Communication method and related product

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a communication method and a related product. The method comprises: a first communication apparatus receiving first information from a second communication apparatus, wherein the first information indicates parameters of a channel map, the parameters of the channel map comprise an index of a first area and channel feature information corresponding to the first area, the first area is determined on the basis of a first location, and the first location is a location at which a signal interacts with an environment; and communicating with the second communication apparatus on the basis of the channel map. Provided is a method for configuring a channel map and performing communication on the basis of the channel map in scenarios including outdoor-to-indoor scenarios, thereby ensuring the reliability of communication performed by a terminal device by using the channel map in indoor scenarios.

Description

Communication methods and related products

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411795285.2, filed on December 6, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Related Products", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the evolution of mobile communication systems, increased system bandwidth, more terminal antennas, and heavier network loads have exacerbated the contradiction between the surge in wireless channel dimensions and the limited resources available for pilot measurement, posing a significant challenge to high-precision wireless channel measurement. Accurate wireless channel measurement is the cornerstone of mobile communication network research and is crucial for the design, analysis, and optimization of wireless communication networks. Traditional pilot-symbol-based wireless channel measurement methods are insufficient to meet the demands of next-generation communication technologies, making the search for new channel measurement methods a current research hotspot.

[0004] To address the limited pilot measurement resources in wireless communication systems, channel maps can be used to achieve low pilot overhead channel measurements. For example, channel maps can provide candidate beam sets for specific locations, reducing beam scanning overhead in actual communication; channel maps can also provide channel covariance matrices for specific locations, using prior channel covariance matrix information to help reduce sounding reference signal (SRS) pilot overhead.

[0005] However, on the other hand, mature positioning technologies are lacking in some communication scenarios. For example, in outdoor-to-indoor (O2I) scenarios, traditional environment-assisted positioning methods are difficult to apply due to the lack of map support in the indoor environment, resulting in the inability to accurately locate the terminal. This will lead to certain application limitations for existing channel mapping technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related products. The method configures a channel map and communicates based on the channel map, so as to obtain the corresponding channel feature information based on the location where the signal interacts with the environment and communicate based on the channel feature information, ensuring that the terminal device can use the channel map to communicate without obtaining its own location.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method applied to a first communication device. The method includes: receiving first information from a second communication device, the first information indicating parameters of a channel map, the parameters of the channel map including an index of a first region and channel feature information corresponding to the first region, wherein the first region is determined according to a first position, the first position being the position where a signal interacts with the environment; and communicating with the second communication device based on the channel map.

[0008] The first communication device can be a terminal device or a module applicable to a terminal device (such as a chip system), or it can be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a terminal device. The third communication device refers to a network element that constructs and / or manages the channel map. Specifically, it can be a map management function (MMF) network element in the core network or a service unit (SU) in a network device, or a module (such as a chip system) in an MMF or SU, or a logical node, logical module, or software execution capable of implementing the functions of an MMF or SU. The second communication device can be a network device or a module applicable to a network device (such as a chip system), or it can be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device, such as a DU or CU in a network device. This is not limited.

[0009] From a technical perspective, the system determines a first region corresponding to the first communication device based on the first location where the signals of the first and second communication devices interact with the environment. Then, a channel map corresponding to this first region is configured for the first communication device, enabling it to communicate with the second communication device based on this channel map. This ensures that even when the signals of the first and second communication devices are intercepted by objects in the environment, making it impossible to accurately locate the first communication device, the channel map of the first communication device can still be obtained, guaranteeing the reliability of the communication process. Furthermore, since the first location is a necessary point for the signal and is very close to the first communication device, the accuracy of the channel map is also greatly ensured.

[0010] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include location status, which indicates whether the channel map is applicable to the first communication device in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment.

[0011] In this embodiment, where the signals of the first communication device and the second communication device interact with the environment, the second communication device can be marked as being in an indoor state. The corresponding channel map is then applicable when the first communication device is indoors.

[0012] In one feasible implementation, the channel map corresponds to a first format or a second format; when the channel map corresponds to the second format, the parameters of the channel map also include channel characteristic information of the indoor access point.

