Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus, which are applied to the field of communications. The technical solution of the present application provides a new mapping mode between a resource element and a reference signal sequence, that is, there is an offset between an actual frequency-domain position index of the resource element and a frequency-domain position index on which the generation of a reference signal mapped to the resource element is based. The technical solution of the present application improves the flexibility of the mapping mode between a resource element and a reference signal sequence, and can make application scenarios of the reference signal sequence broader.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411075501.6, filed on August 5, 2024, and entitled "Communication method and communication device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication, in particular to a communication method and a communication device. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a communication system, the wireless channel at the time-frequency resource unit where the reference signal is located can be estimated, or the wireless channel on the time-frequency-space resource where the reference signal is not transmitted can be further estimated according to the wireless channel at the time-frequency resource unit where the reference signal is located. When performing channel estimation, the sending end transmits the reference signal sequence, and the receiving end monitors the reference signal sequence, so that the reference signal sequence generated based on the configuration of the sending end and the reference signal sequence monitored by the receiving end can realize channel estimation. At present, the communication field needs to further study how to realize the transmission of the reference signal sequence. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application proposes a communication method and a communication device, and proposes a transmission mode of the reference signal sequence, which can also make the application scenarios of channel estimation more extensive.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application proposes a communication method, which comprises: transmitting or receiving a first reference signal sequence, and the reference signal mapped in a first resource unit in the first reference signal sequence is generated based on a first frequency domain position index, and there is an offset X between the first frequency domain position index and the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, and X is 0 or a positive integer.

[0006] In the present application, when X is a positive integer, there can be an offset between the frequency domain position index based on which the reference signal mapped in the resource unit is generated and the frequency domain position index of the resource unit, instead of being limited to that the reference signal mapped in the resource unit must be generated based on the frequency domain position index of the resource unit. This mapping mode of the reference signal in the resource unit, or in other words, the mode of generating the reference signal carried on the resource unit, is more flexible, so as to make the transmission scenarios of the reference signal sequence more extensive, and further make the application scenarios of channel estimation based on the reference signal signaling more flexible and extensive.

[0007] In some possible implementation manners, the method can be executed by a terminal device, or can be executed by a chip, a chip system, a processor, a processor system, a circuit unit, or a logic system configured to be applied to the terminal device. For the sake of brevity, the subsequent content of the present application is introduced by taking the terminal device as an example.

[0008] For example, when the first reference signal sequence is an uplink reference signal sequence, the terminal device transmits the first reference signal sequence.

[0009] For example, when the first reference signal sequence is a downlink reference signal sequence, the terminal device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0010] In some possible implementation manners, the method can be executed by a network device, or can be executed by a chip, a chip system, a processor, a processor system, a circuit unit, or a logic system configured to be applied to the network device. For the sake of brevity, the subsequent content of the present application is introduced by taking the network device as an example.

[0011] For example, when the first reference signal sequence is an uplink reference signal sequence, the network device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0012] For example, when the first reference signal sequence is a downlink reference signal sequence, the network device transmits the first reference signal sequence.

[0013] In some implementation manners, the first reference signal sequence is a demodulation reference signal.

[0014] In the method, the reference signal sequence carried by the first resource set can be referred to as one reference signal sequence.

[0015] In some possible implementation manners, the first resource unit is a resource unit in the first resource set, and the first resource set contains N resource blocks, where N is a positive integer.

[0016] In some possible implementation manners, the reference signals mapped by any two resource units in the first resource set belong to reference signal sequences generated by the same formula, and all parameters in the formula are equal.

[0017] In some possible implementation manners, X is a positive integer, that is, an integer greater than 0.

[0018] In some possible implementation manners, X is equal to 0. For example, when the first resource set includes the first N resource blocks in a resource block set for transmitting a reference signal sequence in a physical channel bandwidth, X can be equal to 0, and N is a positive integer.

[0019] In some possible implementation manners, the first resource set contains N resource blocks, and N is a positive integer. That is, the reference signals carried by the N resource blocks can be collectively referred to as one reference signal sequence.

[0020] In some possible implementation manners, the offset between the frequency domain position index based on which the reference signal mapped by each resource element in the N resource blocks is generated and the frequency domain position index of the resource element is X. In this way, the generation complexity of the reference signal sequence mapped by the N resource blocks can be reduced.

[0021] In some possible implementation manners, the first frequency domain position index is equal to a remainder obtained by dividing T by P, and P is equal to N*S, where S represents a quantity of subcarriers carrying the reference signal transmitted through the same port on one OFDM symbol in each resource block, and T represents the frequency domain position index of the first resource element.

[0022] It can be understood that T can represent the frequency domain position index of the first resource element in the resource block set used for transmitting the reference signal sequence in the physical channel bandwidth.

[0023] In some possible implementation manners, the first resource set is one of a plurality of resource sets, and in the plurality of resource sets, the offset between the frequency domain position index based on which the reference signal mapped by the resource element in different resource sets is generated and the frequency domain position index of the resource element is not equal.

[0024] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving or sending the first information, where the first information indicates the N.

[0025] For example, when the method is performed by the network device, the method further includes: sending, by the network device, the first information.

[0026] For example, when the method is performed by the terminal device, the method further includes: receiving, by the terminal device, the first information.

[0027] In some possible implementation manners, the first information includes a plurality of bits, and the N is equal to a value indicated by the plurality of bits.

[0028] In some possible implementation manners, the plurality of bits correspond to a plurality of values one by one, and the N is equal to a value corresponding to a bit with a preset value in the plurality of bits.

[0029] In some possible implementation manners, a decimal value of the plurality of bits represents the value of the N.

[0030] In some possible implementation manners, the first information includes M values of a first configuration parameter of the reference signal sequence, M is a positive integer, and the N is equal to a ratio of a quantity of resource blocks used for transmitting the reference signal sequence in the first physical channel bandwidth to M, where the first physical channel bandwidth includes the first resource set.

[0031] In some possible implementation manners, the first configuration parameter includes a scrambling identifier.

[0032] In some possible implementation manners, the first reference signal sequence is used as an input of an artificial intelligence model or a machine learning model, and the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model outputs a channel estimation result corresponding to the first resource set based on the first reference signal sequence.

[0033] In some possible implementation manners, the first reference signal sequence is used for training the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model.

[0034] In some possible implementation manners, the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model trained based on the first reference signal sequence is used to determine a channel estimation result corresponding to a second resource set based on a second reference signal sequence, the second resource set being contained in a second physical channel bandwidth, the second physical channel bandwidth being different from the first physical channel bandwidth, and the first resource set being contained in the first physical channel bandwidth.

[0035] In some possible implementation manners, the reference signal in the second reference signal sequence that is mapped to a second resource unit in the second resource set is generated based on a frequency domain position index of the second resource unit.

[0036] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising: obtaining a first reference signal sequence, the first reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence carried by a first resource set; and outputting, by an artificial intelligence model or a machine learning model, a channel estimation result corresponding to the first resource set based on the first reference signal sequence.

[0037] In the method, the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model can utilize the advantages of a big data model to perform channel estimation.

[0038] In some possible implementation manners, the reference signal in the first reference signal sequence that is mapped to a first resource unit in the first resource set is generated based on a first frequency domain position index, and there is an offset X1 between the first frequency domain position index and a frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, X1 being 0 or a positive integer.

[0039] In some possible implementation manners, the method can be performed by a terminal device, or can be performed by a chip, a chip system, a processor, a processor system, a circuit unit, or a circuit system configured to be applied to the terminal device. For the sake of brevity, the subsequent content of the present application is described by taking the terminal device as an example.

[0040] For example, the terminal device uses the trained artificial intelligence model or machine learning model to perform channel estimation based on the received first reference signal sequence.

[0041] In some possible implementation manners, the method can be performed by a network device, or can be performed by a chip, a chip system, a processor, a processor system, a circuit unit, or a circuit system configured to be applied to the network device, and the like. For the sake of description brevity, the subsequent content of the present application is introduced by taking the network device as an example.

[0042] For example, the network device uses a trained artificial intelligence model or machine learning model to perform channel estimation based on the received first reference signal sequence.

[0043] In some possible implementation manners, the method can be performed by a model training device. For example, the model training device trains an artificial intelligence model or machine learning model using the first reference signal sequence, so that the artificial intelligence model or machine learning model can perform channel estimation based on the reference signal sequence.

[0044] In some possible implementation manners, the first frequency domain position index is equal to a remainder obtained by dividing T by P, and P is equal to N*S, where S represents a quantity of subcarriers carrying reference signals transmitted through a same port on one OFDM symbol in each resource block, and T represents a frequency domain position index of the first resource unit.

[0045] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: sending or receiving first information, where the first information indicates N.

[0046] For example, when the method is performed by the network device, the method further includes: sending the first information.

[0047] For another example, when the method is performed by the terminal device, the method further includes: receiving the first information.

[0048] In some possible implementation manners, the first information includes a plurality of bits, and N is equal to a value indicated by the plurality of bits.

[0049] In some possible implementation manners, the plurality of bits correspond to a plurality of numerical values in a one-to-one manner, and N is equal to a numerical value corresponding to a bit with a preset value in the plurality of bits.

[0050] In some possible implementation manners, a decimal numerical value of the plurality of bits represents a value of N.

