Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and particularly relates to a communication method and a related apparatus. The method comprises: transmitting terminal device capability information, wherein the terminal device capability information is used for indicating that a terminal device supports the associating of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams; and receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used for configuring at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource is determined on the basis of the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with a plurality of different first beams. By means of the method, the utilization rate of beam resources during the transmission of an SRS can be improved, and the transmission quality of the SRS is ensured.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411370276.9, filed on September 27, 2024, and entitled "A communication method and related apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0003] Sounding reference signal (SRS) plays an important role in wireless communication, which is a signal used for sounding channel quality. The time domain resource and frequency domain resource configured for SRS can be referred to as SRS resource, and the SRS resource can be used for transmitting SRS. In order to improve the quality and efficiency of communication, the transmission beam of wireless signal can be managed and optimized by configuring SRS resource, that is, the corresponding beam is used when transmitting SRS on the SRS resource.

[0004] In the existing scheme, one beam is usually configured to be associated with one or more SRS resources, that is, the same beam is used when transmitting SRS on one or more SRS resources. However, this transmission mode of associating one or more SRS resources with the same beam has the problem of low utilization rate of beam resources, which affects the transmission quality of SRS. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a communication method and related apparatus, which can avoid transmitting SRS on at least one SRS resource by the same beam, improve the utilization rate of beam resources in the process of transmitting SRS, and ensure the transmission quality of SRS.

[0006] The present application is introduced from multiple aspects below, and it is easy to understand that the implementation modes of the multiple aspects below can be mutually referred.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method suitable for a terminal device. The method comprises: sending terminal device capability information. Here, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports associating at least one SRS resource with multiple beams. Receiving first configuration information. Here, the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource is determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

[0008] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can report to the network device its capability of supporting association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams, and further, the network device can configure at least one SRS resource capable of being associated with multiple different beams for the terminal device according to the capability. In this way, the method provided in the present application can realize transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through multiple different beams, avoiding transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through the same beam, and thus can improve the utilization rate of beam resources in the process of transmitting SRS and ensure the transmission quality of SRS.

[0009] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams, including at least one of the following: the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band. In a case where the terminal device transmits SRS in a carrier aggregation (CA) manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on multiple component carriers (CCs) participating in carrier aggregation. In a case where the terminal device is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams.

[0010] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device capability information is carried in Long Term Evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

[0011] In the above implementation, the terminal device can report the terminal capability information through LPP signaling or RRC signaling, which is simple and easy to implement.

[0012] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in LPP signaling.

[0013] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the first field is included in a frequency band capability field in LPP signaling.

[0014] In the above implementation, by adding the first field in LPP signaling, the terminal device can report its capability of supporting association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band, which is simple and easy to implement.

[0015] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in RRC signaling.

[0016] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, the second field is included in an uplink feature set field in RRC signaling.

[0017] In the above implementation, by adding the second field in the RRC signaling, the terminal device can report its capability of supporting the association between at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on multiple carrier components participating in carrier aggregation when transmitting the SRS in the manner of carrier aggregation, which is simple and easy to implement.

[0018] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, the terminal device supports the association between at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a third field in RRC signaling.

[0019] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, the third field is included in a new radio frequency band field in RRC signaling.

[0020] In the above implementation, by adding the third field in the RRC signaling, the terminal device can report its capability of supporting the association between at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in the RRC inactive state, which is simple and easy to implement.

[0021] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, the at least one SRS resource is included in a same SRS resource set.

[0022] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, the first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information is used to indicate at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate the association between the at least one first SRS resource and multiple different first beams.

[0023] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation form, when the first configuration information is used to configure a first SRS resource i1 and a first SRS resource i2, the first SRS resource i1 is associated with a first beam j1, and the first SRS resource i2 is associated with a first beam j2, the method further includes: transmitting a first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1. Transmitting a second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2.

[0024] In the implementation, the terminal device can send SRSs on different first SRS resources through different first beams, avoiding the terminal device from transmitting SRSs on at least one SRS resource through the same beam, thereby improving the utilization of beams and ensuring the transmission quality of signals.

[0025] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, applicable to a network device. The method comprises: receiving terminal device capability information. Here, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams. Sending first configuration information. Here, the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource is determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams, including at least one of the following: the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams on at least one frequency band. In the case of transmitting SRSs through a carrier aggregation manner, the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation. In the case of being in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams.

[0027] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in the LPP signaling.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the first field is included in a frequency band capability field in the LPP signaling.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams is supported on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in the RRC signaling.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the second field is included in an uplink feature set field in the RRC signaling.

[0032] With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the terminal device supports that at least one SRS resource is associated with multiple beams in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in RRC signaling.

[0033] With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the third field is a frequency band field in the RRC signaling.

[0034] With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the at least one SRS resource is included in a same SRS resource set.

[0035] With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information is used to indicate at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate that the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

[0036] With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, in a case where the first configuration information is used to configure a first SRS resource i1 and a first SRS resource i2, the first SRS resource i1 is associated with a first beam j1, and the first SRS resource i2 is associated with a first beam j2, the method further includes: receiving, through the first beam j1, a first SRS on the first SRS resource i1. Receiving, through the first beam j2, a second SRS on the first SRS resource i2.

[0037] It should be understood that the communication method provided by the second aspect and the third aspect described above is used to cooperate with the implementation of the communication method provided by the first aspect described above, and thus the same beneficial effects can be achieved. In order to avoid redundancy, the description will not be repeated.