[0013] An indoor AP refers to an AP in the environment where the first communication device is located. It may include one or more APs. The parameters provided by the channel map include the channel characteristic information of the APs, which helps the first communication device, after receiving the channel map, choose to communicate directly with the second communication device or communicate with the second communication device through the AP. This further ensures the efficiency and reliability of the communication process.

[0014] In one feasible implementation, the channel characteristic information of the indoor access point includes at least one of the indoor access point's received power, main path delay, and main path angle.

[0015] In multipath transmission scenarios, in addition to the main path signal, communication signals also have multiple different paths reflected or diffracted from objects. The main path delay and main path angle are the delay and angle of the main path signal, respectively.

[0016] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include indication information in a first or second format.

[0017] In one feasible implementation, the method further includes: receiving second information from a second communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by parameters of a channel map; and decoding the parameters in the channel map based on the second information.

[0018] From a technical perspective, specifying the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map in the second information indication can improve the efficiency of the first communication device in decoding and obtaining the parameters of the channel map indicated by the first information. Furthermore, after obtaining the decoding result, the correctness of the decoding result can be verified based on the proportion of bits used. This helps improve the accuracy of obtaining the parameters of the channel map.

[0019] In one feasible implementation, the second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), multimedia access control-control element (MAC-CE), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0020] In one feasible implementation, before receiving the first information from the second communication device, the method further includes: determining the location state of the first communication device, the location state including being in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment; and sending third information to the second communication device, the third information indicating the location state of the first communication device.

[0021] The first communication device can report its own location status to the second communication device, so that the second communication device can configure a channel map corresponding to the location status for the first communication device, thereby improving the relevance and accuracy of the channel map configuration and thus improving communication efficiency.

[0022] Secondly, this application provides a communication method applied to a second communication device. The method includes: receiving indication information of a channel map from a third communication device, the parameters of which include an index of a first region and channel characteristic information corresponding to the first region, wherein the first region is determined based on a first position, the first position being the location where a signal interacts with the environment; and sending first information to a first communication device, the first information indicating the parameters of the channel map.

[0023] In one feasible implementation: the channel map corresponds to a first format or a second format; when the channel map corresponds to the second format, the parameters of the channel map also include relevant information about indoor access points, which includes at least one of the following: the number of indoor access points, the number of channel features of indoor access points, and channel feature information between indoor access points.

[0024] In one feasible implementation, the channel characteristic information of the indoor access point includes at least one of the indoor access point's received power, main path delay, and main path angle.

[0025] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include indication information in a first or second format.

[0026] In one feasible implementation, the method further includes: sending second information to a first communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by parameters of the channel pattern.

[0027] In one feasible implementation, the second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), multimedia access control-control element (MAC-CE), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0028] In one feasible implementation, before receiving the channel map from the third communication device, the method further includes: sending a first request message to the third communication device, the first request message being used to request the acquisition of the channel map.

[0029] In one feasible implementation, the method further includes: receiving third information from a first communication device, the third information indicating the location status of the first communication device; the first request information includes the location status of the first communication device.

[0030] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method applied to a third communication device. The method includes: receiving a first location and first channel characteristic information from a second communication device, wherein the first location is the position where signal and environment interact between the first and second communication devices, and the first channel characteristic information is channel characteristic information related to communication between the first and second communication devices; constructing a channel map, wherein parameters of the channel map include an index of a first region and channel characteristic information corresponding to the first region, the first region being determined based on the first location, and the channel characteristic information corresponding to the first region being determined based on the first characteristic information.

[0031] Before the third communication device sends the channel map to the second communication device, it can first construct the channel map. The third communication device can be triggered to construct the channel map by the first location and / or first channel feature information reported by the second communication device. Upon receiving a new first location or updated first channel feature information, the third communication device constructs or updates the channel map.

[0032] In one feasible implementation, constructing a channel map includes constructing a channel map in a first format and constructing a channel map in a second format; when constructing a channel map in the second format, the method further includes: receiving channel feature information from an indoor access point of a second communication device; the parameters of the channel map also include the channel feature information of the indoor access point.

[0033] In cases including indoor access points (APs), the second communication device can also report the channel characteristic information of the indoor APs. When the third communication device constructs or updates the channel map, it adds the channel characteristic information of the APs to the channel map. The channel map includes divided (first) regions, and each (first) region has its corresponding AP's channel characteristic information.

