is shown in Table 4.

[0118] Table 4

[0119] After receiving the second information, the second device determines the power value corresponding to the index based on the index included in the second information and the pre-configured power table, and reduces the transmission power to the power value corresponding to the index.

[0120] For example, if the second information received by the second device includes index=1, then according to the pre-configured power table, the power value p1 is obtained, and the second device reduces the power value to p1. Here, index=1 is an example of a first index, and power value p1 is an example of a first power value.

[0121] In another embodiment, the second information includes a reduction ratio, specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power according to the reduction ratio.

[0122] Specifically, the reduction ratio included in the second information is indicated by the parameter reduction_ratio, which is the percentage decrease in power. After receiving the second information, the second device reduces the transmission power according to the reduction ratio included in the second information.

[0123] For example, the reduction ratio included in the second information is 20%, and the second device reduces the transmission power by 20% according to this 20% reduction ratio.

[0124] It should be noted that this application does not limit the form of the reduction ratio; it can be in various forms, such as percentage, fraction, etc.

[0125] In another embodiment, the second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power according to the configured proportional parameters.

[0126] Specifically, the second information is carried on a reduction signaling signal. When the reduction signaling indication is 0, it means the power remains unchanged; when the reduction signaling indication is 1, it means the power is reduced. After receiving the second information, the second device determines whether to maintain the power or reduce the power based on the reduction signaling signaling.

[0127] When the signaling indication is reduced to 0, the second device maintains its own power. Optionally, the decision made (i.e., maintaining transmission power) is sent to the network device via decision signaling with indication 0.

[0128] When signaling indication 1 is triggered, the second device reduces its transmission power according to its configured ratio parameter, which can be indicated by `ue_reduction_ratio`. Optionally, the decision made (i.e., the reduction in transmission power) is sent to the network device via decision signaling indication 1.

[0129] The above describes how a network device, based on second information reported by a first device, sends second information to a second device. This second information instructs the second device to reduce its transmission power, thereby decreasing the intensity of its transmitted signal in the frequency spectrum and reducing the overlap area with the first device's transmitted signal, thus reducing interference with the first device's transmitted signal. Furthermore, reducing its transmission power also reduces the coverage area of ​​its transmitted signal, ensuring that it does not cover the coexisting frequency band, thereby avoiding interference between the first and second devices' transmitted signals in the coexisting frequency band.

[0130] The following describes how the second device can restore its transmission power after reducing its transmission power.

[0131] In one approach, the network device sends a third message to the second device, instructing the second device to restore transmission power after a first duration. Accordingly, the second device receives the third message from the network device.

[0132] Specifically, the third information includes the timer value. Upon receiving the third information, the second device starts the timer to begin counting. Transmission power is restored when the timer value reaches zero. The duration for which the timer value counts to zero is the first duration. The timer configuration is shown in Table 5.

[0133] Table 5

[0134] It should be noted that the third piece of information and the second piece of information can be the same information or different information, without limitation.

[0135] For example, when the third information is the same as the second information, and the second information includes an index of 2 and a timer value Value, then after receiving the second information, the second device reduces the transmission power value to p2 and starts counting from Value until Value reaches zero, at which point the transmission power is restored. Here, the timer counting duration from Value to zero is an example of a first duration.

[0136] For example, when the third information differs from the second information, the second information includes an index of 2, and the third information includes a timer value, Value. After receiving the second and third information, the second device reduces the transmission power value to p2 and starts counting from Value until Value reaches zero, at which point the transmission power is restored. Here, the timer counting duration from Value to zero is an example of a first duration.

[0137] In another approach, the network device sends a fourth message to the second device. This fourth message indicates a change in the interference value, which may be a decrease or no change. The fourth message can indicate either a decrease or no change in the interference value. Accordingly, the second device receives the fourth message from the network device.

[0138] It should be noted that the second, third, and fourth pieces of information can be the same or different; there are no restrictions.

[0139] This fourth piece of information can be carried in the interference change indication signaling. For example, when the interference change indication signaling indicates 0, it means that the interference value has decreased; when the interference change indication signaling indicates 1, it means that the interference value remains unchanged.

[0140] For example, the network device sends the interference change indication signaling to the second device. The second device determines whether to restore power based on the interference change indication signaling. When the interference change indication signaling indicates 0, the interference value decreases and the second device can restore power. When the interference change indication signaling indicates 1, the interference value remains unchanged and the second device can maintain the power unchanged.

