Wireless channel measurement method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications. Provided are a wireless channel measurement method and a communication apparatus, which can reduce the number of resource elements (REs) occupied by antenna ports in a channel estimation process and reduce the overheads of the channel estimation process, thereby improving the proportion of data channel resources and the accuracy of channel estimation. The method comprises: sending a first signal by means of at least one port group, wherein each port group comprises a plurality of antenna ports supporting code-division multiplexing, the first signal comprises a plurality of REs occupied by the at least one port group, the number of REs occupied by a first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group, and the first port group is any of the at least one port group; and receiving a channel parameter of each antenna port in the at least one port group.

Description

A wireless channel measurement method and communication device Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a wireless channel measurement method and communication device. Background Technology

[0002] During communication, network devices can send a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to user equipment (UE) to evaluate downlink channel state information. This allows the UE to perform channel estimation by measuring the CSI-RS, assess channel quality, and thus support efficient beamforming, link adaptation, and network optimization.

[0003] However, as the number of antenna ports increases, the number of resource elements (REs) occupied by each antenna port in the above channel estimation process also increases, which will lead to excessive channel estimation overhead and a decrease in the proportion of data channel resources. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a wireless channel measurement method and communication device, which can reduce the number of REs occupied by the antenna port during the channel estimation process, reduce the overhead of the channel estimation process, and improve the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0005] Firstly, a wireless channel measurement method is provided. This method can be applied to network-side communication devices, such as network equipment or communication modules within network equipment, or circuits or chips (e.g., modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores) responsible for communication functions within network equipment. The network equipment can be a device or apparatus with chips, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or chips, chip systems, modules, or control units within the aforementioned devices or apparatus; specific details are not limited in this application. It should be noted that in this application, the term "network equipment" can refer to the network equipment itself, or to chips, functional modules, or integrated circuits within the network equipment that implement the method provided in this application; specific details are not limited in this application. In the first aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described using the example of it being executed by a network equipment. The method includes: transmitting a first signal through at least one port group. Each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group. The number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group. The first port group is any port group among at least one port group. Channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group are received. The channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group are determined by compressed sensing algorithm and measurement results of the first signal.

[0006] Based on this scheme, the first signal used for channel estimation includes multiple arrays (REs) occupied by one or more port groups. This scheme designs the number of REs occupied by any port group to be less than the number of antenna ports in that port group, allowing each port group to include more antenna ports while keeping the total number of REs occupied constant. Thus, a single channel estimation process can measure the channel parameters of more antenna ports, resulting in higher efficiency. From another perspective, by designing the number of REs occupied by any port group to be less than the number of antenna ports in that port group, channel estimation can be achieved with fewer REs while keeping the number of antenna ports in the port group constant. This helps reduce resource overhead in the channel estimation process. Furthermore, in future communication systems where the number of antenna ports increases significantly, designing the number of REs occupied by any port group to be less than the number of antenna ports in that port group also helps control the number of REs occupied by each antenna port during channel estimation, thereby ensuring that the channel corresponding to the REs occupied by each antenna port meets the condition of being much smaller than the correlation bandwidth and coherence time, thus guaranteeing the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first aspect can also be described as follows: The antenna ports participating in downlink pilot signal measurement (also known as channel estimation) are divided into M port groups using code division multiplexing, with each port group including N antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The measurement signal (i.e., the first signal) used for downlink pilot signal measurement includes M RE groups, with each RE group including K REs. The M port groups occupy the M RE groups of the first signal. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the M port groups and the M RE groups. Any port group and the RE groups it occupies satisfy the following condition: the number of REs in the RE group is less than the number of antenna ports in the port group (i.e., K is less than N). The channel parameters of each antenna port in the M port groups are measured using the first signal. It should be understood that this description does not change the content of the scheme provided in the first aspect, and therefore the beneficial effects are the same as those provided in the first aspect, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0008] Secondly, a wireless channel measurement method is provided. This method can be applied to a terminal-side communication device, such as a terminal device or a communication module within a terminal device, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip or system-in-package chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions within the terminal device. The terminal device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned device or apparatus; specific details are not limited in this application. It should be noted that in this application, the term "terminal device" can refer to the terminal device itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the terminal device that performs the method provided in this application; specific details are not limited in this application. In the first aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described using the example of it being executed by a terminal device. The method includes: measuring a first signal. The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group. Each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group. The first port group is any port group among at least one port group. The channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group are transmitted. The channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group are determined by a compressed sensing algorithm and the measurement results of the first signal.

[0009] Based on this scheme, the compressed sensing algorithm can solve for the channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group, provided that the number of REs occupied by any port group is less than the number of antenna ports in that port group. In other words, the compressed sensing algorithm can guarantee the feasibility of the design where "the number of REs occupied by any port group is less than the number of antenna ports in that port group." This helps reduce the overhead of the channel estimation process and improves the proportion of data channel resources and the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0010] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first or second aspect, in one possible implementation, any resource particle occupied by the first port group includes pilot signals transmitted by each antenna port in the first port group. Based on this scheme, any port group and the RE group occupied by the port group satisfy the following condition: the pilot signals transmitted by each antenna port in the port group are distributed on each RE of the RE group. This is beneficial to improving the anti-interference capability of the signal and reducing noise interference in the channel estimation process.

[0011] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first port group includes a first antenna port and a second antenna port; the pilot signals transmitted on each resource particle occupied by the first antenna port in the first port group form a first sequence; the pilot signals transmitted on each resource particle occupied by the second antenna port in the first port group form a second sequence; the first sequence and the second sequence are not orthogonal. Based on this scheme, the non-orthogonality of the first and second sequences ensures that the number of REs occupied by any port group is less than the number of antenna ports in that port group, which helps to reduce the overhead of the channel estimation process and improve the data channel resource ratio and the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0012] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first or second aspect, in one possible implementation, the pilot signal transmitted by the first antenna port on the first resource particle is associated with the random sequence symbol and weight corresponding to the first antenna port on the first resource particle. The first antenna port is any antenna port in the first port group. The first resource particle is any resource particle occupied by the first port group. Based on this scheme, the pilot signal transmitted by the first antenna port on the first resource particle is associated with the random sequence symbol and weight corresponding to the first antenna port on the first resource particle; that is, when the random sequence symbol or weight corresponding to the first antenna port on the first resource particle changes, the pilot signal transmitted by the first antenna port on the first resource particle will also change accordingly. In other words, the pilot signal transmitted by the first antenna port on the first resource particle has a corresponding relationship with the random sequence symbol and weight corresponding to the first antenna port on the first resource particle. Thus, the pilot signal can be designed based on the random sequence symbol and weight corresponding to the first antenna port on the first resource particle.

