Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications, and in particular to a communication method and a related apparatus. The method comprises: a network device determining, at the end of a first period, whether all of N1 first CSI groups are successfully received. wherein the N1 first CSI groups are obtained by means of first CSI measurement, and N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; and when N2 second CSI groups among the N1 first CSI groups have not been successfully received, the network device sending first information to a terminal device, so as to indicate the retransmission of the N2 second CSI groups, wherein N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1, the N2 second CSI groups are retransmitted by means of a first MAC-CE, and the first MAC-CE at least comprises a first measurement identifier associated with the first CSI measurement. By using the method provided in the present application in a scenario where CSI carrying high-overhead information is transmitted, the problem of existing CSI transmission schemes failing to meet the requirements of CSI transmission quality can be solved.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411474600.1, filed on October 21, 2024, entitled “A Communication Method and Related Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems place higher demands on system capacity and spectral efficiency. In 5G communication systems, the application of massive MIMO technology plays a crucial role in improving system spectral efficiency. When using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, network devices need to precode the data before sending it to terminal devices. Typically, network devices rely on channel state information (CSI) from the downlink channel fed back by the terminal devices to determine the precoding matrix used for channel precoding. In this process, because the space-frequency statistical feature basis used to characterize channel features is not strictly dependent on latency, terminal devices can report the space-frequency statistical feature basis with long periods.

[0004] In existing technologies, terminal devices report CSI (Content Specific Information) carrying high-overhead information such as the aforementioned space-frequency statistical feature basis to network devices via uplink control information (UCI). However, UCI lacks a corresponding retransmission mechanism, resulting in poor reliability of CSI transmission via UCI, making it difficult to meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus that can resolve the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI, which carries high-overhead information.

[0006] The following sections introduce this application from multiple perspectives. It is easy to understand that the implementation methods of these multiple aspects can be referenced from each other.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a communication method. This method is applicable to network devices. In embodiments of this application, the network device can be a network-side device, or a network apparatus. The network device may include network-side access network equipment, modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) within the access network equipment, or logical nodes (e.g., central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), etc.) capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network equipment, logical modules, or software.

[0008] The method includes: at the end of the first cycle, the network device determines whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received. Here, the N1 first CSI groups can be obtained from a first CSI measurement; it should be understood that the first CSI measurement is a single CSI measurement performed by the network device and the terminal device. N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. If N2 second CSI groups out of these N1 first CSI groups are not successfully received, the network device may send first information to the terminal device. This first information can be used to instruct (or configure, trigger, etc.) the retransmission of the aforementioned N2 second CSI groups. These N2 second CSI groups will be retransmitted through a first media access control element (MAC-CE), and the first MAC-CE includes at least a first measurement identifier associated with the first CSI measurement.

[0009] As described above, during the first CSI measurement process, the network device periodically checks whether all N first CSI groups obtained from the first CSI measurement have been successfully received. If it determines that N2 second CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups have not been successfully received, it instructs the terminal device to retransmit the N2 second CSI groups via MAC-CE. On the one hand, retransmitting CSI groups via MAC-CE can reduce uplink resource overhead. On the other hand, this retransmission scheme is simple and reliable, ensuring that the network device can correctly receive the CSI groups sent by the terminal device. Therefore, using this method to transmit CSI carrying high-overhead information can effectively solve the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method may further include: the network device receiving a first MAC-CE from the terminal device. If the network device determines, based on the first MAC-CE, that N3 third CSI groups out of N2 second CSI groups have been successfully received, it can determine that the N3 third CSI groups have been successfully received, and that the remaining CSI groups (N2-N3 in total) out of the N2 second CSI groups have not been successfully received. Here, N3 is a positive integer less than or equal to N2.

[0011] Optionally, the aforementioned first information is mainly used to schedule the terminal device to send the aforementioned N2 second CSI groups to the network device through the first MAC-CE. The first information may include the scheduling information of the first MAC-CE, such as the time and frequency resource configuration information and channel configuration information of the first MAC-CE.

[0012] In the above implementation, after the network device receives the MAC-CE sent by the terminal device for retransmission, it marks the correctly received CSI group as successfully received. This avoids repeatedly instructing the retransmission of CSI groups that have already been successfully received, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device receiving a second MAC-CE. The second MAC-CE can be used for the initial transmission of N1 first CSI groups, meaning the second MAC-CE is the first MAC-CE sent by the terminal device to the network device for N1 first CSI groups. The second MAC-CE includes at least the first measurement identifier. If the network device determines, based on the second MAC-CE, that the initial transmission of N4 fourth CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups has failed, it sends second information. This second information is used to indicate (or configure, trigger, etc.) the retransmission of these N4 fourth CSI groups. Here, the second information functions similarly to the first information described above, both indicating the retransmission of certain CSI groups; therefore, their implementations are also similar. The aforementioned N4 fourth CSI groups can be retransmitted via a third MAC-CE, and this third MAC-CE includes at least the aforementioned first measurement identifier. N4 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1.

[0014] In the above implementation, for the initial transmission process, after receiving the second MAC-CE, the network device will immediately determine whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received, instead of waiting for the end of the first cycle. This can avoid the delay caused by waiting for the first cycle to be received and improve the efficiency of CSI reporting.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: if the network device determines, based on the second MAC-CE, that N5 of the N1 first CSI groups have not completed their initial transmission, it will wait for the initial transmission of these N5 fifth CSI groups. Here, N5 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0016] In the above implementation, the network device will wait for the initial transmission of CSI groups that have not completed their initial transmission. This avoids indicating the retransmission of CSI groups that have not completed their initial transmission, thereby avoiding the repeated transmission of these CSI groups.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method may further include: if the number of retransmissions in any of the N1 first CSI groups is equal to the retransmission count threshold, the network device may determine that the first CSI measurement has failed.

[0018] In the above implementation, when the number of retransmissions for a CSI group reaches a set retransmission threshold, it indicates that the network device may no longer be able to receive the CSI group correctly. Continuing to wait for retransmissions of the CSI group will only waste transmission resources. Therefore, directly determining that the first CSI measurement has failed in this case can avoid wasting transmission resources and improve the efficiency of CSI measurement.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method may further include: if all N1 first CSI groups are successfully received, the network device can determine the complete CSI of the first CSI measurement based on these N1 first CSI groups. Alternatively, the network device can reconstruct the complete CSI corresponding to the aforementioned first CSI measurement based on these N1 first CSI groups.

[0020] Secondly, this application provides a communication method. This method is applicable to terminal devices. In the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned terminal device can be a terminal-side device, or a terminal apparatus. The terminal device may include a terminal or a communication module within the terminal, or circuitry or chips (such as modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips containing modem cores, or system-in-package (SIP) chips) within the terminal responsible for communication functions.

[0021] The method includes: a terminal device receiving first information from a network device. The first information is used to instruct retransmission of N2 second CSI groups out of N1 first CSI groups. The N1 first CSI groups are obtained from first CSI measurements, where N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1. The terminal device sends a first MAC-CE to the network device. The first MAC-CE includes a first measurement identifier associated with the first CSI measurement and the N2 second CSI groups.

[0022] In the above implementation, the terminal device will retransmit the CSI group via MAC-CE according to the instructions of the network device. This not only reduces the overhead of uplink resources, but also improves the reception accuracy of the CSI group.

[0023] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device sending a second MAC-CE to the network device. This second MAC-CE can be used for the initial transmission of N1 first CSI groups, meaning the second MAC-CE is the first MAC-CE sent by the terminal device to the network device for some or all of the N1 first CSI groups. The second MAC-CE includes at least the first measurement identifier. It should be understood that if the MAC-CE can carry the aforementioned N1 first CSI groups, the second MAC-CE will include all N1 first CSI groups. If the MAC-CE can only carry some of the N1 first CSI groups, the second MAC-CE will include some of the N1 first CSI groups. Receiving second information. This second information is sent by the network device when it is determined, based on the second MAC-CE, that the initial transmission of N4 fourth CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups has failed. This second information can be used to instruct the retransmission of the aforementioned N4 fourth CSI groups. It is understood that the second information has a similar function to the first information mentioned above, both being used to indicate the retransmission of certain CSI groups; therefore, their implementations are also similar. The terminal device sends a third MAC-CE to the network device. This third MAC-CE includes the aforementioned N4 fourth CSI groups and the first measurement identifier. Here, N4 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the second MAC-CE also includes first identification information for N1 first CSI groups. Alternatively, the terminal device can indicate the N1 first CSI groups obtained from the first CSI measurement to the network device during the initial transmission process.

[0025] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method. This method is applicable to network devices. For a detailed description of the network device, please refer to the first aspect above; further details will not be repeated here.