[0038] It should be understood that the communication method provided by the first aspect described above is also applicable to functional components in the first device, such as processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, etc. in the first device, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereon. Similarly, the communication method provided by the second aspect or the third aspect described above is also applicable to functional components in the corresponding device, and the description will not be repeated here in order to avoid redundancy.

[0039] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be the communication apparatus mentioned in the first aspect. The communication apparatus includes modules, units or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software or by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0040] In some possible design, the communication apparatus includes a transceiving unit (which can also be referred to as a transceiving module) and a processing unit (which can also be referred to as a processing module). The processing unit is configured to determine terminal device capability information. Here, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams. The transceiving unit is configured to send the terminal device capability information. The transceiving unit is further configured to receive first configuration information. Here, the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, which is determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

[0041] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource with multiple beams, including at least one of the following: the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band. The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation in a case where the terminal device transmits SRS in a carrier aggregation manner. The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a case where the terminal device is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

[0042] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

[0043] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in the LPP signaling.

[0044] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the first field is included in a frequency band capability field in the LPP signaling.

[0045] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in the RRC signaling.

[0046] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the second field is included in an uplink feature set field in the RRC signaling.

[0047] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a case where the terminal device is in an RRC inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in the RRC signaling.

[0048] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the third field is a frequency band field in RRC signaling.

[0049] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the at least one SRS resource is contained in a same SRS resource set.

[0050] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information is used to indicate the at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate that the at least one first SRS resource is associated with the plurality of different first beams.

[0051] With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver is further configured to transmit, through the first beam j1, the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1. The transceiver is further configured to transmit, through the first beam j2, the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2.

[0052] The fourth aspect provides a communication apparatus, which can be used for the first aspect. The communication apparatus includes modules, units or means corresponding to the above method, which can be implemented by hardware, software or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above functions.

[0053] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus includes a transceiver (which can also be referred to as a transceiving module) and a processing unit (which can also be referred to as a processing module). The transceiver is further configured to receive terminal device capability information. Here, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams. The processing unit is configured to determine first configuration information. Here, the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource being determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource being associated with a plurality of different first beams.

[0054] With reference to the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams, including at least one of the following: the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams on at least one frequency band. In a case where the terminal device transmits SRS in a carrier aggregation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams on a plurality of component carriers participating in carrier aggregation. In a case where the terminal device is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams.

[0055] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

[0056] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and a plurality of beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in the LPP signaling.

[0057] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first field is included in a frequency band capability field in the LPP signaling.

[0058] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and a plurality of beams on a plurality of component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in the RRC signaling.

[0059] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the second field is included in an uplink feature set field in the RRC signaling.

[0060] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and a plurality of beams in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in the RRC signaling.

[0061] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the third field is included in a frequency band field in the RRC signaling.

[0062] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the at least one SRS resource is included in a same SRS resource set.

[0063] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information is used to indicate at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate association of the at least one first SRS resource and a plurality of different first beams.

[0064] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the transceiver is further configured to receive, through a first beam j1, a first SRS on a first SRS resource i1. The transceiver is further configured to receive, through a first beam j2, a second SRS on a first SRS resource i2.

[0065] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or carry out the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0066] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a computer, carries out the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or carries out the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0067] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to perform the method of any of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any of the above aspects. The communication apparatus can be the terminal device in the first aspect, or an apparatus comprising the terminal device, or an apparatus comprised in the terminal device, such as a chip; or the communication apparatus can be the network device in the second aspect, or an apparatus comprising the network device, or an apparatus comprised in the network device, such as a chip.

[0068] With reference to the seventh aspect, in a possible implementation, the communication apparatus further comprises a memory configured to store necessary program instructions and data (i.e. computer program).

[0069] With reference to the seventh aspect, in a possible implementation, the memory can be coupled with the processor, or can be independent of the processor.

[0070] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip system comprising at least a processor. The processor is configured to execute computer execution instructions to cause an apparatus installed with the chip system to perform the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or perform the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0071] With reference to the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the chip system further comprises an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive computer execution instructions and transmit the computer execution instructions to the processor.

[0072] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive a signal from another communication apparatus outside the communication apparatus and transmit the signal to the processor or send a signal from the processor to the other communication apparatus outside the communication apparatus. The processor is configured to implement the method of any one of the preceding aspects by means of a logic circuit or by executing a computer program or instructions. The communication apparatus can be the terminal device in the first aspect, or an apparatus comprising the terminal device, or an apparatus comprised in the terminal device, such as a chip system; or the communication apparatus can be the network device in the second aspect, or an apparatus comprising the network device, or an apparatus comprised in the network device.

[0073] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication system. The communication system comprises at least a terminal device and a network device. The terminal device is configured to implement the communication method provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. The network device is configured to implement the communication method provided in the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0074] In summary, the communication method provided by the present application can realize the transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through multiple different beams, avoid the transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through the same beam, and thus improve the utilization rate of beam resources in the process of transmitting SRS and ensure the transmission quality of SRS. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0075] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the flow of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the association between an SRS resource and a beam according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the flow of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the flow of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0086] In the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. The association relationship of "and / or" between associated objects is described, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of the present application, the character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it; in the formulas of the present application, the character " / " represents a "division" relationship between the associated objects before and after it. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can represent: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0087] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, for example: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), 5th generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), and can also be applied to subsequent evolution systems, such as 6th generation 6G communication system.