[0013] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first or second aspect, in one possible implementation, the weights of each antenna port in at least one port group corresponding to each resource particle collectively constitute an oversampled discrete Fourier transform matrix. The dimensions of the discrete Fourier transform matrix are M and N, where M is the number of antenna ports in at least one port group, and N is the number of resource particles occupied by at least one port group. Based on this scheme, the elements in the oversampled discrete Fourier transform matrix can be used as the weights of each antenna port corresponding to each resource particle.

[0014] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first or second aspect, in one possible implementation, the antenna ports in the first port group correspond to the same random sequence symbol on the same resource particle. Based on this scheme, antenna ports in the same port group share the same random sequence symbol in the same RE. This facilitates achieving non-orthogonality between the first and second sequences, thereby reducing the overhead of the channel estimation process and improving the data channel resource ratio and the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0015] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first aspect, in one possible implementation, a first signal is transmitted through at least one port group, including: periodically transmitting the first signal through at least one port group with a pre-configured first duration. This facilitates timely channel estimation and adjustment when the wireless communication environment changes, improving the overall network performance over a longer time span.

[0016] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first aspect, in one possible implementation, before transmitting the first signal through at least one port group, the method further includes: transmitting configuration information. The configuration information includes a transmission configuration for the first signal. Transmitting the first signal through at least one port group includes: transmitting the first signal through at least one port group according to the transmission configuration of the first signal. Based on this scheme, the signal transmitting device participating in wireless channel measurement (also known as channel estimation) can transmit the first signal based on the configuration information, and the signal receiving device can receive and measure the first signal based on the configuration information, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of the wireless channel measurement process.

[0017] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the transmission configuration includes any one or more of the following: transmission port, transmission period, transmission frequency band, and transmission time.

[0018] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the first aspect, in one possible implementation, after receiving the channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group, the method further includes: determining an adjustment strategy based on the channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group. The adjustment strategy includes any one or more of the following: no adjustment, adjustment of antenna beam direction, adjustment of power allocation, adjustment of signal modulation scheme, and adjustment of signal coding scheme. Based on this scheme, it is beneficial to improve the overall network performance and the user's communication experience.

[0019] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the channel parameters include any one or more of the following: channel quality indicators, spatial channel information, inter-layer interference information, and beam indication information.

[0020] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the compressed sensing algorithm includes any one or more of the following: orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm, iterative shrinking threshold algorithm, approximate message passing algorithm, and convex optimization algorithm.

[0021] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the second aspect, in one possible implementation, before measuring the first signal, the method further includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a measurement configuration for the first signal. Measuring the first signal includes: measuring the first signal according to the measurement configuration for the first signal. Based on this scheme, the signal transmitting device participating in wireless channel measurement (also known as channel estimation) can transmit the first signal based on the configuration information, and the signal receiving device can receive and measure the first signal based on the configuration information, which helps to improve the efficiency of the wireless channel measurement process.

[0022] In conjunction with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the measurement configuration of the first signal includes any one or more of the following: measurement method, measurement content, reporting content, reporting granularity, reporting period, and reporting time-frequency resources.

[0023] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided, including a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit is used to transmit a first signal through at least one port group. Each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by the at least one port group. The number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group. The first port group is any one of the at least one port group. The transceiver unit is used to receive channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group. The channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are determined by a compressed sensing algorithm and measurement results of the first signal.

[0024] Fourthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising: a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The processing unit is used to measure a first signal. The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group. Each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group. The first port group is any one of the at least one port group. The transceiver unit is used to transmit channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group. The channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are determined by a compressed sensing algorithm and the measurement results of the first signal.

[0025] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a module or unit for performing the method of either the first or second aspect. The module or unit may be implemented in software, in hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0026] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, characterized in that it includes a memory and one or more processors; the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; the one or more processors are used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0027] In one possible design, the communication device may also include interface circuitry, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components via the interface circuitry.

[0028] A seventh aspect provides a communication device including a processor. The processor is configured to perform the method of either the first or second aspect.

[0029] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, including a terminal device and a network device; the network device is configured to execute any of the implementations shown in the first aspect, and the terminal device is configured to execute any of the implementations shown in the first aspect.

[0030] Ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the method of any one of the first aspects to be implemented, or the method of any one of the second aspects to be implemented.

[0031] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of the first aspects to be implemented, or the method of any one of the second aspects to be implemented.

[0032] Eleventhly, a chip device is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is used to invoke a computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes any of the implementations described in the first and second aspects. Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0033] It should be understood that the third to eleventh aspects of this application are consistent with or correspond to the technical solutions of the first or second aspects of this application, and the beneficial effects obtained by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a CDM configuration provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a wireless access network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a wireless channel measurement method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between a port group and each resource particle in a first signal according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between each antenna port and the occupied resources in a first port group provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system (such as New Radio (NR) system), future evolution communication system (such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, device to device (D2D) communication system, Internet of Things (IoT) communication system, Industrial Internet (IIoT) communication system, or satellite communication system, etc.

[0045] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0046] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0047] The communication systems and service scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0048] To facilitate understanding, some technical terms and concepts that may appear in this application will be introduced below.

[0049] Hybrid beamforming (HBF) is a beamforming technique that combines analog and digital signal processing technologies. It can be applied to fifth-generation (5G) systems such as NR systems or future evolutionary communication systems (e.g., 6G mobile communication systems). HBF achieves efficient signal transmission by performing coarse-grained beamforming in the digital domain and fine-grained beam adjustment in the analog domain, optimizing signal directionality and coverage while maintaining hardware complexity and power management. HBF effectively focuses signal energy, overcoming signal attenuation at high frequencies, making it particularly important for centimeter-wave and millimeter-wave communications.

[0050] Downlink pilot signal: Also known as downlink pilot symbol, it is a reference signal specifically designed for user equipment (UE) to measure and evaluate downlink channel state information. For example, in 5G NR, the downlink pilot signal can be a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS). During communication, the CSI-RS can be transmitted periodically so that the UE can perform channel estimation and determine channel information (or channel parameters), thereby supporting efficient beamforming, link adaptation, and network optimization. Specifically, the channel information that the base station can measure adjusts its transmission strategy to adapt to the constantly changing wireless environment and user needs; therefore, the downlink pilot signal is crucial for achieving high-quality service connectivity.

[0051] Antenna port: In 5G NR, an antenna port is a logical concept used to describe the signal transmission characteristics at a specific spatiotemporal location. Each antenna port can be associated with one or more physical antenna elements and can carry a unique reference signal to facilitate channel estimation and beamforming. The definition of antenna ports allows for the description and design of multi-antenna technologies and beamforming strategies without directly referencing physical antenna configurations. This abstract concept simplifies signal processing and resource management while providing flexibility for different antenna array designs and signal optimization. In this embodiment, the antenna port may also be referred to as a port.

