Time unit determination method, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a time unit determination method, a device, and a storage medium. The method is executed by a first device, and comprises: determining a second time unit; not receiving, on the second time unit, a reference signal sent by a second device; or, receiving, on the second time unit, a first reference signal sent by the second device, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of a second reference signal which is received by a first device on a first time unit, and a channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined on the basis of the first time unit. Therefore, the density of a reference signal in a second time unit can be reduced, and the number of transmissions of the reference signal in the second time unit can be reduced, thereby saving on transmission resources; and a channel estimation result of the second time unit is determined on the basis of a first time unit, such that channel estimation can be performed by using time-domain correlation of a channel, and thus the accuracy and efficiency of channel estimation can be improved.

Description

A method for determining time units, a communication system, and a storage medium. Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method for determining time units, a communication system, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In mobile communications, resource scheduling is currently carried out using time slots as the time unit. Each slot's time-frequency resources include a reference signal, which is mainly used for channel estimation for the current slot. The estimated channel is then used to demodulate the data. Therefore, the accuracy of channel estimation has a significant impact on demodulation performance.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure proposes a method for determining time units, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a time unit determination method is proposed, executed by a first device, the method comprising: determining a second time unit; not receiving a reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit; or receiving a first reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0006] In the above method, a second time unit can be determined, thereby reducing the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and saving resources.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a time unit determination method is provided, the method being executed by a second device, the method comprising: determining a second time unit; not transmitting a reference signal to a first device during the second time unit; or transmitting a first reference signal to the first device during the second time unit, the density of the first reference signal being lower than the density of a second reference signal transmitted by the second device during the first time unit, wherein the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0008] In the above method, a second time unit can be determined, thereby reducing the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and saving resources.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, including a processing module configured to: determine a second time unit; not receive a reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit; or receive a first reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided, including a processing module configured to: determine a second time unit; not transmit a reference signal to a first device during the second time unit; or transmit a first reference signal to the first device during the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal transmitted by the second device during the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform a method as described in any of the first aspects of the present disclosure, or to perform a method as described in any of the second aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a first device and a second device, wherein the first device is configured to implement the method of the first aspect, and the second device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect.

[0013] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a method as described in either the first or second aspect.

[0014] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, characterized in that it includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of the first and second aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of some communication systems provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a time unit determination method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figures 3a-3c are schematic flowcharts of some time unit determination methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0019] Figures 4a-4b are schematic flowcharts of other time unit determination methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating some other time unit determination methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] This disclosure presents a method for determining time units, as well as a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0026] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a time unit determination method, executed by a first device, the method comprising: determining a second time unit; not receiving a reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit; or receiving a first reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0027] In the above embodiments, a second time unit can be determined to reduce the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and save resources.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the second time unit includes: determining a preset time window, the preset time window including multiple time units; and determining at least one time unit among the multiple time units as the second time unit.

[0029] In the above embodiments, a second time unit can be determined to reduce the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and save resources.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any one of the following: determining the number of multiple time units based on a protocol predefined; receiving first indication information sent by a second device, the first indication information indicating the number of multiple time units; determining the number of multiple time units according to the first indication information; sending request information to the second device, the request information requesting the second device to configure a first number of multiple time units; receiving first indication information sent by the second device in response to the request information, the first indication information indicating whether to agree to the first number and / or a second number configured by the second device; determining the number of multiple time units according to the first indication information; wherein the first device is a terminal and the second device is a network device.

[0031] In the above embodiments, the number of time units can be determined, which facilitates the determination of a preset time window and the channel estimation of the second time unit based on the preset time window.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the second time unit includes: receiving second indication information sent by the second device, the second indication information being used to indicate whether the third time unit includes a reference signal and / or to indicate a reference signal pattern in the third time unit; determining the third time unit as the second time unit if the third time unit does not include a reference signal, or if the density of the reference signal in the third time unit is determined to be lower than the density of the reference signal in the first time unit based on the reference signal pattern in the third time unit.

[0033] In the above embodiments, it is possible to determine the second time unit, thereby reducing the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and saving resources.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: when the first time unit meets preset conditions, determining the reference signal in the second time unit using a first model based on the first information corresponding to the first time unit, and / or determining the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit using the first model.

[0035] In the above embodiments, a first model can be used to predict the reference signal, and a channel estimate can be performed on the second time unit.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: channel information obtained by measuring a reference signal in a first time unit, the reference signal including a reference signal received by a first device or a reference signal estimated using a first model; channel information obtained by channel estimation of the first time unit using the first model; channel information experienced by the reference signal in a second time unit, the reference signal including a reference signal received by a first device or a reference signal estimated using a first model; frequency position information of the first time unit; time information of the first time unit; frequency position of the second time unit; and time difference between the second time unit and the first time unit.

[0037] In the above embodiments, first information can be determined to facilitate prediction of reference signals based on the first information and channel estimation of the second time unit.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the preset conditions include at least one of the following: the precoder used by the first time unit is the same as the precoder used by the second time unit; the first time unit and the second time unit are consecutive.

[0039] In the above embodiments, preset conditions can be determined to facilitate the prediction of the reference signal and the channel estimation of the second time unit when the preset conditions are met.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the number of first time units based on the number of multiple time units included in a preset time window, wherein the number of first time units is less than the number of multiple time units.

[0041] In the above embodiments, the number of first time units can be determined, which facilitates the determination of the number of first time units input to the first model.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: receiving second information of a first time unit sent by a second device, the second information being used to indicate the number of first time units.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the number of first time units can be determined, which facilitates the determination of the number of first time units input to the first model.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: sending a request message to a second device, the request message being used to request the second device to use the same precoder for N time units, or to request the second device to schedule N consecutive time units, the N time units including a first time unit and a second time unit, wherein N is a positive integer; determining the N time units scheduled by the second device; and determining that the number of first time units is less than or equal to N-1.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the number of first time units can be determined, which facilitates the determination of the number of first time units input to the first model.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: if the first time unit does not meet a preset condition, receiving third information sent by the second device, the third information being used to indicate whether the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit; if the third information indicates a first value, using the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit; if the third information indicates a second value, measuring the reference signal in the second time unit to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the second device can use third information to instruct the first device whether it can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous according to a preset rule, and / or determining whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same according to the precoder of the first time unit indicated by the second device and the precoder of the second time unit.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the first device can determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous and whether the same precoder is used, so as to use the first model to determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit when the preset conditions are met.

[0050] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a time unit determination method, which is executed by a second device. The method includes: determining a second time unit; not sending a reference signal to a first device during the second time unit; or sending a first reference signal to the first device during the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal sent by the second device during the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0051] In the above embodiments, a second time unit can be determined to reduce the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and save resources.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, determining the second time unit includes: determining a preset time window, the preset time window including multiple time units; and determining at least one time unit among the multiple time units as the second time unit.