[0088] The system architecture to which the embodiments of the present application are applied will be introduced below. It should be noted that the system architecture and business scenarios described in the present application are for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the present application. Those skilled in the art can know that, as the system architecture evolves and new business scenarios appear, the technical solutions provided by the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0089] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that FIG. 1 shows a ground communication system to which the technical solutions provided by the present application are applicable. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 10 can include a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 130. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in FIG. 1) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in FIG. 1). The RAN 100 can further include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1), and the like. The terminal is connected to the RAN node in a wireless manner. The RAN node is connected to the core network 130 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network device in the core network 130 and the RAN node 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.

[0090] 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 evolved 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 fused.

[0091] In the communication system shown in FIG. 1, the RAN node, which can also be referred to as an access network device, a network device, a RAN entity, or an access node, etc., constitutes a part of the communication system to help the terminal to implement wireless access. The plurality of RAN nodes in the communication system 10 can be nodes of the same type or nodes of different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN node and the terminal are relative, for example, the network element 120i in FIG. 1 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For those terminals 120j that access 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 node and the terminal are sometimes referred to as communication apparatuses, for example, the network elements 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 can be understood as communication apparatuses with base station functions, and the network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication apparatuses with terminal functions.

[0092] In a possible scenario, the RAN node 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 can be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG. 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG. 1), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node can also be provided with a communication module, circuit or chip for performing corresponding communication functions, and program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node.

[0093] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes cooperate to assist a terminal to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of a base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central 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 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).

[0094] In the communication system shown in FIG. 1, a terminal, which can be a device or module with corresponding communication functions and capable of accessing the communication system, can be referred to as a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely applied in 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, automatic 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, etc. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The terminal is usually provided with a communication module, circuit or chip for performing corresponding communication functions. The terminal is also configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0095] Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a structural schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that FIG. 2 shows a non-terrestrial communication system, or a satellite communication system, to which the technical solutions provided in the present application are applicable. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication system 20 can include at least one terminal device 210 and at least one network device 220. Exemplarily, the terminal device 210 can include a terminal device 210a and / or a terminal device 210b, and the network device 220 can include a satellite 220a and / or a satellite 220b. The network device 220 can communicate with the terminal device 210 directly or through a relay station, such as a relay satellite. It should be understood that the network device 220 can include one or more satellites. The satellite can provide communication services, navigation services, positioning services, etc. to the terminal device through multiple beams. The satellite covers a service area through multiple beams, and different beams can communicate through one or more of time division, frequency division and space division. The satellite can establish an inter-satellite link with another satellite, and the satellite can process and forward data according to a protocol. The communication system 20 can further include a connection device 230, such as a gateway, wherein the network device 220 can communicate with the connection device 230, and the connection device 230 can communicate with a core network 240. It should be understood that FIG. 2 is only an example, and in an actual scenario, the communication system 20 can further include other types of network devices and / or other types of terminal devices, or the communication system 20 can further include more or fewer satellites, more or fewer terminal devices. In a possible scenario, the network device can further include other non-terrestrial devices (or flying devices), such as a drone, etc.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present application, the satellite communication system can include a transparent mode and a non-transparent mode. The transparent mode is also referred to as a bent-pipe relay transmission, that is, the signal is only converted in frequency and amplified on the satellite. The non-transparent mode can be referred to as a regenerative (on-board access / processing) transmission, that is, the satellite has part or all of the base station functions. The satellite involved in the embodiments of the present application refers to a man-made satellite. The satellite can be a satellite base station, and can include an orbit receiver or a repeater for relaying information, or be a network device carried on the satellite; the satellite can be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a middle earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite or a non-GEO (NGEO) satellite, etc. The present application does not make any limitation in this regard. It should be understood that the solutions in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can also be replaced by the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0097] In the communication system shown in FIG. 2, the network device can be a device accessing the network by using 3GPP technology or other narrowband satellite communication technology, including but not limited to: a base station, a Node B (NB), an evolved Node B (eNB), a gNB or TRP in a 5G (such as NR) system, a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, a base station in a subsequent evolution of 3GPP, etc., and can also be a module or unit that completes part of the functions of the base station, for example, can be a CU, or a DU. The network device can also be: a macro base station, a micro base station, a pico base station, a small station, a relay station, an indoor station, a balloon station, a satellite station, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, etc. The network device can also be a device accessing the network by using non-3GPP technology, for example, including but not limited to: an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, etc. The network device can also be a server, a wearable device, or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The network device can also be a network device in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. The network device can also be a network device in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), for example, can be a relay satellite, a satellite with base station functions, etc. The network device can contain one or more co-sited or non-co-sited TRPs.

[0098] The terminal device 210 in the communication system shown in FIG. 2 can also be referred to as a UE, an access terminal, a vehicle-mounted terminal, an industrial control terminal, a UE unit, a UE station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal device, a mobile device, a UE terminal device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a UE agent, or a UE apparatus, etc. It is a device with wireless transceiving function, which can be fixed or mobile. The terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on the water surface (such as ships, etc.); can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.). The terminal device can include but is not limited to: a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiving function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a mixed reality (MR) terminal device, an extended reality (XR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a haptic terminal device, a vehicle-mounted terminal device, a wireless terminal in unmanned driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical treatment, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, a wearable terminal device, etc. The terminal device can support communication with multiple network devices of different technologies, for example, the terminal device can support communication with a base station supporting an LTE network, can also support communication with a base station supporting a 5G network, and can also support dual connectivity with a base station of an LTE network and a base station of a 5G network.