[0026] The method may include: a network device determining a sixth CSI group based on a fourth MAC-CE from a terminal device. If the sixth CSI group is a CSI group not previously received by the network device and was obtained through a second CSI measurement, a first value of a first parameter and a second value of a second parameter are determined based on the sixth CSI group. The second CSI measurement is associated with a second measurement identifier, and this second CSI measurement is a CSI measurement performed between the network device and the terminal device, and this second CSI measurement yielded N1 seventh CSI groups. Each of these N1 seventh CSI groups has its own corresponding group number, and the group numbers are sequentially increasing. The first parameter is the smallest group number among these N1 seventh CSI groups that the network device has not yet successfully received. The second parameter is the group number of the next CSI group among these N1 seventh CSI groups that was successfully received and has the largest group number. Further, the network device may start or stop retransmission of the target CSI group based on the first value of the first parameter and the second value of the second parameter. Here, the group number of the target CSI group is the first value. It can be understood that the target CSI group is a new seventh CSI group that the network device expects to receive after confirming that the fourth CSI group has been successfully received according to the fourth MAC-CE.

[0027] As described above, during the second CSI measurement process, after the network device determines that a certain CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement has been successfully received, it determines the group number of the CSI group it currently expects to receive, as well as the group number of the next CSI group of the CSI group that it has already successfully received and has the largest group number. Then, the network device can determine whether to instruct the retransmission of the CSI group it currently expects to receive based on the two group numbers obtained. Through this method, the network device can promptly scan for unreceived CSI groups and further determine whether to instruct the CSI group with the smallest group number among these unreceived CSI groups to retransmit. This ensures that the network device can receive all CSI groups obtained from the second CSI measurement completely and that the reception of these CSI groups is not out of order, thus facilitating the reassembly of CSI groups by the network device. Using this method to transmit CSI carrying high-overhead information can effectively solve the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0028] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the aforementioned fourth MAC-CE may further include a third measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group. If this third measurement identifier is identical to the second measurement identifier and the group number of the sixth CSI group is included within the group numbers of the aforementioned N1 seventh CSI groups, then the sixth CSI group is the CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement.

[0029] In the above implementation, associating the CSI group with the measurement identifier corresponding to the CSI measurement that obtained the CSI group enables the network device to accurately determine whether the CSI group it received is the CSI group corresponding to the currently executed CSI measurement. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of subsequent retransmission instructions and avoids invalid retransmissions.

[0030] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the determination of the first value of the first parameter based on the sixth CSI group may include: if the third value of the first parameter when the fourth MAC-CE is received is equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, the group number of the CSI group among the N1 seventh CSI groups that is closest to the sixth CSI group and has not been successfully received is determined as the first value, and the first parameter is updated from the third value to the first value.

[0031] In the above implementation, when a network device finds that the CSI group it has successfully received is exactly the CSI group it currently expects to receive, it will select the CSI group that is closest to the CSI group it currently expects to receive from the unreceived CSI groups and determine it as the new expected CSI group. This ensures that these unreceived CSI groups can be received by the network device in an orderly manner, thereby avoiding out-of-order reception.

[0032] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the determination of the second value of the second parameter based on the sixth CSI group may include: if the fourth value of the second parameter when the fourth MAC-CE is received is less than or equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, the network device may add 1 to the group number of the sixth CSI group and determine it as the second value, and update the second parameter from the fourth value to the second value.

[0033] In the above implementation, the network device can update the next CSI group of the CSI group that it has successfully received and has the largest group number based on the CSI group it has successfully received. This can ensure the accuracy of the value of the second parameter, and thus ensure the accuracy and reliability of the subsequent retransmission indication.

[0034] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, when the retransmission of the target CSI group is not initiated, the initiation of the retransmission of the target CSI group based on the first value and the second value may include: when the second value of the second parameter is greater than the first value plus 1, the network device may initiate the retransmission of the target CSI group, or in other words, the network device may begin to instruct the retransmission of the target CSI group.

[0035] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the retransmission waiting time of the target CSI group can be determined by the second value, or in other words, the retransmission waiting time of the target CSI group is associated with the second value.

[0036] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, when the retransmission of the target CSI group has been initiated, stopping the retransmission of the target CSI group based on the first value and the second value may include: when the second value is equal to the first value, it indicates that the network device has received the target CSI group, and at this time the network device may stop the retransmission of the target CSI group.

[0037] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: if the number of retransmissions in any of the N1 seventh CSI groups is equal to the retransmission count threshold, the network device can determine that the second CSI measurement has failed.

[0038] In the above implementation, when the number of retransmissions for a CSI group reaches a set retransmission threshold, it indicates that the network device may no longer be able to receive the CSI group correctly. Continuing to wait for retransmissions of the CSI group will only waste transmission resources. Therefore, directly determining that the second CSI measurement has failed in this case can avoid wasting transmission resources and improve the efficiency of CSI measurement.

[0039] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the method may further include: if all N1 seventh CSI groups are successfully received, the network device may determine the complete CSI of the second CSI measurement based on the N1 seventh CSI groups.

[0040] Fourthly, this application provides a communication method. This method is applicable to terminal devices. For a description of the terminal device, please refer to the corresponding description in the second aspect above, and it will not be repeated here.

[0041] The method includes: a terminal device receiving third information from a network device. This third information is sent by the network device when retransmission of a target CSI group is initiated. The group number of the target CSI group is a first value of a first parameter, which is determined by the network device based on the successful reception of a sixth CSI group. The first parameter is the smallest group number corresponding to the N1 unreceived seventh CSI groups, where the N1 seventh CSI groups are obtained by the second CSI measurement, and the group numbers of these N1 seventh CSI groups increase sequentially. A fifth MAC-CE is sent to the network device based on the third information. This fifth MAC-CE includes the aforementioned target CSI group and a second measurement identifier managed by the second CSI measurement.

[0042] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible implementation, the aforementioned third information may include resource configuration information of the fifth MAC-CE, etc.

[0043] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible implementation, the third information may further include indication information regarding the retransmission waiting time for the target CSI group. Optionally, this retransmission waiting time may be determined based on a second value of the second parameter, which is determined by the network device based on the successful reception of the sixth CSI group.

[0044] In any of the first to fourth aspects or any possible implementation of any of the aspects, in one possible implementation, any CSI group may include at least one CSI, and each of these at least one CSI is used to carry a space-frequency statistical feature basis.

[0045] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device comprising modules or units for performing the methods provided by any one of the first to fourth aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0046] Sixthly, this application provides a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method provided by any one of the first to fourth aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0047] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed, performs the communication method provided by any one of the first to fourth aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0048] Eighthly, this application provides a communication device, at least one processor, and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program. The processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the communication method provided by any one of the first to fourth aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0049] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separated from the processor.

[0050] It should be understood that related data interaction processes, such as sending information, can be seen as the process of outputting information from the processor, and receiving information can be seen as the process of the processor receiving information. Specifically, the data output by the processor can be sent to the transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from the receiver. The transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0051] Ninthly, this application provides a chip that includes at least a processor. The processor executes computer execution instructions to cause a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the communication method provided by any one of the first to fourth aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0052] In one possible implementation, taking into account all ten aspects, the chip may also include an interface circuit. This interface circuit is used to receive computer execution instructions and transmit them to the processor.

[0053] In its eleventh aspect, this application provides a communication system. This communication system may include the terminal equipment and network equipment described above.

[0054] It should be understood that the communication method provided by any one of the first to fourth aspects above, or any possible implementation thereof, is applicable to this communication system. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in this application;

[0056] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a communication method provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in this application;

[0062] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0064] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, or New Radio (NR) systems. In addition, they can also be applied to subsequent evolution systems.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal is connected to the RAN node wirelessly. The RAN node is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0066] RAN100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0067] RAN nodes, sometimes also called access network devices, network equipment, RAN entities, or access nodes, constitute part of the communication system and are used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN nodes and terminals are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN nodes and terminals are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0068] In one 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. The RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions, as well as corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node's functions.

[0069] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0070] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0071] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication function. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0072] Referring to the communication system 10 shown in Figure 1, the communication method provided in this embodiment can be implemented collaboratively by RAN nodes and terminals in the communication system 10, or collaboratively by terminals in the communication system. For ease of understanding, in this embodiment, RAN nodes will be uniformly referred to as network devices, and terminals will be uniformly referred to as terminal devices.

[0073] In existing technologies, terminal devices report CSI (Content Specific Information) carrying high-overhead information such as the aforementioned space-frequency statistical feature basis to network devices via uplink control information (UCI). However, UCI lacks a corresponding retransmission mechanism, resulting in poor reliability of CSI transmission via UCI, making it difficult to meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0074] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by this application is: how to improve the transmission quality of CSI that carries high-overhead information.

[0075] To facilitate understanding of the various steps of the communication method provided in this application, several concepts involved in this application will be explained first.

[0076] 1. CSI measurement, CSI reporting, CSI group and CSI group numbering

[0077] Channel Information System (CSI) is data used in wireless communication to describe channel characteristics, mainly including information such as channel quality, path gain, delay spread, and multipath fading. The process of acquiring CSI mainly includes CSI measurement and CSI reporting.

[0078] During CSI measurement, network devices can send a CSI-reference signal (CSI-RS) to terminal devices. Terminal devices can then perform signal measurements based on the received CSI-RS and calculate the required CSI parameters. These parameters mainly include channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), rank indicator (RI), and layer indicator (LI), reflecting different channel characteristics such as channel quality, optimal precoding matrix, and transmission rank.