[0053] In the above embodiments, a second time unit can be determined to reduce the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and save resources.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any one of the following: determining the number of multiple time units based on a protocol predefined; sending first indication information to a first device, the first indication information indicating the number of multiple time units; and receiving request information sent by the first device, the request information requesting a second device to configure a first number of multiple time units; in response to the request information, sending first indication information to the first device, the first indication information indicating whether the second device agrees to configure the first number and / or the second device decides to configure a second number; wherein the first device is a terminal and the second device is a network device.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the number of time units can be determined, which facilitates the determination of a preset time window and the channel estimation of the second time unit based on the preset time window.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending second indication information to a first device, the second indication information being used to indicate whether a third time unit includes a reference signal and / or to indicate a reference signal pattern in the third time unit, the second indication information being used by the first device to determine a second time unit.

[0057] In the above embodiments, it is possible to determine the second time unit, thereby reducing the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit and saving resources.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the number of first time units based on the number of multiple time units included in a preset time window, wherein the number of first time units is less than the number of multiple time units.

[0059] In the above embodiments, the number of first time units can be determined, which facilitates the determination of the number of first time units input to the first model.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second device is a network device, and the method further includes: sending second information of the first time unit to the first device, the second information being used to indicate the number of the first time units.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the second device can indicate the number of first time units to the first device through second information, so that the first device can determine the number of first time units input to the first model.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second device is a network device, and the method further includes: receiving a request message sent by the first device, the request message being used to request the second device to use the same precoder for N time units, or to request the second device to schedule N consecutive time units, the N time units including a first time unit and a second time unit, wherein N is a positive integer; determining the N time units to be scheduled; and determining that the number of the first time units is less than or equal to N-1.

[0063] In the above embodiments, a request message can be received, and N time units can be scheduled for the first device based on the request message, so that the first device can determine the number of first time units and the number of first time units input to the first model.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second device is a network device, and the method further includes: sending third information to the first device, the third information being used to indicate whether the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit, wherein, when the third information indicates a first value, the first device uses the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit; when the third information indicates a second value, the first device measures the reference signal in the second time unit to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the second device can use third information to instruct the first device whether it can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous according to a preset rule, and / or determining whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same according to the precoder of the first time unit indicated by the second device and the precoder of the second time unit.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the second device can determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous and whether the same precoder is used, so as to use the first model to determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit when the preset conditions are met.

[0068] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a first device, including a processing module, configured to determine a second time unit; not receive a reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit; or receive a first reference signal transmitted by the second device in the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0069] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a second device, including a processing module, configured to: determine a second time unit; not transmit a reference signal to a first device during the second time unit; or transmit a first reference signal to the first device during the second time unit, wherein the density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal transmitted by the second device during the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0070] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which includes: one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of the first aspects, or the method of any one of the second aspects.

[0071] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a first device and a second device; wherein the first device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, and the second device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

[0072] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions; after being executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions are capable of performing the methods described in the first aspect, the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0073] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, characterized in that it includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in either the first or second aspect.

[0074] It is understood that the first device, the second device, the communication device, the communication system, and the storage medium described above are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0075] This disclosure provides a method for determining time units, as well as communication devices, communication systems, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms "time unit determination method" and "information processing method," "communication method," etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms "terminal," "network device," and "communication apparatus," etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms "information processing system" and "communication system," etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0076] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0077] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0078] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0079] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0080] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0081] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “at least one of”, “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0082] The descriptions in this disclosure, such as "at least one of A, B, C..." or "A and / or B and / or C...", include the case where any one of A, B, C... exists alone, as well as the case where any combination of any of A, B, C... exists alone. Each case can exist alone. For example, "at least one of A, B, C" includes the cases of A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B combination, A and C combination, B and C combination, and A and B and C combination. For example, A and / or B includes the cases of A alone, B alone, and A and B combination.

[0083] In some embodiments, the notation "in one case A, in another case B" or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: A is executed regardless of B, i.e., A is executed in some embodiments; B is executed regardless of A, i.e., B is executed in some embodiments; A and B are selectively executed, i.e., A and B are selected for execution in some embodiments; A and B are both executed, i.e., A and B are executed in some embodiments. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0084] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0085] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0087] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0088] In some embodiments, devices, etc., can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as “device”, “equipment”, “circuit”, “network element”, “node”, “function”, “unit”, “section”, “system”, “network”, “chip”, “chip system”, “entity”, and “subject” can be used interchangeably.

[0089] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0091] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures that replace communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals with communication between multiple terminals (e.g., also referred to as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, uplink link, downlink link, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0092] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0093] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0094] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0095] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0096] In some embodiments, terms such as "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data".

[0097] In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

[0098] In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal (SS)," "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0099] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0100] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “get,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, processing and obtaining on their own, or autonomously implementing, among other meanings.

[0101] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0102] In some embodiments, "pre-defined" or "pre-set" can be interpreted as pre-specified in an agreement or the like, or as a device or the like performing a pre-set action.

[0103] In some embodiments, determining can be interpreted as judging, deciding, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching, looking up, searching, querying, ascertaining, receiving, transmitting, inputting, outputting, accessing, resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, assuming, expecting, considering, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, assigning, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0104] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0105] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0106] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0107] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0108] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained after obtaining user consent. To address the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure proposes an information indication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0109] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 may include a first device 101 and a second device 102.

[0110] In some embodiments, for example, the first device may be a device for receiving a reference signal, such as a terminal or a network device. Optionally, the first device may be a device for performing channel estimation, such as a device for performing channel estimation using an AI model.

[0111] In some embodiments, for example, the second device may be a device for transmitting reference signals; for example, the second device may be a terminal or a network device. In some embodiments, the terminal includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an IoT device, a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, and a wireless terminal device in self-driving vehicles.

[0112] The device is at least one of, but not limited to, wireless terminal devices, wireless terminal devices in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal devices in smart grids, wireless terminal devices in transportation safety, wireless terminal devices in smart cities, and wireless terminal devices in smart homes.

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

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

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

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

[0117] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned one or more network elements may include, for example, AMF, UPF, MME, etc., and may also include other network elements, such as Policy Control Function (PCF), Application Function (AF), Network Application Function (NAF), Authentication and Key Management for Applications Anchor Function (AAnF), Bootstrapping Server Functionality (BSF), Session Management Function (SMF), etc.

[0118] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0119] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0120] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0121] The widespread application of 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology) is bringing tremendous changes to all aspects of people's lives. 5G will permeate all areas of future society, building a comprehensive information ecosystem centered on the user. Specifically, 5G user experience speeds can reach 100 Mbit / s to 1 Gbit / s, supporting ultimate service experiences such as mobile virtual reality; 5G peak speeds can reach 10 Gbit / s to 20 Gbit / s, with a traffic density of up to 10 Mbit / s / m. 2 It can support more than a thousand times the growth of mobile traffic in the future; the 5G connection density can reach 1 million / m². 2 5G can effectively support a massive number of IoT devices; its transmission latency is in the millisecond range, meeting the stringent requirements of vehicle networking and industrial control; and it can support mobile speeds of 500 km / h, ensuring a good user experience even in high-speed rail environments. It is conceivable that 5G, as a representative of new infrastructure, will reshape the future information society.