[0099] It should be understood that, in combination with the communication system 10 shown in FIG. 1, the scheme provided in the embodiments of the present application can be specifically realized by the RAN node and the terminal in the communication system 10. In combination with the communication system shown in FIG. 2, the scheme provided in the present application can be specifically realized by the terminal device 210 and the network device 220 in the communication system 20. For the convenience of understanding, in the embodiments of the present application, the network device and the terminal device will be taken as examples for description.

[0100] In the embodiments of the present application, the method performed by the network device can also be realized by the functional components inside the network device, such as a chip, a chip system, a processor, a circuit, etc. Similarly, the method performed by the terminal device can also be realized by the functional components inside the terminal device, such as a chip, a chip system, a processor, a circuit, etc.

[0101] In the prior art, one beam is usually configured to be associated with one or more SRS resources, that is, the same beam is used when transmitting SRS on the one or more SRS resources. However, the transmission mode in which the one or more SRS resources are associated with the same beam has the problem of low utilization of beam resources, which affects the transmission quality of SRS. Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present application is how to improve the utilization of beam resources in the process of transmitting SRS.

[0102] In combination with the above, the communication method of the embodiments of the present application is exemplarily introduced below.

[0103] Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the communication method shown in FIG. 3 can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the communication method can include the following steps:

[0104] S301, the terminal device sends terminal device capability information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the terminal device capability information.

[0105] In some possible implementation manners, the terminal device can generate the terminal device capability information and send the terminal device capability information to the network device.

[0106] The terminal device capability information can be used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one first signal resource with multiple beams. That is, one first signal resource can be associated with multiple different beams, or each of the multiple first signal resources can be associated with a different beam.

[0107] It should be noted that the above first signal resource can be used to transmit a first signal. Specifically, the first signal resource can include frequency domain resources and time domain resources used for transmitting the first signal.

[0108] Optionally, the above first signal can be SRS. Correspondingly, in this case, the first signal resource can be referred to as SRS resource. In possible scenarios, the first signal can also be other reference signals in the communication system, such as positioning reference signals (PRS) and the like. The embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard. For ease of understanding, the first signal resource is taken as an SRS resource in the following description.

[0109] Optionally, the above at least one SRS resource can be included in the same SRS resource set.

[0110] In the embodiments of the present application, the association of one SRS resource and one beam means that the terminal device can send SRS on the SRS resource through the beam, or in other words, the beam can be used as the transmission beam when the terminal device sends SRS on the SRS resource.

[0111] It can be understood that the corresponding propagation paths are different when the terminal device sends SRS on the at least one SRS resource. That is, the terminal device capability information can be used to indicate the spatial association relationship capability of the at least one SRS resource.

[0112] For example, referring to FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagram of the association of SRS resources and beams provided in the embodiments of the present application, the association of different beams with different SRS resources is described by taking SRS resource 1 and SRS resource 2 in the same SRS resource set as an example. It is assumed that the terminal device and the network device are in a spatial rectangular coordinate system formed by the x-axis, the y-axis and the z-axis, wherein the network device is located in the z-axis direction and the terminal device is located at any position in the space. It is assumed that SRS resource 1 is used to transmit a first SRS and SRS resource 2 is used to transmit a second SRS. As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal device can send the first SRS through beam 1, that is, SRS resource 1 is associated with beam 1. The terminal device can also send the second SRS through beam 2, that is, SRS resource 2 is associated with beam 2. The propagation path corresponding to beam 1 covers the direct path between the terminal device and the network device, which can be referred to as the first path. The propagation path corresponding to beam 2 can cover the reflection path between the terminal device and the network device through the ground, which can be referred to as the non-first path.

[0113] Optionally, the above-mentioned association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams supported by the terminal device can include at least one of the following three cases: the terminal device supports the association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band; in the case where the terminal device transmits SRS through a carrier aggregation manner, the terminal device supports the association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in the carrier aggregation; and in the case where the terminal device is in an RRC inactive state, the terminal device supports the association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams.

[0114] In an optional implementation, the above-mentioned terminal device capability information can be carried in LPP signaling or RRC signaling. In possible scenarios, the terminal device capability information can also be carried in other signaling, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0115] The following exemplary describes three possible implementation modes of carrying the terminal device capability in LPP signaling or RRC signaling.

[0116] In a first mode, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information can be carried in a first field in LPP signaling.

[0117] It should be noted that the field in the present application can also be referred to as an information element (IE), and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0118] Optionally, the first field can be referred to as a spatialRelation-path (spatial relation-path) field. It should be understood that the first field is a field that can be used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band. In possible scenarios, the first field can also have other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0119] Optionally, the first field can be included in an SRS-CapabilityPerBand-r16 (Sounding Reference Signal - Frequency Band Capability, referred to as frequency band capability) field in LPP signaling. The SRS-CapabilityPerBand-r16 field can be used to indicate the capability of the terminal device to transmit SRS on each frequency band (band), such as the frequency range and transmit beam used by the terminal device when transmitting SRS on each frequency band.

[0120] That is, a first field can be added in the SRS-CapabilityPerBand-r16 field to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on at least one frequency band.