[0052] Beam: A communication resource. In the embodiments of this application, the beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beams. A narrow beam can refer to a beam generated based on an array steering vector, while a wide beam can refer to a beam with a width greater than a narrow beam. The beamforming technology can be beamforming technology or other technical means. Beamforming technology can specifically be digital beamforming technology, analog beamforming technology, or hybrid beamforming technology. Different beams can be considered as different resources. The same information or different information can be transmitted through different beams. Optionally, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics (such as time, frequency band, etc.) can be considered as a single beam. A beam can include one or more antenna ports for transmitting data channels, control channels, and detection signals, etc. For example, a transmit beam can refer to the signal strength distribution formed in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted through an antenna, and a receive beam can refer to the signal strength distribution in different directions in space of a wireless signal received from an antenna. It is understood that one or more antenna ports forming a beam can also be considered as a set of antenna ports. The beam can still be represented in the protocol by a spatial filter.

[0053] Code division multiplexing (CDM) is a multiple access technology. In CSI-RS downlink measurements, CDM allows multiple ports to share the same time-frequency resource elements (REs). CDM distinguishes different signals by assigning each port a unique code. These codes are typically orthogonal to facilitate differentiation and decorrelation at the receiver. In resource-orthogonal multiple access downlink CSI-RS measurements, each port can independently occupy one RE, so N ports would need to occupy N REs for measurement. In CDM, resources are shared but not orthogonal (i.e., N ports share N REs), but the signals transmitted by each port on the N REs are orthogonal. Compared to resource-orthogonal schemes, CDM does not change the number of resources being measured; it simply changes the orthogonality space from the time-frequency domain to the code domain.

[0054] Fully Connected HBF: In traditional subarray HBF, a single RF channel connects only a portion of the antennas (called an antenna group), and an antenna group is connected by only one RF channel. In fully connected HBF, however, each RF channel connects to all antennas, which are shared by all RF channels. The advantage of fully connected HBF is that it provides more precise beam directionality, resulting in higher spectral efficiency and signal coverage. This is particularly important in high-frequency U6G or centimeter-wave bands, where beam directionality needs to be more accurate to compensate for signal propagation losses. In a fully connected HBF system, each antenna port can form an independent analog beam, designed to cover different spatial directions to facilitate effective channel estimation in complex multipath environments. It's important to note that CSI-RS in the HBF architecture is a measurement of a reduced-dimensional channel. This means using a finite set of analog beams (measurement dimension = number of beams = number of RFs < number of antennas) to probe the entire high-dimensional channel (channel dimension = number of antennas). Each antenna port can be configured with a specific analog beam covering different spatial directions. By transmitting CSI-RS on different antenna ports, the base station can send downlink pilot signals, collect downlink pilot signals from the UE under different analog beams, and estimate the channel response in each analog beam direction. This information is then used to design the digital precoding matrix to optimize beamforming during data transmission.

[0055] Beam-domain channel is a core concept in wireless communication, especially in high-frequency bands (such as millimeter-wave and terahertz bands). In these systems, due to the short wavelength and strong beam directionality, signal propagation often concentrates in a specific direction. Traditional antenna-domain channel estimation typically focuses on the characteristics of signals received through physical antenna arrays. These signals are affected by attenuation, time delay, and multipath propagation after passing through the environment. To better understand and process these signals, based on antenna-domain channel estimation, the discrete fourier transform (DFT) can be used to convert the signal from the antenna domain to the beam domain. This conversion essentially reconstructs the signal spatially, so that the channel representation is no longer based on each antenna element, but on different spatial directions, or different beam directions. In the beam domain, the channel can be viewed as an energy distribution at different angles. A significant characteristic of beam-domain channels is their sparsity. Sparsity indicates that in the beam domain, signal energy is usually not uniformly distributed, but concentrated on a few beams. These primary beams correspond to the main propagation paths of the signal, such as line-of-sight paths and strong reflection paths. Conversely, the signal energy on many other beams will be very small or close to zero, as they may correspond to non-dominant multipath components or parts absorbed and scattered by the environment. Utilizing the sparsity of the beam-domain channel, filtering and noise reduction techniques can be applied in channel estimation. By designing filters to selectively retain high-energy beams while suppressing low-energy beams, the impact of noise and interference from non-dominant multipath components can be reduced. This process not only improves the accuracy of channel estimation but also simplifies subsequent signal processing steps, such as beamforming and multiple access.

[0056] Multi-port CSI-RS Measurement: In downlink measurements, the number of antenna ports characterizes the dimensionality of the channel measurement. The number of antenna ports is not necessarily equal to the actual number of physical antennas, but generally, the more physical antennas there are, the more antenna ports need to be measured. Multi-port CSI-RS measurements are achieved by independently loading pilot sequences onto each port. These ports are divided into multiple CDM groups; ports within the same CDM group occupy the same number of REs, while ports in different CDM groups occupy different REs. The CSI-RS pilot signals configured for each port are different, but the generation mechanism of these pilot signals can be described as follows: First, each symbol is based on a specified pseudo-random sequence r. l(m), different symbols in the sequence are placed in different REs. Within the same CDM group, each port generates a CSI-RS symbol on different REs based on the placed symbol multiplied by a unique weight. These weights on REs are called orthogonal cover codes (OCC). Specifically, the CSI-RS symbol of port p on RE(k,l) is given by the following formula (1), which is indicated in the standard protocol TS 38211-7.4.1.5.3 Mapping to physical resources:

[0057] in, This represents the CSI-RS symbol of port P on RE(k, l). The k, l distribution represents the frequency and time domain locations of the RE. β csirs This represents the power offset; for its specific meaning, please refer to the definition in the standard protocol TS 38211-7.4.1.5.3. l (m) represents the symbol placed on the m-th RE occupied by the pseudo-random sequence of the l-th symbol in the CSI-RS. f (k′)w t (l′) is the OCC code under the CDM configuration.

[0058] The protocol currently supports four CDM configurations: noCDM, fd-CDM2, cdm4-FD2-TD, and cdm8-FD2-TD4. NoCDM means the antenna ports are divided into one CDM group. fd-CDM2 means the antenna ports are divided into two CDM groups. cdm4-FD2-TD means the antenna ports are divided into four CDM groups. cdm8-FD2-TD4 means the antenna ports are divided into eight CDM groups.

[0059] For example, when the number of antenna ports is 8 and the CDM is configured as fd-CDM2, the 8 antenna ports are divided into 2 CDM groups, each of which may include 4 antenna ports. In some possible implementations, the CSI-RS pattern of the 8 antenna ports can be illustrated in Figure 1 on a resource block (RB). The RB shown in Figure 1 occupies 7 symbols on the horizontal axis (i.e., the time domain) and 12 consecutive subcarriers on the vertical axis (i.e., the frequency domain), comprising a total of 84 REs. For ease of explanation, the two CDM groups are referred to as CDM group 1 and CDM group 2, respectively. k indicates the frequency domain, l indicates the time domain, and the subscript data indicates the numerical sequence number in Figure 1 (e.g., (k0, l1) indicates the RE with horizontal axis sequence number 1 and vertical axis sequence number 0).

