Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback method and apparatus

Abstract

An HARQ feedback method and apparatus, which relate to the technical field of communications. In the method, a terminal performs channel measurement in a first time unit without data transmission, and feeds back channel quality by means of HARQ feedback information, such that an access network apparatus can obtain more HARQ feedback information, and thus the access network apparatus can be assisted in quickly adjusting communication parameters, thereby further facilitating an improvement in subsequent communication performance.

Description

Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback method and device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411316617.4, filed on September 19, 2024, and entitled "Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback method and device", the whole content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0003] Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) is a retransmission mechanism of medium access control (MAC) layer. It is to feed back the success or failure of data transmission to the sender by the receiver, so as to realize fast data retransmission. At present, based on HARQ feedback, in addition to data retransmission, communication parameter adjustment such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS) adjustment can also be carried out. However, at present, for the scene of fast channel change such as multi-beam or sparse service, due to less HARQ feedback for data transmission, the base station cannot realize the fast adjustment of communication parameters. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a HARQ feedback method and device, which can realize obtaining more HARQ feedback information, so as to be beneficial to the fast convergence of communication parameters, and further beneficial to improving the subsequent communication performance.

[0005] The present application will be described from different aspects below. It should be understood that the implementation and advantages of the different aspects below can be referred to each other.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a HARQ feedback method, which can be applied to a terminal-side communication device, such as a terminal or a communication module / processing module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), or a circuit or chip responsible for processing functions in the terminal (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). Taking the case where the method is applied to a terminal, in the method, the terminal performs channel measurement in a first time unit to obtain a first measurement result, and then the terminal can send HARQ feedback information according to the first measurement result. The first time unit is a time unit without data transmission, and the HARQ feedback information is used for communication parameter adjustment.

[0007] In the present application, the terminal performs channel measurement in the first time unit without data transmission, and feeds back channel quality through HARQ feedback information, so that the access network device can obtain more HARQ feedback information, which can assist the access network device to quickly adjust the communication parameters, such as the adjustment of the MCS, and thus is beneficial to improve the subsequent communication performance and is also beneficial to improve the system capacity, etc.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0009] receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicating that the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in a radio resource control (RRC) message or downlink control information (DCI).

[0011] In this design, whether the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated is indicated by the first indication information, which has high flexibility and can better adapt to actual needs.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0013] sending capability information, the capability information indicating that the terminal supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

[0014] Under this design, the terminal can assist the access network device in deciding whether to activate the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism by reporting capability information indicating that it supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism, and the applicability is high.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0016] receiving first configuration information, the first configuration information being used for configuring a first resource corresponding to channel measurement or a first resource configured for channel measurement, the first resource including the first time unit.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information is carried in an RRC message.

[0018] Under this design, by configuring a resource corresponding to channel measurement or a resource configured for channel measurement (for ease of distinction, referred to as a first resource in this application), the terminal can perform channel measurement on the configured first resource, and the actual demand can be better adapted.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0020] receiving second configuration information, the second configuration information being used for configuring a second resource corresponding to HARQ feedback information or a second resource configured for HARQ feedback;

[0021] the sending of the HARQ feedback information according to the first measurement result includes:

[0022] sending the HARQ feedback information on the second resource according to the first measurement result.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the second configuration information is carried in an RRC message or DCI.

[0024] Under this design, by configuring a resource corresponding to HARQ feedback information or a resource configured for HARQ feedback (for ease of distinction, referred to as a second resource in this application), the terminal can send the HARQ feedback information on the configured second resource, and the actual demand can also be adapted.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the performing of channel measurement on the first time unit to obtain a first measurement result includes:

[0026] measuring a reference signal on the first time unit to obtain a signal quality as the first measurement result.

[0027] Under this design, the access network device can send a reference signal, so that the terminal can obtain the first measurement result by measuring the reference signal, and the operability is strong.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the sending of the HARQ feedback information according to the first measurement result comprises:

[0029] In the case where the signal quality is greater than the signal quality threshold, sending positive acknowledgement (ACK) information; or in the case where the signal quality is less than or equal to the signal quality threshold, sending negative acknowledgement (NACK) information. Alternatively, ACK information can also be sent in the case where the signal quality is greater than or equal to the signal quality threshold, and NACK information can be sent in the case where the signal quality is less than the signal quality threshold.

[0030] Under this design, ACK information is fed back when the signal quality is good, and NACK information is fed back when the signal quality is poor, which is more adaptable to the existing definition of HARQ feedback information and has high applicability.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the channel measurement in the first time unit to obtain the first measurement result comprises:

[0032] In the first time unit, the noise power is monitored to obtain the noise power as the first measurement result.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the sending of the HARQ feedback information according to the first measurement result comprises:

[0034] In the case where the noise power is greater than the noise power threshold, sending NACK information; or in the case where the noise power is less than or equal to the noise power threshold, sending ACK information. Alternatively, ACK information can also be sent in the case where the noise power is greater than or equal to the noise power threshold, and NACK information can be sent in the case where the noise power is less than the noise power threshold.

[0035] Under this design, ACK information is fed back when the noise power is small, and NACK information is fed back when the noise power is large, which is more adaptable to the existing definition of HARQ feedback information and has high applicability.

[0036] In a second aspect, the present application provides a HARQ feedback method, which can be applied to a network side communication device, such as a network side access network device, a module (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the access network device, or a logic node, a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the access network device. Taking the case where the method is applied to the access network device, in the method, the access network device receives HARQ feedback information, and then can adjust the communication parameters based on the HARQ feedback information. Wherein the HARQ feedback information is feedback information determined based on a first measurement result, the first measurement result is a measurement result obtained by performing channel measurement in a first time unit, and the first time unit is a time unit in which there is no data transmission.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0038] sending first indication information, the first indication information indicating that the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in an RRC message or a DCI.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0041] receiving capability information, the capability information indicating that the terminal supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0043] sending first configuration information, the first configuration information being used for configuring a first resource corresponding to channel measurement, the first resource including the first time unit.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information is carried in an RRC message.