[0121] For example, the SRS-CapabilityPerBand-r16 field can include the following information:

[0122] It should be noted that the SRS-CapabilityPerBand-r16 field described above can be included in an NR-UL-SRS-Capability-r16 (New Radio - Uplink - Sounding Reference Signal - Capability, referred to as uplink sounding reference signal capability) field in LPP signaling. For example, the NR-UL-SRS-Capability-r16 field can include the following information:

[0123] In a second mode, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information can be carried in a second field in RRC signaling.

[0124] Optionally, the second field can be referred to as a spatialRelation-path field. It should be understood that the second field is a field that can be used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in the case of transmitting SRS in a carrier aggregation manner on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation. In possible scenarios, the second field can also have other names, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0125] Optionally, the second field can be included in a FeatureSetUplink (uplink feature set, referred to as uplink feature set) field in RRC signaling. That is, a second field can be added to the FeatureSetUplink field to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in the case of transmitting SRS in a carrier aggregation manner on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation.

[0126] For example, the FeatureSetUplink field can include the following information:

[0127] It should be noted that the FeatureSetUplink field described above can be included in a FeatureSets field. The FeatureSets field can be used to indicate the capability of the terminal device for transmitting SRS on different component carriers.

[0128] The FeatureSets field can be included in a UE-NR-Capability (terminal device-new radio-capability, referred to as terminal device capability) field. For example, the UE-NR-Capability field can include the following information:

[0129] In the third mode, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in the case of being in an RRC inactive state, and the terminal device capability information can be carried in a third field in RRC signaling.

[0130] Optionally, the third field can be referred to as a spatialRelation-path-Inactive field. It should be understood that the third field is a field that can be used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in the case of being in an RRC inactive state. In possible scenarios, the third field can also have other names, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0131] Optionally, the third field can be included in a BandNR (New Radio Band) field in the RRC signaling. The BandNR field can include configuration information of the SRS of the terminal device in the RRC inactive state. That is, a third field can be added to the BandNR field to indicate that the terminal device supports at least one SRS resource associated with multiple beams in the RRC inactive state.

[0132] For example, the BandNR field can include the following information:

[0133] It should be noted that the BandNR field can be included in an RF-Parameters (Radio Frequency Range) field in the RRC signaling. The RF-Parameters field can be used to indicate the RF (Radio Frequency) related capabilities of the terminal device, such as the frequency bands supported by the terminal device.

[0134] For example, the RF-Parameters field can include the following information:

[0135] It should be noted that the RF-Parameters field can also be included in the UE-NR-Capability field in the RRC signaling described above. For examples of the UE-NR-Capability field, please refer to the related content described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0136] At S302, the network device sends first configuration information to the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the first configuration information.

[0137] In some possible implementations, after receiving the terminal device capability information reported by the terminal device, the network device can generate the first configuration information and send the first configuration information to the terminal device. The first configuration information can be used to configure at least one first SRS resource, and the at least one first SRS resource can be associated with multiple different first beams.

[0138] In possible implementations, the at least one first SRS resource can be determined by the network device based on the terminal device capability information.

[0139] Optionally, the at least one first SRS resource can be included in the same first SRS resource set.

[0140] In a possible implementation, after receiving the terminal capability information, the network device can determine a first SRS resource set from the multiple SRS resource sets according to the terminal device capability information, and further determine at least one first SRS resource included in the first SRS resource set. Further, the network device can associate different first beams with each of the at least one first SRS resource, and further generate first configuration information and send the first configuration information to the terminal device.

[0141] The multiple SRS resource sets can be preconfigured by the network device or agreed by a protocol, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0142] Optionally, the first configuration information can include first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information can be used to indicate the at least one first SRS resource included in the first SRS resource set. The second sub-configuration information can be used to indicate that the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

[0143] In an optional implementation, after receiving the terminal device capability information, the network device can determine a first SRS resource set from the multiple SRS resource sets according to the terminal device capability information, and further generate first sub-configuration information based on the at least one first SRS resource included in the first SRS resource set. The network device can also generate the second sub-configuration information according to the association relationship between each of the at least one first SRS resource and the different first beams.

[0144] Correspondingly, after receiving the first configuration information, the terminal device can determine the at least one first SRS resource according to the first configuration information, and determine that the at least one first SRS resource can be associated with different first beams.

[0145] In the implementation, the terminal device can report to the network device its capability of supporting association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams, and further, the network device can configure at least one SRS resource capable of being associated with multiple different beams for the terminal device according to the capability. In this way, the method provided by the present application can realize transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through multiple different beams, avoid transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through the same beam, and further improve the utilization rate of beam resources in the process of transmitting SRS, and ensure the transmission quality of SRS.

[0146] For ease of understanding, the following is an example of transmitting SRS on the first SRS resource through the first beam, taking the first configuration information for configuring the first SRS resource i1 and the first SRS resource i2, and the first SRS resource i1 being associated with the first beam j1 and the first SRS resource i2 being associated with the first beam j2 as an example.

[0147] In some possible implementation, referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of another communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the step S303 and the step S304 can be performed after the step S302. As shown in FIG. 5, the communication method can further include the step S303 and the step S304.

[0148] S303, the terminal device transmits the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1.

[0149] In some possible implementation, after determining that the first SRS resource i1 is associated with the first beam j1 according to the first configuration information, the terminal device can transmit the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1.

[0150] Correspondingly, the network device can receive the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1.

[0151] S304, the terminal device transmits the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2. Correspondingly, the network device receives the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2.