[0060] As shown in Figure 1, the antenna ports in CDM group 1 occupy two REs (k0, l5) and (k1, l6) through code division multiplexing. The antenna ports in CDM group 2 occupy two REs (k2, l5) and (k3, l6) through code division multiplexing.

[0061] It should be understood that the above is merely an illustrative example and does not imply that this application is limited thereto. For details regarding the four CDM configurations mentioned above, please refer to Tables 7.4.1.5.3-2 to 7.4.1.5.3-5 and Table 7.4.1.5.3-1 in the standard protocol TS 38211-7.4.1.5.3. Further details will not be elaborated upon here.

[0062] When configuring CSI-RS, different numbers of ports can be flexibly selected for measurement. Currently supported port numbers include 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32. When the number of ports is large, 2-3 different CDM configurations are typically supported. Each configuration indicates how CSI-RS is generated, the number of supported ports, the CDM type used, and the location of the corresponding RE, etc. The number of ports and supported CDM configurations are summarized in Table 7.4.1.5.3-1 of the standard protocol TS 38211-7.4.1.5.3, and will not be elaborated here.

[0063] The application background of the embodiments of this application will be introduced below based on the above technical terms and concepts.

[0064] During communication, the complex and ever-changing wireless environment may affect normal communication between devices. For example, signals may attenuate or be distorted by noise interference during transmission through the channel.

[0065] To mitigate the impact of the channel on the received signal and support efficient beamforming, link adaptation, and network optimization to adapt to constantly changing wireless environments and user needs, communication devices can determine channel parameters before communication begins. These parameters include channel quality indicator (CQI), rank indicator (RI), and precoding matrix indicator (PMI). This process of determining channel parameters is known as channel estimation.

[0066] In 5G NR or future evolution communication systems, downlink channel estimation between network devices and UEs can be achieved through downlink pilot signals (such as CSI-RS). For example, the network device can send a downlink pilot signal to the UE; the UE performs channel estimation of the downlink channel between the network device and the UE based on the received downlink pilot signal, and feeds back the channel estimation result to the network device; the network device adjusts its signal transmission strategy based on the channel estimation result.

[0067] As mentioned in the above introduction to CDM and CSI-RS measurements under multi-port conditions, in CSI-RS measurements under multi-port conditions, multiple antenna ports are divided into multiple CDM groups. Ports within the same CDM group occupy the same number of REs, while ports in different CDM groups occupy different REs. Within the same CDM group, the number of antenna ports and the number of REs they occupy are the same.

[0068] With the development of communication technology, the number of antenna ports involved in the communication process is increasing. When the number of antenna ports is large, such as reaching 32, 64, or 128, the RE (Reference Length) occupied by each antenna port during channel estimation also increases accordingly. This can lead to two problems: firstly, the channel corresponding to the RE occupied by each antenna port may no longer meet the condition of being much smaller than the correlation bandwidth and coherence time, affecting the accuracy of channel estimation; secondly, it may also lead to excessive overhead in the channel estimation process, reducing the proportion of data channel resources and impacting communication performance.

[0069] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a wireless channel measurement method and communication device that can reduce the number of array references (REs) occupied by the antenna port during channel estimation, thereby reducing the overhead of the channel estimation process and improving the proportion of data channel resources and the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0070] The wireless channel measurement method provided in this application can be applied to network devices or terminal devices. The terminal device can also be referred to as a UE, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), customer premises equipment (CPE), etc.

[0071] Terminal devices can be devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users, handheld devices with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. Examples of terminal devices include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, wireless terminals in self-driving cars, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, a wireless terminal in self-driving cars can be a drone, helicopter, or airplane. Similarly, a wireless terminal in V2X communication can be an in-vehicle device, a vehicle-mounted device, an in-vehicle module, a vehicle, or a ship. A wireless terminal in industrial control can be a camera, a robot, or a robotic arm. Wireless terminals in a smart home can include televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes.

[0072] It should be noted that the terminal device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit in the device or apparatus shown above; the specific application is not limited to any particular type. It should also be noted that in this application, when referring to a terminal device, it can refer to the terminal device itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the terminal device that performs the method provided in this application; the specific application is not limited to any particular type.

[0073] Network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in Wi-Fi systems, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, radio controller, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and reception point (or transmit / receive point, TRP) in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios, and can also be network equipment in 5G mobile communication systems. For example, next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), TRPs, and TPs in NR systems; or antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of base stations in 5G mobile communication systems; or, network equipment can also be network nodes constituting gNBs or transmission points. Examples include centralized units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), centralized unit-control planes (CU-CPs), centralized unit-user planes (CU-UPs), or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be separate or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). Alternatively, network equipment can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in V2X technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0074] It should be noted that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open-centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open-distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open-centralized unit-control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open-centralized unit-user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open-radio unit (O-RU). This application does not limit the specific names. Any of the units CU, 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.

[0075] In the embodiments of this application, both the network device and the terminal device used in the wireless channel measurement method can be referred to as electronic devices or communication devices. The structure of the electronic device involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below using the structure of the terminal device as an example. It should be understood that the structure of the network device can be similar to that of the terminal device, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0076] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device may include one or more antennas 210, a radio frequency processing system 220, and a processor system 230.

[0077] In the downlink direction, the RF processing system 220 receives RF signals through the antenna 210 and sends the RF-processed signals to the processor system 230 for further processing. In the uplink direction, the processor system 230 processes the terminal-side information and sends it to the RF processing system 220, which then processes the signal and transmits it through the antenna 210.

[0078] In one example, the radio frequency (RF) processing system 220 serves as the communication interface for external communication of the terminal and may include a radio frequency front end (RFFE) 221 and a radio frequency transceiver 222. The RFFE 221 is primarily used for shaping, passband selection, and / or gain processing of the radio frequency (RF) signals received by the antenna or the RF signals to be transmitted through the antenna. Exemplarily, the RFFE 221 may include one or more components (not shown in the figure) such as an RF switch, duplexer, filter, power amplifier, antenna tuner, and low-noise amplifier. The RFFE 221 can be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete devices or can be integrated and packaged in one or more chips. Transceiver 222 is used to process the RF signal received by RF front-end 221 into a baseband / IF signal for further processing by processor system 230, and to process the baseband / IF signal provided by processor system 230 into an RF signal for transmission to RF front-end 221. The baseband / IF signal transmitted between transceiver 220 and processor system 230 can be a digital signal or an analog signal. Transceiver 222 can be implemented by one or more chips, which are typically referred to as RF chips.