[0051] In some possible implementation manners, the first information includes M values of a first configuration parameter of the reference signal sequence, M is a positive integer, and N is equal to a ratio of a quantity of resource blocks used to transmit the reference signal sequence in a first physical channel bandwidth to M, where the first physical channel bandwidth contains the first resource set.

[0052] In some possible implementation manners, the first configuration parameter includes a scrambling identifier.

[0053] In some possible implementation manners, N is less than a quantity of resource blocks in the first physical channel bandwidth for transmitting the reference signal sequence, and the first resource set is contained in the first physical channel bandwidth.

[0054] In some possible implementation manners, the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model is trained based on a second reference signal sequence, the second reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence corresponding to a second resource set in a second physical channel bandwidth, the second resource set contains N resource blocks, the second physical channel bandwidth is not equal to the first physical channel bandwidth, and the first physical channel bandwidth contains the first resource set.

[0055] In some possible implementation manners, the reference signal mapped to the second resource unit in the second resource set in the second reference signal sequence is generated based on a second position index, there is an offset X2 between the second position index and a position index of the second resource unit, and X2 is 0 or a positive integer.

[0056] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can include a module corresponding to each of the method operations / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. The module can be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0057] In one design, the apparatus can include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module can be configured to perform the transmitting actions and the receiving actions in the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect, and the processing module can be configured to perform the actions related to processing in the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0058] In one design, the apparatus can be a terminal device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in a terminal device, or an apparatus that can be used in matching with a terminal device.

[0059] In one design, the apparatus can be a network device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in a network device, or an apparatus that can be used in matching with a network device.

[0060] In a fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can include a module corresponding to each of the method operations / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0061] In one design, the apparatus can include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module can be configured to perform the sending and receiving actions in the method described above in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, and the processing module can be configured to perform the actions related to processing in the method described above in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0062] In one design, the apparatus can be a terminal device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in a terminal device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a terminal device.

[0063] In one design, the apparatus can be a network device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in a network device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a network device.

[0064] In one design, the apparatus can be a training device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in a training device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a training device.

[0065] In the fifth aspect, a device is provided, which includes a processor. When instructions are executed by the processor, the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0066] Optionally, the device can further include a storage medium that stores the aforementioned instructions for execution by the processor.

[0067] In the sixth aspect, a device is provided, which includes a processor. When instructions are executed by the processor, the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented.

[0068] Optionally, the device can further include a storage medium that stores the aforementioned instructions for execution by the processor.

[0069] In the seventh aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to execute programs or instructions, so that the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0070] Optionally, the chip can further include a memory configured to store the programs or instructions.

[0071] Optionally, the chip can further include the transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface.

[0072] In the eighth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to execute programs or instructions, so that the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented.

[0073] Optionally, the chip can further comprise a memory for storing programs or instructions.

[0074] Optionally, the chip can further comprise the transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface.

[0075] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which comprises instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented.

[0076] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which comprises instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented.

[0077] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which comprises computer program codes or instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented.

[0078] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which comprises computer program codes or instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented.

[0079] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which comprises the apparatus in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the apparatus in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0080] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system suitable for the communication method of the embodiments of the present application;

[0081] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of another communication system suitable for the communication method of the embodiments of the present application;

[0082] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an application framework of the communication system of the embodiments of the present application;

[0083] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an application framework of the communication system of an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] Fig. 5 is an exemplary structural diagram of the system of an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] Fig. 6 is an exemplary diagram of a resource pattern of an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIGS. 7-10 are exemplary flowcharts of communication methods according to various embodiments of the present application;

[0087] FIG. 11 is a comparison diagram of a training process and an inference process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIGS. 12-15 are exemplary flowcharts of communication methods according to various embodiments of the present application;

[0089] FIG. 16 is an exemplary structural diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] FIG. 17 is an exemplary structural diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0092] In order to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and effects are distinguished by using "first", "second", and the like. Those skilled in the art can understand that "first", "second", and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and "first", "second", and the like do not necessarily mean different.

[0093] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, "in some implementations", "as an example", or "for example" are used to represent an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "in some implementations", "as an example", or "for example" in the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, the use of "in some implementations", "as an example", or "for example" is intended to specifically present the relevant concept.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, and (or) c can represent a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0095] The technical solutions of the present application are applicable to wireless communication systems with artificial intelligence (AI) functions, such as a 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) system, a long term evolution (LTE) system, an LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, an LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, a satellite communication system, a future mobile communication system, or a fusion system of multiple systems, etc.

[0096] The technical solutions provided by the present application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and internet of things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0097] A network element in a communication system can send a signal to another network element or receive a signal from another network element. The signal can include information, signaling, or data, etc. The network element can also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a device, a communication device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. In the present application, a device is taken as an example for description. For example, the communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send a downlink signal to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send an uplink signal to the network device.

[0098] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user apparatus.

[0099] The terminal device can be a device providing voice / data, for example, a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. At present, some examples of terminals are: mobile phone, tablet computer, notebook computer, palm computer, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication function, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, wearable device, terminal device in a 5G network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0100] By way of example and not limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. The wearable device can also be referred to as a wearable smart device, which is a general term for devices that are designed and developed by applying wearable technology to daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. The wearable device is a portable device that is directly worn on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. The wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also a device that realizes powerful functions through software support and data interaction and cloud interaction. The general wearable smart device includes devices with full functions, large size, and the ability to realize complete or partial functions without relying on a smart phone, such as smart watches or smart glasses, and devices that focus on a certain application function and need to be used in cooperation with other devices, such as smart phones, such as various smart wristbands and smart jewelry for monitoring vital signs.

[0101] In the embodiments of the present application, the apparatus for implementing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device, or can be an apparatus capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, for example, a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device or used in matching with the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include the chip and other discrete devices. In the embodiments of the present application, only the apparatus for implementing the function of the terminal device is taken as an example for description, and the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is not limited in this way.

[0102] The network device in the embodiments of the present application can be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and the network device can also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device, for example, the network device can be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of the present application can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) for accessing a terminal device to a wireless network. The base station can broadly cover various names in the following or be replaced by the following names, such as: Node B (NodeB), evolved Node B (eNB), next generation Node B (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), primary station, secondary station, multi-system radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, etc. The base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a host node or the like, or a combination thereof. The base station can also refer to a communication module, modem or chip used in the foregoing devices or apparatuses. The base station can also be a mobile switching center and a device assuming a base station function in D2D, V2X, M2M communication, a network device in a future communication network, a device assuming a base station function in a future communication system, etc. The base station can support networks of the same or different access technologies. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU). The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the network device.

[0103] One or more AI modules can be arranged in the network device.

[0104] A network device can be fixed, or mobile. For example, a helicopter or unmanned drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, with one or more cells moving in accordance with the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or unmanned drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0105] In some deployments, a network device mentioned by embodiments of the present application can be a device including a CU or including a DU or including a CU and a DU, or a device including a control plane CU node (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and a user plane CU node (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and a DU node. For example, a network device can include a gNB-CU-CP, a gNB-CU-UP and a gNB-DU.

[0106] In some deployments, a terminal is assisted to implement wireless access by cooperation of multiple RAN nodes, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of functions of a base station. For example, a RAN node can be a CU, a DU, a CU-CP, a CU-UP, or an RU, etc. A CU and a DU can be separately arranged, or can also be included in the same network element, for example, in a BBU. An RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, for example, included in an RRU, an AAU or an RRH.

[0107] The RAN node can support one or more types of fronthaul interfaces, respectively corresponding to DUs and RUs with different functionalities. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and the RU is common public radio interface (CPRI), the DU is configured to implement one or more of baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement one or more of radio frequency functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and the RU is another interface, which, compared with CPRI, moves one or more of partial baseband functions of downlink and / or uplink, such as, for downlink, one or more of precoding, digital beamforming (BF), or inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / add cyclic prefix (CP), from the DU to the RU for implementation, and for uplink, one or more of digital beamforming (BF), or fast Fourier transform (FFT) / remove cyclic prefix (CP), from the DU to the RU for implementation. In a possible implementation, the interface can be enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). Under the eCPRI architecture, the split between the DU and the RU is different, corresponding to different categories (Cat) of eCPRI, such as eCPRI Cat A, B, C, D, E, F.

[0108] Taking eCPRI Cat A as an example, for downlink transmission, with layer mapping as the cut, the DU is configured to implement layer mapping and one or more functions (i.e., one or more of encoding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping) before layer mapping, while other functions (e.g., one or more of resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), or inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / adding cyclic prefix (CP)) after layer mapping are implemented in the RU. For uplink transmission, with de-RE mapping as the cut, the DU is configured to implement de-mapping and one or more functions (i.e., one or more of decoding, de-rate matching, de-scrambling, de-modulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, de-RE mapping) before de-mapping, while other functions (e.g., one or more of digital BF or fast Fourier transform (FFT) / CP removal) after de-mapping are implemented in the RU. It can be understood that the function description of the DU and the RU corresponding to various types of eCPRI can refer to the eCPRI protocol, which is not described here.

[0109] In a possible design, the processing unit in the BBU for implementing baseband functions is referred to as a base band high (BBH) unit, and the processing unit in the RRU / AAU / RRH for implementing baseband functions is referred to as a base band low (BBL) unit.

[0110] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (open RAN, ORAN) system, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU, the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0111] In the embodiments of the present application, the apparatus for implementing the function of the network device can be a network device, or can be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. The apparatus can be installed in the network device or used in combination with the network device. In the embodiments of the present application, only the apparatus for implementing the function of the network device is taken as an example for description, and the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is not limited in this way.