[0079] Once the terminal device obtains the CSI, it can report the CSI. Specifically, the terminal device can report the CSI to the network device according to the CSI reporting method configured on the network device.

[0080] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the terminal device reports CSI to the network device via MAC-CE. In this case, CSI reporting may include the following steps: 1. The network device sends a MAC-CE to the terminal device. This MAC-CE is used to schedule the terminal device to generate a MAC-CE specifically for transmitting CSI (which can be called CSI-MAC-CE) and a MAC-CE indicating the amount of data sent by the terminal device (which can also be called a Buffer Status Report MAC-CE, or BSR-MAC-CE for short). 2. The terminal device triggers an uplink resource scheduling process based on the MAC-CE sent by the network device. This uplink resource is used by the terminal device to send CSI-MAC-CE and BSR-MAC-CE. Here, if the terminal device has available uplink resources, such as physical uplink shared channel resources, the terminal device does not need to send a scheduling request to the network device. If the terminal device does not have available uplink resources, it can send a scheduling request to the network device through the physical uplink control channel to request the network device to schedule uplink resources for it. 3. After uplink resources are scheduled, the network device can send a downlink control signal (DCI) to the terminal device to instruct it to send a BSR-MAC-CE using the scheduled uplink resources. The BSR-MAC-CE then determines the amount of CSI-MAC-CE data the terminal device will upload. 4. The network device can also send a DCI to the terminal device to schedule it to send a CSI-MAC-CE. This CSI-MAC-CE carries the CSI measured by the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device will report its CSI to the network device via the CSI-MAC-CE.

[0081] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, CSI is reported in the form of groups. Grouping in CSI measurement typically refers to dividing the CSI measurement task into different subsets according to different measurement purposes and application scenarios, and reporting the CSI corresponding to each subset in the form of groups. CSI grouping can help optimize the performance of the wireless channel and improve data transmission efficiency and quality. In actual implementation, certain types of CSI parameters can be grouped together to form CSI groups according to predetermined rules, or CSI grouping can be implemented according to the CSI report type. This application does not limit the specific implementation process of CSI grouping. In the solution provided in this application, for any CSI measurement, the terminal device will report at least one CSI group to the network device, and this at least one CSI group contains all the CSI parameters obtained in that CSI measurement.

[0082] When CSI grouping is used, each CSI group obtained from any given CSI measurement will have a corresponding group number to distinguish each CSI group. Furthermore, each CSI measurement corresponds to a different measurement identifier, and each CSI group obtained from each CSI measurement is associated with the measurement identifier corresponding to that CSI measurement. All CSI groups reported by the terminal device can be distinguished by the group number of the CSI group and its associated measurement identifier. In addition, the group numbering of the CSI groups involved in this application can have multiple implementation forms, and this application does not limit this. For example, suppose a certain CSI measurement yields N CSI groups, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. The group numbers of these N CSI groups can be 0, 1, 2 to N-1. Alternatively, the group numbers of these N CSI groups can be 1, 2, 3 to N. Alternatively, the group numbers of these N CSI groups can be A1, A2, A3 to AN, and the differences between these parameters A1, A2, A3 to AN are fixed differences.

[0083] The following explanation uses the CSI reporting process of a specific CSI measurement involved in this application as an example. Assume that in the x-th CSI measurement, the terminal device measured 8 CSI groups, numbered 0, 1, 2, 3 to 7 respectively. These 8 CSI groups are CSI group 0, CSI group 1, CSI group 2 to CSI group 7, and the measurement identifier corresponding to the x-th CSI measurement is X. In this case, the terminal device will send a CSI-MAC-CE to the network. This CSI-MAC-CE includes the aforementioned CSI groups 0, 1, 2 to 7, as well as the group numbers of these 8 CSI groups and the number of CSI groups carried in the CSI-MAC-CE (here, 8).

[0084] It should also be noted that in some scenarios, a single CSI-MAC-CE may not be sufficient to handle all CSI groups obtained from the current measurement by the terminal device. In such cases, the terminal device will report all CSI groups obtained from the current measurement through two or more CSI-MAC-CEs. The reporting process is as described in the previous example and will not be repeated here.

[0085] 2. Initial pass and repass

[0086] In wireless communication, initial transmission refers to the first attempt to send data, while retransmission is a second transmission that occurs when data fails to be received correctly. The retransmission mechanism is designed to improve the reliability of data transmission, ensuring that data can be correctly received even in situations with poor wireless channel quality.

[0087] This application primarily relates to the initial transmission and retransmission of CSI groups. The initial transmission of a CSI group refers to the first time a terminal device sends the CSI group to a network device. Here, the initial transmission of a CSI group can also be called a retransmission of the CSI group. The initial transmission of a CSI group can result in two outcomes: successful initial transmission and failed initial transmission. When the initial transmission of a CSI group is successful, the terminal device will no longer send the CSI group to the network device. When the initial transmission of a CSI group fails, a retransmission of the CSI group needs to be initiated to improve the reliability of the CSI group transmission. It can be understood that the retransmission of a CSI group refers to a second attempt to send the CSI group after the initial transmission has failed.

[0088] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, both the initial transmission and retransmission of a CSI group are scheduled by the network device. When the network device schedules the initial transmission of a CSI group, the terminal device sends a MAC-CE containing the CSI group to the network device. If the network device receives the MAC-CE and parses it to obtain the CSI group, the initial transmission of the CSI group is considered successful. If the network device receives the MAC-CE but cannot parse it to obtain the CSI group, the initial transmission of the CSI group is considered to have failed. If the network device has not yet received the MAC-CE due to transmission delay or other reasons, the initial transmission of the CSI group is considered incomplete. Similarly, when the network device schedules the retransmission of a CSI group, the terminal device sends a MAC-CE containing the CSI group to the network device again. If the network device receives the MAC-CE sent again by the terminal device and parses it to obtain the CSI group, the retransmission of the CSI group is considered successful. If the network device receives the MAC-CE sent again by the terminal device but cannot parse it to obtain the CSI group, the retransmission of the CSI group is considered to have failed.

[0089] Example 1

[0090] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method. During a CSI measurement, the network device periodically determines whether at least one CSI group obtained from the measurement has been successfully received. If it determines that some CSI groups have not been successfully received, it instructs the terminal device to retransmit these CSI groups via MAC-CE. On one hand, retransmitting CSI groups via MAC-CE reduces uplink resource overhead. On the other hand, this retransmission scheme is simple and reliable, ensuring that the network device can correctly receive the CSI groups sent by the terminal device. Therefore, using this method to transmit CSI carrying high-overhead information effectively solves the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application. This communication method is applicable to the communication system shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes the following steps:

[0092] S210, at the end of the first cycle, the network device determines whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received.

[0093] In some feasible implementations, the network device can periodically determine whether all N1 first CSIs have been successfully received. For example, the network device can preset a first period, and each time this first period ends, it checks whether all N1 first CSIs have been successfully received. Here, the first period can be understood as the period or time interval during which the network device checks whether all N1 first CSIs have been successfully received. Specifically, the network device can set the duration of a timer (which can also be called a retransmission timer, reassembly timer, etc.) to the aforementioned first period, and each time this timer expires, it checks whether all N1 first CSIs have been successfully received. Here, N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0094] It should be further clarified that the aforementioned N1 first CSI groups can be obtained from the first CSI measurement. Alternatively, these N1 first CSI groups are the CSI groups calculated by the terminal device during the first CSI measurement process and required to be reported to the network device. Here, the first CSI measurement can be any CSI measurement performed by the network device and the terminal device. This first CSI measurement can be associated with a first measurement identifier.

[0095] Based on the above, the specific implementation of step S210 may include: during the first CSI measurement process, at the end of each first cycle, the network device will determine whether all N1 first CSI groups obtained from the first CSI measurement have been successfully received.

[0096] S220, if the network device fails to receive N2 second CSI groups out of N1 first CSI groups, it sends first information to instruct the retransmission of the N2 second CSI groups. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives this first information.

[0097] In some feasible implementations, after determining whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received, if the network device determines that N2 second CSI groups out of the aforementioned N1 first CSI groups have not been successfully received, it can send first information to the terminal device instructing the retransmission of the N2 second CSI groups. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the first information sent by the network device. Here, N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1.

[0098] Optionally, the aforementioned first information is mainly used by the network device to schedule the terminal device to send the aforementioned N2 second CSI groups to the network device through the first MAC-CE. The first information may include the scheduling information of the first MAC-CE, such as the time-frequency resource configuration information and channel configuration information of the first MAC-CE.