[0122] In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has made continuous breakthroughs in multiple fields. The ongoing development of fields such as intelligent voice and computer vision has not only brought a wide variety of applications to smart terminals, but has also found widespread use in education, transportation, home, healthcare, retail, security, and many other sectors, bringing convenience to people's lives while promoting industrial upgrading across various industries. AI technology is also accelerating its cross-disciplinary integration with other disciplines, combining knowledge from different fields while providing new directions and methods for the development of various disciplines.

[0123] In 3GPP Release 18, a research project on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the radio interface was established in RAN1. This project aims to investigate how to introduce AI technology into the radio interface and explore how AI technology can assist in improving radio interface transmission technology.

[0124] In research on 6th generation mobile networks (6G), 6G systems can provide more multi-dimensional AI services, and the application of artificial intelligence technology in mobile communications is gradually increasing. Specifically, this mainly includes the following three aspects:

[0125] 1. AI-enabled connectivity, which means using AI methods to improve communication performance, such as using AI for beam management;

[0126] 2. Computing power services, which means that the network side can provide computing power to the terminal side, such as helping the terminal to perform model training and model inference;

[0127] 3. Ultimate AI service, which means enhancing the network transmission pipeline to improve the experience of AI application services.

[0128] In mobile communications, resource scheduling is currently carried out using time slots as the time unit. Each slot's time-frequency resources include a reference signal (RS). The reference signal is mainly used to estimate the channel for the current slot and to demodulate the data using the estimated channel. Therefore, the accuracy of the channel estimation has a significant impact on the demodulation performance.

[0129] Furthermore, in wireless propagation environments, channels are correlated in time, but current channel estimation is performed on a per-slot basis, without fully considering the correlation in the time domain.

[0130] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure proposes a time unit determination method. This method can perform channel estimation based on time-domain correlation and can reduce the number of reference signals transmitted, thus saving transmission resources. The specific details of this method are as follows.

[0131] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a communication system 100, which may include a first device 101 and a second device 102. The method includes:

[0132] Step 2101: The second device sends a second instruction message to the first device.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second indication information is used to indicate whether the third time unit includes a reference signal and / or to indicate a reference signal pattern in the third time unit; if the third time unit does not include a reference signal, or if the density of the reference signal in the third time unit is determined to be lower than the density of the reference signal in the first time unit based on the reference signal pattern in the third time unit, the third time unit is determined to be the second time unit.

[0134] In some embodiments, the third time unit may be a time slot for transmitting a reference signal. For example, the reference signal may be transmitted in the third time unit, or the third time unit may not transmit a reference signal.

[0135] In some embodiments, for example, when the first device is a terminal, the second device can be a network device. When the first device is a reference signal receiver, the network device can dynamically indicate to the terminal whether a reference signal is included in the third time unit, that is, whether a reference signal is transmitted in the third time unit. The network device can also indicate the pattern of the reference signal to the terminal when the reference signal is included in the third time unit.

[0136] In some embodiments, after receiving the second instruction information from the second device, the first device can determine whether the third time unit contains a reference signal and the density of the reference signal in the third time unit based on the instruction information. For example, the first device can determine the third time unit that does not contain a reference signal or contains a low density of reference signal as the second time unit.

[0137] In other words, the second time unit may be a time unit that does not contain a reference signal or contains a reference signal with a low density. For example, the third time unit may be determined as the second time unit when the density of the reference signal contained in the third time unit is less than or equal to a density threshold. Optionally, the density threshold may be determined according to the actual application, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0138] In some embodiments, this step is optional. When the first device can determine the second time unit on its own, the second device does not need to send the second indication information to the first device, and this step can be omitted.

[0139] Step 2102a: The first device determines the preset time window.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first device may be a device for receiving a reference signal. For example, a first model is deployed on the first device, wherein the first model may be an artificial intelligence model, and the first model may be used to perform channel estimation for a second time unit.

[0141] In some embodiments, a preset time window includes multiple time units, and a first device can determine the number of multiple time units in the preset time window. The method for determining the number of multiple time units includes any of the following:

[0142] The number of multiple time units is determined based on the predefined protocol.

[0143] Receive first indication information sent by the second device, the first indication information indicating the number of multiple time units; determine the number of multiple time units based on the first indication information; and

[0144] Send a request message to the second device, the request message being used to request the second device to configure a first number of multiple time units; receive a first indication message sent by the second device in response to the request message, the first indication message being used to indicate whether to agree to the first number and / or the second number configured by the second device; determine the number of multiple time units based on the first indication message;

[0145] The first device is a terminal, and the second device is a network device.

[0146] Optionally, the first device may determine the number of multiple time units based on a predefined protocol, that is, the first device may determine a predefined preset value and set the preset value as the number of multiple time units.

[0147] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal, the second device can be a network device. The network device can indicate the number of multiple time units to the terminal through the first indication information, that is, the first indication information can be configured by the network device.

[0148] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal, the second device can be a network device. That is, the terminal can send a request to the network device, requesting the network device to configure the number of multiple time units for the terminal. For example, the terminal's request information can carry the first number of multiple time units requested by the terminal. That is, the terminal can report the first number supported by the terminal or the first number expected by the terminal. The network device can indicate the number of multiple time units to the terminal based on the first number. For example, the network device can directly determine that the first number requested by the terminal is the number of multiple time units. That is, the first indication information can indicate that the network device agrees to the first number requested by the terminal. For another example, the network device can reconfigure the number of multiple time units for the terminal. That is, the first indication information can indicate that the network device disagrees with the first number requested by the terminal, and the network device can indicate the number of multiple time units as a second number through the first indication information.

[0149] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the second device can determine the preset time window.

[0150] Step 2102b: The second device determines the preset time window.

[0151] In some embodiments, a preset time window includes multiple time units, and a second device can determine the number of multiple time units in the preset time window. The method for determining the number of multiple time units includes any of the following:

[0152] The number of multiple time units is determined based on the predefined protocol.

[0153] Send a first indication message to the first device, the first indication message indicating the number of multiple time units; and

[0154] Receive a request message sent by a first device, the request message being used to request a second device to configure a first number of multiple time units; in response to the request message, send a first indication message to the first device, the first indication message being used to indicate whether the second device agrees to configure the first number and / or the second device decides to configure a second number;

[0155] The first device is a terminal, and the second device is a network device.

[0156] Optionally, the second device may obtain a preset value predefined by the protocol and determine the preset value as the number of multiple time units.

[0157] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal, the second device can be a network device. The network device can indicate the number of multiple time units to the terminal through the first indication information, so that the first device can determine the number of multiple time units based on the first indication information.