[0034] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include indication information in a first or second format.

[0035] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include location status, which indicates whether the channel map is applicable to the first communication device in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment.

[0036] Where possible, the third communication device may be triggered to construct or update the channel map by the location status of the first communication device reported by the second communication device. In the embodiments of this application, the constructed channel map pertains to scenarios where the signals of the first and second communication devices interact with the environment. Therefore, if the reported location status of the first communication device is an indoor scenario, the third communication device may be triggered to construct or update the channel map.

[0037] In one feasible implementation, the method further includes: receiving first request information from a second communication device, the first request information being used to request the acquisition of a channel map; and sending channel map indication information to the second communication device.

[0038] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device including units or modules for performing any of the possible methods in the first, second or third aspects described above.

[0039] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, the communication device including at least one processor coupled to a memory; wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, such that the methods that may be implemented in any of the first, second, or third aspects described above are executed.

[0040] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes a terminal device, a first network device, and a second network device, wherein the terminal device is used to perform the method described in any one of the first aspects, the first network device is used to perform the method described in any one of the second aspects, and the second network device is used to perform the method described in any one of the third aspects.

[0041] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method described in any of the above methods.

[0042] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, the computer program product including: computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the above methods.

[0043] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions in the memory, so that the device in which the chip is located implements the method described in any of the above methods. Attached Figure Description

[0044] The accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0045] Figure 1A shows a wireless communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 1B is an example diagram of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture including MMF provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 1D shows an O-RAN architecture including SU provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 1E is a schematic diagram of an O2I scenario provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 2A is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of a first position provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 2C is a schematic diagram of another first position provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 2D is a schematic diagram of determining a first region according to an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 3A is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario including multiple APs provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for constructing a channel map according to an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another method for constructing a channel map provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 7 is a simplified structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a RAN chip structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 9 is a simplified structural diagram of a UE provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or multiple. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0063] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments 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.

[0064] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary," "for example," etc., are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" 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 "exemplary" is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner.

[0065] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "information," "signal," "message," "channel," and "singaling" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Similarly, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Furthermore, the " / " mentioned in this application can be used to indicate an "or" relationship.

[0066] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the following are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0067] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0068] The system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0069] This invention applies to fifth generation (5) th In various communication systems, including generation 5G and new radio (NR) systems, as long as there is an entity in the communication system that needs to send transmission direction indication information, another entity needs to receive the indication information and determine the transmission direction within a certain period of time based on the indication information.

[0070] Referring to Figure 1A, Figure 1A illustrates a wireless communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1A, this wireless communication system may include a core network (CN) 200, a base station 110, and terminals 101 to 106. In this communication system, terminals 101 to 106 can send uplink data to the base station, and the base station needs to receive the uplink data UE1 to UE6 sent by terminals 101 to 106. Furthermore, terminals 104 to 106 can also form a communication system. In this communication system, the base station can send downlink information to terminals 101, 102, 105, etc.; terminal 105 can also send downlink information to terminals 104 or 106. In this communication system, data can be transmitted between the base station and the core network.

[0071] The terminal involved in the embodiments of this application can also be referred to as a terminal device, UE, etc. A terminal device can be a user-side entity used to receive or transmit signals, such as a mobile phone. Terminal devices can be used to connect people, objects, and machines. Terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks through network devices. Terminal devices include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, or vehicle-mounted devices. Terminal devices can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, D2D, V2X, point-to-point (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.Examples of terminal devices include: 3GPP standard user equipment (UE), fixed equipment, mobile equipment, handheld devices, wearable devices, cellular phones, smartphones, session initiated protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal computers, smart books, vehicles, satellites, global positioning system (GPS) devices, drones, helicopters, aircraft, ships, remote control devices, smart home devices, industrial equipment, personal communication service (PCS) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless network cameras, tablets, handheld computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices such as smartwatches, VR devices, AR devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, and smart city applications. Wireless terminals in various scenarios include smart gas pumps, high-speed rail terminals, and smart home terminals such as smart speakers, smart coffee machines, and smart printers. Terminals can be wireless devices in these scenarios or devices installed on wireless devices, such as communication modules, modems, or chips. Terminal devices can also be called terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations (MS), mobile terminals (MT), etc. Terminal devices can also be used in future wireless communication systems. Terminal devices can be used in dedicated network equipment or general-purpose equipment. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal devices.