[0099] Optionally, the network device may send the aforementioned first information to the terminal device via DCI signaling. It should be understood that the network device may also send the first information to the terminal device in other ways, and this application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0100] It should be added that in actual implementation, there can be one or multiple first MAC-CEs. That is, the terminal device can retransmit the above N2 second CSI groups to the network device through one first MAC-CE, or it can retransmit the above N2 second CSI groups to the network device through multiple first MAC-CEs (generally occurring when one MAC-CE cannot carry N2 second CSI groups). For ease of understanding and to avoid redundancy, the following text will take the case of having only one first MAC-CE as an example. The case of having multiple first MAC-CEs can be referred to in the case of having only one first MAC-CE, and will not be repeated.

[0101] It should also be added that the successful reception mentioned above can include initial transmission failure (or new transmission failure, new transmission packet loss, etc.), retransmission failure, and incomplete initial transmission. In other words, when the network device determines that the initial transmission of a certain CSI group has failed, the retransmission has failed, or the initial transmission has not been completed, it can be considered that the CSI group has not been successfully received.

[0102] S230, the terminal device sends a first MAC-CE to the network device, the first MAC-CE including a first measurement identifier associated with a first CSI measurement and N2 second CSI groups. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first MAC-CE.

[0103] In some feasible implementations, after receiving the aforementioned first information, the terminal device can generate a first measurement identifier containing a first CSI measurement association and N2 second CSI groups, and send the first MAC-CE to the network device based on the first information. Correspondingly, the network device can receive the first MAC-CE from the terminal device based on the first information.

[0104] Optionally, the first MAC-CE may also include indication information of the number N2 of the second CSI groups, and / or the group number of each of the N2 second CSI groups.

[0105] In the above implementation, the network device periodically checks whether all N first CSI groups measured by the first CSI have been successfully received. If it determines that N2 second CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups have not been successfully received, it instructs the terminal device to retransmit the N2 second CSI groups via MAC-CE. On the one hand, retransmitting CSI groups via MAC-CE can reduce uplink resource overhead. On the other hand, this retransmission scheme is simple and reliable, ensuring that the network device can correctly receive the CSI groups sent by the terminal device. Therefore, using this method to transmit CSI carrying high-overhead information can effectively solve the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0106] In some feasible implementations, please refer to Figure 3, which is another flowchart of a communication method provided in this application. As shown in Figure 3, the method may also include the following steps:

[0107] S240, the network device obtains N3 third CSI groups based on the first MAC-CE processing, determines that the N3 third CSI groups were successfully received, and that the CSI groups other than the N3 third CSI groups in the N2 second CSI groups were not successfully received.

[0108] Optionally, after receiving the first MAC-CE, the network device can process the first MAC-CE to obtain the CSI groups carried by the first MAC-CE. If it obtains N3 third CSI groups out of the aforementioned N2 second CSI groups based on the first MAC-CE processing, it can determine that these N3 third CSI groups were successfully received. At the same time, the network device can also determine that N2-N3 CSI groups other than the N3 third CSI groups were not successfully received. Here, N3 is less than or equal to N2 positive integers.

[0109] It can be understood that when N3 is less than N2, it means that some of the N2 second CSI groups were not successfully received. In this case, when the network device identifies these unreceived CSI groups again at the end of the first cycle, it can instruct the terminal device to retransmit these unreceived CSI groups. The specific process can be referred to in steps S210 to S230 above, which describes the process of the network device identifying and instructing the retransmission of the N2 second CSI groups, and will not be repeated here. When N3 equals N2, it means that all N2 second CSI groups have been successfully retransmitted. In this case, when the first cycle ends again, the network device can determine that all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received.

[0110] In the above implementation, after the network device receives the MAC-CE sent by the terminal device for retransmission, it marks the correctly received CSI group as successfully received. This avoids repeatedly instructing the retransmission of CSI groups that have already been successfully received, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0111] In some feasible implementations, please refer to Figure 4, which is another flowchart of a communication method provided in this application. As shown in Figure 4, the method may also include the following steps:

[0112] S250, the terminal device sends a second MAC-CE to the network device, which is used for the initial transmission of N1 first CSI groups. Correspondingly, the network device receives the second MAC-CE.

[0113] Optionally, the terminal device may first send a second MAC-CE to the network device. This second MAC-CE is used for the initial transmission of the aforementioned N1 first CSI groups. Alternatively, this second MAC-CE is the MAC-CE used by the terminal device to initially send the N1 first CSI groups to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device may receive this second MAC-CE.

[0114] It should be noted that in actual implementation, there can be one or more second MAC-CEs. A terminal device can initially transmit the aforementioned N1 first CSI groups to the network device through one second MAC-CE, or it can initially transmit the aforementioned N1 first CSI groups to the network device through multiple second MAC-CEs (generally occurring when one second MAC-CE cannot carry N1 first CSI groups). For ease of understanding and to avoid redundancy, the following text will use the case of only one second MAC-CE as an example. The case of multiple second MAC-CEs can be referred to in the same way as the case of only one second MAC-CE, and will not be repeated.

[0115] Optionally, before step S250, the network device may send configuration information to the terminal device to configure the aforementioned second MAC-CE. Then, the terminal device may send the second MAC-CE to the network device based on this configuration information. It should be understood that this configuration information is implemented similarly to the aforementioned first information.

[0116] S260, if the network device determines, based on the second MAC-CE, that the initial transmission of N4 fourth CSI groups out of N1 first CSI groups has failed, it sends second information to instruct the retransmission of the N4 fourth CSI groups. Accordingly, the terminal device receives this second information.

[0117] Optionally, after receiving the second MAC-CE, the network device can process the second MAC-CE to obtain the corresponding CSI group. If, after processing the second MAC-CE, it finds that the initial transmission of N4 of the N1 first CSI groups has failed, it can send second information to the terminal device. This second information is used to instruct the retransmission of the N4 fourth CSI groups, where N4 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than N1. Accordingly, the terminal device can receive this second information.

[0118] Optionally, the aforementioned second information is primarily used by the network device to schedule the terminal device to send the aforementioned N4 second CSI groups to the network device via the second MAC-CE. This second information may include scheduling information of the second MAC-CE, such as time-frequency resource configuration information and channel configuration information of the second MAC-CE.

[0119] Here, the second information has a similar function to the first information mentioned above, both being used to indicate retransmissions for certain CSI groups, and therefore their implementations are also similar.

[0120] S270, the terminal device sends a third MAC-CE, which includes a first measurement identifier and N4 fourth CSI groups. Correspondingly, the network device receives the third MAC-CE.

[0121] Optionally, after receiving the second information, the terminal device can generate a third MAC-CE containing a first measurement identifier associated with the first CSI measurement and N4 fourth CSI groups based on the second information, and send the third MAC-CE to the network device based on the second information. Correspondingly, the network device can receive the third MAC-CE from the terminal device based on the second information.

[0122] Optionally, the third MAC-CE may also include indication information of the number N4 of the fourth CSI groups, and / or the group number of each of the N4 second CSI groups.

[0123] Optionally, after receiving the third MAC-CE, the network device can process the third MAC-CE to obtain the corresponding CSI group. The specific process is detailed above, referring to the process of the network device receiving the first MAC-CE, and will not be repeated here.

[0124] Optionally, the second MAC-CE may further include first identification information for N1 first CSI groups. That is, the network device can determine the N1 first CSI groups to be transmitted through the second MAC-CE.

[0125] In the above implementation, for the initial transmission process, after receiving the second MAC-CE, the network device will immediately determine whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received, instead of waiting for the end of the first cycle. This can avoid the delay caused by waiting for the first cycle to be received and improve the efficiency of CSI reporting.

[0126] It should be noted that the network device can start the timing corresponding to the first cycle after receiving the second MAC-CE mentioned above. This can avoid the situation where there are still a lot of CSI groups in the initial transmission at the end of the first cycle, thereby reducing the probability of repeated transmission of CSI groups.

[0127] It should also be noted that, in the communication method provided in this application, the step of the network device determining whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received at the end of the first cycle usually occurs after it receives the aforementioned second MAC-CE. That is, the network device can determine whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received after receiving the second MAC-CE and completing the reception of some CSI groups based on the second MAC-CE, and then determining whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received at the end of the first cycle.

[0128] In some feasible implementations, if the network device determines, based on the second MAC-CE, that N5 of the N1 first CSI groups have not completed their initial transmission, it will continue to wait for the initial transmission of these N5 fifth CSI groups. Here, N5 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. It should be noted that if the network device still has not received the aforementioned N5 fifth CSI groups by the end of the first cycle (i.e., these N5 fifth CSI groups have not yet completed their initial transmission), then it can be determined that the reception of these N5 fifth CSI groups has failed. In other words, when the network device begins to determine whether the N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received, any CSI groups that have not yet completed their initial transmission are considered to have failed to be received.

[0129] In the above implementation, the network device will wait for the initial transmission of CSI groups that have not completed their initial transmission. This reduces the indication of retransmission for CSI groups that have not completed their initial transmission, thereby avoiding repeated transmission of these CSI groups.

[0130] In some feasible implementations, when a network device determines that the number of retransmissions for any of the N1 first CSI groups equals a preset retransmission threshold, the first CSI measurement can be considered a failure. In this case, the network device can clear the portion of the first CSI groups that it has successfully received and wait for or directly initiate the next CSI measurement.