[0158] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal, the second device can be a network device. The network device can receive the request information sent by the terminal and determine the number of multiple time units according to the first number requested by the terminal. For example, the network device can indicate the number of multiple time units as the first number through the first indication information; or the network device can indicate the number of multiple time units as other numbers through the first indication information, such as the second number. That is, the network device can disagree with the first number requested by the terminal.

[0159] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the first device can determine a preset time window.

[0160] Step 2103a: The first device determines the second time unit.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first device may determine a second time unit, wherein the density of the reference signal received in the second time unit is lower than the density of the reference signal received in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first device may not receive the reference signal sent by the second device in the second time unit; or, the first device may receive the first reference signal sent by the second device in the second time unit, the density of the first reference signal being lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit being determined based on the first time unit.

[0163] In some embodiments, the first device determines the second time unit by:

[0164] A preset time window is determined, which includes multiple time units; at least one of the multiple time units is determined as the second time unit.

[0165] In other words, the first device can determine a preset time window and determine that the preset time window includes at least one second time unit, that is, the preset time window has at least one time unit that does not contain a reference signal or contains a low density of reference signal.

[0166] Optionally, the first time unit can be any time unit other than the second time unit within a preset time window; that is, the preset time window can include both the first and second time units. Alternatively, the first time unit can be a time unit preceding the second time unit; that is, the second time unit can be the current time unit, and the first time unit can be a historical time unit, etc. In other words, the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit can be determined based on other time units within the preset time window, or the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit can be determined based on historical time units, etc.

[0167] In other words, the first device can determine the second time unit from the preset time window, and can either not transmit the reference signal in the second time unit, or reduce the number of times the reference signal is transmitted, thereby saving transmission resources.

[0168] In some embodiments, determining the second time unit further includes:

[0169] Receive second indication information sent by the second device, the second indication information being used to indicate whether the third time unit includes a reference signal and / or to indicate the reference signal pattern in the third time unit;

[0170] If the third time unit does not include a reference signal, or if the density of the reference signal in the third time unit is determined to be lower than the density of the reference signal in the first time unit based on the reference signal pattern in the third time unit, the third time unit is designated as the second time unit.

[0171] In other words, the second device can indicate to the first device the information of the reference signal contained in the time unit, and the first device can determine the time unit that does not include the reference signal or whose reference signal density is lower than that in the first time unit as the second time unit.

[0172] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the second device can determine the second time unit.

[0173] Step 2103b: The second device determines the second time unit.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second device may determine a second time unit, wherein the density of the reference signal received in the second time unit is lower than the density of the reference signal received in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

[0175] In some embodiments, the second device may not send a reference signal to the first device in the second time unit; or, it may send a first reference signal to the first device in the second time unit, the density of the first reference signal being lower than the density of the second reference signal sent by the second device in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit being determined based on the first time unit.

[0176] In some embodiments, the second device determines the second time unit by:

[0177] A preset time window is determined, which includes multiple time units; at least one of the multiple time units is determined as the second time unit.

[0178] In other words, the second device can determine a preset time window and determine that the preset time window includes at least one second time unit, that is, the preset time window has at least one time unit that does not contain a reference signal or contains a low density of reference signal.

[0179] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the first device can determine the second time unit.

[0180] Step 2104a: The first device determines whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions.

[0181] In some embodiments, optionally, the first device may determine whether the first time unit meets a preset condition in the following manner: The first device may determine whether the first time unit meets a preset condition according to preset rules, wherein the preset rules may be determined according to actual application scenarios. For example, it may determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit are consecutive based on the numbers of the first time unit and the second time unit, or determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit use the same precoder based on the precoder number of the first time unit and the precoder number of the second time unit, etc. For example, when the first device is a terminal, the number of the time unit and the number of the precoder may be indicated by a network device. When the first device is a terminal, optionally, the second device may be a network device. In other words, the second device may indicate the number of the time unit and the precoder to the first device, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0182] In other words, the preset conditions include at least one of the following: the precoder used by the first time unit is the same as the precoder used by the second time unit; the first time unit and the second time unit are consecutive.

[0183] In some embodiments, this step is optional, and can be omitted when the second device can determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first device may determine whether the preset conditions are met in other ways. For example, when the first device is a terminal device, the first device may determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions according to the instructions of the network device.

[0185] Optionally, the first device can independently determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions, and if the first device fails to independently determine this (e.g., it determines that the current first time unit does not meet the preset conditions), it can then determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions again according to the aforementioned preset rules. In other words, the first device can first determine this independently, and then determine this according to the instructions of the network device, or directly determine this according to the instructions of the network device; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0186] In some embodiments, the determination by the first device of whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions is a prerequisite for the first device to use the first model to perform channel estimation on the second time unit.

[0187] Step 2104b: The second device determines whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions.

[0188] In some embodiments, optionally, the second device may determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit meet a preset condition, that is, the second device may determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous according to a preset rule, and / or determine whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same according to the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit indicated by the second device. Specifically, the determination method of the second device is the same as that of the first device, see step 2104a, which will not be repeated here.

[0189] In some embodiments, this step is optional, and can be omitted when the first device can determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions.

[0190] Step 2105a: The first device determines the number of first time units.

[0191] In some embodiments, the number of first time units can be the number of first time units input to the first model. For example, when the number of first time units is N, the channel information of N first time units can be used to perform channel estimation on the second time unit using the first model, where N is a positive integer.

[0192] Optionally, the number of first time units can be the number of time units that meet preset conditions, that is, the number of time units that use the same precoder as the second time unit or the number of consecutive time units.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first device may be a terminal, and the second device may be a network device, that is, the network device may send a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal may perform channel estimation; or the network device may not send a reference signal to the terminal, and the terminal may use a first model to perform channel estimation for the second time unit based on the channel estimation information of the first time unit.

[0194] In some embodiments, the first device may optionally determine the number of first time units based on the number of multiple time units included in a preset time window, wherein the number of first time units is less than the number of multiple time units.

[0195] Specifically, the preset time window may include a first time unit and a second time unit. That is, the number of multiple time units can be the sum of the number of the first time units and the number of the second time units. Therefore, the number of the first time units can be determined based on the number of multiple time units in the preset time window and the determined number of the second time units.

[0196] In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: receiving second information of a first time unit sent by a second device, the second information being used to indicate the number of first time units.

[0197] In other words, the network device can indicate the number of first time units to the terminal through the second information, that is, the network device can indicate the number of historical slots. For example, the second device can indicate that the number of first time units is 4 through the second information.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: sending a request message to a second device, the request message being used to request the second device to use the same precoder for N time units, or to request the second device to schedule N consecutive time units, the N time units including a first time unit and a second time unit, wherein N is a positive integer; determining the N time units scheduled by the second device; and determining that the number of the first time units is less than or equal to N-1.