[0141] Optionally, the second device sends a fifth message to the network device, the fifth message indicating the result of power restoration, which includes whether power was restored or not.

[0142] This fifth piece of information can be carried in the decision signaling. For example, when the decision signaling indicates 0, it means that the transmission power has been restored; when the decision signaling indicates 1, it means that the transmission power has been maintained, that is, the transmission power has not been restored.

[0143] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0144] Figure 3 shows a specific embodiment of Figure 2. The following, in conjunction with Figure 3, describes a communication method 300 where the first device is a cellular UE, the second device is an access point (AP), and the network device is a base station (BS). In this embodiment, Figure 4 illustrates a scenario where the base station adjusts the WiFi power in response to interference reported by the cellular UE. In Figure 4, after the WiFi UE accesses the AP, the AP and the base station communicate to adjust the WiFi power. Method 300 includes the following steps:

[0145] Optionally, in step S310, the base station sends a measurement request message to the cellular UE, which requests the cellular UE to perform interference measurement. This measurement request message can be a Measurement Request.

[0146] Interference measurements were performed on the S320 and cellular UE.

[0147] In one approach, the cellular UE performs interference measurements in response to a measurement request message sent by the base station.

[0148] In another approach, the cellular UE performs periodic interference measurements.

[0149] S330: The cellular UE sends interference measurement result information to the base station, which includes interference values. This interference measurement result information is an example of the first type of information.

[0150] In one approach, the cellular UE responds to a measurement request message sent by the base station, performs interference measurement, and sends the interference measurement result information to report the interference value.

[0151] In another approach, the cellular UE periodically performs interference measurements and sends the interference measurement results to report the interference values.

[0152] In one approach, the cellular UE sends interference change indication information to the base station. This interference change indication information is used to indicate a change in the interference value. The change in the interference value includes the interference value remaining unchanged or the interference value decreasing. In this case, the interference change indication information can be used to indicate that the interference value decreases, or it can be used to indicate that the interference value remains unchanged.

[0153] The interference change indication information can be carried in the interference change indication signaling. For example, when the interference change indication signaling indicates 0, it means that the interference value has decreased; when the interference change indication signaling indicates 1, it means that the interference value remains unchanged. This interference change indication signaling can be an interference change indicator.

[0154] It should be noted that the interference change indication information and the interference measurement result information can be the same or different information, without limitation.

[0155] For the method of interference reporting, please refer to S210 in method 200, which will not be repeated here.

[0156] S340. The base station sends a power control request message to the access point (AP), which requests the AP to reduce its transmission power. This power control request message is an example of the second type of information and can be a power control request.

[0157] The base station sends a power control request to the access point (AP) to request the AP to reduce its transmission power in the following way:

[0158] In the first method, the power control request information includes an index in a pre-configured power table, as shown in Table 1, which will not be described in detail here. The AP reduces the transmission power to the power value corresponding to the index based on the power control request information.

[0159] In the second method, the power control request information includes a reduction ratio, which is indicated by the parameter reduction_ratio. The AP reduces the transmission power according to the reduction ratio.

[0160] The third method involves carrying power control request information on a reduction signaling message. For example, a reduction signaling indication of 0 indicates power maintenance, while a reduction signaling indication of 1 indicates power reduction. Upon receiving the reduction signaling message, if the AP's conditions permit (i.e., if power reduction is feasible), it reduces the transmission power based on its configured ratio parameter, indicated by `ue_reduction_ratio`. If the reduction signaling indication is 0, the AP maintains its power level unchanged.

[0161] In one approach, the power control request information includes the value of a timer. The power control request information can also be an example of third-party information.

[0162] In another approach, the base station sends an interference change indication message to the access point (AP). This message indicates either that the interference value remains unchanged or that the interference value has decreased. The interference change indication message is an example of fourth type of information.

[0163] It should be noted that the interference change indication information and the power control request information can be the same or different information, without limitation.

[0164] Based on the power control request information, if it is feasible for the AP to reduce its power, the S350 and AP will reduce the transmission power.

[0165] In one approach, the AP reduces the transmission power to the power value corresponding to the index in a pre-configured power table included in the power control request information.