[0112] The network device and / or the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on water surface; and can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons and satellites in the air. The scenarios in which the network device and the terminal device are located are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terminal device and the network device can be hardware devices, or can be software functions running on special hardware, general hardware, such as virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform), or entities including special or general hardware devices and software functions. The specific forms of the terminal device and the network device are not limited in the present application.

[0113] In a wireless communication network, for example, in a mobile communication network, the services supported by the network are increasingly diverse, and therefore the needs to be met are increasingly diverse. For example, the network needs to be able to support ultra-high rates, ultra-low latencies, and / or ultra-large connections. This feature makes network planning, network configuration, and / or resource scheduling increasingly complex. In addition, as the functions of the network become increasingly powerful, for example, supporting increasingly high frequency spectrums, supporting high-order multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology, supporting beamforming, and / or supporting new technologies such as beam management, network energy saving has become a hot research topic. These new needs, new scenarios and new features bring unprecedented challenges to network planning, operation and efficient operation. In order to meet this challenge, artificial intelligence technology can be introduced into the wireless communication network, thereby realizing network intelligentization. In order to support AI technology in the wireless network, an AI node can also be introduced into the network.

[0114] The AI node can be deployed at one or more of the following positions in the communication system: a network device, a terminal device or a core network device, etc., or the AI node can also be deployed separately, for example, in a host or a cloud server of an over the top (OTT) system, etc. The AI node can communicate with other devices in the communication system, which can be one or more of the following: a network device, a terminal device, or a network element of a core network, etc.

[0115] The number of AI nodes is not limited in the present application. For example, when there are multiple AI nodes, the multiple AI nodes can be divided based on functions, such as different AI nodes being responsible for different functions.

[0116] The AI nodes can be independent devices, can be integrated in the same device to implement different functions, or can be network elements in a hardware device, can be software functions running on a dedicated hardware, or can be virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), and the specific form of the AI nodes is not limited in the present application. The AI nodes can be AI network elements or AI modules.

[0117] Machine learning is an important technical approach to realize AI. Machine learning can be divided into supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning.

[0118] Supervised learning learns the mapping relationship from sample values to sample labels based on the collected sample values and sample labels, and uses a machine learning model to express the learned mapping relationship. The process of training the machine learning model is the process of learning the mapping relationship. For example, in signal detection, the noisy received signal is the sample, and the true constellation point corresponding to the signal is the label. Machine learning is expected to learn the mapping relationship between the sample and the label through training, i.e., to learn a signal detector. During training, the model parameters are optimized by calculating the error between the predicted value of the model and the true label. Once the mapping relationship is learned, the learned mapping can be used to predict the label of each new sample. The learned mapping relationship of supervised learning can include linear mapping and nonlinear mapping. According to the type of label, the learned task can be divided into classification tasks and regression tasks.

[0119] Unsupervised learning only uses the collected sample values to discover the internal pattern of the sample by using algorithms. In unsupervised learning, a class of algorithms uses the sample itself as a supervision signal, i.e., the model learns the mapping relationship from the sample to the sample, which is called self-supervised learning. During training, the model parameters are optimized by calculating the error between the predicted value of the model and the sample itself. Self-supervised learning can be used in signal compression and decompression recovery applications. Common algorithms include autoencoders and generative adversarial networks.

[0120] Reinforcement learning is different from supervised learning, which is a kind of algorithm that learns the strategy to solve the problem by interacting with the environment. Unlike supervised and unsupervised learning, the reinforcement learning problem does not have clear "correct" action label data. The algorithm needs to interact with the environment to obtain the reward signal of the environment feedback, and then adjust the decision action to obtain a larger reward signal value. For example, in the following power control, the reinforcement learning model adjusts the downlink transmission power of each user according to the system total throughput rate feedback by the wireless network, and then expects to obtain a higher system throughput rate. The goal of reinforcement learning is also to learn the mapping relationship between the environment state and the optimal decision action. However, because the "correct action" label cannot be obtained in advance, the network cannot be optimized by calculating the error between the action and the "correct action". Reinforcement learning is achieved through iterative interaction with the environment.

[0121] Deep neural network (DNN) is a specific implementation form of machine learning. According to the universal approximation theorem, neural networks can theoretically approximate any continuous function, so that neural networks have the ability to learn any mapping. Traditional communication systems need to rely on rich expert knowledge to design communication modules, while deep learning communication systems based on DNN can automatically discover the implicit pattern structure from a large amount of data set, establish the mapping relationship between data, and obtain better performance than traditional modeling methods.

[0122] The idea of DNN comes from the neuron structure of the brain organization. Each neuron performs a weighted sum operation on its input value, and the weighted sum result is output through a nonlinear function. As an example, the input is represented as x = [x0, …, x n ], the weight corresponding to the input is represented as d = [d0, …, d n ], the bias of the weighted sum is represented as b, and the nonlinear function is represented as

[0123] The form of the nonlinear function can be diversified. An example is the max{0, x} maximum function, and the effect of the execution of a neuron can be

[0124] As an example, the DNN has a multi-layer structure, and each layer of the DNN can contain multiple neurons. The input layer transmits the values received after being processed by the neurons to the intermediate hidden layer. Similarly, the hidden layer transmits the calculation results to the last output layer to produce the final output of the DNN.

[0125] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 can include at least one network device, for example, the network device 110 shown in FIG. 1, and can include at least one terminal device, for example, the terminal device 120 shown in FIG. 1. The network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate with each other through a wireless link. The communication devices in the communication system, for example, the network device 110 and the terminal device 120, can communicate with each other through a multi-antenna technology.

[0126] In actual applications, the communication system can include multiple network devices and can include multiple terminal devices. The number of network devices and terminal devices included in the communication system is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0127] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another communication system applicable to a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. Compared with the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 200 shown in FIG. 2 further includes an AI network element 140. The AI network element 140 is configured to perform AI-related operations, for example, constructing a training data set, training an AI model, or using an AI model for inference, etc.

[0128] In some implementations, the network device 110 can send data related to the training of the AI model to the AI network element 140, and the AI network element 140 can construct a training data set and train an AI model. For example, the data related to the training of the AI model can include data reported by the terminal device 120. The AI network element 140 can send the result of the AI model-related operation to the network device 110 and forward it to the terminal device 120 through the network device 110. For example, the result of the AI model-related operation can include at least one of the following: a trained AI model, an evaluation result or a test result of the model, etc. For example, part of the trained AI model can be deployed on the network device 110, and the other part can be deployed on the terminal device 120. Alternatively, the trained AI model can be deployed on the network device 110. Or, the trained AI model can be deployed on the terminal device 120.

[0129] It can be understood that FIG. 2 only takes the AI network element 140 directly connected to the network device 110 as an example for illustration. In other scenarios, the AI network element 140 can also be connected to the terminal device 120. Or, the AI network element 140 can be connected to both the network device 110 and the terminal device 120. Or, the AI network element 140 can also be connected to the network device 110 through a third-party network element. The connection relationship between the AI network element and other network elements is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0130] In some implementations, the AI network element 140 can be arranged in a network device and / or a terminal device as a module, for example, in the network device 110 or the terminal device 120 shown in FIG. 1.

[0131] It should be noted that FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are only simplified schematic diagrams for illustration and understanding, for example, the communication system can further include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices, and the like, and for example, can further include core network devices, which are not shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0132] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an application framework in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3, the network elements in the communication system are connected through interfaces (such as NG, F1, Xn), or air interfaces. One or more AI modules (only one is shown in FIG. 3 for clarity) are arranged in one or more of the network element nodes, such as core network devices, access network nodes (RAN nodes), network devices, terminals, or OAM.

[0133] The network device can be a single RAN node, or can include multiple RAN nodes, for example, including a CU and a DU. The CU and / or the DU can also be arranged with one or more AI modules. Optionally, the CU can be further split into a CU-CP and a CU-UP. One or more AI models are arranged in the CU-CP and / or the CU-UP.

[0134] The AI module is used to implement corresponding AI functions. The AI modules deployed in different network elements can be the same or different. The AI module can implement different functions according to different parameter configurations of the model of the AI module. The model of the AI module can be configured based on one or more of the following parameters: structural parameters (such as at least one of the number of neural network layers, the width of the neural network, the connection relationship between layers, the weight of neurons, the activation function of neurons, or the bias in the activation function), input parameters (such as the type of input parameters and / or the dimension of input parameters), or output parameters (such as the type of output parameters and / or the dimension of output parameters). The bias in the activation function can also be referred to as the bias of the neural network.

[0135] One AI module can have one or more models. One model can infer an output including one parameter or multiple parameters. The learning process, the training process, or the inference process of different models can be deployed in different nodes or devices, or can be deployed in the same node or device.

[0136] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an application framework of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication system includes a RIC (RAN intelligent controller). For example, the RIC can be the AI module shown in FIG. 3, which is configured to implement AI-related functions.

[0137] The RIC includes a near-RT RIC (near-real time RIC) and a Non-RT RIC (non-real time RIC). The Non-RT RIC is mainly configured to process non-real-time information, such as data that is not sensitive to latency, which can be in the order of seconds. The near-RT RIC is mainly configured to process near-real-time information, such as data that is relatively sensitive to latency, which can be in the order of tens of milliseconds.