[0199] In other words, the first device can report the number of first time units supported by the first device to the second device. For example, the terminal can negotiate with the network device to determine the number of first time units. For instance, the terminal can request the network device to use the same precoder for N time units, or request the network device to schedule N consecutive time units. At this time, the N time units meet the preset conditions. When one of the N time units is determined as the second time unit, the maximum number of first time units that meet the preset conditions is N-1. Therefore, it can be determined that the number of first time units is less than or equal to N-1.

[0200] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the second device can determine the number of first time units.

[0201] Step 2105b: The second device determines the number of first time units.

[0202] In some embodiments, the second device may determine the number of first time units based on the number of multiple time units included in a preset time window, wherein the number of first time units is less than the number of multiple time units.

[0203] The method by which the second device determines the number of the first time units according to the preset time window is the same as the method by which the first device determines the number of the first time units according to the preset time window, see step 2105a, and will not be repeated here.

[0204] In some embodiments, optionally, when the first device is a terminal, the second device can be a network device. In this case, the second device can send second information about the first time unit to the first device. The second information is used to indicate the number of the first time units. That is, the second device can instruct the first device through the second information so that the first device can determine the number of the first time units based on the second information.

[0205] In some embodiments, optionally, when the first device is a terminal, the second device may be a network device. In this case, the method further includes: receiving a request message sent by the first device, the request message being used to request the second device to use the same precoder for N time units, or to request the second device to schedule N consecutive time units, the N time units including a first time unit and a second time unit, wherein N is a positive integer; determining the N time units to be scheduled; and determining that the number of the first time units is less than or equal to N-1.

[0206] In other words, the second device can receive the request message from the first device and, in response to the request message, schedule N consecutive time units for the terminal, or use the same precoder for the N time units. If the N consecutive time units meet the preset conditions, then the number of the first time units is less than or equal to N-1.

[0207] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the first device can determine the number of first time units.

[0208] Step 2106: The second device sends third information to the first device.

[0209] In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal, and the method further includes:

[0210] If the first time unit does not meet the preset conditions, the third information sent by the second device is received. The third information is used to indicate whether the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0211] When the third information indicates the first value, the first model is used to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit;

[0212] When the third information indicates the second value, the reference signal in the second time unit is measured to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0213] In other words, when the first device is a terminal and the first time unit does not meet the preset conditions, the terminal cannot use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit. At this time, the second device can be a network device, and the network device can use the third information to indicate whether the terminal can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0214] Optionally, the third information can indicate whether the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit through bit values. For example, the first value can be 0 and the second value can be 1. When the third information indicates 0, the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit. When the third information indicates 1, the first device cannot use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit. At this time, the first device can determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit through measurement. That is, the first device can receive the reference signal in the second time unit and perform channel measurement based on the received reference signal to determine the channel estimation result.

[0215] Alternatively, the third information may instruct the first device in other ways whether it can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0216] In some embodiments, this step is optional. When the first device determines that the first time unit meets the preset conditions, the second device may not need to provide an indication through the third information. In this case, this step is optional.

[0217] Step 2107: The first device uses the first model to determine the reference signal in the second time unit, and / or uses the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0218] In some embodiments, if the first time unit meets preset conditions, the first device may determine the reference signal in the second time unit using the first model based on the first information corresponding to the first time unit, and / or determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit using the first model.

[0219] In other words, the first device can predict the position of the reference signal in the second time unit based on the first information corresponding to the first time unit, or the first device can determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first device is a reference signal receiver, but the first device may not receive a reference signal in the second time unit. If the first time unit meets the preset conditions, the first device may use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit based on the first information corresponding to the first time unit.

[0221] In other words, the first device can estimate the channel information of the current time unit based on the first information of the historical time unit. For example, the first device can be a terminal device or a network device. In other words, the reference signal can be an uplink reference signal or a downlink reference signal. When the first device is a terminal device, the second device can be a network device, that is, the network device can send a reference signal to the terminal device. At this time, the reference signal is a downlink reference signal. When the first device is a network device, the second device can be a terminal device, and the terminal can send a reference signal to the network device. At this time, the reference signal is an uplink reference signal.

[0222] In some embodiments, optionally, a channel estimation processing window may be determined. The channel estimation processing window may include a plurality of first time units and at least one second time unit. For example, the first device may perform channel estimation on the second time unit in the channel estimation processing window according to the first information corresponding to the first time unit.

[0223] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0224] Channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal in the first time unit, wherein the reference signal includes the reference signal received by the first device or the reference signal estimated using the first model;

[0225] Channel information obtained by using the first model to perform channel estimation on the first time unit;

[0226] The channel information experienced by the reference signal in the second time unit, the reference signal including the reference signal received by the first device or the reference signal estimated using the first model;

[0227] Frequency and location information of the first time unit;

[0228] Time information for the first time unit;

[0229] The frequency position of the second time unit;

[0230] The time difference between the second time unit and the first time unit.

[0231] Optionally, the first information may be channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal in the first time unit. In other words, the reference signal of the historical time unit may be measured to obtain the channel information corresponding to the historical time unit. The first device may perform channel estimation for the second time unit based on the channel information corresponding to the historical time unit.

[0232] It is understood that the "reference signal in a time unit" in this disclosure may include a reference signal received by the first device or an estimated reference signal. Specifically, the reference signal in a time unit may refer to the actual transmitted / received reference signal, that is, the reference signal actually received by the receiver or the reference signal actually transmitted by the transmitter; or, the reference signal in a time unit may refer to an estimated reference signal, that is, the reference signal obtained by the receiver using reference signals from other time units as input and using an AI model for prediction or estimation, such as the prediction result being the position, pattern, density, etc. of the reference signal.

[0233] Optionally, the first information may be channel information obtained by using the first model to perform channel estimation on the first time unit. In other words, the channel information corresponding to the first time unit may be determined by the first device using the first model, i.e., the channel information corresponding to the first time unit may be obtained by channel estimation.

[0234] Optionally, the first information may be the channel information experienced by the reference signal in the second time unit. The reference signal includes the reference signal received by the first device or the estimated reference signal. In other words, the first device may use the first model to estimate the reference signal in the second time unit, or the first device may receive the reference signal in the second time unit. The first device may determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit based on the channel information experienced by the reference signal in the second time unit.

[0235] It is understandable that the channel information experienced by the reference signal refers to the channel estimation result that the reference signal was previously measured or predicted, or the channel estimation result corresponding to the reference signal being repeatedly transmitted in the same time unit. For example, in the scenario of repeatedly transmitting the reference signal, when predicting the channel estimation result of the reference signal to be transmitted later, the channel information obtained from the earlier transmission of the reference signal can be used.

[0236] It is understood that the terms "channel information", "channel estimation result" and "channel quality" in this disclosure can be used interchangeably.

[0237] Optionally, the first information may include the frequency position information of the first time unit, which may be, for example, the frequency point information corresponding to the first time unit.

[0238] Optionally, the first information may include the time information of the first time unit. For example, the time information of the first time unit may be the length information, start and end time information of the first time unit, or the time information of the first time unit may be used to indicate the position of the first time unit in the channel estimation processing window, etc.