[0166] In another approach, the AP reduces the transmission power according to the reduction ratio included in the power control request information.

[0167] In another approach, the AP reduces its transmission power based on the reduction signaling of Instruction 1, combined with its own configured proportional parameters.

[0168] In one approach, when the power control request information includes a timer value, the AP's timer starts counting. When the timer count reaches zero from the value included in the power control request information, the AP resumes transmission power. The timer value can correspond to an index and power value in a pre-configured power table, as shown in Table 5.

[0169] In another approach, interference change indication information can be carried on interference change indication signaling. The AP can determine whether to restore power based on this signaling. For example, when the interference change indication signaling indicates 0, the interference value decreases, and the AP can restore transmission power; when the signaling indicates 1, the interference value remains unchanged, and the AP can maintain transmission power, i.e., not restore transmission power.

[0170] Optionally, the S360 and AP send power control decision information to the base station. This power control decision information is used to inform the base station whether to restore power. This power control decision information can be carried on power restoration decision signaling. This power control decision information is an example of fifth information. This power restoration decision signaling is an example of decision signaling. For example, when the power restoration decision signaling indicates 0, it means that transmission power has been restored; when the power restoration decision signaling indicates 1, it means that transmission power has been maintained, that is, transmission power has not been restored. The power control decision information can be a power control decision, and the power restoration decision signaling can be a restore power decision.

[0171] Optionally, S370, when the AP starts the timer, the timer starts counting until the count reaches zero, that is, when timer=0, the AP resumes transmission power.

[0172] The aforementioned method 300 addresses scenarios where WiFi and cellular signals coexist, and the cellular UE reports interference. The base station then limits the transmission power of the WiFi AP via a power control request to ensure cellular signal transmission. On one hand, reducing the transmission power of the WiFi AP decreases the intensity of its WiFi signal in the spectrum, thereby reducing the overlapping area with the cellular signal and minimizing interference. On the other hand, reducing the transmission power of the WiFi AP reduces the coverage area of ​​the WiFi signal, preventing it from covering the coexisting frequency bands and further reducing interference with the cellular signal.

[0173] The following explanation addresses a scenario where WiFi and cellular signals coexist, a WiFi UE accesses an AP, the AP reports interference, and the base station limits the transmission power of the cellular UE through a power control request to ensure WiFi signal transmission.

[0174] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0175] Figure 5 shows a specific embodiment of Figure 2. The following, in conjunction with Figure 5, illustrates a communication method 400 where the first device is an Access Point (AP), the second device is a cellular UE, and the network device is a base station (BS). In this embodiment, Figure 6 illustrates a scenario where the base station adjusts its cellular power to address interference reported by the AP. In Figure 6, after the WiFi UE accesses the AP, the AP and the base station communicate to report interference. Method 400 includes the following steps:

[0176] Optionally, S410, the base station sends a measurement request message to the AP, which requests the AP to perform interference measurement. This measurement request message can be a Measurement Request.

[0177] Interference measurements were performed using S420 and AP.

[0178] In one approach, the AP responds to a measurement request message sent by the base station and performs interference measurement.

[0179] In another approach, the AP performs periodic interference measurements.

[0180] The S430 and AP send interference measurement result information to the base station, which includes interference values. This interference measurement result information is an example of the first type of information.

[0181] In one approach, the AP responds to a measurement request message sent by the base station, performs interference measurement, and sends the interference measurement result information to report the interference value.

[0182] In another approach, the AP periodically performs interference measurements and sends the interference measurement results to report the interference values.

[0183] In one approach, the AP sends interference change indication information to the base station. This interference change indication information is used to indicate a change in the interference value. The change in the interference value includes either the interference value remaining unchanged or the interference value decreasing. In this case, the interference change indication information can be used to indicate that the interference value decreases, or it can be used to indicate that the interference value remains unchanged.

[0184] The interference change indication information can be carried in the interference change indication signaling. For example, when the interference change indication signaling indicates 0, it means that the interference value has decreased; when the interference change indication signaling indicates 1, it means that the interference value remains unchanged. This interference change indication signaling can be an interference change indicator.

[0185] It should be noted that the interference change indication information and the interference measurement result information can be the same or different information, without limitation.

[0186] For the method of interference reporting, please refer to S210 in method 200, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] S440. The base station sends a power control request message to the cellular UE, which requests the cellular UE to reduce its transmission power. This power control request message is an example of the second type of information and can be a power control request.