[0072] In this application, the communication device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be a terminal device, a terminal device having some of the functions of the aforementioned terminal device, or a device capable of supporting the implementation of the functions of the aforementioned terminal device, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or include chips and other discrete components. The technical solutions provided in this application are described using the example of a terminal device or UE as the communication device.

[0073] The base station (BS) involved in the embodiments of this application can also be referred to as a radio access network (RAN) node, RAN equipment or network element, base station, access point (AP), network equipment, small tower, etc. Base stations can broadly encompass various names such as, or be interchangeable with, those listed below, including: RAN node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), access network equipment in an open radio access network (O-RAN), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master eNB (MeNB), secondary eNB (SeNB), multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, radio node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, building baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), centralized unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), and radio unit (CU). Units (RU), centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) nodes, centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) nodes, positioning nodes, etc. Base stations can be macro base stations, micro base stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or similar entities, or combinations thereof. Network equipment can also refer to communication modules, modems, or chips installed within the aforementioned equipment or devices. Network equipment can also be mobile switching centers and equipment that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, as well as network-side equipment in future communication systems. Network equipment can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the network equipment.

[0074] In some deployments, the RAN equipment mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be a device including a CU, or a DU, or a device including both CU and DU, or a device with a control plane CU node (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and a user plane CU node (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and a DU node. For example, network equipment may include gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP, and gNB-DU.

[0075] In some deployments, the RAN device can be an open radio access network (ORAN) architecture, etc. For example, when the RAN device is an ORAN architecture, the RAN device in this application embodiment can be an access network element in the ORAN, or a module of an access network element, etc. In the ORAN system, CU can also be called open (O)-CU, DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU.

[0076] Referring to Figure 1B, which is an example diagram of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 1B, the RAN node communicates with the CN via a backhaul link and with the UE via an air interface. Specifically, the baseband unit (BBU) in the access network equipment communicates with the CN via the backhaul link, and the RU in the access network equipment communicates with at least one UE via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located.

[0077] The BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, which can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0078] In some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as F1 interfaces. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., F1 interfaces) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, defining the F1 signaling procedures in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0079] In some examples, the CU can be split into CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and PDCP-C (Control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and PDCP-U (User plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the UPF (User plane function) in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in terminal devices. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, a CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or it can be configured to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For instance, 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. As another example, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements. For instance, based on latency, functions that need to meet low latency requirements can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not need to meet this latency requirement can be placed in the CU.

[0080] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0081] In some examples, the RU is a logical node carrying both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0082] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a lower-layer split-control, user, and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface through a fronthaul link. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces that provide the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0083] 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.

[0084] In this application, the communication device used to implement the above-mentioned network access functions can be an access network device, a network device with some access network functions, or a device capable of supporting the implementation of access network functions, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or hardware circuit plus software module. This device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device. In the method of this application, the example of an access network device being used as the communication device to implement the access network device functions is described.

[0085] Network elements in a CN network can be divided into two categories: user plane function network elements (also referred to as user plane network elements) and control plane function network elements (also referred to as control plane network elements). Control plane function network elements include session management function (SMF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, network repository function (NRF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, network slice selection function (NSSF) network elements, network slice-specific and SNPN authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF) network elements, authentication server function (AUSF) network elements, network slice admission control function (NSACF) network elements, and service communication proxy (SCP) network elements, etc. User plane network elements can be user plane function (UPF) network elements. In future communication systems, user plane network elements can still be UPF network elements, or they can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0086] It should be understood that the number and type of each device in the communication system shown in Figure 1A are for illustrative purposes only, and this application is not limited thereto. In actual applications, the communication system may include more terminal devices, more access network devices, and other network elements, such as network elements used to implement artificial intelligence functions.

[0087] It is understandable that all or part of the functions implemented by terminal devices and access network devices can be virtualized, that is, implemented through one or more dedicated processors or general-purpose processors and corresponding software modules. Since terminal devices and access network devices involve air interface transmission, the transmit and receive functions of this interface can be implemented in hardware. Optionally, one or more functions of the virtualized terminal devices, access network devices, or network elements used to implement artificial intelligence functions can be implemented by cloud devices, such as cloud devices in over-the-top (OTT) systems.