[0152] In some possible implementation, after determining that the first SRS resource i2 is associated with the first beam j2 according to the first configuration information, the terminal device can transmit the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2.

[0153] Correspondingly, the network device can receive the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2.

[0154] It should be understood that the first SRS resource set can include three or more first SRS resources, and each of the first SRS resources can be associated with a different first beam. The process of transmitting SRS on the first SRS resource through the different first beams is similar to the above process, and the specific process can be referred to the related description in the foregoing, which will not be described here.

[0155] It should be noted that the communication method provided in the present application can be applied to a scenario in which an SRS can be sent on an SRS resource through a beam, such as a positioning scenario, a perception scenario, and the like. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0156] For ease of understanding, the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application will be further described below by taking a positioning scenario as an example. It should be understood that the logic and terms not explained below can be referred to the introduction of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be described herein.

[0157] The architecture of the communication system in the positioning scenario will be described first. Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, the communication system can include a terminal device, a first network device, a second network device, and a first device. The terminal device, the first network device, the second network device, and the first device can establish a communication connection to implement the communication method provided in the present application.

[0158] The first network device can be a serving base station participating in a positioning process, and the second network device can be a neighboring base station participating in the positioning process.

[0159] The first device can be used to initiate a positioning process and obtain the position, speed, acceleration, and the like of the terminal device, and return these information to a related device or network element, which can be a specific apparatus, network element, or functional entity. Alternatively, the second device is an apparatus, network element, or functional entity capable of providing a positioning function for the terminal device. It should be understood that the network element can also be referred to as an entity, device, apparatus, or module, and the present application does not limit this. In some possible implementations, the second device can be a location management function (LMF) network element in a 5G network architecture. It should be understood that in future communication systems, the second device can still be an LMF network element, or the second device can be another network element, or the second device can have another name, and the present application does not limit this. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific type of the second device.

[0160] The communication method provided in the present application in the positioning scenario will be described below in combination with the communication system shown in FIG. 6.

[0161] Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a flowchart of another communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 7, the communication method can include the following steps:

[0162] In S701, the terminal device sends terminal device capability information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the terminal device capability information.

[0163] S702, the first device sends a positioning information request message to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the positioning information request message.

[0164] The positioning information request message can be used to instruct the first network device to configure the SRS resource set for the terminal device.

[0165] Optionally, the first device can send the positioning information request message to the first network device through the NR positioning protocol A (NRPPa). It should be noted that the communication protocol between the first device and the first network device is not limited in the embodiment of the application.

[0166] S703, the first network device determines the first SRS resource set according to the terminal device capability information.

[0167] S704, the first network device sends the first configuration information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first configuration information.

[0168] Optionally, the first configuration information can be used to configure the first SRS resource set. The first SRS resource set can include at least one first SRS resource, and the at least one first SRS resource can be associated with a plurality of different first beams.

[0169] S705, the first network device sends the first configuration information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first configuration information.

[0170] Optionally, the first network device can send the first configuration information to the first device through the NRPPa.

[0171] S706, the first device sends the first configuration information and a measurement request to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first configuration information and the measurement request.

[0172] Optionally, the first device can send the first configuration information to the first network device through the NRPPa. The measurement request can be used to instruct the first network device to receive and measure the SRS.

[0173] S707, the first device sends the first configuration information and a measurement request to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the first configuration information and the measurement request.

[0174] Optionally, the first device can send the first configuration information to the second network device through the NRPPa. It should be noted that the communication protocol between the first device and the second network device is not limited in the embodiment of the application.

[0175] S708, the terminal device sends the SRS to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the SRS.

[0176] S709, the terminal device sends the SRS to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the SRS.

[0177] S710, the first network device sends the measurement result corresponding to the SRS to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the measurement result corresponding to the SRS.

[0178] Optionally, the first network device can measure the received SRS to obtain the arrival time of the SRS, and determine the arrival time of the SRS as the measurement result corresponding to the SRS.

[0179] S711, the second network device sends the measurement result corresponding to the SRS to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the measurement result corresponding to the SRS.

[0180] Optionally, the second network device can measure the received SRS to obtain the arrival time of the SRS, and determine the arrival time of the SRS as the measurement result corresponding to the SRS.

[0181] S712, the first device determines the position information of the terminal device according to the measurement result corresponding to the SRS.

[0182] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the terminal device can report to the first network device its capability of supporting association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams, and further, the first network device can configure at least one SRS resource capable of being associated with multiple different beams for the terminal device according to the capability. By this method, SRS can be transmitted on at least one SRS resource through multiple different beams, avoiding transmission of SRS on at least one SRS resource through the same beam, thereby improving the utilization rate of beam resources in the process of transmitting SRS and ensuring the transmission quality of SRS. In addition, since SRS can be transmitted through multiple different beams, the path for transmitting SRS in the positioning process can cover the direct path and the reflected path, which can eliminate the problem of low positioning accuracy caused by channel group delay error in the positioning process, thereby improving the positioning accuracy.

[0183] The above describes in detail the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application in combination with FIGS. 3 to 7. The communication device provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail in combination with FIGS. 8 and 9. It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of the communication device corresponds to the description of the embodiments of the communication method, and therefore, the parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0184] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8, the communication device 800 can include a processing unit 801 and a transceiver unit 802.

[0185] In some possible implementation manners, the communication apparatus 800 can correspond to the terminal device or a component (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system) configured in the terminal device.