[0239] Optionally, the first information may include the frequency position information of the second time unit, such as the frequency point information corresponding to the second time unit, etc.

[0240] Optionally, the first information may include the time difference between the second time unit and the first time unit.

[0241] Step 2108: The first device measures the reference signal in the second time unit to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0242] In some embodiments, when the first device cannot use the first model to determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit, the first device may measure the reference signal in the second time unit and determine the channel estimation result of the second time unit based on the measurement result.

[0243] In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result.

[0244] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps 2101 to 2108. For example, steps 2101+2102(2102a or 2102b)+2103(2103a or 2103b)+2104(2104a or 2104b)+2105(2105a or 2105b)+2106+2107+2108 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps 2101+2102(2102a or 2102b)+2103(2103a or 2103b)+2104(2104a or 2104b)+2105(2105a or 2105b)+ Steps 2106+2107 can be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps 2101+2102(2102a or 2102b)+2103(2103a or 2103b)+2104(2104a or 2104b)+2105(2105a or 2105b)+2106+2108 can be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps 2101+2102(2102a or 2102b)+2103(2103a or 2103b)+2104(2104a or 2104b)+2105( Steps 2105a or 2105b) + 2107 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps 2101 + 2102 (2102a or 2102b) + 2103 (2103a or 2103b) + 2104 (2104a or 2104b) + 2105 (2105a or 2105b) + 2108 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps 2102 (2102a or 2102b) + 2103 (2103a or 2103b) + 2104 (2104a or 2104b) + 2105 (2105a or 2105b) + 2108 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps 2102 (2102a or 2102b) + 2103 (2103a or 2103b) + 2104 (2104a or 2104b) + 2105 (2105a or 2105b) + 2107 ...4 (2105a or 2105b) + 2107 (2105a or 2105b) + 2108 (2105a or 2105b) + 2107 (2105a or 2105b) + 2108 (2105a or Steps 105a or 2105b) + 2107 can be implemented as independent embodiments, steps 2102 (2102a or 2102b) + 2103 (2103a or 2103b) + 2104 (2104a or 2104b) + 2105 (2105a or 2105b) + 2108 can be implemented as independent embodiments, steps 2102a + 2102b + 2103a + 2103b can be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps 2103a + 2103b can be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0245] Figure 3a is a flowchart illustrating a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3a, the present disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a first device, the method comprising:

[0246] Step 3101: Receive the second instruction information.

[0247] The optional implementation of step 3101 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0248] In some embodiments, the first device receives second instruction information sent by the second device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive second instruction information sent by other entities.

[0249] In some embodiments, the first device acquires second instruction information as defined by the protocol.

[0250] In some embodiments, the first device obtains second indication information from the upper layer(s).

[0251] In some embodiments, the first device processes information to obtain second instruction information.

[0252] Step 3102: Determine the preset time window.

[0253] The optional implementation of step 3102 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2102a in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0254] Step 3103: Determine the second time unit.

[0255] The optional implementation of step 3103 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2103a in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0256] Step 3104: Determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions.

[0257] The optional implementation of step 3104 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2104a in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0258] Step 3105: Determine the number of first time units.

[0259] The optional implementation of step 3105 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2105a in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0260] Step 3106: Receive the third information.

[0261] The optional implementation of step 3106 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2106 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0262] In some embodiments, the first device receives third information sent by the second device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive third information sent by other entities.

[0263] In some embodiments, the first device acquires third information as defined by the protocol.

[0264] In some embodiments, the first device obtains third information from the upper layer(s).

[0265] In some embodiments, the first device processes information to obtain third information.

[0266] Step 3107: Use the first model to determine the reference signal in the second time unit, and / or use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0267] The optional implementation of step 3107 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2107 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0268] Step 3108: Measure the reference signal in the second time unit to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0269] The optional implementation of step 3108 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2108 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0270] Figure 3b is a flowchart illustrating a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3b, the present disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a first device, the method comprising:

[0271] Step 3201: Determine the second time unit.

[0272] The optional implementation of step 3201 can be found in step 2103a in Figure 2, the optional implementation of step 3103 in Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 3a, which will not be repeated here.

[0273] Step 3202: Determine the number of first time units.

[0274] The optional implementation of step 3105 can be found in step 2105a in Figure 2, the optional implementation of step 3105 in Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 3a, which will not be repeated here.

[0275] Step 3203: Use the first model to determine the reference signal in the second time unit, and / or use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0276] Optional implementations of step 3203 can be found in step 2107 of Figure 2, optional implementations of step 3107 of Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 3a, which will not be repeated here.

[0277] Figure 3c is a flowchart illustrating a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3c, the present disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a first device, the method comprising:

[0278] Step 3301: Determine the second time unit.

[0279] The optional implementation of step 3201 can be found in step 2103a in Figure 2, step 3103 in Figure 3a, the optional implementation of step 3201 in Figure 3b, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 3a, and 3b, which will not be repeated here.

[0280] Figure 4a is a flowchart illustrating a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4a, the present disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a second device, the method comprising:

[0281] Step 4101: Send the second instruction information.

[0282] The optional implementation of step 4101 can be found in step 2101 of Figure 2, the optional implementation of step 3101 of Figure 3, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 3a, which will not be repeated here.

[0283] In some embodiments, the first device may receive second instruction information.

[0284] In some embodiments, the second device may send a second instruction message to the first device, but is not limited thereto; the second device may also send the second instruction message to other entities.

[0285] Step 4102: Determine the preset time window.

[0286] The optional implementation of step 4102 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2102b in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0287] Step 4103: Determine the second time unit.

[0288] The optional implementation of step 4103 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2103b in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0289] Step 4104: Determine whether the first time unit meets the preset conditions.

[0290] The optional implementation of step 4104 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2104b in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0291] Step 4105: Determine the number of first time units.

[0292] The optional implementation of step 4105 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2105b in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0293] Step 4106: Send the third message.

[0294] The optional implementation of step 4106 can be found in step 2106 of Figure 2, the optional implementation of step 3106 of Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 3a, which will not be repeated here.

[0295] In some embodiments, the first device may receive third information.

[0296] In some embodiments, the second device may send third information to the first device, but is not limited thereto; the second device may also send third information to other entities.

[0297] Figure 4b is a flowchart illustrating a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4b, the present disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a second device, the method comprising:

[0298] Step 4201: Determine the second time unit.

[0299] The optional implementation of step 4103 can be found in step 2103b of Figure 2, the optional implementation of step 4103 of Figure 4a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 4a, which will not be repeated here.

[0300] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a time unit determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a time unit determination method for a communication system, the communication system including a first device and a second device, the method comprising:

[0301] Step 5101: The first device and / or the second device determine the second time unit.

[0302] The optional implementations of step 5101 can be found in steps 2103a and 2103b in Figure 2, step 3103 in Figure 3a, step 3201 in Figure 3b, step 3301 in Figure 3c, step 4103 in Figure 4a, step 4201 in Figure 4b, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, and 4b, which will not be repeated here.