[0138] The near-RT RIC is configured to perform model training and inference. For example, the near-RT RIC is configured to train an AI model and perform inference using the AI model. The near-RT RIC can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from network devices (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. The information can be used as training data or inference data. Optionally, the near-RT RIC can deliver inference results to the network devices and / or terminals. Optionally, the inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs. For example, the near-RT RIC delivers the inference results to a DU, which then delivers the inference results to an RU.

[0139] The Non-RT RIC is also configured to perform model training and inference. For example, the Non-RT RIC is configured to train an AI model and perform inference using the AI model. The Non-RT RIC can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from network devices (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. The information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to the network devices and / or terminals. Optionally, the inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs. For example, the Non-RT RIC delivers the inference results to a DU, which then delivers the inference results to an RU.

[0140] For example, the near-RT RIC is disposed in a network device (e.g., a CU or a DU), and the Non-RT RIC is disposed in an OAM, a cloud server, a core network device, or another network device. The RIC can obtain a subset of data from multiple terminal devices from a network device (e.g., a CU, a CU-CP, a CU-UP, a DU, and / or an RU), reorganize the subset of data into a training data set #2, and perform training based on the training data set #2.

[0141] Exemplarily, the near-real-time RIC and the non-real-time RIC can be respectively set as a network element alone, and the network device can be for the near-real-time RIC or the non-real-time RIC.

[0142] The near-real-time RIC and the non-real-time RIC can be respectively set as a network element alone. Alternatively, the near-real-time RIC and the non-real-time RIC can be part of other devices, for example, the near-real-time RIC is set in a network device (for example, in a CU or a DU), and the non-real-time RIC is set in an OAM, a cloud server, a core network device, or other network devices.

[0143] FIG. 5 is an exemplary structure diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present application. The system can include a data collection device, a model training device, a model storage device, a model inference device, and a model management device.

[0144] The data collection device entity stores data input from a gNB, a gNB-CU, a gNB-DU, a UE, or other devices as a database for AI model training and data analysis inference; the model training device gives an optimal AI model by analyzing training data provided by the data collection device; the model storage device stores a trained or updated model, and transmits or issues the model to the model inference device based on the control of the model transmission or issuance request of the model management device; the model inference device uses the AI model under the management of the selection, activation, switching, or feedback instructions issued by the model management device, and gives a reasonable prediction based on AI for network operation based on inference data provided by the data collection device, and / or guides the network to make a strategy adjustment; and the model management device can send a performance feedback or a retraining request to the model training device based on the management data collected by the data collection device and the model data sent by the model inference device.

[0145] In some implementations, the data collection device can be a gNB, a gNB-CU, a gNB-DU, a UE, or other devices, the model inference device can be a gNB, a gNB-CU, a gNB-DU, a UE, or other devices, and the model management device and the model training device can be a network device, a core network device, or an OAM device.

[0146] As an important part of communication system design, the reference signal is mainly responsible for channel state measurement, data demodulation, beam training, and time-frequency parameter tracking, etc.

[0147] For example, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) in the downlink can be used for downlink channel measurement to obtain downlink channel state information, perform beam management, mobility management, or rate matching, etc.

[0148] For another example, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in the uplink or downlink can be used for channel estimation to demodulate the corresponding physical channel.

[0149] For yet another example, a sounding reference signal (SRS) in the uplink can be used for uplink channel measurement to perform time-frequency synchronization or beam management, etc.

[0150] An important link contained in the transmission of a reference signal is to map a reference signal sequence to a physical resource element (RE) based on a formula. The following takes a DMRS sequence as an example to introduce a method of mapping a reference signal sequence to a physical resource element.

[0151] An exemplary formula of mapping a DMRS sequence to a physical resource element is as follows:

[0152] wherein k represents a subcarrier index; l represents an OFDM symbol index; β represents an antenna scale of a physical channel; p represents an antenna port sequence number; and μ represents configuration information of a subcarrier. represents a mapping value (or a reference signal) on an RE with a subcarrier index k, an OFDM symbol index l, an antenna port number p, and subcarrier configuration information μ; i ranges from 0 to ρ-1. i represents a mapping value (or a reference signal) on an RE with a subcarrier index k, an OFDM symbol index l, an antenna port number p, and subcarrier configuration information μ; i ranges from 0 to ρ-1. represents a mapping value (or a reference signal) on an RE with a subcarrier index k, an OFDM symbol index l, an antenna port number p, and subcarrier configuration information μ; i ranges from 0 to ρ-1. j represents a mapping value (or a reference signal) on an RE with a subcarrier index k, an OFDM symbol index l, an antenna port number p, and subcarrier configuration information μ; i ranges from 0 to ρ-1.

[0153] wherein w f (k′), w t (l′), and Δ can refer to relevant contents in a communication standard; if 2n+k′ is denoted as m, then r(m) satisfies the following relationship:

[0154] wherein mod represents a taking operation, represents a number of slots in a frame. denotes the number of symbols in each slot; if the high layer parameter is provided in the downlink configuration then else if the high layer parameter is provided in the downlink configuration and then

[0155] else

[0156] if the DMRS sequence initialization field gives n SCID where n SCID ∈{0,1}, then n SCID is the value given in the field, otherwise n SCID =0.

[0157] According to the above formula, the mapping value of the resource unit with subcarrier index k is mapped from the value with index 2n+k' in the reference signal sequence r. In this application, the value with index 2n+k' in the reference signal sequence r is referred to as: the reference signal mapped to the resource unit with subcarrier index k, OFDM symbol index l, antenna port number p j and subcarrier configuration information μ.

[0158] For the sake of brevity, in the subsequent content of this application, the resource unit with subcarrier index k, OFDM symbol index l, antenna port number p j and subcarrier configuration information μ is referred to as: the resource unit with subcarrier index k.

[0159] Because the value of 2n+k' is generated based on the subcarrier index k, it can be considered that the reference signal mapped to the resource unit with subcarrier index k is generated based on the subcarrier index k, or in other words, the reference signal generated based on the subcarrier index k is mapped to the resource unit with subcarrier index k.

[0160] With the continuous diversification of communication scenarios and communication needs, the mapping method between the reference signal on the above-mentioned resource unit and the subcarrier index k of the resource unit will have limitations and cannot well adapt to the changes of communication scenarios and communication needs. In view of this problem, this application proposes a new mapping method between the subcarrier index of the resource unit and the reference signal (or referred to as the reference signal sequence index) mapped to the resource unit.

[0161] In the method proposed in this application, the reference signal mapped to the resource unit is determined based on the subcarrier index with an offset from the subcarrier index of the resource unit, or in other words, the index of the reference signal mapped to the resource unit in the sequence is determined based on the subcarrier index with an offset from the subcarrier index of the resource unit. The offset can be denoted as X, which can be 0 or a positive integer.

[0162] As an example, k in the existing formula for mapping the reference signal sequence on the resource unit can be replaced by k'', and k'' = k - X.

[0163] For example, k in the foregoing content may be replaced by k'', and k'' = k - X, so that:

[0164] The value of the offset X can be determined based on requirements. In some requirement cases, it can be set to 0, and in some requirement cases, it can be set to an integer greater than 0.

[0165] For the convenience of subsequent description, the resource unit is referred to as a first resource unit in this application, and the subcarrier index used to actually generate the reference signal corresponding to the first resource unit is referred to as a first subcarrier index. The first subcarrier index has an offset X from the subcarrier index of the first resource unit.

[0166] Taking DMRS as an example, if the configuration type of the DMRS is type1, the index value of the reference signal mapped to the first resource unit in the reference signal sequence is represented as 2n+k', and 6n+k'+Δ is the subcarrier index used to generate the reference signal corresponding to the first resource unit, that is, the first subcarrier index corresponding to the first resource unit.

[0167] In some implementations, the first resource unit belongs to a resource set, and the resource set contains N resource blocks. For the convenience of subsequent description, the resource set is referred to as a first resource set in this application. Wherein, N is a positive integer. In this application, the reference signal sequence formed by the reference signals mapped by all resource units in the first resource set is referred to as a first reference signal sequence.

[0168] In some implementations, the offset between the subcarrier index of the first resource unit and the first subcarrier index is determined in the granularity of N resource blocks (RB). Or in other words, the offset between the subcarrier index of the first resource unit and the first subcarrier index is related to the value of N.

[0169] In some implementations, the offset between the subcarrier index of the resource unit in every N RB and the first subcarrier index of the resource unit can be equal.

[0170] In some embodiments, the offset between the subcarrier index of the first resource unit and the first subcarrier index of the resource unit can be determined based on the subcarrier index of the first resource unit, N, and the number of subcarriers in one OFDM symbol in each resource block used to carry reference signals transmitted through the same port.

[0171] For example, the offset X is equal to the product of the quotient of T divided by P and P, P is equal to N*S, S represents the number of subcarriers in each resource block used to carry reference signals transmitted through the same port, and T represents the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit.

[0172] In some embodiments of the present application, the port refers to a logical port, i.e., S represents the number of subcarriers in a resource block used to carry reference signals transmitted through the same logical port.

[0173] FIG. 6 is an example diagram of a reference signal resource pattern according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 6 shows one RB, the horizontal direction represents an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, and the vertical direction represents a subcarrier. The RB shown in FIG. 6 includes 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers. Among them, the point-filled subcarriers in a single OFDM symbol carry reference signals transmitted through the same port.