[0045] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0046] sending second configuration information, the second configuration information being used for configuring a second resource corresponding to the HARQ feedback information;

[0047] the receiving the HARQ feedback information includes:

[0048] receiving the HARQ feedback information on the second resource.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the second configuration information is carried in an RRC message or a DCI.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the first measurement result is a signal quality obtained by performing a reference signal measurement in the first time unit.

[0051] In a case where the signal quality is greater than a signal quality threshold, the HARQ feedback information is ACK information; or

[0052] In a case where the signal quality is less than or equal to the signal quality threshold, the HARQ feedback information is NACK information.

[0053] In a possible implementation, the first measurement result is a noise power obtained by performing noise power monitoring in the first time unit.

[0054] In a case where the noise power is greater than a noise power threshold, the HARQ feedback information is NACK information; or

[0055] In a case where the noise power is less than or equal to the noise power threshold, the HARQ feedback information is ACK information.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the communication parameter includes a MCS; and the adjusting the communication parameter based on the HARQ feedback information includes:

[0057] In a case where the HARQ feedback information is ACK information, increasing an order of the MCS; or

[0058] In a case where the HARQ feedback information is NACK information, decreasing the order of the MCS.

[0059] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a module or unit or means for implementing the method in any of the first aspect to the second aspect, or the method in any of the possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0060] In a fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a processor. The processor is configured to enable the communication apparatus to implement the method in any of the first aspect to the second aspect, or the method in any of the possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0061] Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a transceiver configured to transceive information.

[0062] Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a memory in which a computer program is stored; the processor and the transceiver are configured to invoke the computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication apparatus implements the method according to any of the first aspect to the second aspect, or the method according to any possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0063] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a device including the chip which implement the method described above.

[0064] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus, which includes one or more processors configured to implement a method according to any of the first aspect to the second aspect, or the method according to any possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0065] Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes an interface circuit configured to receive a signal from another communication apparatus outside the communication apparatus and transmit the signal to the processor, or transmit a signal from the processor to another communication apparatus outside the communication apparatus.

[0066] Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a memory configured to store part or all of the computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions described in the first aspect.

[0067] The communication apparatus described above can be a terminal, a communication module in the terminal, or a chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal, such as a Modem chip (also referred to as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0068] The communication apparatus described above can be an access network device, a module (for example, a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the access network device, or a logic node, a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0069] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements a method according to any of the first aspect to the second aspect, or the method according to any possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0070] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, and when a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the computer executes a method according to any of the first aspect to the second aspect, or the method according to any possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0071] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip system, which comprises at least one processor and an interface, the processor being configured to read and execute a computer program or instructions in a memory, which, when executed, causes the chip to perform the method according to any one of the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible implementation manner of any one of the aspects.

[0072] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which can comprise a terminal and an access network device. The terminal is configured to perform the method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. The access network device is configured to perform the method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0073] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system to which embodiments of the present application are applied;

[0074] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of an O-RAN system provided by the present application;

[0075] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a functional division of network elements and a protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device provided by the present application;

[0076] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a flow of a HARQ feedback method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a flow of a HARQ feedback method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of channel measurement provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a possible communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a possible communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a possible communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0083] In the description of the present application, "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects, and are not used to describe a specific sequence. In addition, unless otherwise specified, " / " means "or", for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this article only describes the relationship between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B alone. In addition, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one" or the like refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0084] The terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device, etc. including a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units not listed, etc., or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices, etc.

[0085] In this application, the words "exemplary" and "for example" are used to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" or "for example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0086] It can be understood that in this application, "when", "if" and "if" refer to the corresponding processing of the device under certain objective conditions, not the time limit, and also do not require the device to have a judgment action when implemented. It also does not mean that there are other limitations.

[0087] In this application, the element expressed by the singular is intended to represent "one or more", not "one and only one", unless otherwise specified. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application can be used interchangeably.

[0088] It can be understood that in each embodiment of the present application, "A corresponding to B" means that A and B have a corresponding relationship, and B can be determined according to A. Determining B according to A does not mean that B is determined only according to A, but B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0089] In order to better understand the embodiments of the present application, first, the system architecture related to the embodiments of the present application will be introduced as follows:

[0090] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application are applied. It should be noted that FIG. 1 is a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 can also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 can also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1), etc. The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 in a wireless manner. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network network element in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices respectively, or can be the same physical device integrated with the logical functions of the core network and the logical functions of the radio access network, or can be a physical device integrated with the functions of part of the core network network element and the functions of part of the RAN node 110. The terminals and the terminals, and the RAN nodes 110 and the RAN nodes 110 can be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner. FIG. 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system can also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, and each device can also include different functional units, which are not shown in FIG. 1.

[0091] The RAN 100 can be a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, such as a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. The RAN 100 can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 can also be a communication system in which two or more of the above systems are integrated.

[0092] The RAN node 110, which can also be referred to as a radio access network device, an access network device, an access network equipment, a RAN entity or an access node, etc., forms part of a communication system to help terminals to access the wireless. The RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or of different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN node 110 and the terminal 120 are relative, e.g., the network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured to be a mobile base station, for a terminal 120j accessing to the RAN 100 through the network element 120i, the network element 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, the network element 120i is a terminal. The RAN nodes 110 and the terminals 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, e.g., the network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionalities, and the network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionalities.

[0093] In a possible scenario, the RAN node 110 can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The RAN node 110 can be a macro base station (e.g., 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (e.g., 110b in Figure 1), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node 110 can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the access network device in the vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node 110 in this application can also be implemented by a software function running on hardware, or by a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node 110 in this application can also be a logic node, a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110.

[0094] In another possible scenario, a terminal is assisted by multiple RAN nodes 110 to implement wireless access in cooperation, and different RAN nodes 110 respectively implement part of the functions of a base station. For example, the RAN node 110 can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna processing unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0095] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an ORAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU are taken as examples for description in this application. Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0096] Exemplarily, please refer to FIG. 2, which is an architecture schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided by this application. FIG. 2 is only a schematic diagram, and the O-RAN system can also include other components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, an access network device (which can be an eNB or a gNB or a next-generation access network device) communicates with a core network element in a CN through a backhaul link, and communicates with a terminal through an air interface.