[0131] In the above implementation, when the number of retransmissions for a CSI group reaches a set retransmission threshold, it indicates that the network device may no longer be able to receive the CSI group correctly. Continuing to wait for retransmissions of the CSI group will only waste transmission resources. Therefore, directly determining that the first CSI measurement has failed in this case can avoid wasting transmission resources and improve the efficiency of CSI measurement.

[0132] In some feasible implementations, if the network device determines that all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received at the end of the first period, the complete CSI of the first CSI measurement can be determined based on these N1 first CSI groups. Alternatively, the network device can reassemble these N1 first CSI groups to obtain the complete CSI corresponding to the aforementioned first CSI measurement.

[0133] To facilitate understanding of the communication method provided in Embodiment 1, examples will be given below.

[0134] Assume that the network device and the terminal device perform a first CSI measurement, and the first CSI measurement yields eight first CSI groups, numbered 0, 1, 2 to 7, respectively. These eight first CSI groups are designated as CSI group 0, CSI group 1, CSI group 2, CSI group 3, CSI group 4, CSI group 5, CSI group 6, and CSI group 7. During the initial transmission phase, the terminal device sends a second MAC-CE containing these eight CSI groups to the network device. Assume that the network device determines that it has only successfully received CSI groups 0, 1, 2, and 3 based on the second MAC-CE, and that the initial transmissions of CSI groups 4 and 5 have failed, while CSI groups 6 and 7 are in the process of initial transmission. In this case, the network device can instruct the terminal device to retransmit CSI groups 4 and 5 via a third MAC-CE, and wait for the initial transmissions of CSI groups 6 and 7. Then, the network device can start the first cycle of timing. When the first cycle ends, the network device can determine whether all eight CSI groups have been successfully received. Assuming that CSI groups 4 and 5 have been successfully retransmitted during the first cycle, but CSI groups 6 and 7 are still in the initial transmission, the network device can determine that CSI groups 0 to 5 (the six CSI groups) have been successfully received, while CSI groups 6 and 7 have not. The network device can then send a first message to the terminal device, instructing it to retransmit CSI groups 6 and 7 via the first MAC-CE. The network device can then start the first cycle of timing again and, at the end of the second cycle, again determine whether all eight CSI groups have been successfully received. If successful, the complete CSI group corresponding to the x-th CSI measurement is reconstructed based on these eight CSI groups. If unsuccessful, the terminal device is instructed to retransmit again. This process is repeated until the network device determines that all eight CSI groups have been successfully received. Alternatively, if the network device determines that the number of retransmissions for a certain first CSI group is equal to the preset retransmission threshold, then the first CSI measurement is determined to have failed.

[0135] Example 2

[0136] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method. During a CSI measurement, each time a network device successfully receives a CSI group obtained from the current CSI measurement, it determines the group number of the CSI group it currently expects to receive, as well as the group number of the next CSI group from the CSI group with the largest group number that it has already successfully received. Then, the network device can determine whether to instruct the retransmission of the CSI group it currently expects to receive based on the two group numbers obtained. Through this method, the network device can promptly scan for unreceived CSI groups and further determine whether to instruct the CSI group with the smallest group number among these unreceived CSI groups to retransmit. This ensures that the network device can completely receive all CSI groups obtained from the second CSI measurement, and also ensures that the reception of these CSI groups is not out of order, thereby facilitating the reassembly of CSI groups by the network device. Using this method to transmit CSI carrying high-overhead information effectively solves the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0137] Please refer to Figure 5, which is another flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application. This communication method is applicable to the communication system shown in Figure 1. It should be noted that the method shown in Figure 5 is applicable to each CSI group received by the network device. In the embodiments of this application, a MAC-CE sent by the terminal device to the network device may include one CSI group or multiple CSI groups. When multiple CSI groups are included, the method shown in Figure 5 can be executed sequentially for each of these multiple CSI groups. Since the process of the method executed by the network device is the same regardless of whether the MAC-CE sent by the terminal device includes one or multiple CSI groups, the following description will use a sixth CSI group in the fourth MAC-CE as an example. If the fourth MAC-CE also includes at least one other CSI group besides the sixth CSI group, the method executed for each other CSI group can be referred to the process of the method executed for the sixth CSI group, and will not be repeated hereafter. In addition, for ease of understanding and to avoid redundancy, this embodiment will also describe the scenario where the terminal device reports the CSI groups it obtained during the second CSI measurement to the network device via MAC-CE.

[0138] As shown in Figure 5, the method may include the following steps:

[0139] S510, the network device determines the sixth CSI group based on the received fourth MAC-CE.

[0140] In some feasible implementations, during the second CSI measurement, when the network device receives the fourth MAC-CE, it can process the fourth MAC-CE to obtain the sixth CSI group carried within it. That is, the network device can determine that the sixth CSI group has been successfully received based on the fourth MAC-CE. It should be understood that the aforementioned fourth MAC-CE can be the MAC-CE reported by the terminal device to the network device during the second CSI measurement, and this fourth MAC-CE may also include indication information about the number of CSI groups it carries.

[0141] Optionally, the fourth AMC-CE may also include a measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group (for ease of distinction, it will be referred to as the third measurement identifier below). It should be understood that the third measurement identifier is the measurement identifier corresponding to a specific CSI measurement of the sixth CSI group. If the fourth MAC-CE also includes at least one other CSI group besides the sixth CSI group, this at least one other CSI group is also associated with the aforementioned third measurement identifier.

[0142] Optionally, the fourth MAC-CE can be scheduled by the network device. For example, the network device can send fourth information to the terminal device, which may include scheduling information for the fourth MAC-CE, such as time-frequency resource configuration information and channel configuration information. The specific implementation of the fourth information is similar to that of the first or second information described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] It should also be noted that the aforementioned fourth MAC-CE can be the MAC-CE used by the terminal device for the initial transmission of the CSI group, or it can be the MAC-CE used by the terminal device for the retransmission of the CSI group. This application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0144] S520, if the sixth CSI group is a CSI group that has not been received before and is a CSI group measured by the second CSI, the network device determines the first value of the first parameter and the second value of the second parameter based on the sixth CSI group.

[0145] In some feasible implementations, when the sixth CSI group is a CSI group that the network device has not received before and is a CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement, the network device can determine the first value of the first parameter and the second value of the second parameter based on the sixth CSI group. The aforementioned second CSI measurement yielded N1 seventh CSI groups. Each of these N1 seventh CSI groups has its own corresponding group number, and the group numbers are sequentially increasing. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the group numbers of these N1 seventh CSI groups can also be implemented in other ways, and this application does not impose specific limitations on them. For ease of explanation, the following will take the example of the group numbers of the N1 seventh CSI groups being 0, 1, 2 up to N1-1, with the difference between the group numbers of any two adjacent seventh CSI groups being 1.

[0146] The first parameter mentioned above is the smallest group number among the N1 seventh CSI groups that the network device has not yet successfully received. Alternatively, this first parameter can be the group number of the CSI group that the network device currently expects to successfully receive, arranged according to the group numbers of the N1 seventh CSI groups. The second parameter mentioned above is the group number of the next CSI group after the largest successfully received CSI group among the N1 seventh CSI groups. Here, N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. For example, suppose there are 8 seventh CSI groups (i.e., N1 is 8), and the group numbers of these 8 seventh CSI groups are 0, 1, 2 to 7, respectively. These 8 seventh CSI groups are: CSI Group 0, CSI Group 1, CSI Group 2, CSI Group 3, CSI Group 4, CSI Group 5, CSI Group 6, and CSI Group 7. Furthermore, suppose that at a certain moment, CSI groups 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 have been successfully received, while CSI groups 4, 6, and 7 have not been successfully received. In this case, the network device currently expects to receive CSI group 4, and the largest group number corresponding to the CSI group it has currently received is 5. Therefore, the value of the first parameter is 4, and the value of the second parameter is 6.

[0147] In one possible implementation, if the third measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group is the same as the second measurement identifier associated with the second CSI measurement, and the group number of the sixth CSI group is included in the group numbers of the aforementioned N1 seventh CSI groups, then the sixth CSI group is a CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement. That is, after receiving the sixth CSI group, the network device can obtain the third measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group. If the network device determines that the third measurement identifier is the same as the second measurement identifier, and determines that the group number of the sixth CSI group corresponds to the group number of one of the aforementioned N1 seventh CSI groups, then the sixth CSI group can be confirmed as a CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement. Conversely, if the third measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group is inconsistent with the second measurement identifier associated with the second CSI measurement, and / or if the group number of the sixth CSI group is not included in the group numbers of the aforementioned N1 seventh CSI groups, the network device can determine that the sixth CSI group is not a CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement.