[0174] As can be seen from FIG. 6, there are 6 point-filled subcarriers in a single OFDM symbol, which means that the number of subcarriers in one OFDM symbol in the RB used to carry reference signals transmitted through the same port is 6.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first carrier index corresponding to the first subcarrier can be determined based on the subcarrier index of the first resource unit, N, and the number of subcarriers in one OFDM symbol in each resource block used to carry reference signals transmitted through the same port.

[0176] For example, the first carrier index is equal to the remainder of T divided by P, P is equal to N*S, S represents the number of subcarriers in one OFDM symbol in each resource block used to carry reference signals transmitted through the same port, and T represents the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit.

[0177] Taking the physical channel bandwidth as 16 RBs, each RB containing 12 subcarriers, and N as 4 as an example, the offset between the subcarrier index of each resource unit in the first 4 RBs and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit can be 0, or in other words, the reference signal mapped by each resource unit in the first 4 RBs can be generated based on the existing manner; the offset between the subcarrier index of any one resource unit in the 5th RB to the 8th RB and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit is equal to the offset between the subcarrier index of any other one resource unit in the 5th RB to the 8th RB and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit, for example, the offset is equal to 48; the offset between the subcarrier index of any one resource unit in the 9th RB to the 12th RB and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit is equal to the offset between the subcarrier index of any other one resource unit in the 9th RB to the 12th RB and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit, for example, the offset is equal to 96; the offset between the subcarrier index of any one resource unit in the 13th RB to the 16th RB and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit is equal to the offset between the subcarrier index of any other one resource unit in the 13th RB to the 16th RB and the first subcarrier index corresponding to the resource unit, for example, the offset is equal to 144.

[0178] In some implementations, it can be understood that N RBs are taken as a resource set, and if the subcarrier indexes of the resource units in all resource sets are reordered from the beginning, the reference signal indexes mapped by the resource units with the same subcarrier indexes in all resource sets are equal.

[0179] In some implementations, when N RBs are taken as a resource set, the resource units in the same resource set are mapped to reference signal sequences in the same way.

[0180] For example, the generation formula of the reference signal sequence and the values of the parameters other than the reference signal sequence index are equal.

[0181] In some implementations, the resource units in different resource sets are mapped to reference signal sequences in different ways.

[0182] As an example, the mapping formula of the resource units and the reference signal sequence in one resource set is The mapping formula of the resource units and the reference signal sequence in another resource set is Wherein, r1(2n+k') and r2(2n+k') are different reference signal sequence generation formulas.

[0183] For example, the initial value c of the pseudo-random sequence in the generation formula of the reference signal sequence mapped by the resource unit in different resource sets init For example, at least one parameter in the generation formula of the pseudo-random sequence in the generation formula of the reference signal sequence mapped by the resource unit in different resource sets is not equal, for example, the parameter is not equal and / or the parameter is not equal.

[0184] FIG. 7 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 7, the method includes S710 and S720.

[0185] S710, a first communication device generates a first reference signal sequence, and the reference signal mapped in a first resource unit in the first reference signal sequence is generated based on a first frequency domain position index, and there is an offset X between the first frequency domain position index and the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, X is an integer greater than 0.

[0186] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device; in other scenarios, the first communication device represents a terminal device.

[0187] The frequency domain position index in the method can be replaced by a subcarrier index.

[0188] In some implementations of the present application, the frequency domain position index used for generating the reference signal mapped in the resource unit refers to the frequency domain position index used in the formula in the existing standard when the formula in the existing standard is used to map the reference signal to the resource unit.

[0189] Taking DMRS as an example, in some implementations, the reference signal mapped to the first resource unit satisfies the following relationship:

[0190] Wherein k" represents the first frequency domain position index, k represents the actual frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, and there is an offset X between the first frequency domain position index k" and the actual frequency domain position index k of the first resource unit.

[0191] In some implementations, the first frequency domain position index is determined based on the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, N, and the number of subcarriers for carrying the reference signal transmitted through the same port in one OFDM symbol in each resource block.

[0192] For example, the first frequency domain position index is equal to the remainder obtained by dividing T by P, P is equal to N*S, S represents the number of subcarriers for carrying the reference signal transmitted through the same port in one OFDM symbol in each resource block, and T represents the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit.

[0193] The first resource unit is a resource unit in the first resource set. The first resource set can include N resource blocks, where N is a positive integer. For example, N is 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16.

[0194] In some implementations, the reference signals on all resource units in the first resource set are mapped from reference signal sequences generated by a same generation manner. The same generation manner here can be understood as the same generation formula and the same value of each parameter in the generation formula.

[0195] Taking DMRS as an example, when N is 4, every 4 RBs form a resource set. For each resource unit in the same resource set, the generation formula of the mapped reference signal is as follows:

[0196] In addition, when calculating the reference signal mapped by each resource unit, the value of each parameter in the formula is the same, for example, All are 4.

[0197] In some implementations, the first resource set is one of a plurality of resource sets. Each resource set in the plurality of resource sets includes N RBs.

[0198] In some implementations, the generation methods of the reference signals mapped by the resource units in different resource sets in the plurality of resource sets are different.

[0199] One meaning contained in the different generation methods is as follows: the formula for generating the reference signal sequence is the same, but the value of at least one parameter in the formula is different. This at least one parameter is referred to as a first configuration parameter. For the convenience of description, this at least one configuration parameter is referred to as a first configuration parameter.

[0200] For example, the first configuration parameter in the generation formula of the reference signal sequence corresponding to the resource unit in the first resource set is a first value, and the first configuration parameter in the generation formula of the reference signal sequence corresponding to the resource unit in another resource set is a second value.

[0201] Taking the case that the first resource unit carries DMRS as an example, the first configuration parameter can include And / or

[0202] When the reference signal in the method is DMRS, the related content of the first reference signal sequence can refer to the content related to the first reference signal sequence in the foregoing content about DMRS, which will not be described here.

[0203] Taking DMRS as an example, for each resource unit in the first resource set, the generation formula of the mapped reference signal is as follows:

[0204] And, when calculating the reference signal mapped for each resource unit, the value of each parameter in the formula is the same.

[0205] For each resource unit in another resource set, the generation formula of the mapped reference signal is as follows:

[0206] In some implementations, c init_1 The value of c The value of c The value of c The value of c The value of c init_1 The value of c The value of c The value of c init_2 The value of c The value of c Wherein, Different from And / or, Different from For example, Is 4, but Is 5.

[0207] In some implementations, the offset between the frequency domain location index of all resource units in the same resource set and the first frequency domain location index corresponding to the resource unit is the same.

[0208] In some implementations, the offset between the frequency domain location index of resource units in different resource sets and the first frequency domain location index corresponding to the resource unit is different.

[0209] S720, the first communication device sends the first reference signal sequence. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0210] The first communication device represents some scenarios of network devices, and the second communication device represents terminal devices. The first communication device represents some scenarios of terminal devices, and the second communication device represents network devices.

[0211] In some implementations, due to the channel, the reference signal sequence received by the second communication device is usually not completely consistent with the first reference signal sequence sent by the first communication device. For the convenience of description, in this application, the reference signal sequence of the first reference signal sequence after the channel transmission to the second communication device is called the first actual received reference signal sequence. The first actual received reference signal sequence can be used for channel estimation.

[0212] After the second communication device receives the first actually-received reference signal sequence, the second communication device can perform a subsequent operation, and the embodiments do not limit what operation the second communication device performs on the first actually-received reference signal sequence.

[0213] For example, the second communication device can generate the first reference signal sequence using the same method as the first communication device, and estimate the channel based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence using a least square method or a compression-based sensing algorithm, to obtain a channel estimation result.

[0214] The embodiments propose a new transmission method for a reference signal sequence, which can make the reference signal sequence more widely applicable.

[0215] FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8, the method can include S805, S820, S830, and S840.

[0216] S805, a first communication device sends first information, the first information indicating N, N being a positive integer, N being used to determine an offset between a frequency domain location index of a first resource unit in a first resource set and a first frequency domain location index, a reference signal mapped to the first resource unit being generated based on the first frequency domain location index. Correspondingly, a second communication device receives the first information.

[0217] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device, and the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0218] In some implementations, the first information includes a plurality of bits, and N is equal to a value indicated by the plurality of bits. In other words, this implementation indicates N through the plurality of bits.

[0219] When the first information includes a plurality of bits, in some implementations, the plurality of bits correspond to a plurality of values one-to-one, and N is equal to a value corresponding to a bit having a preset value among the plurality of bits. In other words, the plurality of bits correspond to a plurality of values one-to-one, and N is equal to a value corresponding to a bit having a preset value among the plurality of bits. Generally, only one bit among the plurality of bits has the preset value, and when the bit has the preset value, the other bits have values other than the preset value.

[0220] Taking an example in which the plurality of bits are five bits and the preset value is "1", the five bits correspond to 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1 from left to right, and when the five bits have a value of "00100", because the third bit from left to right has the preset value "1", N is equal to the value 4 corresponding to the third bit. It can be understood that only one bit among the five bits can have the value "1".

[0221] For example, the maximum bandwidth of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) where the DMRS is located is 16 RBs, and the value of N can be 16, 8, 4, 2, or 1. Therefore, in this implementation, the value of N can be indicated by 4 bits.

[0222] When the first information includes multiple bits, in some implementations, the decimal value of the multiple bits indicates the value of N. For example, if the decimal value of the multiple bits is 8, it indicates that the value of N is 8.