[0097] Specifically, the BBU in the access network device can communicate with the core network element in the CN through a backhaul link, and the RU in the access network device can communicate with at least one terminal through an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU through a front-haul link, and the BBU and the RU can be co-located or not co-located. The BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, which can communicate through at least one mid-haul link.

[0098] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a network element function split and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device. In some examples, the CU is a logical node that hosts the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network device. The CU is connected to network nodes such as a core network via interfaces, which can be E2 interface or the like. Optionally, the CU can have part of the functions of the core network. The CU (e.g., PDCP layer and higher) is connected to the DU (e.g., RLC layer and lower) via interfaces, which can be F1 interface or the like. In some examples, the interfaces (e.g., F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transfer, etc.). F1AP is an application protocol of the F1 interface, which defines the signaling procedures of F1 in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0099] In some examples, the CU can be split into a CU-CP (control unit-control plane) and a CU-UP (control unit-user plane), where the CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the control plane function of the CU. The CU-CP can interact with a network element in the core network used to implement the control plane function. The network element in the core network used to implement the control plane function can be an access and mobility function network element, such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is used to be responsible for mobility management in a mobile network, such as location updating of a terminal device, registration of the terminal device to a network, handover of the terminal device, and the like. The CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the user plane function of the CU. The CU-UP can interact with a network element in the core network used to implement the user plane function. The network element in the core network used to implement the user plane function, for example, a user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, is used to be responsible for forwarding and receiving data in a terminal device. The above configuration of the CU and the DU is only an example, and the CU and the DU can be configured to have functions as needed. For example, the CU or the DU can be configured to have functions of more protocol layers, or the CU or the DU can be configured to have partial processing functions of the protocol layers. For example, partial functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers above the RLC layer are arranged in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers below the RLC layer are arranged in the DU. For another example, the functions of the CU or the DU can be divided according to a service type or other system requirements, for example, according to a delay requirement. Functions that need to meet a relatively low delay requirement in processing time are arranged in the DU, and functions that do not need to meet the delay requirement are arranged in the CU.

[0100] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that hosts radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU is connected to the RU through some interfaces, which can be a fronthaul interface. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes parts of PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation and demodulation, etc.

[0101] In some examples, an RU is a logical node that hosts lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, an RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP) or a remote radio head (RRH) or other similar functional entity. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes parts of PHY processing, such as fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transformation (IFFT), digital beamforming and filtering, etc. An RU communicates with one or more terminals through a wireless link.

[0102] The DU and the RU can be co-located or not. The DU and the RU exchange control plane information and user plane information via a lower-layer split-control, user and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface through a fronthaul link. The LLS-CUS can include a LLS-C interface and a LLS-U interface that provide a control plane (C-Plane) and a user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and the RU. The DU and the RU exchange management information via a LLS-M interface of the fronthaul link, and the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and the RU.

[0103] The DU and the RU can cooperate to jointly implement the functions of the PHY layer. One DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and the RU can be configured in various ways according to design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement radio frequency functions. For another example, the DU is configured to implement high-layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement low-layer functions in the PHY layer or to implement the low-layer functions and radio frequency functions. The high-layer functions in the PHY layer can include a part of the functions of the PHY layer that are closer to the MAC layer, and the low-layer functions in the PHY layer can include another part of the functions of the PHY layer that are closer to the radio frequency side.

[0104] A terminal can be a device or module having a corresponding communication function and accessing the communication system. The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a user apparatus, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station (MS), a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal unit, a terminal station, a terminal apparatus, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device, etc. The terminal usually has a communication module, circuit, or chip therein for performing the corresponding communication function. The terminal also has program instructions therein configured to perform the corresponding communication function. The terminal can be widely applied to various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart power grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, a transport vehicle with wireless communication function, a communication module, a roadside unit (RSU) with terminal function, etc. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0105] For ease of description, the following describes the base station as an example of the RAN node 110. The base station and the terminal can be fixed in position or mobile. The base station and the terminal can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can be deployed on water; can also be deployed on an airplane, a balloon, and a man-made satellite. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal.

[0106] The roles of the base station and the terminal can be relative. For example, the helicopter or the drone 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station, and for the terminal 120j that accesses the wireless access network 100 through the 120i, the terminal 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, the 120i is a terminal, that is, the 110a and the 120i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, the 110a and the 120i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, and in this case, the 120i is also a base station relative to the 110a. Therefore, the base station and the terminal can be collectively referred to as a communication device, and the 110a and the 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a base station function, and the 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a terminal function.

[0107] The base station and the terminal, the base station and the base station, and the terminal and the terminal can communicate through a licensed frequency spectrum, or through an unlicensed frequency spectrum, or through both the licensed frequency spectrum and the unlicensed frequency spectrum; can communicate through a frequency spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), or through a frequency spectrum above 6 GHz, or through both the frequency spectrum below 6 GHz and the frequency spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the frequency spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0108] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem containing the functions of the base station. The control subsystem containing the functions of the base station herein can be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal can also be performed by a module (such as a chip or a modem) in the terminal, or by a device containing the functions of the terminal.

[0109] In the present application, the base station sends a downlink signal or downlink information to the terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends an uplink signal or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell that establishes a wireless connection with the terminal is called a service cell of the terminal. When the terminal communicates with the service cell, it will also be interfered by signals from neighboring cells.

[0110] In the present application, "sending information" can be understood as a device sending information to another device, or can also be understood as a logical module in a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "the base station sending information" can be understood as the base station sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or can be understood as a logical module 1 in the base station sending information to a logical module 2 in the base station.

[0111] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "base station receiving information" can be understood as the base station receiving information from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the base station receiving information from logical module 2 in the base station.