[0303] The following is an exemplary description of the above method.

[0304] The method illustrated in this disclosure relates to a method for channel estimation based on time-domain correlation and for reducing reference signals, the full content of which is as follows.

[0305] This method omits or transmits a low-density reference signal in the Nth time slot (slot N), and uses an AI model to predict the channel information of the current slot based on historical channel information. In other words, when there is no reference signal or the reference signal density is low in the current slot, the channel information of the current slot can be predicted using the channel information of historical slots. For example, when an AI model can be used to estimate the channel of the current slot based on historical slot channel information, a reference signal can be omitted or its density can be reduced in the current slot. Specifically, this can include the following two methods:

[0306] 1. Preset: A channel estimation processing window containing N slots. At least one of these N slots does not contain a channel state indicator (RS) or has a lower RS ​​density than the other slots. The value N can be a preset value, a network configuration value, or a value suggested by the terminal for network configuration. In slots without RS configuration or with low-density RS configuration, the receiver can use an AI model to infer the channel state value of the RS location, or use an AI model to predict the channel state value of the entire slot's data location.

[0307] 2: The network dynamically indicates whether the current slot contains an RS (Real RS) or indicates an RS pattern. This indication can be included in the DCI (Distributed Channel Information Framework). When the indication is that the current slot has no RS configuration or a low-density RS configuration, the receiver can use an AI model to infer the channel state value at the RS location, or use an AI model to predict the channel state value for the entire slot's data location.

[0308] In some embodiments, an AI model can be deployed at the receiving end, which can perform channel estimation for the current slot based on the AI ​​model. The inputs to the AI ​​model include:

[0309] Historical channel information includes the received signal of the reference signal in the historical slot or the channel information estimated from the historical slot.

[0310] The channel information experienced by the RS in the current slot includes the received RS signal or the estimated channel information experienced by the RS.

[0311] Furthermore, the input to the AI ​​model can also include any of the following information:

[0312] Historical slot frequency, location information, and / or time information;

[0313] Current slot frequency position;

[0314] The time difference between the current slot and historical slots, such as the difference in slot number.

[0315] In some embodiments, the output of the AI ​​model is the channel estimation result for data transmission resources in the current slot.

[0316] In some embodiments, historical slots in the model input can be determined. Specifically, the historical slots of the input need to meet any of the following requirements:

[0317] The same encoder (precoder) is used as the current slot;

[0318] It is continuous with the current slot.

[0319] Specifically, determining the number of historical slots to be input can include the following methods:

[0320] 1. If the channel estimation window defined in method 1 above is used, then the input historical slot can be determined by the channel estimation window length N. For example, the number of historical slots can be N-1.

[0321] 2. When the AI ​​model is deployed on the terminal side and the dynamic indication method described in Method 2 above is used, the number of historical slots that can be input can be entirely indicated by the network. For example, if the network is configured to input 4 historical slots, then the network side needs to ensure that the network side's sending operation meets the preset conditions.

[0322] 3. The terminal negotiates with the network, for example, the terminal requests the network to schedule X consecutive slots using the same precoder.

[0323] In some embodiments, channel estimation based on the AI ​​model cannot be used when the model's input information does not meet preset conditions. Specifically, the following methods can be used to determine whether channel estimation based on the AI ​​model can be used (applicable only when the AI ​​model is deployed on the terminal side):

[0324] Based on network configuration, the network indicates whether the current slot can use AI-based channel estimation, or if the network is configured to use AI-based channel estimation, the terminal can always use AI-based channel estimation unless the network instructs to disable AI-based channel estimation.

[0325] The terminal makes judgments based on preset rules, such as whether the slots are continuous and the precoder numbers of the current and historical slots in the network, to determine whether the requirements of the precoder are met.

[0326] In some embodiments, the above method can be used for both uplink and downlink transmission.

[0327] In summary, the above embodiments of this solution can use historical slot information and AI models to perform channel estimation for the current slot. This can improve the efficiency and accuracy of channel estimation by utilizing the correlation of the channel in the time domain and the AI ​​model. Furthermore, by reducing the number of reference signals transmitted in the current slot, transmission resources can be saved.

[0328] The method is as follows: Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device 101 proposed in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 6a, the first device 101 includes: a processing module 6101, used to determine a second time unit, wherein the density of the reference signal received in the second time unit is lower than the density of the reference signal received in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit; Optionally, the above processing module is used to execute at least one of the processing-related steps (e.g., steps 2102a, 2103a, 2104a, 2105a, 2107, 2108, etc., but not limited thereto) performed by the first device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0329] In some embodiments, the processing module may also be used to determine the number of first time units.

[0330] In some embodiments, the processing module can also be used to determine a preset time window.

[0331] In some embodiments, the processing module can also be used to determine a second time unit.

[0332] In some embodiments, the processing module may also be used to determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous according to a preset rule, and / or to determine whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same according to the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit indicated by the second device.

[0333] In some embodiments, the processing module may also be used to determine the reference signal in the second time unit using the first model, and / or to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit using the first model.

[0334] In some embodiments, the processing module may also be used to measure the reference signal in the second time unit to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

[0335] In some embodiments, the first device 101 further includes a transceiver module for receiving second indication information.

[0336] In some embodiments, the first device 101 further includes a transceiver module for receiving third information.

[0337] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device 102 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6b, the second device 102 includes: a processing module 6201, used to determine a second time unit, wherein the density of the reference signal transmitted in the second time unit is lower than the density of the reference signal transmitted in the first time unit, and the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit; optionally, the above processing module is used to perform at least one of the processing steps performed by the second device 102 in any of the above methods (e.g., steps 2102b, 2103b, 2104b, 2105b, etc., but not limited thereto), which will not be described in detail here.

[0338] In some embodiments, the processing module may also be used to determine the number of first time units.

[0339] In some embodiments, the processing module can also be used to determine a preset time window.

[0340] In some embodiments, the processing module can also be used to determine a second time unit.

[0341] In some embodiments, the processing module may also be used to determine whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous according to a preset rule, and / or to determine whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same according to the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit indicated by the second device.

[0342] In some embodiments, the second device further includes a transceiver module for transmitting second indication information.

[0343] In some embodiments, the transceiver module can also be used to send third-party information.

[0344] As shown in Figure 7a, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 7101 is used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 7100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0345] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7102 may also be located outside the communication device 7100.

[0346] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7103. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7103, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceivers 7103, and other steps are performed by the processor 7101.

[0347] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0348] Optionally, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more interface circuits 7104, which are connected to the memory 7102. The interface circuits 7104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 7102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 7102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 7104 can read instructions stored in the memory 7102 and send the instructions to the processor 7101.

[0349] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7a. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0350] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 7200 shown in Figure 7b, but it is not limited thereto.