[0223] When the decimal value of the multiple bits indicates the value of N, in some implementations, the number of bits included in the multiple bits can be determined based on the maximum value in the range of values of N. For example, when the maximum value of N is 16, the maximum decimal value of 4 bits can indicate 16. Therefore, the first information can include 4 bits, and the decimal value of the 4 bits indicates the value of N. This implementation can save indication overhead.

[0224] When the first information indicates N by the multiple bits, in some implementations, the first information can be carried in a message of configuration information of the transmission reference signal sequence. In other words, the first information is transmitted at the same time as the configuration information of the reference signal sequence.

[0225] In some implementations, the value of N can be indicated in an implicit manner. For example, the first information is the configuration information of the reference signal sequence, and the first information includes a first configuration parameter with M values, where M is a positive integer. In other words, the same configuration parameter has M values.

[0226] In this implementation, the number of resource sets can be equal to M.

[0227] In this implementation, N is equal to the ratio of the number of resource blocks used for transmitting the reference signal sequence in the physical channel bandwidth to M. The physical channel refers to the physical channel carrying the reference signal sequence, and the physical channel bandwidth includes the first resource set. For the sake of brevity, the physical channel bandwidth is referred to as the first physical channel bandwidth.

[0228] For example, the first configuration parameter in the first information has 4 values, and the number of resource blocks used for transmitting the reference signal sequence in the physical channel bandwidth is 16. Therefore, N is equal to the ratio of 16 to 4, i.e., N is equal to 4.

[0229] When the first reference signal sequence is a DMRS sequence, in some implementations, the first configuration parameter can include a scrambling ID0 and / or a scrambling ID1

[0230] The following takes the first reference sequence as the downlink DMRS sequence, and the first configuration reference includes scramblingID0 and scramblingID1 as an example to introduce the content of the first information. Exemplarily, the first information can include the following information:

[0231] DMRS-DownlinkClinfig: :=

[0232] SEQUENCE{

[0233] …

[0234] ScramblingID0{INTEGER(0…65535),INTEGER(0…65535),INTEGER(0…65535),INTEGER(0…65535)

[0235] ScramblingID1{INTEGER(0…65535),INTEGER(0…65535),INTEGER(0…65535),INTEGER(0…65535)

[0236] …

[0237] }

[0238] In the above example, the parameter "ScramblingID0" has 4 values, and the parameter "ScramblingID1" also has 4 values. Therefore, assuming that the number of resource blocks used to transmit the reference signal sequence in the physical channel bandwidth is 16, N is equal to the ratio of 16 to 4, that is, N is equal to 4.

[0239] In some implementations, the M values of the first configuration parameter correspond one-to-one to M resource sets, and the value of the first configuration parameter in the generation formula of the reference signal mapped by the resource unit in each resource set is the value corresponding to the resource set.

[0240] In some implementations, the M values of the first configuration parameter are equal.

[0241] In some implementations, the M values of the first configuration parameter are all different. This implementation can improve the diversification of the reference signal sequence and improve the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0242] S820, the first communication device sends a first reference signal sequence based on the first information, a reference signal mapped to a first resource unit in the first resource set in the first reference signal sequence is generated based on a first frequency domain position index, and there is an offset X between the first frequency domain position index and a frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, X being an integer greater than 0. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0243] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device, and the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0244] This step can refer to S720, which will not be described here.

[0245] Before the first communication device sends the first reference signal sequence, the first communication device needs to generate the first reference signal sequence based on the first information. The content of the first communication device generating the first reference signal sequence can refer to S710, which will not be described here.

[0246] S830, the second communication device generates a first reference signal sequence based on the first information.

[0247] The way in which the second communication device generates the first reference signal sequence based on the first information can refer to the way in which the first communication device generates the first reference signal sequence based on the first information. For example, the second communication device can first determine the offset based on N, and determine the first frequency domain position index based on the frequency domain position index of the resource unit and the offset, so as to map the reference signal for the resource unit based on the first frequency domain position index.

[0248] S840, the second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first reference signal sequence and a first received reference signal sequence, the first received reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence received by the second communication device after the first reference signal sequence sent by the first communication device is transmitted through a channel.

[0249] In some implementations, the method in which the second communication device performs channel estimation based on the first reference signal sequence and the first received reference signal sequence can refer to related prior art, such as performing channel estimation by least square method.

[0250] In this embodiment, the first communication device sends the first information to the second communication device, so that the second communication device can accurately generate the first reference signal sequence, thereby improving the accuracy of the channel estimation result.

[0251] FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 9, the method can include S920 and S930.

[0252] S920, the first communication device sends the first reference signal sequence, the first reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence mapped to the first resource set, the first resource set containing N resource blocks, N being a positive integer. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0253] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device, and the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0254] In some implementations, the reference signal in the first reference signal sequence that is mapped to the first resource unit in the first resource set is generated based on a first frequency domain position index, there being an offset X between the first frequency domain position index and the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, X being equal to 0 or X being a positive integer. The related content of the first reference signal sequence in this implementation can be referred to S720, which will not be repeated here.

[0255] In this implementation, the first resource unit can refer to any one of the resource units in the first resource set. Alternatively, the frequency domain position index based on which the reference signal mapped to each resource unit in the first resource set is generated has an offset X from the frequency domain position index of the resource unit, X being 0 or a positive integer.

[0256] For example, the N RBs contained in the first resource set are the first N RBs in the resource block resources in the first physical channel bandwidth used for transmitting the reference signal sequence, and X is equal to 0.

[0257] For another example, the N RBs contained in the first resource set are the N RBs in the resource block resources in the first physical channel bandwidth used for transmitting the reference signal sequence, except for the first N RBs, and X is an integer greater than 0.

[0258] In this implementation, before the first communication device sends the first reference signal sequence, the first reference signal sequence needs to be generated based on the first information. The content of the first communication device generating the first reference signal sequence can be referred to S710, which will not be repeated here.

[0259] S930, the second communication device sends the first received reference signal sequence to the first communication device, the first received reference signal sequence being the reference signal sequence received by the second communication device after the first reference signal sequence is transmitted through the channel. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first received reference signal sequence.

[0260] In some implementations, the method further includes S940.

[0261] S940, the first communication device obtains the AI / ML model based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence, the AI / ML model being obtained by training based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence, and the AI / ML model being used to output a channel estimation result.

[0262] Here, the output channel estimation result can be understood as a predicted channel, a calculated channel, or an estimated channel, etc.

[0263] In this application, the AI / ML model is a short form of "artificial intelligence (AI) model or machine learning (ML) model".

[0264] It can be understood that, in this application, obtaining the AI / ML model based on the reference signal sequence and the actually-received reference signal sequence means that the training data used when obtaining or training the AI / ML model contains the reference signal sequence and the actually-received reference signal sequence, and is not limited to that the training data of the AI / ML only contains the reference signal sequence and the actually-received reference signal sequence, or that the input of the AI / ML model only contains the reference signal sequence and the actually-received reference signal sequence.

[0265] Similarly, in this application, inputting the reference signal sequence and / or the actually-received reference signal sequence into the AI / ML model means that the input of the AI / ML model contains the reference signal sequence and / or the actually-received reference signal sequence, and is not limited to that the input of the model only contains the reference signal sequence and / or the actually-received reference signal sequence.

[0266] In some implementations, after the second communication device receives the first actually-received reference signal sequence, the AI / ML model is trained based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence. For example, the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence are taken as inputs, the channel information between the first communication device and the second communication device is taken as a label, and the AI / ML model is trained by a supervised training method to obtain the AI / ML model for channel estimation.

[0267] For example, the number of RBs used to transmit the reference signal sequence in the first physical channel bandwidth is 16, and N is equal to 4, so the 16 RBs can be divided into 4 resource sets, and each resource set contains 4 RBs. The reference signal sequence mapped by the 4 RBs in each resource set and the actually-received reference signal sequence on the 4 RBs can be taken as the input of the AI / ML model, and the AI / ML model outputs the channel estimation result corresponding to the 4 RBs to realize the training of the AI / ML model.

[0268] It can be understood that the combination of the four channel estimation results corresponding to the four resource sets can obtain the channel estimation result of the 16 RBs.

[0269] In some implementations, after the second communication device receives the first actually-received reference signal sequence, the first communication device sends the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence to the model training device; and the model training device trains the AI / ML model based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence.

[0270] Optionally, the first communication device can also send channel information between the first communication device and the second communication device to the model training device.

[0271] In this way, the model training device can take the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence as input, take the channel information between the first communication device and the second communication device as label, and train the AI / ML model through a supervised training manner to obtain the AI / ML model for channel estimation.

[0272] FIG. 10 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the method can include S1010, S1020 and S1030.

[0273] S1010, the first communication device sends an AI / ML model, the AI / ML model being configured to output a channel estimation result based on a first reference signal sequence and a first actually-received reference signal sequence, the first actually-received reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence received by a receiving device after a first reference signal sequence sent by a sending device is transmitted through a channel. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the AI / ML model.

[0274] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device, and the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0275] When the first communication device is a network device, in some implementations, the AI / ML model is the AI / ML model obtained by the first communication device in S940.

[0276] S1020, the first communication device sends a second reference signal sequence, the second reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence mapped by a second resource set, the second resource set containing N RBs, N being a positive integer. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second reference signal sequence.