[0188] The base station sends a power control request to the cellular UE to request the cellular UE to reduce its transmission power in the following ways:

[0189] In the first method, the power control request information includes an index in a pre-configured power table, as shown in Table 1, which will not be described in detail here. The cellular UE reduces the transmission power to the power value corresponding to the index according to the power control request information.

[0190] In the second method, the power control request information includes a reduction ratio, which is indicated by the parameter reduction_ratio. The cellular UE reduces the transmission power according to the reduction ratio.

[0191] The third approach involves carrying power control request information on a reduction signaling message. For example, a reduction signaling indication of 0 indicates that power is maintained; a reduction signaling indication of 1 indicates that power is reduced. Upon receiving the reduction signaling message, when the reduction signaling indication is 1, the cellular UE reduces its transmission power based on its configured ratio parameter, indicated by `ue_reduction_ratio`. When the reduction signaling indication is 0, the cellular UE maintains its power unchanged.

[0192] In one approach, the power control request information includes the value of a timer. The power control request information can also be an example of third-party information.

[0193] In another approach, the base station sends interference change indication information to the cellular UE. This interference change indication information indicates either that the interference value remains unchanged or that the interference value decreases. Interference change indication information is an example of fourth type of information.

[0194] It should be noted that the interference change indication information and the power control request information can be the same or different information, without limitation.

[0195] S450, the cellular UE reduces transmission power based on power control request information.

[0196] In one approach, the cellular UE reduces the transmission power to the power value corresponding to the index in a pre-configured power table included in the power control request information.

[0197] In another approach, the cellular UE reduces its transmission power according to the reduction ratio included in the power control request information.

[0198] In another approach, the cellular UE reduces its transmission power based on the reduction signaling of Instruction 1, combined with its own configured proportional parameters.

[0199] In one approach, when the power control request information includes a timer value, the cellular UE's timer starts counting. When the timer value included in the power control request information reaches zero, the cellular UE resumes transmission power. The timer setting value can correspond to an index and power value in a pre-configured power table, as shown in Table 5.

[0200] In another approach, interference change indication information can be carried on interference change indication signaling, and the cellular UE determines whether to restore power based on this signaling. For example, when the interference change indication signaling indicates 0, the interference value decreases, and the cellular UE can restore transmission power; when the signaling indicates 1, the interference value remains unchanged, and the cellular UE can maintain transmission power, i.e., it does not restore transmission power.

[0201] Optionally, the S460 and cellular UE send power control decision information to the base station. This power control decision information is used to inform the base station whether to restore power, and it is carried on power restoration decision signaling. This power control decision information is an example of the fifth type of information. The power restoration decision signaling is an example of decision signaling. For example, when the power restoration decision signaling indicates 0, it means that transmission power has been restored; when it indicates 1, it means that transmission power has been maintained, i.e., transmission power has not been restored. The power control decision information can be a power control decision, and the power restoration decision signaling can be a restore power decision.

[0202] Optionally, S470, when the cellular UE starts the timer, the timer starts counting until the count reaches zero, that is, when timer=0, the cellular UE resumes transmission power.

[0203] In method 400, the base station reduces the transmission power of the cellular UE based on the interference measurement results reported by the AP, thereby ensuring the transmission of the WiFi signal. On the one hand, reducing the transmission power of the cellular UE can reduce the intensity of the cellular signal in the spectrum, thereby reducing the overlapping area with the WiFi signal and reducing interference to the WiFi signal; on the other hand, reducing the transmission power of the cellular UE can reduce the coverage range of the cellular signal, so that the cellular signal cannot cover the coexisting frequency band in the frequency domain, thereby reducing interference to the WiFi signal.

[0204] The sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0205] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0206] In the above embodiments, examples of devices in existing network architectures (such as a first device, a second device, a network device, etc.) are used for illustrative purposes. The specific form of the device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, any device that can achieve the same function in the future is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0207] It is understood that, in the above-described method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by devices (such as the first device, the second device, and the network device) can also be implemented by components of the devices (such as chips or circuits).

[0208] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figure 2. The above communication method is mainly described from the perspective of the interaction between the first device, the second device, and the network device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the first device, the second device, and the network device include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function.