[0088] The prior art of the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0089] 1. Channel graph communication technology

[0090] With the evolution of mobile communication systems, increased system bandwidth, more terminal antennas, and heavier network loads have exacerbated the contradiction between the surge in wireless channel dimensions and the limited resources available for pilot measurement, posing a significant challenge to high-precision wireless channel measurement. Accurate wireless channel measurement is the cornerstone of mobile communication network research and is crucial for the design, analysis, and optimization of wireless communication networks. Traditional pilot-symbol-based wireless channel measurement methods are insufficient to meet the demands of next-generation communication technologies, making the search for new channel measurement methods a current research hotspot.

[0091] To address the limited pilot measurement resources in wireless communication systems, channel maps can be used to achieve low pilot overhead channel measurements. For example, channel maps can provide candidate beam sets for specific locations, reducing beam scanning overhead in actual communication; channel maps can also provide channel covariance matrices for specific locations, using prior channel covariance matrix information to help reduce SRS pilot overhead.

[0092] 2. Channel map

[0093] A channel map is defined as a database used to store channel features based on location information. These features can include at least one of the following: channel statistical covariance matrix, power angular spectrum (PAS), power delay profile (PDP), path loss (PL), etc. Physical cells are divided into two-dimensional grids, with each grid storing several channel features in the form of a matrix, vector, or scalar.

[0094] 3. Channel map management unit

[0095] The channel map management unit can be a map management function (MMF), a core network element used to construct the channel map. Referring to Figure 1C, which is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture including an MMF according to an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 1C, the base station communicates with the access and mobility management function (AMF) in the core network via the NG-C interface. The AMF acts as a router for communication between the base station and the location management function (LMF), which is used to perform UE location estimation. The MMF implements channel map construction and updates, and the MMF and AMF communicate via the NLs interface.

[0096] In the ORAN architecture, service units (SUs) can also be deployed at the base station to implement map management. Referring to Figure 1D, which illustrates an ORAN architecture including SUs according to an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 1D, SUs are deployed in the base station for map management, and the SUs can be connected to CUs.

[0097] 4. Construction of Channel Map

[0098] The channel map construction process involves the aforementioned gNB, UE, and MMF / SU, and may also include the sense management function (SMF) and LMF. The SMF acquires the UE's angle prior information and informs it to the gNB. The gNB sends downlink reference signals to the UE and receives uplink channel characteristic information reported by the UE, specifically spatial channel information. Spatial channel information indicates the signal's distance-related variation characteristics. The gNB itself can acquire downlink channel characteristic information, specifically frequency domain channel information. Frequency domain channel information indicates the signal's frequency-related variation characteristics. Furthermore, the gNB can obtain a spatial basis based on the spatial channel information and a frequency basis based on the frequency channel information. The spatial basis refers to a function or vector describing the signal's spatial variation, and the frequency basis refers to a function or vector describing the signal's frequency variation. The gNB can report the UE's identifier and the spatial and frequency bases to the MMF / SU. The MMF / SU can further match the spatial and frequency bases to generate the UE's space-frequency base. Finally, the MMF / SU obtains the UE's location from the LMF, determines the UE's location grid (or region, range, etc.), and stores the UE's space-frequency baseband in the grid corresponding to the UE's location, completing the construction and storage of the channel map. When the channel map is needed, the grid of the channel map can be indexed.

[0099] 5. O2I Scenarios

[0100] In an O2I scenario, the device indicating the transmission direction, such as a base station, is located outdoors, while the device determining the transmission direction based on the indication information, such as a UE, is located indoors. Exemplarily, the outdoor environment can be referred to as a first type of environment, and the indoor environment as a second type of scenario; or, the indoor environment can be referred to as a first type of environment, and the outdoor environment as a second type of scenario. Referring to Figure 1E, which is a schematic diagram of an O2I scenario provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 1E, the base station communicates with the UE. The base station is located outdoors in a building, and the UE is located indoors in the building. Multiple UEs may be included, with users of different UEs located on different floors within the building.