[0277] In some implementations, due to the channel, the reference signal sequence received by the second communication device is usually not completely consistent with the second reference signal sequence sent by the first communication device. For the convenience of description, in the present application, the reference signal sequence obtained by the second reference signal sequence after being transmitted through the channel to the second communication device is referred to as a second actually-received reference signal sequence.

[0278] In some implementations, the second set of resources is contained in a second physical channel bandwidth, and the second physical channel bandwidth is not equal to the first physical channel bandwidth.

[0279] For example, the second physical channel bandwidth is 32 RBs, and N is equal to 4. In this case, the 32 RBs can be divided into 8 sets of resources, and each set of resources contains 4 RBs. The second set of resources is one of the 8 sets of resources.

[0280] It can be understood that the first physical channel bandwidth and the second physical channel bandwidth can also be equal.

[0281] S1030, the second communication device uses the AI / ML model to perform channel estimation based on the second reference signal sequence and a second actually-received reference signal sequence. The second actually-received reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence received by the receiving device after the second reference signal sequence is transmitted through the channel.

[0282] For example, for the 8 sets of resources described above, the reference signal sequence mapped in each set of resources containing 4 RBs and the actually-received reference signal sequence on the 4 RBs can be used as the input of the AI / ML model, and the AI / ML model infers the channel estimation result corresponding to the 4 RBs.

[0283] In some implementations, the combination of the 8 channel estimation results corresponding to the 8 sets of resources can obtain the channel estimation result of the set of resource blocks used to transmit the reference signal sequence in the second physical channel bandwidth.

[0284] As can be seen from this embodiment, the AI / ML model trained in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is not limited by the physical channel bandwidth in the application scenario, or in other words, can be applied to the channel estimation of the set of resource blocks used to transmit the reference signal sequence in any physical channel bandwidth.

[0285] In some implementations of this embodiment, the reference signal mapped in the second resource unit in the second set of resources in the second reference signal sequence is generated based on the frequency domain position index of the second resource unit. Or in other words, the second reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence generated based on the existing manner. This implementation does not require modification of the generation method of the reference signal sequence in the use process of the model, and can follow the existing mechanism, which can reduce the implementation complexity of the first communication device and the second communication device supporting the AI / ML model to perform channel estimation of the set of resource blocks without limitation on the physical channel bandwidth.

[0286] FIG. 11 is a comparison diagram of the training process and the inference process of an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 11 takes a physical channel bandwidth of 16 RBs as an example for introduction.

[0287] In FIG. 11, the left side is the training process, and the right side is the inference process; each square represents a resource block; Y() represents a reference signal sequence received on the corresponding RB; DMRS() represents a reference signal sequence mapped based on a formula on the corresponding RB; and H() represents a channel estimation result of the corresponding RB set.

[0288] For the left side training process, Y(t) represents a reference signal sequence received by a reference signal receiving end on an RB with index t, t is an integer, and is sequentially taken from 0 to 15; DMRS(f) represents a reference signal sequence on an RB with index f in a resource set of 4 RBs, f is an integer, and is sequentially taken from 0 to 3.

[0289] In the left side training process, RB0, RB1, RB2, and RB3 are mapped to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), and DMRS(3), respectively, which are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB0, RB1, RB2, and RB3; RB4, RB5, RB6, and RB7 are mapped to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), and DMRS(3), respectively, which are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB0, RB1, RB2, and RB3; RB8, RB9, RB10, and RB11 are mapped to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), and DMRS(3), respectively, which are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB0, RB1, RB2, and RB3; and RB12, RB13, RB14, and RB15 are mapped to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), and DMRS(3), respectively, which are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB0, RB1, RB2, and RB3.

[0290] In the left training process, RB0, RB1, RB2 and RB3 correspond to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), DMRS(3) and Y(0), Y(1), Y(2), Y(3) inputting the model respectively, to obtain channel estimation results H(RB_0-RB_3) corresponding to RB0, RB1, RB2 and RB3; RB4, RB5, RB6 and RB7 correspond to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), DMRS(3) and Y(4), Y(5), Y(6), Y(7) inputting the model respectively, to obtain channel estimation results H(RB_4-RB_7) corresponding to RB4, RB5, RB6 and RB7; RB8, RB9, RB10 and RB11 correspond to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), DMRS(3) and Y(8), Y(9), Y(10), Y(11) inputting the model respectively, to obtain channel estimation results H(RB_8-RB_11) corresponding to RB8, RB9, RB10 and RB11; RB12, RB13, RB14 and RB15 correspond to reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), DMRS(3) and Y(12), Y(13), Y(14), Y(15) inputting the model respectively, to obtain channel estimation results H(RB_12-RB_15) corresponding to RB12, RB13, RB14 and RB15.

[0291] For the right inference process, Y(t) represents the reference signal sequence received by the reference signal receiving end on the RB with index t, t is an integer, and is taken from 0 to 15 in turn; DMRS(f) represents the reference signal sequence on the RB with index f when 16 RBs are uniformly allocated with indexes, f is an integer, and is taken from 0 to 15 in turn.

[0292] In the right reasoning process, RB0, RB1, RB2 and RB3 map reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2) and DMRS(3) respectively, DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2) and DMRS(3) are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB0, RB1, RB2 and RB3 respectively; RB4, RB5, RB6 and RB7 map reference signal sequences DMRS(4), DMRS(5), DMRS(6) and DMRS(7) respectively, DMRS(4), DMRS(5), DMRS(6) and DMRS(7) are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB4, RB5, RB6 and RB7 respectively; RB8, RB9, RB10 and RB11 map reference signal sequences DMRS(8), DMRS(9), DMRS(10) and DMRS(11) respectively, DMRS(8), DMRS(9), DMRS(10) and DMRS(11) are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB8, RB9, RB10 and RB11 respectively; RB12, RB13, RB14 and RB15 map reference signal sequences DMRS(12), DMRS(13), DMRS(14) and DMRS(15) respectively, DMRS(12), DMRS(13), DMRS(14) and DMRS(15) are generated based on the frequency domain position indexes of RB12, RB13, RB14 and RB15 respectively.

[0293] In the right reasoning process, the reference signal sequences DMRS(0), DMRS(1), DMRS(2), DMRS(3) corresponding to RB0, RB1, RB2 and RB3 are input into the model respectively, to obtain the channel estimation results H(RB_0-RB_3) corresponding to RB0, RB1, RB2 and RB3; the reference signal sequences DMRS(4), DMRS(5), DMRS(6), DMRS(7) corresponding to RB4, RB5, RB6 and RB7 are input into the model respectively, to obtain the channel estimation results H(RB_4-RB_7) corresponding to RB4, RB5, RB6 and RB7; the reference signal sequences DMRS(8), DMRS(9), DMRS(10), DMRS(11) corresponding to RB8, RB9, RB10 and RB11 are input into the model respectively, to obtain the channel estimation results H(RB_8-RB_11) corresponding to RB8, RB9, RB10 and RB11; the reference signal sequences DMRS(12), DMRS(13), DMRS(14), DMRS(15) corresponding to RB12, RB13, RB14 and RB15 are input into the model respectively, to obtain the channel estimation results H(RB_12-RB_15) corresponding to RB12, RB13, RB14 and RB15.

[0294] FIG. 12 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 12, the method includes S1205 and S1220.

[0295] S1205, a first communication device sends first information, the first information indicating N, N is a positive integer, N is used to determine the offset between the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit in the first resource set and the first frequency domain position index, and the reference signal mapped to the first resource unit is generated based on the first frequency domain position index. Correspondingly, a second communication device receives the first information.

[0296] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device, and the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0297] This step can refer to S805, which will not be described here.

[0298] S1220, the second communication device sends the first reference signal sequence based on the first information, a reference signal mapped to a first resource unit in the first resource set in the first reference signal sequence is generated based on the first frequency domain position index, and there is an offset X between the first frequency domain position index and the frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, X being an integer greater than 0. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0299] This step can refer to S820, for example, the first communication device and the second communication device in S820 are exchanged roles.

[0300] In some implementations of the embodiment, S1230 and S1240 can also be included.

[0301] S1230, the first communication device generates the first reference signal sequence based on the first information.

[0302] This step can refer to S830, for example, the first communication device in S830 is replaced by the second communication device.

[0303] S1240, the first communication device performs channel estimation based on the first reference signal sequence and the first received reference signal sequence, the first received reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence received by the first communication device after the first reference signal sequence sent by the second communication device is transmitted through a channel.

[0304] In some implementations, the method for the first communication device to perform channel estimation based on the first reference signal sequence and the first received reference signal sequence can refer to related prior art, for example, performing channel estimation by least square method.

[0305] In the embodiment, the first communication device sends the first information to the second communication device, so that the second communication device can accurately generate the first reference signal sequence, thereby improving the accuracy of the channel estimation result.

[0306] FIG. 13 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 13, the method can include S1320, S1330 and S1340.

[0307] S1320, the second communication device sends the first reference signal sequence, the first reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence mapped by the first resource set, the first resource set containing N resource blocks, N being a positive integer. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first reference signal sequence.

[0308] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device, and the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0309] The step can refer to S920. For example, the roles of the first communication device and the second communication device in S920 are interchanged.

[0310] S1330. The first communication device generates a first reference signal sequence.

[0311] The step can refer to S710, which will not be repeated here.

[0312] S1340. The first communication device obtains an AI / ML model based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence. The AI / ML model is trained based on the first reference signal sequence and the first actually-received reference signal sequence. The AI / ML model is used to output a channel estimation result. The first actually-received reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence received by the first communication device after the first reference signal sequence sent by the second communication device is transmitted through a channel.