[0079] In one example, processor system 230 may include one or more processors and memory 236. The one or more processors are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 231 (also known as a modem processor). Memory 236 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, processor system 230 may also include one or more application processors 232 for processing the terminal operating system and application layer; optionally, processor system 230 may also include a voice subsystem 233, a multimedia subsystem 234, and an interface circuit 235. The voice subsystem 233 processes voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 234 handles multimedia-related operations such as video encoding / decoding and image processing, and the interface circuit 235 enables communication with other terminal components, such as displays and input devices (not shown). The components in processor system 230 can communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0080] In one example, processor system 230 can be packaged as a single processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, processor system 230 can be a system composed of multiple chips; for example, the baseband processor 231 can be packaged as a single chip, or packaged with part or all of the circuitry of the radio frequency processing system into a single chip.

[0081] In one example, memory 236 can be on-chip memory, i.e., located on the processor system 230 chip. In another example, memory 260 can be off-chip memory, i.e. located outside the processor system 230 chip.

[0082] In one example, the baseband processor 231 may include one or more processor cores, memory, and interface circuitry (not shown). The one or more processor cores are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. The memory is used to store at least a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions, computer programs, and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores implement the relevant operations provided in the embodiments of this application by executing the computer program instructions stored in the memory.

[0083] The processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit, or processor core mentioned above can be collectively referred to as a processor. The processor may include one or more of the following: central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), microprocessor unit (MPU), microcontroller unit (MCU), graphics processing unit (GPU), field programmable gate array (FPGA), artificial intelligence processor (AI processor), or neural processing unit (NPU).

[0084] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), cache, register, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments may be stored in non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the memory 236 described above. When the terminal device is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded into a memory with a faster transmission speed than the processor, such as memory 236 or at least a portion of memory 236, for the processor to execute in order to implement the steps in the embodiments provided in this application.

[0085] In one example, transceiver 222 and RF front-end 221 can also be packaged in a single chip. In another example, transceiver 222, RF front-end 221, and baseband processor 231 can also be packaged in a single chip.

[0086] The network devices and terminal devices used in the wireless channel measurement method provided in this application can constitute a communication system or a part of a communication system. In some possible implementations, the communication system in this application embodiment can be as shown in Figure 3.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 301 and a core network (CN) 302. The RAN 301 may include at least one RAN node 311 and at least one terminal device 321. For clarity, Figure 3 only shows one RAN node 311 and one terminal device 321. Nodes in the RAN 301 can communicate with nodes in the core network 302 via a backhaul link and with the terminal device 321 via an air interface.

[0088] In some possible implementations, the radio access network 301 may also include other RAN nodes, such as radio relay nodes and / or radio backhaul nodes (not shown in the figure). The terminal device 321 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 311. The RAN node 311 is connected to the core network 302 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The nodes in the core network 302 and the RAN node 311 in the radio access network 301 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network 302 and the radio access network 301.

[0089] Radio access network 301 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 (such as 6G mobile communication systems). Radio access network 301 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) or CRAN system. Radio access network 301 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0090] The RAN node 311 in the wireless access network 301, also known as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 311 in the communication system 300 can be of the same type or different types.

[0091] In one possible scenario, RAN node 311 can be a base station, evolved terrestrial base station, access point, transmit / receive point, next-generation base station, next-generation base station in a sixth-generation mobile communication system, base station in a future mobile communication system, or access node in a Wi-Fi system. RAN node 311 can be a macro base station, micro base station, indoor station, relay node, donor node, or 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 external connectivity technology can be a roadside unit.

[0092] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes 311 collaborate to assist terminal device 321 in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes 311 each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes 311 can be CU, DU, CU-CP, CU-UP, or RU, etc. CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in an RRU, AAU, or RRH.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of a wireless access network provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the wireless access network 400 may include one or more CUs, one and / or more DUs, and one or more RUs. For clarity, only one CU, DU, and RU are shown in Figure 4. The CU is used to connect to the core network and one or more DUs. Optionally, the CU may have some of the functions of the core network. The CU may include a CU-CP and a CU-UP.

[0094] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement: for example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layers); the DU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and / or the Physical (PHY) layer). Alternatively, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer (such as the RRC and / or SDAP layers), and the DU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the RLC, MAC, and / or PHY layers).

[0095] When a CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP, CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when a CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0096] The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. These AMF network elements are responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover.

[0097] CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements, such as the User Plane Function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices.

[0098] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0099] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0100] Based on the above description of the technical terms and concepts involved in the embodiments of this application, the application background of the embodiments of this application, the network devices, terminal devices and communication systems, the wireless channel measurement method provided in the embodiments of this application will be explained below.

[0101] The wireless channel measurement method provided in this application can be applied to electronic devices (terminal devices as shown in Figure 2) in a communication system (the communication system shown in Figure 3). To facilitate a complete understanding of this solution, the wireless channel measurement method will be described below from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device and the network device.

[0102] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a flowchart illustrating a wireless channel measurement method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the method may include the following steps.

[0103] S501, The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device.

[0104] For a description of network devices and terminal devices, please refer to the description in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] In this embodiment, configuration information can also be referred to as configuration resources, which may refer to CSI resource or CSI resource config in standard protocols. For example, configuration information may include transmission configuration and measurement configuration. The transmission configuration instructs the network device on the configuration when subsequently transmitting signals. The measurement configuration instructs the terminal device on the configuration when measuring the signals transmitted by the network device.

[0106] For example, the transmission configuration may include, but is not limited to, any one or more of the following: transmission port, transmission period, transmission frequency band, and transmission time. Here, the transmission port refers to the antenna port on which the network device transmits signals. The transmission period refers to the period during which the network device transmits signals. The transmission frequency band refers to the frequency band on which the network device transmits signals. The transmission time refers to the duration for which the network device transmits signals.

[0107] For example, measurement configuration may include, but is not limited to, any one or more of the following: measurement method, measurement content, reporting content, reporting granularity, reporting cycle, and reporting time-frequency resources. Here, measurement method refers to the way the terminal device measures the signals sent by the network device. Measurement content refers to the content of the signals measured by the terminal device from the network device. Reporting content refers to the content reported by the terminal device to the network device after measuring the signals sent by the network device. Reporting granularity refers to the compression method used for the reported content, such as high compression or low compression. Reporting cycle refers to the period during which the terminal device feeds back the reported content to the network device after measuring the signals sent by the network device. Reporting time-frequency resources refer to the time-frequency resources used by the terminal device to feed back the reported content to the network device after measuring the signals sent by the network device.

[0108] In some possible implementations, the network device can utilize a fully connected HBF architecture to generate an analog narrow beam (such as a DFT beam), and then generate the aforementioned configuration information based on this analog narrow beam. In other possible implementations, the network device can also utilize a subarray HBF with more digital channels to generate a digital DFT beam, and then generate the aforementioned configuration information based on this digital DFT beam.

[0109] S502, The network device sends a first signal to the terminal device through at least one port group.

[0110] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order of objects.