[0209] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0210] The communication device provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 7 to 9. The description of the device embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, for contents not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiments above. For the sake of brevity, some contents will not be repeated.

[0211] In order to realize the functions of the communication devices (such as the first device, the second device, the network device, etc.) in the embodiments of this application, each communication device can realize the corresponding functions through hardware structure, software module, or hardware structure plus software module.

[0212] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the device 1000 may include a transceiver unit 1010 and a processing unit 1020. The transceiver unit 1010 can communicate with the outside world, and the processing unit 1020 is used for data processing. The transceiver unit 1010 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver unit. The processing unit 1020 is used for processing.

[0213] Optionally, the device 1000 may further include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 1020 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit to enable the device to implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0214] For example, the communication device 1000 is a first device (e.g., a cellular UE or AP). It can be a first device or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with the first device and capable of implementing the method executed by the first device, such as a chip, chip system or circuit. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the chip system shown in Figure 9.

[0215] For example, the communication device 1000 is a second device (e.g., AP or cellular UE). It can be a second device or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with the second device and capable of implementing the method executed by the second device, such as a chip, chip system or circuit. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the chip system shown in Figure 9.

[0216] For example, the communication device 1000 is a network device (e.g., a base station BS). It can be a network device or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with a network device and capable of implementing a method executed by the network device, such as a chip, chip system, or circuit. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the chip system shown in Figure 9.

[0217] In one possible design, the device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the first device in the above method embodiments, wherein the processing unit 1020 is used to perform processing-related operations of the first device in the above method embodiments, and the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first device in the above method embodiments.

[0218] For example, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to send first information to the network device, the first information including an interference value; the processing unit 1020 is used to perform interference measurement.

[0219] In another possible design, the device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the second device in the above method embodiments, wherein the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1020 is used to perform processing-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiments.

[0220] For example, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive second information from the device, the second information being used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power; the processing unit 1020 is used to reduce the transmission power according to the second information.

[0221] In another possible design, the device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the network device in the above method embodiments, wherein the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1020 is used to perform the processing-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0222] For example, the transceiver unit 1010 is configured to receive first information from the first device, the first information including an interference value; the transceiver unit 1010 is also configured to send second information to the second device, the second information being used to instruct the second device to reduce its transmission power; wherein the first device supports a cellular communication protocol and the second device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol; or, the first device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol and the second device supports a cellular communication protocol.

[0223] It should be understood that the device 1000 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1000 may specifically be the transmitting end in the above embodiments, used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the transmitting end in the above method embodiments; or, the device 1000 may specifically be the receiving end in the above embodiments, used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the receiving end in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0224] The device 1000 in each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the transmitting end in the above-described method, or the device 1000 in each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the receiving end in the above-described method. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (e.g., the transmitting unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing units, can be replaced by processors, respectively executing the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0225] Furthermore, the aforementioned transceiver unit can also be a transceiver circuit (e.g., it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit can be a processing circuit. In embodiments of this application, the aforementioned communication device can be the receiving end or transmitting end in the foregoing embodiments, or it can be a chip or a chip system, such as a system on a chip (SoC). The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. No limitations are imposed here.

[0226] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the device 2000 includes a processor 2010 and a transceiver 2020. The processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 communicate with each other through an internal connection path. The processor 2010 is used to execute instructions to control the transceiver 2020 to send and / or receive signals.

[0227] Optionally, the device 2000 may further include a memory 2030, which communicates with the processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 via an internal connection path. The memory 2030 is used to store instructions, and the processor 2010 can execute the instructions stored in the memory 2030.

[0228] In one possible implementation, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the first device in the above method embodiments.

[0229] In another possible implementation, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the second device in the above method embodiments.

[0230] In another possible implementation, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0231] Optionally, the memory 2030 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 2010 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 2010 executes instructions stored in the memory, the processor 2010 is used to perform the various steps and / or processes of the method embodiments corresponding to the sending end or receiving end described above.

[0232] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0233] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, or, as mentioned above, a CPU, other general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other codeable logic device, or a portion of the circuitry in another chip used for processing functions. The processor in the embodiments of this application can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0234] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0235] In the embodiments of this application, the methods described above can be executed by the first device, the second device, and the network device, or by the chips, chip systems, or circuits of the first device, the second device, and the network device, which can be installed in the first device, the second device, and the network device. The chip systems of the first device, the second device, and the network device will now be described with reference to FIG9.