[0186] In specific implementation manners, the processing unit 801 is configured to determine terminal device capability information. Here, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams. The transceiver unit 802 is configured to send the terminal device capability information. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive first configuration information. Here, the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource being determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource being associated with multiple different first beams.

[0187] In combination with the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource with multiple beams, including at least one of the following: the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band. The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation in a case where the terminal device transmits SRS in a carrier aggregation manner. The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a case where the terminal device is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

[0188] In a possible implementation manner, the terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

[0189] In a possible implementation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in the LPP signaling.

[0190] In a possible implementation manner, the first field is included in a frequency band capability field in the LPP signaling.

[0191] In a possible implementation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in the RRC signaling.

[0192] In a possible implementation manner, the second field is included in an uplink feature set field in the RRC signaling.

[0193] In a possible implementation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a case where the terminal device is in an RRC inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in the RRC signaling.

[0194] In a possible implementation, the third field is a frequency band field in RRC signaling.

[0195] In a possible implementation, the at least one SRS resource is contained in a same SRS resource set.

[0196] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information is used to indicate the at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate that the at least one first SRS resource is associated with the plurality of different first beams.

[0197] In a possible implementation, the transceiver 802 is further configured to transmit, by the first beam j1, the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1. The transceiver 802 is further configured to transmit, by the first beam j2, the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2.

[0198] In some possible implementations, the communication apparatus 800 can correspond to the network device or a component (such as a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) configured in the network device.

[0199] In a possible implementation, the transceiver 802 is further configured to receive terminal device capability information. Here, the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams. The processing unit 801 is configured to determine first configuration information. Here, the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource is determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with a plurality of different first beams. The transceiver 802 is further configured to transmit the first configuration information.

[0200] In a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams, including at least one of the following: the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams on at least one frequency band. In a case where the terminal device transmits SRS in a carrier aggregation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams on a plurality of component carriers participating in carrier aggregation. In a case where the terminal device is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams.

[0201] In a possible implementation, the terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

[0202] In a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with a plurality of beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in LPP signaling.

[0203] In a possible implementation, the first field is included in a frequency band capability field in LPP signaling.

[0204] In a possible implementation, the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in RRC signaling, and the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation.

[0205] In a possible implementation, the second field is included in an uplink feature set field in RRC signaling.

[0206] In a possible implementation, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource and multiple beams in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in RRC signaling.

[0207] In a possible implementation, the third field is included in a frequency band field in RRC signaling.

[0208] In a possible implementation, the at least one SRS resource is included in a same SRS resource set.

[0209] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information. The first sub-configuration information is used to indicate at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate association of the at least one first SRS resource and multiple different first beams.

[0210] In a possible implementation, the transceiver 802 is further configured to receive, through the first beam j1, the first SRS on the first SRS resource i1. The transceiver 802 is further configured to receive, through the first beam j2, the second SRS on the first SRS resource i2.

[0211] Referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication apparatus provided in the present application. The communication apparatus 900 can be used to implement operations performed by the first device, the second device, or the sensing device in the above-described embodiments, or the communication apparatus 900 can be the first device, the second device, or the sensing device described above. The communication apparatus 900 includes a processor 901, a memory 902, and a bus system 903.

[0212] The memory 902 includes, but is not limited to, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). The memory 902 is configured to store relevant instructions and data. The memory 902 stores the following elements, executable modules or data structures, or a subset thereof, or an extended set thereof:

[0213] Operation instructions: include various operation instructions for implementing various operations.

[0214] Operating system: includes various system programs for implementing various basic services and processing hardware-based tasks.

[0215] Only one memory is shown in FIG. 9, but the memory can also be set to multiple according to the needs.

[0216] In a possible implementation, the communication device 900 can only include the processor 901 and the bus system 903 described above, i.e., does not include the memory 902 described above.

[0217] The communication device 900 can also include a transceiver 904. The transceiver 904 can be a communication module, a transceiver circuit. In the embodiments of the present application, the transceiver 904 is configured to perform the receiving and transmitting operations of the messages involved in the above-described embodiments.

[0218] The processor 901 can be at least one, specifically can be a controller, a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 901 can also be a combination for implementing computing functions, such as one or more microprocessor combinations, combinations of DSP and microprocessor, etc.

[0219] In a particular implementation, the various components of the communication apparatus 900 are coupled together by a bus system 903, which can include a power bus, a control bus and a status signal bus, among others. For clarity, the various buses are illustrated as a single bus system 903. However, the various buses actually comprise multiple buses, and the use of the singular noun "bus" is intended to cover the multiple buses.

[0220] In a particular implementation, the communication apparatus 900 can perform the steps of the methods performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above-described embodiments. Specifically, when the communication apparatus 900 is used to implement the steps performed by the terminal device or the network device in the communication method provided by the embodiments, the processor 901 can implement the functions of the above-described processing unit 801, and the transceiver 904 can implement the functions of the above-described transceiving unit 802.

[0221] It should be noted that, in actual applications, the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with a signal processing capability. In the implementation process, the steps of the above-described method embodiments can be completed by an integrated logic circuit or an instruction in the form of software in the processor. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The methods, steps and logical block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed by the processor. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware code executed by the processor, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, or other mature storage media in the art. The memory is located in the storage device, and the processor reads information in the memory and combines the hardware to complete the steps of the above-described methods.