[0112] The communication between different devices involved in this application can refer to direct communication between different devices (i.e., without the need for relaying or forwarding by other devices), or communication between different devices through other devices (i.e., requiring relaying or forwarding by other devices), or communication between a functional unit within a device and other devices through another functional unit. In other words, "sending information to… (e.g., a terminal)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the terminal. "Receiving information from… (e.g., a terminal)" or "receiving information from… (e.g., a terminal)" or "receiving information sent (e.g., by a terminal)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the terminal. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, analog-to-digital conversion, amplification, filtering, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0113] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, some knowledge / terms used in the solutions of this application are introduced below. It should be noted that these explanations are for the purpose of making the embodiments of this application easier to understand, and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0114] 1. HARQ

[0115] In a wireless communication network, one device (e.g., eNodeB) sends data to another device (e.g., UE) in blocks. The sender calculates a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) using the data in a block and sends it to the receiver along with the block. The receiver calculates a CRC using the received data and compares it with the received CRC. If they are equal, the receiver considers that it has successfully received the correct data and sends an "ACK" to the sender. If they are not equal, the receiver considers that it has received incorrect data and sends a "NACK" to the sender to request the sender to retransmit the block. If the sender does not receive a reply from the receiver within a certain period, the sender assumes that the previously sent block has not reached the receiver and automatically retransmits the block. This is called hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processing at the MAC layer.

[0116] The aforementioned ACK or NACK can be collectively referred to as HARQ feedback information. It should be noted that a block can be understood as a sequence of data or a set of data bits that completes a channel coding. A block can also be understood as a sequence of data or a set of data bits contained in a data packet. A block can also be understood as a sequence of data of a predefined length or a set of data bits of a predefined size.

[0117] 2. Bit error rate (BER) and block error rate (BLER)

[0118] Bit error rate is an index for measuring the characteristics of a receiver, which measures the error probability at the bit level. In implementation, BER is measured before CRC, and an error is recorded each time a bit error occurs.

[0119] Block error rate is the percentage of error blocks in all transmitted blocks (usually only the initial transmission is calculated), which is measured after CRC checking. It is the error probability of a transmission block after CRC checking. It not only measures the error of the data block after channel decoding, but also checks the error of the CRC.

[0120] 3. Channel-state information-reference signal (CSI-RS)

[0121] CSI-RS is a reference signal for channel measurement, which can be used to obtain channel-state information (CSI) and support more antenna ports.

[0122] Currently, based on HARQ feedback, in addition to data retransmission, communication parameter adjustment, such as MCS adjustment, can also be performed, but for a channel that changes rapidly, such as a multi-beam, or a sparse service scenario, due to less HARQ feedback for data transmission, the base station cannot achieve rapid adjustment of the communication parameter.

[0123] Based on this, the present application provides a HARQ feedback method and device, which can realize rapid adjustment of the communication parameter, thereby facilitating improvement of subsequent communication performance.

[0124] The HARQ feedback method and device provided by the present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It can be understood that the access network device and the terminal are taken as an example to illustrate the execution subject of the interaction in the present application, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the access network device in the present application can also be implemented by a module (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the access network device, or a logical node, a logical module or software capable of implementing all or part of the function of the access network device; the method executed by the terminal in the present application can also be implemented by a communication / processing module in the terminal or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip / SIP chip containing a modem core, or a GPU / AI processor / ASIC) responsible for communication / processing function in the terminal.

[0125] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a flowchart of the HARQ feedback method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, the HARQ feedback method can include the following steps:

[0126] S401, the terminal performs channel measurement on a first time unit to obtain a first measurement result.

[0127] The first time unit is a time unit in which there is no data transmission. For example, the first time unit can be pre-defined by a protocol, or configured by the access network device, etc., which is not limited by the present application. In the present application, the time unit can be a symbol (such as an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol), a time slot, a subframe, or a radio frame, etc., which is not limited.

[0128] In one design (I), the terminal measures a reference signal in a first time unit to obtain a signal quality as the first measurement. That is, the access network device can transmit a reference signal, and accordingly, the terminal can measure the reference signal transmitted by the access network device to obtain a signal quality, which is the first measurement. By way of example, the reference signal involved in the present application can be a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), etc., without limitation. The signal quality can be, for example, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), a signal to noise ratio (SNR), etc., without limitation.

[0129] By way of example, taking the RSRP as the signal quality, the average received signal power of the receive antennas satisfies:

[0130] wherein, denotes the average received signal power of the receive antennas, denotes the channel information of the i-th antenna decoded according to the reference signal, i denotes the receive antenna index of the terminal, and N r denotes the number of receive antennas of the terminal.

[0131] In another design (II), the terminal monitors a noise power in a first time unit to obtain a noise power as the first measurement. That is, the access network device can not transmit an additional reference signal, and the terminal monitors the noise power in the first time unit to obtain a noise power, which is the first measurement.

[0132] By way of example, the average received noise power of the receive antennas can satisfy:

[0133] wherein, denotes the average received noise power of the receive antennas, R i denotes the noise signal detected by the i-th antenna, i denotes the receive antenna index of the terminal, and N r denotes the number of receive antennas of the terminal.

[0134] S402, the terminal sends HARQ feedback information to the access network device according to the first measurement result. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the HARQ feedback information from the terminal.

[0135] Exemplarily, the HARQ feedback information can be carried in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The HARQ feedback information is used for communication parameter adjustment. Specifically, the HARQ feedback information can be used for MCS adjustment. Alternatively, the HARQ feedback information can also be used for adjustment of transmission power, adjustment of modulation mode, or adjustment of maximum retransmission times, etc., which are not limited by the present application.

[0136] It should be noted that, if the above design (I) is adopted, the terminal can send ACK information when the signal quality is greater than the signal quality threshold; the terminal can send NACK information when the signal quality is less than or equal to the signal quality threshold. Alternatively, the terminal can send ACK information when the signal quality is greater than or equal to the signal quality threshold; the terminal can send NACK information when the signal quality is less than the signal quality threshold.