[0236] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 3000 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the chip system 3000 (or may also be called a processing system) includes logic circuitry 3010 and an input / output interface 3020.

[0237] The logic circuit 3010 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 3000. The logic circuit 3010 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 3000 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 3020 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 3000, outputting processed information from the chip system 3000, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 3000 for processing.

[0238] As one approach, the chip system 3000 is used to implement the operations performed by the first device, the second device, and the network device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0239] For example, logic circuit 3010 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the first device in the above method embodiments, such as the processing-related operations performed by the first device in the above embodiments; input / output interface 3020 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first device in the above method embodiments, such as the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first device in the above embodiments.

[0240] For example, logic circuit 3010 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by the second device in the above method embodiments, such as the processing-related operations performed by the second device in the above embodiments; input / output interface 3020 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the second device in the above method embodiments, such as the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the second device in the above embodiments.

[0241] For example, logic circuit 3010 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiments, such as the processing-related operations performed by the network device in the above embodiments; input / output interface 3020 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiments, such as the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the network device in the above embodiments.

[0242] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by a first device, a second device, or a network device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0243] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first device, the second device, or the network device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0244] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first device, a second device, or a network device from the above embodiments.

[0245] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0246] In this application, examples may reference each other without logical contradiction. For example, methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, and functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples may reference each other.

[0247] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0248] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0249] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0250] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0251] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0252] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0253] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0254] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving first information from a first device, the first information comprising an interference value; sending second information to a second device according to the first information, the second information being used to instruct the second device to reduce transmission power, wherein the first device supports a cellular communication protocol and the second device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol, or the first device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol and the second device supports a cellular communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The interference value corresponds to a first frequency band, and the first frequency band belongs to a frequency band shared by a signal transmitted by the first device and a signal transmitted by the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second information comprises a first index. The second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power to a first power value corresponding to the first index.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second information comprises a reduction ratio. The second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power by the reduction ratio.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce transmission power according to a configured ratio parameter.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized by, The frequency band shared by the signal transmitted by the first device and the signal transmitted by the second device comprises a plurality of sub-bands. The interference value corresponds to an index of a first sub-band, and the first sub-band belongs to the plurality of sub-bands.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized by, The method further comprises: sending third information to the second device, the third information being used to instruct the second device to restore the transmission power after a first time duration.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized by, The method further comprises: sending fourth information to the second device, the fourth information being used to instruct that the interference value becomes smaller.

9. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a second device, comprising: receiving second information from a network device, the second information being determined according to first information, the first information comprising an interference value, and the first information being sent by a first device; reducing transmission power according to the second information; wherein the first device supports a cellular communication protocol and the second device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol, or the first device supports a wireless local area network communication protocol and the second device supports a cellular communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The interference value corresponds to a first frequency band, and the first frequency band belongs to a frequency band shared by a signal transmitted by the first device and a signal transmitted by the second device.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The second information comprises a first index. The second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power to a first power value corresponding to the first index. The first information comprises a reduction ratio.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce the transmission power by the reduction ratio. The second information is specifically used to instruct the second device to reduce transmission power according to a configured ratio parameter. The frequency band shared by the signal transmitted by the first device and the signal transmitted by the second device comprises a plurality of sub-bands.

13. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein, The interference value corresponds to an index of a first sub-band, and the first sub-band belongs to the plurality of sub-bands. The method further comprises:

14. The method according to any of claims 9-13, characterized by, receiving third information, the third information being used to instruct to restore the transmission power after a first time duration; restoring the transmission power after the first time duration according to the third information.

15. The method according to any of claims 9-14, characterized by, The method further comprises: ​ ​ 16. The method according to any of claims 9-14, characterized by, ​ receiving fourth information, the fourth information being used for indicating that the interference value is getting smaller; restoring the transmission power according to the fourth information.

17. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises units or modules for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 8, or the communication device comprises units or modules for performing the method of any one of claims 9 to 16.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium has stored thereon a computer program or instructions, which when run on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 16 to be performed.

19. A chip, characterized by comprising: a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 is performed, or so that the method of any one of claims 9 to 16 is performed.

20. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product, when run on a computer, causes the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 to be performed, or causes the method of any one of claims 9 to 16 to be performed.

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