[0222] It is to be appreciated that the memory in the embodiments of the application can be a volatile or non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), EPROM, electrically EPROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be RAM used as external cache memory. By way of example, and not limitation, many forms of RAM can be used, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), double-data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It is to be appreciated that the memory described herein is intended to include, without being limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0223] The application further provides a computer readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, implements the method steps performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above embodiments.

[0224] The application further provides a computer program product, which, when executed by a computer, implements the method steps performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above embodiments.

[0225] The application further provides a chip, comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to execute computer execution instructions to enable a device installed with the chip to implement the method steps performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above embodiments.

[0226] Optionally, the chip can further comprise an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive computer execution instructions and transmit the computer execution instructions to the processor.

[0227] The application further provides a chip system, which comprises a processor and is configured to support a device on which the chip system is installed to implement the method steps performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above-described embodiments, e.g., generating or processing the data and / or information involved in the above-described methods. In a possible design, the chip system further comprises a memory configured to store program instructions and data necessary for the data sending device. The chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0228] Optionally, the chip system further comprises an interface circuit. The interface circuit can be configured to receive computer execution instructions and transmit the computer execution instructions to the processor.

[0229] Please refer to FIG. 10, which is a structural schematic diagram of another communication apparatus provided in an embodiment of the application. The communication apparatus 1000 can include a processor 1001 and an interface circuit 1002. The interface circuit 1002 can be configured to receive signals from other communication apparatuses outside the communication apparatus 1000 and transmit the signals to the processor 1001, or transmit signals from the processor 1001 to other communication apparatuses outside the communication apparatus 1000. The processor 1001 can be configured to execute computer programs or instructions through a logic circuit, and implement the communication method described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0230] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus 1000 can be the terminal device, the device including the terminal device, or the apparatus included in the terminal device, such as a chip system. The communication apparatus 1000 can also be the network device, the device including the network device, or the apparatus included in the network device.

[0231] The application further provides a communication system, which includes at least the terminal device and the network device described above. The terminal device and the network device work cooperatively to implement the communication method described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0232] In the method embodiments described above, all or part of the method can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the method can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer 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 generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer 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 instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.)) way. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. containing one or more available media sets. The available media can be magnetic media (such as floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (such as high-density digital video disc (digital video disc, DVD), or semiconductor media (such as solid state disk (solid state disk, SSD) and the like.

[0233] In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referred to each other if there is no special description and logical conflict. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0234] It can be understood that the various numerical numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for the convenience of 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 order of execution, and the execution order of the processes should be determined according to its function and inherent logic.

[0235] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the technical scheme of the present application, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: sending terminal device capability information, wherein the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource with multiple beams; receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource is determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource with multiple beams, including at least one of the following: The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band. In the case of transmitting SRS through a carrier aggregation manner, the terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation. The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in the LPP signaling.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a second field in the RRC signaling.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in the RRC signaling.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The at least one SRS resource is included in a same SRS resource set.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information, the first sub-configuration information is used to indicate the at least one first SRS resource, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate association of the at least one first SRS resource with the multiple different first beams.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first configuration information is used to configure a first SRS resource i1 and a first SRS resource i2, the first SRS resource i1 is associated with a first beam j1, and the first SRS resource i2 is associated with a first beam j2, the method further comprises: sending a first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1; and sending a second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2.

10. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving terminal device capability information, wherein the terminal device capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports association of at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource with multiple beams; sending first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure at least one first SRS resource, the at least one first SRS resource is determined based on the terminal device capability information, and the at least one first SRS resource is associated with multiple different first beams.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource with multiple beams, including at least one of the following: The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band; The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation in a case of transmitting SRS through carrier aggregation; The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a case of being in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The terminal device capability information is carried in long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling or RRC signaling.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on at least one frequency band, and the terminal device capability information is carried in a first field in the LPP signaling.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams on multiple component carriers participating in carrier aggregation, and the terminal device capability information is included in a second field in the RRC signaling.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, The terminal device supports association of at least one SRS resource with multiple beams in a case of being in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the terminal device capability information is included in a third field in the RRC signaling.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-15, characterized in that, The at least one SRS resource is included in a same SRS resource set.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10-16, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes first sub-configuration information and second sub-configuration information, the first sub-configuration information is used to indicate at least one first SRS resource in the first SRS resource set, and the second sub-configuration information is used to indicate association of the at least one first SRS resource with the multiple different first beams.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10-17, characterized in that, The first configuration information is used to configure a first SRS resource i1 and a first SRS resource i2, the first SRS resource i1 is associated with a first beam j1, and the first SRS resource i2 is associated with a first beam j2, and the method further includes: receiving a first SRS on the first SRS resource i1 through the first beam j1; receiving a second SRS on the first SRS resource i2 through the first beam j2.

19. A communications device, characterized by The communication apparatus includes units for implementing the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 9 or claims 10 to 18.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program, when the computer program is executed, the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented, or the communication method of any one of claims 10 to 18 is implemented.

21. A chip system, characterized by including a processor; The processor is configured to execute computer execution instructions to enable a device installed with the chip system to perform the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 9 or the communication method of any one of claims 10 to 18.

22. The chip system of claim 21, wherein The chip system further includes an interface circuit configured to receive the computer execution instructions and transmit the computer execution instructions to the processor.

23. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product is configured to execute the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 9 or the communication method of any one of claims 10 to 18.

24. A communications device, characterized by comprising at least one processor for executing a computer program stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or the communication method of any one of claims 10 to 18.

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