[0137] If the above design (II) is adopted, the terminal can send NACK information when the noise power is greater than the noise power threshold; the terminal can send ACK information when the noise power is less than or equal to the noise power threshold. Alternatively, the terminal can send NACK information when the noise power is greater than or equal to the noise power threshold; the terminal can send ACK information when the noise power is less than the noise power threshold.

[0138] In some possible implementations, the access network device can perform communication parameter adjustment based on the HARQ feedback information. For the convenience of understanding, the communication parameter is mainly exemplarily described as MCS hereinafter. Specifically, when the access network device receives ACK information as the HARQ feedback information, the access network device can increase the order of MCS; when the access network device receives NACK information as the HARQ feedback information, the access network device can decrease the order of MCS.

[0139] Exemplarily, the access network device can perform MCS adjustment according to the following formula after receiving the HARQ feedback information each time: deltaCQI=CQI_Step*(IBLERTarget-IBLERMeas) / (1-IBLERTarget);

[0140] wherein, deltaCQI represents the MCS adjustment amount; CQI_Step represents the channel quality indicator (CQI) adjustment step, which is specifically set by the access network device according to requirements, such as 0.1 by default; IBLERTarget represents the target error rate, which is also set by the access network device according to requirements, such as 10% by default; and IBLERMeas represents the received ACK / NACK condition, i.e. the HARQ feedback information.

[0141] Taking a specific example, when the access network device receives a NACK information, it indicates that the downlink channel condition is poor, at this time IBLERMeas = 100%, and the calculation by substituting the above formula can obtain: deltaCQI = 0.1 * (10% - 100%) / (1 - 10%) = -0.1.

[0142] wherein, -0.1 above represents that the MCS needs to be lowered by 0.1 order.

[0143] Optionally, when the access network device receives an ACK information at a time, IBLERMeas = 0. Optionally, when the access network device receives multiple HARQ feedback information at a time or within a period of time, the above IBLERMeas can also be the ratio of the number of received NACK information to the total number of received HARQ feedback information.

[0144] For example, assume that the access network device originally uses a high order MCS to transmit data packets, where the code rate of the high order MCS is a and the modulation is quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK). If the access network device receives NACK information in a time period, or the number of NACK information received in the time period is greater than or equal to a first preset percentage (e.g., 70%), or the number of NACK information received in the time period is greater than or equal to a first preset number, or the number of ACK information received in the time period is less than or equal to a second preset percentage, or the number of ACK information received in the time period is less than or equal to a second preset number, the access network device can adjust the high order MCS to a low order MCS, where the code rate of the low order MCS is b and the modulation is binary phase shift keying (BPSK), and a is greater than b. Because the low order MCS has a lower code rate, the number of redundant bits is increased, and the increase in the number of redundant bits can improve the success rate of data transmission. Alternatively, the values of the first preset percentage, the first preset number, the second preset percentage, and the second preset number can be pre-defined, pre-configured, or configured by a protocol, which is not limited in the present application.

[0145] In the present application, the terminal performs channel measurement in the first time unit without data transmission and feeds back the channel quality through HARQ feedback information, so that the access network device can obtain more HARQ feedback information, thereby assisting the access network device to quickly adjust the communication parameters, such as the MCS adjustment, which is beneficial to improve the subsequent communication performance and system capacity.

[0146] Before the terminal performs channel measurement in the first time unit without data transmission, the access network device can also perform corresponding resource configuration. For example, referring to FIG. 5, which is another flowchart of the HARQ feedback method provided by the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of the method embodiments of the present application, which shows the detailed communication steps or operations of the method, but these steps or operations are only examples, and the embodiments of the present application can also perform other operations or variations of the various operations in FIG. 5. In addition, the various steps in FIG. 5 can be performed in different order from that shown in FIG. 5, and it is possible that not all the operations in FIG. 5 are performed. Wherein:

[0147] S501, the terminal sends capability information to the access network device. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the capability information from the terminal.

[0148] The capability information indicates whether the terminal supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism. The following text of the present application mainly illustrates the terminal supporting the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism. It should be understood that the terminal reports the capability information indicating that it supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism, which can assist the access network device in deciding whether to activate the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

[0149] S502, the access network device sends configuration information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the configuration information from the access network device.

[0150] The configuration information can mainly include one or more information: first indication information, first configuration information, or second configuration information. It should be noted that the first indication information, the first configuration information, and the second configuration information can be carried in the same message and sent, or can be carried in different messages and sent, or part of them can be carried in the same message and part of them can be carried in different messages, such as the first indication information carried in DCI, and the first configuration information and the second configuration information carried in RRC message, which is not limited by the present application. Optionally, the above-mentioned first configuration information or second configuration information can be configured by the access network device, or can be protocol predefined or preconfigured, etc., which is not limited.

[0151] The first indication information indicates whether to activate the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism, or is described as the first indication information indicating activating or deactivating the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism, or is described as the first indication information indicating turning on or turning off the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism. For example, when the access network device detects that the error rate is greater than or equal to a certain threshold (for example, 20%), the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism can be activated; when the access network device detects that the error rate is less than a certain threshold, the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism can be deactivated. Alternatively, when the access network device detects that the error rate is greater than a certain threshold, the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism can be activated; when the access network device detects that the error rate is less than or equal to a certain threshold, the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism can be deactivated. Optionally, the access network device can also determine whether to activate the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism according to the block error rate or frame error rate, which is not limited by the present application. It should be noted that the above-mentioned first indication information can also be an optional parameter, for example, the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is always turned on by default.

[0152] It can be understood that the first indication information can be carried in the RRC message or the DCI. For example, the RRC message or the DCI can contain 1 bit, when the value of the 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated; when the value of the 1 bit is 0, it indicates that the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is deactivated.

[0153] The first configuration information is used for configuring a first resource corresponding to the channel measurement, or a first resource configured for the channel measurement, and the first resource includes a first time unit. Optionally, the first resource can further include a frequency domain resource, and the like, without limitation.