[0148] In the above implementation, associating the CSI group with the measurement identifier corresponding to the CSI measurement that obtained the CSI group enables the network device to accurately determine whether the CSI group it received is the CSI group corresponding to the currently executed CSI measurement. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of subsequent retransmission instructions and avoids invalid retransmissions.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the process by which the network device determines the first value of the first parameter based on the sixth CSI group is as follows:

[0150] The network device first obtains the value of the first parameter when it receives the fourth MAC-CE (for clarity, this will be referred to as the third value below). It should be understood that in actual implementation, the values ​​of the first and second parameters change as the network device successfully receives different CSI groups. Therefore, the network device updates the values ​​of the first and second parameters after successfully receiving each CSI group. After obtaining the third value, if the network device determines that the third value equals the group number of the sixth CSI group, it can identify the CSI group closest to the third value among the N1 seventh CSI groups that have not yet been successfully received, and set the group number of that CSI group as the first value. That is, if the sixth CSI group happens to be the CSI group that the network device expects to receive when receiving the fourth MAC-CE, the network device can set the group number of the CSI group whose group number is closest to the sixth CSI group and has not yet been successfully received among the N1 seventh CSI groups as the first value. Then, the network device can update the value of the first parameter from the third value to the first value. In other words, when the network device receives the sixth CSI group, the value of the first parameter is the third value. When the network device determines that this third value equals the sixth CSI group, it can identify the CSI group whose group number is closest to the sixth CSI group but was not successfully received as its currently expected CSI group, set the group number of that CSI group as the new value of the first parameter, and complete the update of the first parameter value. It should be understood that the above-mentioned first value is greater than the above-mentioned third value, and among all the remaining unreceived CSI groups after the successful reception of the sixth CSI group, the difference between the first value and the third value is the smallest.

[0151] It should be noted that when the third value is the largest group number corresponding to N1 seventh CSI groups, the value of the first parameter will still be the third value if the third value is equal to the sixth value.

[0152] In the above implementation, when a network device finds that the CSI group it has successfully received is exactly the CSI group it currently expects to receive, it will select the CSI group that is closest to the CSI group it currently expects to receive from the unreceived CSI groups and determine it as the new expected CSI group. This ensures that these unreceived CSI groups can be received by the network device in an orderly manner, thereby avoiding out-of-order reception.

[0153] In one possible implementation, the network device determines the second value of the second parameter based on the sixth CSI group as follows:

[0154] The network device first obtains the value of the second parameter when it receives the fourth MAC-CE (for clarity, this will be referred to as the fourth value below). After obtaining the fourth value of the second parameter, if the network device determines that the fourth value is less than or equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, it can obtain the group number of the CSI group whose group number is greater than the sixth CSI group and closest to the sixth CSI group (which can also be understood as the next CSI group after the sixth CSI group), and determine this group number as the second value. For example, the network device can add 1 to the group number of the sixth CSI group (i.e., obtain the group number of the next CSI group after the sixth CSI group) and determine it as the second value. Then, the network device can update the value of the second parameter from the fourth value to the second value.

[0155] It's important to note that determining the second value by adding 1 to the group number of the sixth CSI group is based on the premise that the difference between the group numbers of any two adjacent seventh CSI groups is 1. When the difference between the group numbers of any two adjacent seventh CSI groups is any other possible difference threshold, the second value is the group number of the sixth CSI group plus that threshold. For example, if the difference between the group numbers of any two adjacent seventh CSI groups is 2, then the second value is the group number of the sixth CSI group plus 2.

[0156] In the above implementation, the network device can update the next CSI group of the CSI group that it has successfully received and has the largest group number based on the CSI group it has successfully received. This can ensure the accuracy of the value of the second parameter, and thus ensure the accuracy and reliability of the subsequent retransmission indication.

[0157] In some feasible implementations, if the sixth CSI group is a CSI group that the network device has received, and / or the sixth CSI group is not a CSI group measured by the second CSI, the network device can determine whether other possible CSI groups in the fourth MAC-CE are CSI groups that the network device has not received and are CSI groups measured by the second CSI, and adjust the values ​​of the first parameter and the second parameter according to the determination result; or, the network device can continue to receive new MAC-CE and re-execute step S510.

[0158] It should be noted that if the value of the second parameter is greater than the maximum group number corresponding to the N1 seventh CSI groups, then all N1 seventh CSI groups can be considered to have been successfully received. Alternatively, if the value of the first parameter is equal to the maximum group number corresponding to the N1 seventh CSI groups, and the seventh CSI group corresponding to the maximum group number has been successfully received, then all N1 seventh CSI groups can also be considered to have been successfully received.

[0159] Optionally, if all N1 seventh CSI groups have been successfully received, the network device can set the values ​​of the first and second parameters to zero or empty, and wait for the next CSI measurement to be initiated.

[0160] S530, the network device starts or stops retransmission of the target CSI group according to the first value and the second value, where the group number of the target CSI group is the first value.

[0161] In some feasible implementations, after obtaining the first and second values, the network device can start or stop retransmission of the target CSI group with the first value as the group number based on the first and second values. Alternatively, the network device can decide to start or stop retransmission of the expected CSI group updated according to the sixth CSI group based on the first and second values.

[0162] In one possible implementation, if the network device determines that the second value of the second parameter is greater than the first value plus 1, meaning the network device determines that there are still some CSI groups corresponding to group numbers before the group number of the sixth CSI group that have not been successfully received, then the network device can initiate or instruct the retransmission of the target CSI group. If the network device determines that the second value of the second parameter is equal to the first value plus 1, then it can be determined that all N1 seventh CSI groups have been successfully received.

[0163] Optionally, the retransmission waiting time for the target CSI group can be determined by a second value, or in other words, the retransmission waiting time for the target CSI group is associated with the second value. Here, the retransmission waiting time for the target CSI group is the maximum latency corresponding to one CSI group retransmission. After instructing the retransmission of a certain CSI group, if the network device does not successfully receive the CSI group within the retransmission waiting time, it can be considered that this retransmission of the CSI group has failed. If the network device successfully receives the CSI group within the retransmission waiting time, it can be considered that the retransmission of the CSI group has succeeded.

[0164] In one possible implementation, if the network device determines that the first value and the second value are equal when the retransmission of the target CSI group has been initiated, it means that the network device has received the target CSI group, and at this time the network device can stop the retransmission of the target CSI group.

[0165] It should be added that if the network device determines that the target CSI group has been successfully retransmitted within the retransmission waiting time of the target CSI group, it can immediately end the timer for this retransmission waiting time, thus avoiding the latency caused by the retransmission waiting.

[0166] As described above, during the second CSI measurement process, after the network device determines that a certain CSI group obtained from the second CSI measurement has been successfully received, it determines the group number of the CSI group it currently expects to receive, as well as the group number of the next CSI group of the CSI group that it has already successfully received and has the largest group number. Then, the network device can determine whether to instruct the retransmission of the CSI group it currently expects to receive based on the two group numbers obtained. Through this method, the network device can promptly scan for unreceived CSI groups and further determine whether to instruct the CSI group with the smallest group number among these unreceived CSI groups to retransmit. This ensures that the network device can receive all CSI groups obtained from the second CSI measurement completely and that the reception of these CSI groups is not out of order, thus facilitating the reassembly of CSI groups by the network device. Using this method to transmit CSI carrying high-overhead information can effectively solve the problem that existing CSI transmission schemes cannot meet the transmission quality requirements of CSI carrying high-overhead information.

[0167] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided in this application. As shown in Figure 6, the method may further include the following steps:

[0168] In step S540, if the network device determines that retransmission of the target CSI group needs to be initiated, it sends third information to the terminal device, which instructs the terminal device to retransmit the target CSI group. The terminal device then receives the third information.

[0169] In some feasible implementations, when a network device determines that a retransmission of the target CSI group needs to be initiated, it may send third information to the terminal device. This third information instructs the terminal device to retransmit the target CSI group. Correspondingly, the terminal device may receive this second information.

[0170] Optionally, the aforementioned third information is primarily used by the network device to schedule the terminal device to send the target CSI group to the network device through the fifth MAC-CE. Therefore, this third information may include scheduling information of the fifth MAC-CE, such as time-frequency resource configuration information and channel configuration information of the fifth MAC-CE.

[0171] Optionally, the network device may send the aforementioned third information to the terminal device via DCI signaling. It should be understood that the network device may also send the third information to the terminal device in other ways, and this application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0172] S550, the terminal device sends a fifth MAC-CE to the network device, which includes the target CSI group and the second measurement identifier. Correspondingly, the network device receives the fifth MAC-CE.

[0173] In some feasible implementations, after receiving the aforementioned third information, the terminal device can generate a fifth MAC-CE containing a second measurement identifier associated with the second CSI measurement and the target CSI group, and send the fifth MAC-CE to the network device based on the third information. Correspondingly, the network device can receive the fifth MAC-CE from the terminal device based on the third information.

[0174] Optionally, the fifth MAC-CE mentioned above may also include the group number of the target CSI group.

[0175] Optionally, after receiving the fifth MAC-CE, the network device can process the fifth MAC-CE to determine whether the target CSI group was successfully received or failed to receive. If the target CSI group fails to receive, the device can instruct the target CSI group to retransmit again until the target CSI group is successfully received or the number of retransmissions reaches the retransmission threshold.