[0111] In this embodiment, the first signal may include downlink pilot signals (such as CSI-RS signals) transmitted by each antenna port in at least one port group. In other words, the first signal may be a pilot signal array that includes multiple downlink pilot signals.

[0112] In some possible implementations, the network device may periodically send a first signal through at least one port group for a pre-configured first duration. It should be noted that the first duration can be fixed or dynamically adjusted; this application does not limit this.

[0113] The network device can send the first signal according to the transmission configuration in the configuration information. For example, the network device can send the first signal according to the transmission time, transmission frequency band, etc. in the transmission configuration.

[0114] In this configuration, at least one antenna port in a port group can be a transmit port as described in the configuration information above. Each port group may include multiple antenna ports that support CDM.

[0115] The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group. The number of resource particles occupied by any one port group (referred to as the first port group) is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group.

[0116] For example, the number of at least one port group can be M. The number of antenna ports in each port group can be N. The number of resource particles occupied by each antenna port in each port group can be K. Wherein, N is greater than K.

[0117] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a port group and resource particles in a first signal according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the first signal can be composed of multiple resource particles. These multiple resource particles can be divided into M groups, each containing K resource particles. Antenna ports in the same port group occupy resource particles in the same resource particle group (i.e., the port group and resource particle group connected by arrows in Figure 6), while antenna ports in different port groups occupy resource particles in different resource particle groups.

[0118] In other words, the pilot signals transmitted by N antenna ports in the same port group are distributed across K resource particles in the same resource particle group. The signals transmitted by antenna ports in different port groups are distributed across resource particles in different resource particle groups. Thus, the pilot signals of each antenna port on each resource particle together constitute the first signal.

[0119] It should be noted that in the above examples, the number of antenna ports in each port group is the same, and the number of resource particles in each resource particle group is the same. In some possible implementations, the number of antenna ports in each port group may be different, and the number of resource particles in each resource particle group may also be different; this application does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0120] It should be understood that, compared to the related technologies where the number of REs occupied by each CDM group is equal to the number of antenna ports in that CDM group, the solution provided in this application embodiment occupies fewer REs per port group than the number of antenna ports in that port group. This reduces the number of REs occupied by each antenna port during channel estimation, lowers the overhead of the channel estimation process, and thereby improves the data channel resource utilization and the accuracy of channel estimation.

[0121] In some possible implementations, the resource particles occupied by any port group (referred to as the first port group) in the first signal include pilot signals transmitted by each antenna port in the first port group. The pilot signal can refer to the downlink pilot signal in the aforementioned embodiments, such as CSI-RS. In the embodiments of this application, the pilot signal transmitted by the antenna port can also be described as the pilot signal of the antenna port.

[0122] For example, please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between each antenna port and the resources occupied in a first port group according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the first port group may include antenna port 1, antenna port 2, antenna port 3, and antenna port 4. The resource particle group occupied by the first port group includes resource particle a, resource particle b, and resource particle c. Then, pilot signals are distributed on resource particles a, b, and c at antenna port 1. Antenna ports 2, 3, and 4 are similar to antenna port 1, also having pilot signals distributed on resource particles a, b, and c.

[0123] In some possible implementations, the sequence of pilot signals formed on the resource particles occupied by any antenna port (referred to as the first antenna port) in the first port group can be called the first sequence, and the sequence of pilot signals formed on the resource particles occupied by any antenna port other than the first antenna port in the first port group can be called the second sequence. This application embodiment achieves a situation where the number of REs occupied by each port group is less than the number of antenna ports in that port group by designing the first and second sequences to be non-orthogonal. Here, non-orthogonality can mean that the inner product of the two sequences as vectors in the inner product space is not zero.

[0124] Alternatively, the first sequence can also be called the pilot sequence for the first antenna port. The second sequence can also be called the pilot sequence for the second antenna port. No specific definition is made here.

[0125] For example, in Figure 7, the pilot signals of antenna port 1 on resource particles a, b, and c are a1, b1, and c1, respectively, i.e., the pilot sequence of antenna port 1 is [a1, b1, c1]. Similarly, the pilot sequence of antenna port 2 is [a2, b2, c2]. The pilot sequence of antenna port 3 is [a3, b3, c3]. The pilot sequence of antenna port 4 is [a4, b4, c4]. This embodiment of the application achieves a first port group occupying fewer REs than the number of antenna ports in the port group by designing [a1, a2, a3], [a2, b2, c2], [a3, b3, c3], and [a4, b4, c4] to be non-orthogonal.

[0126] There are several ways to achieve non-orthogonality between the first sequence and the second sequence, which are illustrated below.

[0127] In this embodiment of the application, the signal (referred to as the measurement signal) transmitted by each antenna port in the port group can be expressed as the following formula (2):

[0128] Wherein, the elements in matrix y are the signals transmitted by each antenna port in the port group, h1 to h... N It can be represented as a matrix h, where X represents the channels under each antenna port in the port group. 11 To X NK This can be represented as matrix X, where each antenna port in the port group represents the pilot signal on each resource particle. In matrix X, elements in the same column represent the pilot signal on the same resource particle, elements in different columns represent the pilot signals on different resource particles, and elements in the same row represent the pilot signals on different antenna ports. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the bolded letters represent matrices, and will not be elaborated further.

[0129] In the relevant technology, matrix X is a square matrix, that is, N in matrix X equals K. Each element in matrix X is the result of the weighted multiplication of pseudo-random sequence symbols and OCC codes. As mentioned in the introduction of technical terms and concepts above, matrix h is sparse in the beam domain, so the channel in matrix h can be converted into a beam domain channel by the following formula (3): h = Ψc Formula (3).

[0130] Where matrix Ψ is the DFT matrix, and matrix c is the beam domain channel. Matrix c is inherently sparsity-dependent, meaning that only some elements have high energy values, while the energy of the remaining elements is close to 0. Under the HBF architecture, the measurement signal matrix y of each antenna port in the port group can be expressed as follows: y H =h H F RF X = c H Ψ H F RFX = c H Formula X (4).

[0131] Where, matrix F RF It is a digital-to-analog beam matrix. When the digital-to-analog beam is a DFT narrow beam, the measurement signal matrix y of each antenna port in the port group can be expressed as the following formula (5): y H =Xc Formula (5).

[0132] It is important to note that the number of narrow beams in DFT is typically equal to the number of digital ports, but less than the number of antennas. Therefore, the measurement signal at multiple ports represents a partial observation of the entire beam domain channel. This partially observed beam domain channel also exhibits sparsity. Under this model, compressed sensing algorithms can be used to achieve high-dimensional recovery through low-dimensional measurements. These compressed sensing algorithms include any one or more of the following: orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm, iterative shrinking threshold algorithm, approximate message passing algorithm, and convex optimization algorithm.