[0154] It can be understood that the first configuration information can be carried in an RRC message or DCI. Alternatively, the first configuration information can be default, that is, the first configuration information is not transmitted, for example, when the first indication information indicating the activation of the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is carried in the DCI, the terminal can automatically perform channel measurement on the time unit without data transmission.

[0155] The second configuration information is used for configuring a second resource corresponding to the HARQ feedback information, or a second resource configured for the HARQ feedback. The second resource can include a time domain resource and / or a frequency domain resource, and the like, without limitation.

[0156] It can be understood that the second configuration information can be carried in an RRC message or DCI. For example, taking that the second configuration information is carried in the RRC message as an example, the second configuration information can configure the terminal to reserve a resource for sending the HARQ feedback information every 10 ms. Illustratively, the reference time can be a time point of activating the virtual HARQ mechanism, that is, the terminal can be reserved to send the HARQ feedback information every 10 ms after the virtual HARQ mechanism is activated. For another example, the second resource can also be a specific time point, for example, the HARQ feedback information is sent at a specified time point 1.

[0157] Generally, the resource configured by the RRC message (for example, the first resource or the second resource) is generally a semi-static resource, which is beneficial to save the configuration overhead. The resource can be dynamically configured by the DCI, which makes the resource configuration more flexible.

[0158] Exemplarily, refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram of a channel measurement scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, assuming that in time slots 0-7, the terminal is only scheduled in time slots 0 and 2, and the rest of the time slots are idle, the access network device can configure the terminal to feed back the transmission result in time slot 6 when data transmission is performed in time slots 0 and 2. In addition, as shown in (a) of FIG. 6, because the virtual HARQ mechanism is introduced in the present application, the terminal can also perform channel measurement in time slots 1, 3, 4 and 5 which are time slots without data transmission, and synchronously send the HARQ feedback information corresponding to the measurement result of each time slot to the access network device in time slot 6. Alternatively, as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, the access network device can also configure the terminal to perform channel measurement on a specified / specific time slot without data transmission, for example, on time slot 4, and configure the terminal to send the HARQ feedback information corresponding to the measurement result to the access network device in time slot 6. Optionally, the terminal can also perform noise power monitoring on time slots 1, 3, 4 and 5 which are time slots without data transmission, or on a specified / specific time slot without data transmission, and send the HARQ feedback information to the access network device according to the monitoring result of the noise power.

[0159] S503, the terminal performs channel measurement on the first time unit to obtain a first measurement result.

[0160] S504, the terminal sends HARQ feedback information to the access network device according to the first measurement result. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the HARQ feedback information from the terminal.

[0161] When the access network device configures the second resource, the terminal can send the HARQ feedback information to the access network device on the second resource. For more understanding of steps S503 and S504, refer to the description of steps S401 and S402 in the foregoing FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0162] In the embodiment, the detailed flow of the scheme is mainly introduced. Specifically, the terminal reports the capability information indicating that it supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism, which can assist the access network device to decide whether to activate the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism. In the case that the access network device decides to activate the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism, the access network device sends first indication information to the terminal, which can trigger the terminal to perform channel measurement on a time unit without data transmission. In addition, the access network device can also configure the terminal with channel measurement related resources and HARQ feedback related resources, so that the terminal can feed back the channel quality to the access network device through the HARQ feedback information after completing the channel measurement, which can assist the access network device to realize the rapid adjustment of the communication parameters, and is beneficial to improve the subsequent communication performance and also beneficial to improve the system capacity.

[0163] Optionally, the embodiments shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 can also be applied to the O-RAN scenario, and it should be understood that in the O-RAN scenario, the access network device involved in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 can be replaced by a CU (such as a CU-CP or a CU-UP) or a DU or a RU, etc.

[0164] The communication device provided by the present application will be described in detail below in combination with FIG. 7-FIG. 9.

[0165] It can be understood that in order to realize the functions in the above-mentioned embodiments, the communication device includes the hardware structure and / or software module for executing the respective functions. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that the units and method steps of the examples described in combination with the embodiments disclosed in the present application can be realized in the form of hardware or hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is realized in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0166] FIG. 7-FIG. 9 are structural schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided by the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to realize the functions of the terminal or the access network device (such as a base station) in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus can also realize the beneficial effects possessed by the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in FIG. 1, or can also be the RAN node 110a or 110b shown in FIG. 1. Optionally, it can also be a module (such as a chip) applied to a terminal or an access network device.

[0167] As shown in FIG. 7, the communication device 700 includes a processing unit 710 and a transceiver unit 720. The transceiver unit 720 and the processing unit 710 described above can be software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Optionally, the communication device 700 can also include a storage unit 730 for storing device program code and / or data, which is not shown in FIG. 7.

[0168] The transceiver unit 720 can realize the sending function and / or the receiving function. Optionally, the transceiver unit 720 can also be referred to as a communication unit. The transceiver unit 720 can also include a receiving unit and / or a sending unit, wherein the receiving unit is used to realize the receiving function, and the sending unit is used to realize the sending function. Optionally, the transceiver unit 720 can be used to receive information sent by other devices, and can also be used to send information to other devices.

[0169] The communication apparatus 700 is configured to implement the terminal side communication apparatus in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, for example, a terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal, or to implement the network side communication apparatus in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, for example, an access network device, a module (for example, a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the access network device, or a logic node, a logic module or software, etc. capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0170] The functions of the access network device.

[0171] When the communication apparatus 700 is configured to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5:

[0172] The processing unit 710 is configured to perform channel measurement in a first time unit to obtain a first measurement result, wherein the first time unit is a time unit in which there is no data transmission.

[0173] The transceiver unit 720 is configured to send HARQ feedback information according to the first measurement result, wherein the HARQ feedback information is used for communication parameter adjustment.

[0174] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0175] Receive first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates that the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated.

[0176] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in an RRC message or DCI.