[0351] Chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201, which are used to invoke instructions to cause chip 7200 to perform any of the above methods.

[0352] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202 connected to memory 7203. Interface circuits 7202 can be used to receive signals from memory 7203 or other devices, and can also be used to send signals to memory 7203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 7202 can read instructions stored in memory 7203 and send those instructions to processor 7201. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver can be used interchangeably.

[0353] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside of chip 7200.

[0354] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 7100, cause the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0355] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 7100, causes the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0356] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0357] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0358] The correspondences shown in the tables of this disclosure can be configured or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and can be configured to other values; this disclosure is not limiting. When configuring the correspondences between information and parameters, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables in this disclosure may not be configured. Furthermore, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the above tables, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the headers of the above tables can also use other names that the communication device can understand, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters can also be other values ​​or representations that the communication device can understand. In the implementation of the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables, etc.

[0359] The predefined terms in this disclosure can be understood as defined, predefined, stored, pre-stored, pre-negotiated, pre-configured, solidified, or pre-burned.

[0360] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0361] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0362] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining a time unit, characterized in that, The method is performed by a first device and includes: Determine the second time unit; The reference signal sent by the second device is not received in the second time unit; or The first reference signal transmitted by the second device is received in the second time unit. The density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit. The channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the second time unit includes: A preset time window is determined, which includes multiple time units; At least one of the plurality of time units is designated as the second time unit.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes any one of the following: The number of the plurality of time units is determined based on the protocol predefined; Receive first indication information sent by the second device, the first indication information being used to indicate the number of the plurality of time units; determine the number of the plurality of time units based on the first indication information; as well as Send a request message to the second device, the request message being used to request the second device to configure a first number of the plurality of time units; Receive first indication information sent by the second device in response to the request information, the first indication information being used to indicate whether to agree to the first quantity and / or the second quantity configured by the second device; determine the number of the plurality of time units based on the first indication information; The first device is a terminal, and the second device is a network device.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the second time unit includes: Receive second indication information sent by the second device, the second indication information being used to indicate whether the third time unit includes a reference signal and / or to indicate the reference signal pattern in the third time unit; If the third time unit does not include a reference signal, or if the density of the reference signal in the third time unit is determined to be lower than the density of the reference signal in the first time unit based on the reference signal pattern in the third time unit, the third time unit shall be designated as the second time unit.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the preset conditions are met in the first time unit, the reference signal in the second time unit is determined using the first information corresponding to the first time unit, and / or the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined using the first model.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal in the first time unit, wherein the reference signal includes the reference signal received by the first device or the reference signal estimated using the first model; Channel information obtained by using the first model to perform channel estimation on the first time unit; The channel information experienced by the reference signal in the second time unit, wherein the reference signal includes the reference signal received by the first device or the reference signal estimated using the first model; Frequency position information of the first time unit; Time information of the first time unit; The frequency position of the second time unit; The time difference between the second time unit and the first time unit.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The preset conditions include at least one of the following: The precoder used by the first time unit is the same as the precoder used by the second time unit; The first time unit is continuous with the second time unit.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The number of the first time unit is determined based on the number of multiple time units included in the preset time window, and the number of the first time unit is less than the number of multiple time units.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: The device receives second information about the first time unit sent by the second device, the second information indicating the number of the first time units.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: Send a request message to the second device, the request message being used to request the second device to use the same precoder for N time units, or to request the second device to schedule N consecutive time units, the N time units including the first time unit and the second time unit, where N is a positive integer; Determine the N time units for scheduling the second device; The number of the first time units is determined to be less than or equal to N-1.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first device is a terminal, and the method further includes: If the first time unit does not meet the preset conditions, the third information sent by the second device is received. The third information is used to indicate whether the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit. When the third information indicates the first value, the first model is used to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit; When the third information indicates the second value, the reference signal in the second time unit is measured to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: According to preset rules, it is determined whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous, and / or, according to the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit indicated by the second device, it is determined whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same.

13. A method for determining a time unit, characterized in that, The method is performed by a second device and includes: Determine the second time unit; No reference signal is sent to the first device in the second time unit; or A first reference signal is transmitted to the first device in the second time unit. The density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal transmitted by the second device in the first time unit. The channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The determination of the second time unit includes: A preset time window is determined, which includes multiple time units; At least one of the plurality of time units is designated as the second time unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes any one of the following: The number of the plurality of time units is determined based on the protocol predefined; Send a first indication message to the first device, the first indication message being used to indicate the number of the plurality of time units; as well as The system receives a request message sent by the first device, the request message being used to request the second device to configure a first number of the plurality of time units; in response to the request message, the system sends a first indication message to the first device, the first indication message being used to indicate whether the second device agrees to configure the first number and / or the second device decides to configure a second number; The first device is a terminal, and the second device is a network device.

16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message to the first device. The second indication message is used to indicate whether the third time unit includes a reference signal and / or to indicate the reference signal pattern in the third time unit. The second indication message is used by the first device to determine the second time unit.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The number of the first time unit is determined based on the number of multiple time units included in the preset time window, and the number of the first time unit is less than the number of multiple time units.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The second device is a network device, and the method further includes: Send second information about the first time unit to the first device, the second information being used to indicate the number of the first time units.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The second device is a network device, and the method further includes: The device receives a request message sent by a first device. The request message is used to request the second device to use the same precoder for N time units, or to request the second device to schedule N consecutive time units, wherein the N time units include the first time unit and the second time unit, and N is a positive integer. Determine the N time units to be scheduled; The number of the first time units is determined to be less than or equal to N-1.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that, The second device is a network device, and the method further includes: A third message is sent to the first device, the third message indicating whether the first device can use the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit. If the third message indicates a first value, the first device uses the first model to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit. If the third message indicates a second value, the first device measures the reference signal in the second time unit to determine the channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: According to preset rules, it is determined whether the first time unit and the second time unit are continuous, and / or, according to the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit indicated by the second device, it is determined whether the precoder of the first time unit and the precoder of the second time unit are the same.

22. A first device, characterized in that, Includes a processing module for: Determine the second time unit; The reference signal sent by the second device is not received in the second time unit; or The first reference signal transmitted by the second device is received in the second time unit. The density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal received by the first device in the first time unit. The channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

23. A second device, characterized in that, Includes a processing module for: Determine the second time unit; No reference signal is sent to the first device in the second time unit; or A first reference signal is transmitted to the first device in the second time unit. The density of the first reference signal is lower than the density of the second reference signal transmitted by the second device in the first time unit. The channel estimation result corresponding to the second time unit is determined based on the first time unit.

24. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A first device, the first device being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12; A second device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 21.

25. A communication device, wherein, include: transceiver; Memory; The processor is connected to the transceiver and the memory respectively, and is configured to control the wireless signal transmission and reception of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and is capable of implementing the method of any one of claims 1-21.

26. A computer storage medium, wherein, The computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; when executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions can implement the method of any one of claims 1-21.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1-21.

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