[0133] In compressed sensing algorithms, the sensing matrix X must satisfy the restricted isometry property (RIP). Therefore, in this embodiment, an oversampled DFT matrix can be used to construct a downlink pilot signal. The oversampled DFT matrix can be represented by the following formula (6):

[0134] In this embodiment, the elements of the oversampled DFT matrix are used as the weights of each antenna port in at least one port group on each RE, generating pilot signals for each antenna port on each RE. It should be noted that in formula (6), N is the number of REs occupied by each antenna port in at least one port group, and M is the number of antenna ports in at least one port group. M is greater than N.

[0135] For example, in the embodiments of this application, the pilot signal of port p on RE(k′, l′) It can be expressed as the following formula (7):

[0136] Where r(t) is the fundamental symbol (also called the random sequence symbol) of the pseudo-random sequence on the t-th port group (i.e., the port group containing port p). In other words, the random sequence symbols of all antenna ports in the t-th port group are the same. β csirs The definition can be found in the description of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here. w(k′, l′, p) is the weight of port p on RE(k′, l′).

[0137] In the RE occupied by the port group to which port p belongs, the downlink pilot signal of port p on RE(k′, l′) is obtained by multiplying the random sequence symbol r(t) of the port group to which port p belongs on RE(k′, l′) by a weight w(k′, l′, p). The weight of port p on RE(k′, l′) can be expressed as follows (8):

[0138] In the above formula (8), N l N represents the number of symbols occupied in the time domain by each antenna port in the port group containing port p. k P represents the number of frequency-domain arrays (REs) occupied by each antenna port in the port group containing port p. CSI-RS This represents the number of antenna ports in the port group containing port p.

[0139] It should be understood that the weights of each antenna port in at least one port group on each resource particle can be determined based on formula (8). The weights of each antenna port on each resource particle can form a matrix as shown in formula (6).

[0140] In the matrix shown in formula (6), M is greater than N, that is, the number of rows is greater than the number of columns, which realizes that the number of REs occupied by the port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the port group.

[0141] S503, Terminal equipment measures the first signal.

[0142] It should be understood that the terminal device can first receive the configuration information sent by the network device in S501. Then, it measures the first signal according to the measurement configuration in the configuration information.

[0143] Alternatively, the terminal device can first receive the first signal and then measure the first signal. The processes of receiving and measuring the first signal can also be performed simultaneously; this application does not limit this approach.

[0144] The description of the measurement configuration can be found in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here. Exemplarily, the terminal device can measure the first signal according to the measurement method and content required by the measurement configuration, and determine the channel estimation result through a compressed sensing algorithm and the measurement result of the first signal. In some possible implementations, the channel estimation result may include channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group, such as CQI, PMI, RI, inter-layer interference information, beam indication information, etc. This application does not limit the specific type of channel parameters in its embodiments.

[0145] Combining the above formulas (6)-(8), it can be seen that the number of REs occupied by each port group in the first signal is less than the number of antenna ports in the port group.

[0146] The process by which the terminal device determines the channel parameters based on the measurement results of the first signal can be mathematically modeled as follows (9): min c ||c||1subject to y=Xc Formula (9).

[0147] In some possible implementations, formula (9) can be solved by methods such as orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP), iterative shrinkage thresholding (ISTA) algorithm, and approximate message passing (AMP) algorithm.

[0148] In some other possible implementations, equation (9) can also be relaxed into a convex optimization problem, as shown in equation (10) below: min c ||c||1subject to||y-Xc||2≤ε Formula (10).

[0149] Where ε is an infinitesimal quantity. The convex optimization problem shown in formula (10) can be solved by convex optimization algorithms, such as the interior point method. For details, please refer to the introduction of relevant mathematical algorithms, which will not be elaborated here.

[0150] S504. The terminal device sends the channel estimation result to the network device.

[0151] The channel estimation results may include the channel parameters of each antenna port in at least one port group. For details, please refer to the description in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0152] In this embodiment, the terminal device can report channel estimation results to the network device according to the measurement configuration in the configuration information. For example, the terminal device can report channel estimation results to the network device according to the reporting content, reporting granularity, reporting period, reporting time and frequency resources, etc. in the configuration information.

[0153] S505: Network equipment determines adjustment strategies based on channel estimation results.

[0154] For example, the adjustment strategy includes any one or more of the following: no adjustment, adjustment of antenna beam direction, adjustment of power allocation, adjustment of signal modulation scheme, and adjustment of signal coding scheme. This is beneficial for improving the overall network performance and the user's communication experience.

[0155] Based on the above description, it should be understood that the wireless channel measurement method provided in this application, on the one hand, reduces the channel error between REs by reducing the number of REs occupied by each antenna port in the port group. This is beneficial for the channel corresponding to the RE occupied by each antenna port to meet the condition that it is much smaller than the correlation bandwidth and coherence time, thereby improving the accuracy of channel estimation. On the other hand, by reducing the number of REs occupied by antenna ports during the channel estimation process, the overhead of the channel estimation process is reduced, thereby increasing the proportion of data channel resources, which is beneficial to improving the overall network performance and the user's communication experience.

[0156] It should be noted that some optional features in the various embodiments of this application may not depend on other features in certain scenarios, or may be combined with other features in certain scenarios, without limitation.

[0157] The solutions in the various embodiments of this application can be used in reasonable combinations, and the explanations or descriptions of various terms, similar operations, or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the various embodiments, without limitation.

[0158] This application also provides a communication device. Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application embodiment. This communication device can be used to execute the process performed by the terminal device or network device in the embodiment shown in Figure 5. Please refer to the relevant description in the above method embodiments for details.

[0159] As shown in Figure 8, the communication device may include a transceiver unit 801. Optionally, the communication device may also include a processing unit 802 (shown in dashed boxes in the figure).

[0160] The processing unit 802 is used for data processing. The transceiver unit 801 can implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 801 can also be called a communication interface or a communication module.

[0161] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a storage module (not shown in the figure), which can be used to store computer programs or instructions. The processing unit 802 can read the computer programs or instructions in the storage module so that the communication device 800 can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0162] The communication device 800 can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 800 can be a terminal device or a component configurable on a terminal device, a network device, or a component configurable on a network device. The processing unit 802 is used to perform processing-related operations on the terminal device side or processing-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 801 is used to perform sending and receiving-related operations on the terminal device side or sending and receiving-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments.

[0163] Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 may include a sending unit 811 and a receiving unit 821. The sending unit 811 is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving unit 821 is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0164] It should be noted that the communication device 800 may include a transmitting unit 811 but not a receiving unit 821. Alternatively, the communication device 800 may include a receiving unit 821 but not a transmitting unit 811. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by the communication device 800 includes both transmitting and receiving actions.

[0165] In some possible implementations, the transmitting unit 811 can be used to transmit a first signal through at least one port group. Each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group. The number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group. The first port group is any one of the at least one port group. The receiving unit 821 is used to receive channel parameters from each antenna port in the at least one port group.