[0177] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0178] Send capability information, wherein the capability information indicates that the terminal supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

[0179] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0180] Receive first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used for configuring a first resource corresponding to channel measurement, and the first resource includes the first time unit.

[0181] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information is carried in an RRC message.

[0182] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0183] Receive second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information is used for configuring a second resource corresponding to HARQ feedback information.

[0184] The transceiver 720 is specifically configured to:

[0185] The transceiver 720 is specifically configured to:

[0186] In a possible implementation, the second configuration information is carried in an RRC message or DCI.

[0187] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0188] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0189] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0190] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0191] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0192] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0193] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0194] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0195] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0196] The processor 710 is specifically configured to:

[0197] In a possible design, when the communication apparatus 700 is a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, the function of the processor 710 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor can include a Modem chip, or a System on Chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a Modem core. The function of the transceiver 720 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

[0198] In a possible design, when the communication apparatus 700 is a circuit or a chip responsible for communication functions in a terminal, such as a Modem chip or a System on Chip (SoC) chip including a Modem core or a System in Package (SIP) chip, the function of the processing unit 710 can be implemented by circuitry including one or more processors or processor cores in the chip. The function of the transceiver unit 720 can be implemented by interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the chip.

[0199] When the communication apparatus 700 is configured to implement the function of the access network device in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5:

[0200] The transceiver unit 720 is configured to receive HARQ feedback information, where the HARQ feedback information is feedback information determined based on a first measurement result, and the first measurement result is a measurement result obtained by performing channel measurement in a first time unit, and the first time unit is a time unit in which there is no data transmission.

[0201] The processing unit 710 is configured to perform communication parameter adjustment based on the HARQ feedback information.

[0202] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0203] transmit first indication information, where the first indication information indicates that a virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated.

[0204] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in an RRC message or DCI.

[0205] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0206] receive capability information, where the capability information indicates that a terminal supports a virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

[0207] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0208] transmit first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to configure a first resource corresponding to channel measurement, and the first resource includes the first time unit.

[0209] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information is carried in an RRC message.

[0210] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0211] transmit second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to configure a second resource corresponding to HARQ feedback information.

[0212] The transceiver 720 is configured to receive the HARQ feedback information.

[0213] The transceiver 720 is configured to receive the HARQ feedback information.

[0214] In a possible implementation, the second configuration information is carried in an RRC message or DCI.

[0215] In a possible implementation, the first measurement result is a signal quality obtained by performing reference signal measurement in the first time unit.

[0216] In a case where the signal quality is greater than a signal quality threshold, the HARQ feedback information is ACK information; or

[0217] In a case where the signal quality is less than or equal to the signal quality threshold, the HARQ feedback information is NACK information.

[0218] In a possible implementation, the first measurement result is a noise power obtained by performing noise power monitoring in the first time unit.

[0219] In a case where the noise power is greater than a noise power threshold, the HARQ feedback information is NACK information; or

[0220] In a case where the noise power is less than or equal to the noise power threshold, the HARQ feedback information is ACK information.

[0221] In a possible implementation, the communication parameter includes a MCS, and the processing unit 710 is configured to perform communication parameter adjustment based on the HARQ feedback information.

[0222] In a case where the HARQ feedback information is ACK information, the order of the MCS is increased.

[0223] In a case where the HARQ feedback information is NACK information, the order of the MCS is decreased.

[0224] For more details of the processing unit 710 and the transceiver 720, refer to the related description in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5.

[0225] It can be understood that the division of units in the above apparatus is only a logical function division, each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into a functional unit. In actual implementation, all or part of the units can be integrated into one physical entity, or can be distributed in different physical entities. In addition, the above functional units can be realized in the form of hardware, or in the form of software, or in the form of hardware combined with software. Whether a certain function is executed in the form of hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical scheme. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0226] In one example, the functional units in any of the above apparatuses can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0227] In one example, the storage unit 730 can include random access memory, flash memory, read only memory, programmable read only memory, or electrically erasable programmable memory, and / or registers, etc.

[0228] As shown in FIG. 8, the communication apparatus 800 includes a processor 810, and optionally further includes an interface circuit 820. The processor 810 and the interface circuit 820 are coupled to each other. It can be understood that the interface circuit 820 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication apparatus 800 can further include a memory 830 for storing computer programs or instructions executed by the processor 810 or input data required by the processor 810 to run instructions or data generated after the processor 810 runs computer programs or instructions.

[0229] When the communication apparatus 800 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, the processor 810 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 710, and the interface circuit 820 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 720.

[0230] When the communication device is a terminal chip, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the method embodiments. The terminal chip receives the information sent by the access network device to the terminal through other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device.

[0231] When the communication device is a module applied to the access network device, the access network device module implements the functions of the access network device in the method embodiments. The access network device module receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the access network device, and the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device; or the access network device module sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the access network device, and the information is sent by the access network device to the terminal. The access network device module herein can be a baseband chip of the access network device, or a CU, a DU, or other modules, or a device under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture, such as an open CU, an open DU, and the like.

[0232] As shown in FIG. 9, the communication device includes a processor 910, a memory 920, and a transceiver 930. The processor 910 is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data, controlling terminals / access network devices, executing software programs and processing data of software programs, and the like. The memory 920 can store computer program codes, software programs, data, and the like. The transceiver 930 includes a transmitter 931, a receiver 932, a radio frequency circuit (not shown in the figure), an antenna 933, and the like.

[0233] The processor 910 can also be referred to as a processing unit, a processing board, a processing module, or a processing device, and the like. The transceiver 930 can also be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, or a transceiving device, and the like.

[0234] Optionally, the devices in the transceiver 930 for implementing the receiving function are regarded as a receiving module, and the devices in the transceiver 930 for implementing the sending function are regarded as a sending module, that is, the transceiver 930 includes a receiver and / or a transmitter. The transceiver can also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiving module, or a transceiving circuit, and the like. The receiver can also be referred to as a receiver, a receiving module, or a receiving circuit, and the like. The transmitter can also be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitting module, or a transmitting circuit, and the like.