[0313] The step can refer to S940, which will not be repeated here.

[0314] FIG. 14 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 14, the method can include S1410, S1420, and S1430.

[0315] S1410. The first communication device obtains an AI / ML model. The AI / ML model is used to output a channel estimation result based on a first reference signal sequence and a first actually-received reference signal sequence. The first actually-received reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence received by a receiving device after a first reference signal sequence sent by a sending device is transmitted through a channel.

[0316] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device.

[0317] In some implementations, the AI / ML model is an AI / ML model trained by the first communication device or a model training device in S1340.

[0318] S1420. The second communication device sends a second reference signal sequence. The second reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence mapped by a second resource set. The second resource set includes N RBs, and N is a positive integer. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the second reference signal sequence.

[0319] In some scenarios, the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0320] The step can refer to S1020, for example, the second communication device in S1020 is replaced by the first communication device.

[0321] S1430, the first communication device uses the AI / ML model to perform channel estimation based on the second reference signal sequence and a second actually-received reference signal sequence, the second actually-received reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence received by the receiving device after the second reference signal sequence is transmitted through the channel.

[0322] This step can refer to S1030, which will not be repeated here. For example, the second communication device in S1030 is replaced by the first communication device.

[0323] FIG. 15 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 15, the method includes S1510, S1520, S1530, S1540, and S1550.

[0324] S1510, the first communication device transmits an AI / ML model, the AI / ML model being configured to output a channel estimation result based on a first reference signal sequence and a first actually-received reference signal sequence, the first actually-received reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence received by the receiving device after the first reference signal sequence is transmitted through the channel. Accordingly, the over-the-top (OTT) device receives the AI / ML model.

[0325] In some scenarios, the first communication device represents a network device. The over-the-top device can be a host or a cloud server of an OTT system.

[0326] In some implementations, the AI / ML model is the AI / ML model obtained by the first communication device in S940.

[0327] S1520, the first communication device transmits a second reference signal sequence, the second reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence mapped by a second resource set, the second resource set including N RBs, N being a positive integer. Accordingly, the second communication device receives the second reference signal sequence.

[0328] In some scenarios, the second communication device represents a terminal device.

[0329] This step can refer to S1020, which will not be repeated here.

[0330] S1530, the second communication device transmits a second actually-received reference signal sequence, the second actually-received reference signal sequence being a reference signal sequence received by the first communication device after the second reference signal sequence transmitted by the first communication device is transmitted through the channel. Accordingly, the OTT device receives the second actually-received reference signal sequence.

[0331] This step can refer to S1020, for example, the first communication device in S1020 is replaced by the second communication device, and the first communication device in S1020 is replaced by the OTT device.

[0332] In some implementations, the second communication device further sends the second reference signal sequence to the OTT device.

[0333] At S1540, the OTT device performs channel estimation based on the second reference signal sequence and the second actually-received reference signal sequence using the AI / ML model, to obtain a channel estimation result.

[0334] If the second communication device does not send the second reference signal sequence to the OTT device, in some implementations, the OTT device generates the second reference signal sequence by itself.

[0335] This step can refer to S1030, for example, replacing the second communication device in S1030 with the OTT device.

[0336] At S1550, the OTT device sends the channel estimation result to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the channel estimation result.

[0337] In this embodiment, the operation of performing channel estimation based on the model is located in the OTT device outside the terminal device, which can reduce the power consumption and capability requirement of the terminal device. In another aspect, the application scenario of performing channel estimation through the model is more extensive and is not limited by the capability of the terminal device.

[0338] FIG. 16 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 16, the communication apparatus 1600 can include a processing module 1601 and a communication module 1602.

[0339] As a first example, the communication apparatus 1600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device in any one of the preceding method embodiments. For example, the processing module 1601 is configured to implement the processing-related steps performed by the first communication device in any one of the preceding method embodiments, and the communication module 1602 is configured to implement the sending, receiving, and / or the like steps performed by the first communication device in any one of the preceding method embodiments.

[0340] As a second example, the communication apparatus 1600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the second communication device in any one of the preceding method embodiments. For example, the processing module 1601 is configured to implement the processing-related steps performed by the second communication device in any one of the preceding method embodiments, and the communication module 1602 is configured to implement the sending, receiving, and / or the like steps performed by the second communication device in any one of the preceding method embodiments.

[0341] As a third example, the communication device 1600 can be used to implement the steps implemented by an OTT device in any of the preceding method embodiments. For example, the processing module 1601 is configured to implement the processing-related steps performed by the OTT device in any of the preceding method embodiments, and the communication module 1602 is configured to implement the transmitting, receiving, and / or the like steps performed by the OTT device in any of the preceding method embodiments.

[0342] Fig. 17 is a structural diagram of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 17, the communication device 1700 includes a processor 1701 and a communication circuit 1702. The processor 1701 and the communication circuit 1702 are coupled to each other. It can be understood that the communication circuit 1702 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1700 can further include a memory 1703 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1701 or storing input data required by the processor 1701 to execute instructions or storing data generated by the processor 1701 after executing instructions. It can be understood that the memory 1703 can be located outside the processor 1701, or located inside the processor 1701.

[0343] As an example, the processor 1701 is configured to implement the functions of the processing module 1701 described above, and the communication circuit 1702 is configured to implement the functions of the communication module 1702 described above.

[0344] The communication device 1700 can be a terminal device, or a chip applied in a terminal device.

[0345] The communication device 1700 can be a network device, or a chip applied in a network device.

[0346] The communication device 1700 can be an OTT device, or a chip applied in an OTT device.

[0347] It can be understood that when the communication device 1700 is a terminal device or a network device or an OTT device, the communication circuit 1702 can be a transceiver. When the communication device 1700 is a chip, the communication circuit 1702 can be an input / output interface.

[0348] Some embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which, when executed on a processor, can implement the method implemented by the first communication device in any of the preceding embodiments, or can implement the method implemented by the second communication device in any of the preceding embodiments, or can implement the method implemented by the OTT device in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0349] Some embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which comprises computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are run on a processor, the method implemented by the first communication device in any of the above embodiments can be implemented, or the method implemented by the second communication device in any of the above embodiments can be implemented, or the method implemented by the OTT device in any of the above embodiments can be implemented.

[0350] Some embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which can implement the method implemented by the first communication device and the second communication device in any of the above embodiments, and can implement the method implemented by the first communication device, the second communication device and the OTT device in the embodiment shown in Fig. 15.

[0351] It can be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be all or part of the circuit of the following devices or the following devices for processing functions: central processing unit (CPU), and can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0352] The method steps or functions in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, register, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a network device or a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the network device or the terminal device.

[0353] The steps or functions in the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, the software can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable apparatus. The computer programs or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer programs or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center through wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disc; and a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state disk.

[0354] In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referred to each other if there is no special description and logical conflict. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0355] It can be understood that various numerical numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only used for differentiation for convenience of description, and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the serial numbers of the above processes does not mean the execution order, and the execution order of the processes should be determined according to their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: sending or receiving a first reference signal sequence, a reference signal mapped in a first resource unit in the first reference signal sequence being generated based on a first frequency domain position index, there being an offset X between the first frequency domain position index and a frequency domain position index of the first resource unit, X being an integer greater than 0.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first reference signal sequence is a reference signal sequence on a first resource set, the first resource unit belonging to the first resource set, the first resource set containing N resource blocks, N being a positive integer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The value of the offset X is associated with the value of N.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first frequency domain position index is equal to a remainder obtained by dividing T by P, P being equal to N*S, S representing a number of subcarriers carrying a reference signal transmitted through a same port on one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbol in each resource block, and T representing a frequency domain position index of the first resource unit.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The first resource set is one of a plurality of resource sets, in the plurality of resource sets, reference signal sequences based on which reference signals mapped in resource units in different resource sets are generated are different.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving or sending first information, the first information indicating N.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first information comprises a plurality of bits, N being equal to a value indicated by the plurality of bits.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The plurality of bits correspond to a plurality of values one by one, N being equal to a value corresponding to a bit with a preset value among the plurality of bits.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, The decimal value of the plurality of bits represents the value of N.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first information comprises M values of a first configuration parameter of a reference signal sequence, M being a positive integer, N being equal to a ratio of a number of resource blocks used for transmitting the reference signal sequence within a first physical channel bandwidth to M, the first physical channel bandwidth containing the first resource set.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The first configuration parameter comprises a scrambling identifier.

12. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that, The first reference signal sequence is used as an input of an artificial intelligence model or a machine learning model, the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model outputting a channel estimation result corresponding to the first resource set based on the first reference signal sequence.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The first reference signal sequence is used for training the artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The artificial intelligence model or the machine learning model trained based on the first reference signal sequence is used for determining a channel estimation result corresponding to a second resource set based on a second reference signal sequence, the second resource set being contained in a second physical channel bandwidth, the second physical channel bandwidth being different from the first physical channel bandwidth, the first physical channel bandwidth containing the first resource set.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, A reference signal mapped in a second resource unit in the second resource set in the second reference signal sequence is generated based on a frequency domain position index of the second resource unit.

16. A communications device, characterized by A processor coupled with a memory, the memory being used for storing program instructions, the processor being used for executing the program instructions in the memory to implement the method in any one of claims 1 to 15.

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