[0176] In some feasible implementations, if the number of retransmissions for any of the N1 seventh CSI groups equals a preset retransmission threshold, the network device can determine that the second CSI measurement has failed. In this case, the network device can clear the portion of the first CSI groups that it has successfully received and wait for or directly initiate a new CSI measurement.

[0177] In the above implementation, when the number of retransmissions for a CSI group reaches a set retransmission threshold, it indicates that the network device may no longer be able to receive the CSI group correctly. Continuing to wait for retransmissions of the CSI group will only waste transmission resources. Therefore, directly determining that the second CSI measurement has failed in this case can avoid wasting transmission resources and improve the efficiency of CSI measurement.

[0178] In some feasible implementations, if the network device determines that all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received, it can determine the complete CSI of the first CSI measurement based on these N1 first CSI groups. Alternatively, the network device can reassemble these N1 first CSI groups to obtain the complete CSI corresponding to the aforementioned first CSI measurement.

[0179] To facilitate understanding of the communication method provided in Embodiment 2, examples will be given below.

[0180] Assume that the network device and terminal device are performing a second CSI measurement, and the network device determines that the second CSI measurement yielded eight seventh CSI groups, numbered 0, 1, 2 to 7. These eight seventh CSI groups are: CSI Group 0, CSI Group 1, CSI Group 2, CSI Group 3, CSI Group 4, CSI Group 5, CSI Group 6, and CSI Group 7. Furthermore, assume that the network device has successfully received CSI Groups 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5. In this case, the third value of the first parameter is 4, and the fourth value of the second parameter is 6. Then, when the network device successfully receives the sixth CSI group via the fourth MAC-CE, if the network device determines that the sixth CSI group is actually CSI Group 6, it can determine that its currently expected CSI group is still CSI Group 4, and the next CSI group with the highest group number it has already received is CSI Group 7. Then, the network device can determine that the value of the first parameter remains 4, while the value of the second parameter is updated to 7. Then, before the retransmission of the fourth CSI group is initiated, since the updated value of the second parameter is greater than the value of the first parameter, the network device can instruct the terminal device to retransmit the seventh CSI group 4.

[0181] Furthermore, if CSI groups 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 have all been successfully received and both the second and first parameters are 6, then if the network device successfully receives CSI group 7, it can update the value of the second parameter to 7. Since CSI group 7 is the last CSI group, the value of the first parameter will not be updated and will remain 7. At this point, the values ​​of the second and first parameters are the same, and the network device can stop retransmitting CSI group 7.

[0182] Furthermore, if the network device confirms that all eight seventh CSI groups have been successfully received, the complete CSI corresponding to the second CSI measurement can be reconstructed from these eight seventh CSI groups. If the retransmission count of any of these eight seventh CSI groups exceeds the retransmission count threshold, the network device can determine that the second CSI measurement has failed and clear the portion of the seventh CSI groups that it has successfully received.

[0183] It should also be noted that the CSI groups provided in this application can be used for CSI reporting of high-overhead information such as space-frequency statistical feature basis. That is, any CSI in any CSI group described in the embodiments of this application can be used to carry high-overhead information such as space-frequency statistical feature basis. It should be understood that this is only exemplary, and this application does not impose specific limitations on the information carried by the CSIs in the CSI group.

[0184] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The communication device provided by the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 7 and 8. 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; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0185] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application. As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 70 may include a processing unit 71 and a transceiver unit 72. The processing unit 71 and the transceiver unit 72 may be software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0186] The transceiver unit 72 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit is used to implement the transmitting function, and the receiving unit is used to implement the receiving function. The transceiver unit 72 can implement both transmitting and / or receiving functions. The transceiver unit can also be described as a communication unit.

[0187] Optionally, the transceiver unit 72 can be used to receive information sent by other devices, and can also be used to send information to other devices. The processing unit 71 can be used to perform internal processing of the device.

[0188] In one possible design, the communication device 70 may correspond to the network device involved in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4. For example, the communication device 70 may be a network device or a chip within a network device. The communication device 70 may include units for performing the operations performed by the network device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4, and each unit in the communication device 70 is respectively for implementing the operations performed by the network device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4.

[0189] For example, processing unit 71 is used to determine at the end of the first cycle whether all N1 first CSI groups have been successfully received. Here, N1 first CSI groups are obtained from first CSI measurements, and N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. If N2 second CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups are not successfully received, transceiver unit 72 is used to send first information. The first information is used to instruct the retransmission of the N2 second CSI groups, which are retransmitted through the control unit MAC-CE of the first media access control, and the first MAC-CE includes at least a first measurement identifier associated with the first CSI measurement.

[0190] For example, the transceiver unit 72 is configured to: receive the first MAC-CE. The processing unit 71 is configured to: determine that the N3 third CSI groups out of the N2 second CSI groups are successfully received, and determine that the CSI groups other than the N3 third CSI groups out of the N2 second CSI groups are not successfully received, where N3 is a positive integer less than or equal to N2.

[0191] For example, the transceiver unit 72 is configured to: receive a second MAC-CE, wherein the second MAC-CE is used for the initial transmission of N1 first CSI groups, and the second MAC-CE includes at least a first measurement identifier. The processing unit 71 is configured to: trigger the transceiver unit 72 to send second information if, according to the second MAC-CE, the initial transmission of N4 fourth CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups fails, wherein the second information is used to instruct the retransmission of the N4 fourth CSI groups, the N4 fourth CSI groups are retransmitted via a third MAC-CE, the third MAC-CE includes at least a first measurement identifier, and N4 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1.

[0192] For example, the processing unit is configured to: wait for the initial transmission of N5 fifth CSI groups out of N1 first CSI groups if the initial transmission is not completed according to the second MAC-CE, where N5 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0193] For example, the second MAC-CE also includes first identification information for N1 first CSI groups.

[0194] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: determine that the first CSI measurement has failed if the number of retransmissions in any of the N1 first CSI groups is equal to the retransmission number threshold.

[0195] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: determine the complete CSI of the first CSI measurement based on the N1 first CSI groups if all N1 first CSI groups are successfully received.

[0196] In one possible design, the communication device 70 may correspond to the terminal device involved in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4. For example, the communication device 70 may be a terminal device or a chip within the terminal device. The communication device 70 may include units for performing the operations executed by the terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4, and each unit in the communication device 70 is specifically designed to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4. For specific implementation details, please refer to the corresponding descriptions in the embodiments corresponding to Figures 2 to 4 above; these will not be repeated here.

[0197] In one possible design, the communication device 70 may correspond to the network device involved in the methods shown in Figures 5 and 6. For example, the communication device 70 may be a network device or a chip within a network device. The communication device 70 may include units for performing the operations performed by the network device in the methods shown in Figures 5 and 6, and each unit in the communication device 70 is respectively for implementing the operations performed by the network device in the methods shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0198] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: determine a sixth CSI group based on the received fourth MAC-CE; if the sixth CSI group is an unreceived CSI group and is a CSI group obtained by the second CSI measurement, determine a first value of a first parameter and a second value of a second parameter based on the sixth CSI group, wherein the second CSI measurement is associated with a second measurement identifier, the second CSI measurement obtains N1 seventh CSI groups, the group numbers of the N1 seventh CSI groups are sequentially incremented, the first parameter is the smallest group number corresponding to the unreceived CSI group among the N1 seventh CSI groups, the second parameter is the group number of the next CSI group of the CSI group that was successfully received and has the largest group number among the N1 seventh CSI groups, and N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; start or stop the retransmission of the target CSI group based on the first value and the second value, wherein the group number of the target CSI group is the first value.

[0199] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: the fourth MAC-CE also includes a third measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group, wherein the sixth CSI group is the CSI group obtained by the second CSI measurement if the third measurement identifier is consistent with the second measurement identifier and the group number of the sixth CSI group is included in N1 group numbers of the seventh CSI group.

[0200] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: when the third value of the first parameter when receiving the fourth MAC-CE is equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, determine the group number of the CSI group whose group number is closest to the sixth CSI group and which was not successfully received among the N1 seventh CSI groups as the first value, and update the first parameter from the third value to the first value.

[0201] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: when the fourth value of the second parameter when the fourth MAC-CE is received is less than or equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, add 1 to the group number of the sixth CSI group and determine it as the second value, and update the second parameter from the fourth value to the second value.

[0202] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: initiate retransmission of the target CSI group if the second value is greater than the first value plus 1.

[0203] For example, the retransmission wait time for the target CSI group is determined by a second value.

[0204] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: stop the retransmission of the target CSI group when the second value is equal to the first value.

[0205] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: determine that the second CSI measurement has failed if the number of retransmissions in any of the N1 seventh CSI groups is equal to the retransmission number threshold.

[0206] For example, the processing unit 71 is configured to: determine the complete CSI of the second CSI measurement based on the N1 seventh CSI groups if all N1 seventh CSI groups are successfully received.