[0235] The processor 910 is configured to perform the processing actions of the terminal side in the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. The transceiver 930 is configured to perform the transceiving actions of the terminal side in the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. Alternatively, the processor 910 is configured to perform the processing actions of the network side in the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. The transceiver 930 is configured to perform the transceiving actions of the network side in the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5.

[0236] When the communication apparatus 900 is a chip, the chip includes a processor and a transceiver. The transceiver can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor can be a processing module integrated on the chip or a microprocessor or an integrated circuit. The transmitting operation of the terminal in the method embodiments can be understood as the output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the terminal in the method embodiments can be understood as the input of the chip. Similarly, the transmitting operation of the access network device in the method embodiments can be understood as the output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the access network device in the method embodiments can be understood as the input of the chip.

[0237] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which has stored thereon a computer program or instructions for implementing the method performed by the terminal or the access network device in the method embodiments.

[0238] For example, the computer program is executed by a computer, so that the computer can implement the method performed by the terminal or the access network device in the method embodiments.

[0239] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product containing a program or instructions, which are executed by a computer to make the computer implement the method performed by the terminal or the access network device in the method embodiments.

[0240] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which includes the terminal in the above embodiments and the access network device in the above embodiments. The terminal is configured to perform part or all of the operations performed by the terminal in the method embodiments, and the access network device is configured to perform part or all of the operations performed by the access network device in the method embodiments.

[0241] The embodiments of the present application further provide a chip device, which includes a processor configured to invoke a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory, so that the processor performs the method provided in the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5.

[0242] In a possible implementation manner, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in any one of the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the transmitting operation in any one of the embodiments of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5.

[0243] Optionally, the processor is coupled with the memory through an interface.

[0244] Optionally, the chip device further comprises a memory, and the memory stores the computer program or computer instructions.

[0245] It can be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be a central processing unit (CPU), and can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0246] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in an access network device or a terminal. The processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the access network device or the terminal.

[0247] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment or other programmable apparatus. The computer programs or instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transferred from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer programs or instructions can be transferred from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center through wired or wireless manner. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center and the like integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disc; a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state disk. The computer readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile storage media.

[0248] In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referred to each other if there is no special description and logical conflict, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0249] It can be understood that various numerical numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for convenient differentiation, and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the serial number of the above processes does not mean the execution order, and the execution order of the processes should be determined according to its function and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A HARQ feedback method, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: performing channel measurement on a first time unit to obtain a first measurement result, wherein the first time unit is a time unit in which no data transmission exists; sending hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information according to the first measurement result, wherein the HARQ feedback information is used for communication parameter adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: receiving first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates that a virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: sending capability information, wherein the capability information indicates that the terminal supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used for configuring a first resource corresponding to channel measurement, and the first resource comprises the first time unit.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: receiving second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information is used for configuring a second resource corresponding to HARQ feedback information; The step of sending the HARQ feedback information according to the first measurement result comprises the following step: sending the HARQ feedback information on the second resource according to the first measurement result.

6. A HARQ feedback method, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information, wherein the HARQ feedback information is feedback information determined based on a first measurement result, the first measurement result is a measurement result obtained by performing channel measurement on a first time unit, and the first time unit is a time unit in which no data transmission exists; performing communication parameter adjustment based on the HARQ feedback information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: sending first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates that a virtual HARQ feedback mechanism is activated.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: receiving capability information, wherein the capability information indicates that the terminal supports the virtual HARQ feedback mechanism.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: sending first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used for configuring a first resource corresponding to channel measurement, and the first resource comprises the first time unit.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6-9, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps before the above steps: sending second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information is used for configuring a second resource corresponding to HARQ feedback information; The step of receiving the HARQ feedback information comprises the following step: receiving the HARQ feedback information on the second resource.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6-10, characterized in that, The communication parameter comprises a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and the step of performing communication parameter adjustment based on the HARQ feedback information comprises the following steps: in the case that the HARQ feedback information is acknowledgement (ACK) information, increasing the order of the MCS; and in the case that the HARQ feedback information is negative acknowledgement (NACK) information, decreasing the order of the MCS.

12. The method according to any of claims 1-5, 6-11, characterized by, The first measurement result is signal quality obtained by performing reference signal measurement on the first time unit; in the case that the signal quality is greater than a signal quality threshold, the HARQ feedback information is ACK information; or in the case that the signal quality is less than or equal to the signal quality threshold, the HARQ feedback information is NACK information.

13. The method according to any of claims 1-5, 6-11, characterized by, The first measurement result is noise power obtained by performing noise power monitoring on the first time unit; In a case that the noise power is greater than a noise power threshold, the HARQ feedback information is NACK information. Or, In a case that the noise power is less than or equal to a noise power threshold, the HARQ feedback information is ACK information.

14. The method of claim 2 or 7, wherein, The first indication information is carried in a radio resource control (RRC) message or downlink control information (DCI).

15. The method of claim 4 or 9, wherein, The first configuration information is carried in an RRC message.

16. The method of claim 5 or 10, wherein, The second configuration information is carried in an RRC message or DCI.

17. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises units or modules for implementing the method in any one of claims 1-5, claims 12-16, or units or modules for implementing the method in any one of claims 6-16.

18. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor configured to execute computer program or instructions, so that the communication device implements the method in any one of claims 1-5, claims 12-16, or implements the method in any one of claims 6-16.

19. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor and a transceiver configured to transceive information, and the processor is configured to execute computer program or instructions, so that the communication device implements the method in any one of claims 1-5, claims 12-16, or implements the method in any one of claims 6-16.

20. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor and an interface circuit configured to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit the signals to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is configured to execute computer program or instructions, so that the communication device implements the method in any one of claims 1-5, claims 12-16, or implements the method in any one of claims 6-16.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method in any one of claims 1-5, claims 12-16, or implement the method in any one of claims 6-16.

22. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program code, when running on a computer, implements the method in any one of claims 1-5, claims 12-16, or implements the method in any one of claims 6-16.

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