[0166] In some other possible implementations, the receiving unit 821 can also be used to receive the first signal. The processing unit 802 can be used to measure the first signal. The first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group. Each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing. The number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group. The first port group is any one of the at least one port group. The transmitting unit 811 can also be used to transmit the channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group. The channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are determined by a compressed sensing algorithm and the measurement results of the first signal.

[0167] It should be understood that each step performed by the above-described wireless channel measurement method can be matched with the wireless channel measurement method provided in the embodiments of this application, and the beneficial effects produced are similar, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0168] The processing unit 802 in the above embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuitry. The transceiver unit 801 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuitry. The storage module can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0169] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 may include one or more processors 901 (one processor is used as an example in the figure). Optionally, the communication device may also include one or more memories 902 coupled to the processor 901 (one memory is used as an example in the figure, indicated by a dashed box). The memory 902 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, and the processor 901 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 902, so that the method in the above method embodiment is executed.

[0170] Alternatively, the memory 902 may be integrated with the processor 901 or set separately.

[0171] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver 903 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, a processor 901 may be used to control the transceiver 903 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0172] As one option, the communication device 900 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0173] For example, processor 901 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 903 is used to implement transmission-reception-related operations performed by terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0174] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1000 can be a terminal device, a processor or chip of a terminal device, a network device, or a processor or chip of a network device. The communication device 1000 can be used to perform the operations performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0175] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes a processor 1001 and a transceiver 1003. Optionally, the communication device 1000 may also include a memory 1002.

[0176] The memory 1002 can store computer program code or instructions, and the transceiver 1003 includes a transmitter 1031, a receiver 1023, a radio frequency circuit (not shown in the figure), an antenna 1033, and input / output devices (not shown in the figure).

[0177] The processor 1001 is mainly used for processing communication protocols and data, controlling terminal devices or network devices, executing software programs, and processing software program data. The memory 1002 is mainly used for storing software programs and data. The radio frequency (RF) circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna 1033 is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used for receiving user input data and outputting data to the user. It should be noted that terminal devices or network devices may not have input / output devices.

[0178] When data needs to be transmitted, the processor 1001 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs a baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna 1033. When data needs to be received, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna 1033, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data. For ease of explanation, Figure 10 only shows one memory, processor, and transceiver. In actual products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory can also be called a storage medium or storage device, etc. The memory can be set up independently of the processor or integrated with the processor; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0179] In this embodiment of the application, the antenna 1033 with transceiver function and the radio frequency circuit can be regarded as transceiver unit, and the processor 1001 with processing function can be regarded as processing unit.

[0180] For example, the processor 1001 may also be referred to as a processing board, processing module, processing device, etc. The transceiver 1003 may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver device, etc.

[0181] The processor 100 is used to execute the processing actions on the terminal device side or network device side in the embodiment shown in FIG5 above, and the transceiver 1003 is used to execute the sending and receiving actions on the terminal device side or network device side in the embodiment shown in FIG5 above.

[0182] It should be noted that the communication device 1000 can also be a chip. Optionally, the chip may include a processor and a transceiver. The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processor may be a processing module integrated on the chip, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit. In some other possible implementations, the chip may also include a memory. The transmitting operation of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments can be understood as the output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments can be understood as the input of the chip.

[0183] When the communication device 1000 is a network device, such as a base station, the processor 1001 can be used for baseband processing and controlling the base station; the processor 1001 is typically the control center of the base station, used to control the base station to perform the processing operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments. The memory 1002 is mainly used to store computer instructions, computer program code, and data. The transceiver 1003 is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals to baseband signals.

[0184] The processor 1001 and memory 1002 may include one or more circuit boards, each of which may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor is used to read and execute programs in the memory to implement baseband processing functions and control the base station. If multiple circuit boards exist, they can be interconnected to enhance processing capabilities. As an optional implementation, multiple circuit boards may share one or more processors, or multiple circuit boards may share one or more memories, or multiple circuit boards may simultaneously share one or more processors.

[0185] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when run on a processor, implement some or all of the operations in any of the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0186] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions that, when run on a processor, implement some or all of the operations in any method of any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0187] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method provided in the embodiment shown in FIG5 above.

[0188] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in the embodiment shown in FIG5 above, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in the embodiment shown in FIG5 above.

[0189] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0190] Optionally, the chip device further includes a memory storing computer programs or computer instructions.

[0191] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of a program for controlling the method provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 5. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0192] Furthermore, the communication device mentioned above can refer to a terminal device, a communication module of a terminal device, a network device, a communication module of a network device, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions in a terminal device or network device. The terminal device or network device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned device or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitations on these details.

[0193] This application also provides a system that includes one or more of the above-described devices, apparatuses, computer-readable storage media, computer program products, chips, or chip systems.

[0194] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant content in any of the communication devices provided above can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0195] 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 an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0196] 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.

[0197] Furthermore, 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. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0198] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contribution of the technical solution of this application, or all or part 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, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0199] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A method for measuring wireless channels, characterized in that, include: A first signal is transmitted through at least one port group; each port group includes multiple antenna ports that support code division multiplexing; the first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by the at least one port group; wherein the number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group; the first port group is any one of the at least one port group. The channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are received; the channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are determined by a compressed sensing algorithm and the measurement results of the first signal.

2. A method for measuring wireless channels, characterized in that, include: A first signal is measured; the first signal includes multiple resource particles occupied by at least one port group; each port group includes multiple antenna ports supporting code division multiplexing; wherein the number of resource particles occupied by the first port group is less than the number of antenna ports in the first port group; the first port group is any one of the at least one port group. The channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are transmitted; the channel parameters of each antenna port in the at least one port group are determined by a compressed sensing algorithm and the measurement results of the first signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each resource particle occupied by the first port group includes the pilot signals transmitted by each antenna port in the first port group.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first port group includes a first antenna port and a second antenna port; the pilot signals transmitted by the first antenna port on each resource particle occupied by the first port group form a first sequence; the pilot signals transmitted by the second antenna port on each resource particle occupied by the first port group form a second sequence; the first sequence and the second sequence are not orthogonal.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The pilot signal transmitted by the first antenna port on the first resource particle is associated with the random sequence symbol and weight corresponding to the first antenna port on the first resource particle; the first antenna port is any antenna port in the first port group; the first resource particle is any resource particle in the resource particles occupied by the first port group.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The weights of each antenna port in the at least one port group corresponding to each resource particle together constitute an oversampled discrete Fourier transform matrix; the dimensions of the discrete Fourier transform matrix are M and N, where M is the number of antenna ports in the at least one port group and N is the number of resource particles occupied by the at least one port group.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The antenna ports in the first port group have the same random sequence symbol on the same resource particle.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors; the one or more processors are configured to execute computer programs or instructions to implement the method of any one of claims 1-7.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and one or more processors; the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; the one or more processors are used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1-7 to be implemented.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-7 to be implemented.

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