[0207] In one possible design, the communication device 70 may correspond to the terminal device involved in the methods shown in Figures 5 and 6. For example, the communication device 70 may be the terminal device itself or a chip within the terminal device. The communication device 70 may include units for performing the operations executed by the terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 5 and 6, and each unit in the communication device 70 is specifically designed to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 5 and 6. For specific implementation details, please refer to the corresponding descriptions in the embodiments corresponding to Figures 5 and 6 above; these will not be repeated here.

[0208] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application. This communication device 80 can be used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device or network device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6. Alternatively, the communication device 80 can be a terminal device or network device involved in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6. The communication device 80 includes: a processor 81.

[0209] Optionally, the communication device may also include a memory 82.

[0210] Memory 82 is used to store related instructions and data. Memory 82 stores the following elements: executable modules or data structures, or subsets thereof, or extended sets thereof:

[0211] Operation instructions: This includes various operation instructions used to perform various operations.

[0212] Operating system: includes various system programs used to implement various basic business functions and handle hardware-based tasks.

[0213] Figure 8 shows only one memory, but of course, multiple memories can be set as needed.

[0214] Optionally, the communication device 80 may further include a transceiver 84. The transceiver 84 may be a communication module or a transceiver circuit. In the embodiments of this application, the transceiver 84 is used to perform the message or information transmission and reception operations involved in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6.

[0215] Processor 81 can be a controller, 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 devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. Processor 81 can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0216] Optionally, the communication device may also include a bus system 83. In specific applications, the various components of the communication device 80 are coupled together through the bus system 83, which may include, in addition to the data bus, a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus, etc. However, for clarity, all buses are labeled as bus system 83 in Figure 8. For ease of illustration, Figure 8 is only schematically shown.

[0217] In specific implementation, the communication device 80 can execute the steps of the method performed by the network device or terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6. Specifically, when the communication device 80 is used to implement the various steps performed by the network device or terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6, the processor 81 can implement the function of the processing unit 71, and the transceiver 84 can implement the function of the transceiver unit 72.

[0218] It should be noted that in practical applications, the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be 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 devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0219] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memories described in the embodiments of this application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0220] This application also provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the method steps performed by the network device or terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6.

[0221] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the method steps performed by the network device or terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6.

[0222] This application also provides a chip, which includes at least a processor. The processor is used to execute computer execution instructions to cause a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method steps executed by the network device or terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6.

[0223] Optionally, the chip may also include interface circuitry. This interface circuitry is used to receive computer execution instructions and transmit them to the processor.

[0224] This application also provides a chip system including a processor for supporting the apparatus on which the chip system is installed to implement the method steps performed by the network device or terminal device in the methods shown in Figures 2 to 4 or Figures 5 and 6. For example, generating or processing the data and / or information involved in the above methods. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the data transmission device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0225] In the above method embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially 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 this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., digital video disc (DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0226] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0227] The terms “component,” “module,” “system,” etc., used in this specification are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, or a computer. As illustrated, applications running on computing devices and computing devices can both be components. One or more components may reside in a process or execution thread, and components may be located on a single computer or distributed among two or more computers. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media on which various data structures are stored. Components can communicate, for example, via local or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0228] It should be understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout this specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0229] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the designations "first", "second", etc. are only for distinguishing different objects, such as different network devices, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0230] It should also be understood that in this application, “when…”, “if” and “if” all refer to the network element making a corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited, nor do they require the network element to make a judgment when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0231] It should also be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0232] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0233] In this application, expressions such as "the item includes one or more of the following: A, B, and C" generally mean, unless otherwise specified, that the item can be any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C; A and A; A, A and A; A, A and B; A, A and C, A, B and B; A, C and C; B and B, B, B and B, B, B and C, C and C; C, C and C, and other combinations of A, B, and C. The above example uses three elements, A, B, and C, to illustrate the possible entries for the item. When expressed as "the item includes at least one of the following: A, B, ..., and X," that is, when the expression contains more elements, then the applicable entries for the item can also be obtained according to the aforementioned rules.

[0234] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0235] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0236] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0237] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0238] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0239] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0240] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of protection of the claims. It is understood that the various numerical designations involved in the embodiments of this application are only for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above processes does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0241] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the technical solution of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applicable to network devices, and the method includes: At the end of the first cycle, it is determined whether all N1 first CSI groups were successfully received, wherein the N1 first CSI groups are obtained by first CSI measurement, and N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; If N2 second CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups fail to receive data, a first message is sent, wherein the first message is used to instruct the N2 second CSI groups to retransmit, the N2 second CSI groups retransmit through the control unit MAC-CE of the first media access control, the first MAC-CE includes at least a first measurement identifier associated with the first CSI measurement, and N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the first MAC-CE; If N3 third CSI groups are obtained from the N2 second CSI groups according to the first MAC-CE, it is determined that the N3 third CSI groups were successfully received, and it is determined that the CSI groups other than the N3 third CSI groups from the N2 second CSI groups were not successfully received, where N3 is a positive integer less than or equal to N2.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second MAC-CE, wherein the second MAC-CE is used for the initial transmission of the N1 first CSI groups, and the second MAC-CE includes at least the first measurement identifier; If the initial transmission of N4 fourth CSI groups out of the N1 first CSI groups fails according to the second MAC-CE, a second message is sent, wherein the second message is used to instruct the retransmission of the N4 fourth CSI groups, the N4 fourth CSI groups are retransmitted through a third MAC-CE, the third MAC-CE includes at least the first measurement identifier, and N4 is a positive integer less than or equal to N1.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: If, based on the second MAC-CE, it is determined that N5 of the N1 first CSI groups have not completed their initial transmission, the system waits for the initial transmission of the N5 fifth CSI groups, where N5 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The second MAC-CE also includes the first identification information of the N1 first CSI groups.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the number of retransmissions in any of the N1 first CSI groups is equal to the retransmission threshold, the first CSI measurement is determined to have failed.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: If all N1 first CSI groups are successfully received, the complete CSI of the first CSI measurement is determined based on the N1 first CSI groups.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applicable to network devices, and the method includes: The sixth CSI group is determined based on the received fourth MAC-CE; In the case where the sixth CSI group is an unreceived CSI group and is a CSI group obtained by the second CSI measurement, the first value of the first parameter and the second value of the second parameter are determined according to the sixth CSI group. The second CSI measurement is associated with the second measurement identifier. The second CSI measurement obtains N1 seventh CSI groups, and the group numbers of the N1 seventh CSI groups are sequentially increased. The first parameter is the smallest group number corresponding to the unreceived CSI group among the N1 seventh CSI groups. The second parameter is the group number of the next CSI group of the CSI group that was successfully received and has the largest group number among the N1 seventh CSI groups. N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Retransmission of the target CSI group is started or stopped based on the first value and the second value, wherein the group number of the target CSI group is the first value.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fourth MAC-CE also includes a third measurement identifier associated with the sixth CSI group. If the third measurement identifier is consistent with the second measurement identifier and the group number of the sixth CSI group is included in the group number of the N1 seventh CSI groups, then the sixth CSI group is the CSI group obtained by the second CSI measurement.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The step of determining the first value of the first parameter based on the sixth CSI group includes: If the third value of the first parameter when receiving the fourth MAC-CE is equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, the group number of the CSI group whose group number is closest to the sixth CSI group and which was not successfully received among the N1 seventh CSI groups is determined as the first value, and the first parameter is updated from the third value to the first value.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, The step of determining the second value of the second parameter based on the sixth CSI group includes: If the fourth value of the second parameter when the fourth MAC-CE is received is less than or equal to the group number of the sixth CSI group, the group number of the sixth CSI group is incremented by 1 and determined as the second value, and the second parameter is updated from the fourth value to the second value.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, The retransmission of the target CSI group has not been initiated. Initiating the retransmission of the target CSI group based on the first value and the second value includes: If the second value is greater than the first value plus 1, the retransmission of the target CSI group is initiated.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The retransmission waiting time for the target CSI group is determined by the second value.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized in that, The retransmission of the target CSI group has been initiated. Stopping the retransmission of the target CSI group based on the first value and the second value includes: If the second value is equal to the first value, the retransmission of the target CSI group is stopped.

15. The method according to any one of claims 8-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the number of retransmissions in any of the N1 seventh CSI groups is equal to the retransmission threshold, the second CSI measurement is determined to have failed.

16. The method according to any one of claims 8-15, characterized in that, The method further includes: If all N1 seventh CSI groups are successfully received, the complete CSI of the second CSI measurement is determined based on the N1 seventh CSI groups.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: a module or unit for implementing the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-7 or any one of claims 8-16.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed, implements the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7 or any one of claims 8-16.

19. A chip, characterized in that, Including the processor; The processor is configured to execute computer execution instructions to cause the device on which the chip is mounted to perform the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7 or any one of claims 8-16.

20. The chip according to claim 19, characterized in that, The chip also includes an interface circuit, which is used to receive computer execution instructions and transmit them to the processor.

21. A computer program product, said computer program product being executed by a computer using the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7 or any one of claims 8-16.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor and memory; The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device performs the communication method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7 or any one of claims 8-16.

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