[0101] As described above, current methods for constructing channel maps primarily rely on the physical location of the UE to establish a location grid. However, in O2I scenarios, the lack of mature positioning technology makes it difficult to accurately locate the UE and establish a location grid. Furthermore, channel map technology also faces certain application limitations in O2I scenarios.

[0102] Example 1: Based on this, this application provides a communication method. Referring to Figure 2A, which is a flowchart of the communication method provided in this application, the method includes the following steps:

[0103] 201. The third communication device transmits channel map indication information, wherein the parameters of the channel map include the index of a first region and the channel characteristic information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined based on a first position, which is the location where the signal interacts with the environment. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the channel map indication information.

[0104] In this embodiment, the third communication device refers to a network element that constructs and / or manages the channel map. Specifically, the third communication device can be an MMF network element described in Figure 1C or a SU in the network device described in Figure 1D, or a module (such as a chip system) within the MMF or SU, or a logical node, logical module, or software execution capable of implementing MMF or SU functions. The second communication device can be a network device or a module (such as a chip system) within a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device functions. The first communication device can be a terminal device or a module (such as a chip system) within a terminal device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device functions. Subsequent embodiments are similar and will not be described again.

[0105] The following explanation uses the example of the first communication device being the UE, the second communication device being the network device, and the third communication device being the MMF.

[0106] The MMF transmits channel map indication information, including the name, number (or identifier), or content of the transmitted channel map. The parameters of the channel map include the index of the first region and the channel characteristic information corresponding to the first region. The first region can also be described as a location grid, that is, an area or grid determined based on a location range. The first region is determined based on a first location, or in other words, the first location is contained within the first region.

[0107] The first position refers to the location where the communication signal between the UE and the network device interacts with the environment. Interactions include reflection, scattering, diffraction (or diffusion), and penetration. Reflection refers to the process where a signal, when transmitted from the source to the load in a medium, is reflected back to the source when it encounters an obstacle or the interface of the medium. Diffraction refers to the phenomenon where, when a signal encounters an obstacle during propagation, if the size of the obstacle is similar to or greater than the signal wavelength, the electromagnetic wave will bypass the obstacle's edge and continue propagating. Scattering refers to the phenomenon where, during signal transmission, due to factors such as the large curvature or unevenness of the projected object's surface, the signal spreads and propagates in the angular domain. Penetration refers to the signal continuing to propagate through an obstacle. Signal transmission can correspond to an O2I scenario. That is, the scenario of this application embodiment can be applied to an O2I scenario. Alternatively, this application embodiment can also be applied to a wider range of scenarios, such as scenarios where the signal interacts with the environment through reflection, diffraction, or diffusion, making it difficult for the UE to accurately locate itself (or scenarios where the UE can locate itself, but determining channel characteristic information based on the location where the signal interacts with the environment is more beneficial).

[0108] Please refer to Figure 2B, which is a schematic diagram of a first position provided by an embodiment of this application. Taking the O2I scenario as an example, the first position can be the penetration point in (a) of Figure 2B, or, taking scattering as an example, the first position can be the scattering point in (b) of Figure 2B. Other interactive situations will not be listed here.

[0109] Optionally, if the signals from the first communication device and the second communication device include multiple locations that interact with the environment, then the interaction location closest to the UE is determined as the first location.

[0110] Referring to Figure 2C, which is a schematic diagram of another first position provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 2C, the positions where the signal and environment interact between the network device and the UE include interaction position 1, interaction position 2, and interaction position 3. The interaction position used to obtain channel characteristic information as the first position can be the one closest to the signal receiver or the signal transmitter. For example, interaction position 1 or interaction position 3 in Figure 2C.

[0111] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2D, which is a schematic diagram of determining a first region according to an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 2D(a), taking a first location as the penetration point as an example, the first region is determined on the building according to the possible locations of the penetration point. The index of the first region is 1 to 4. When the signal penetration point is located in the first region with different indices, the corresponding channel characteristic information is also different.

[0112] Figure 2D(a) corresponds to a two-dimensional region division. That is, the difference between each region lies in the x-axis and / or y-axis directions. Alternatively, three-dimensional region division can also be performed. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2D(b), the building is divided into six first regions according to the possible locations of the penetration points, with corresponding indices 1 to 6. That is, the difference between each region may lie in the x-axis, y-axis, and / or z-axis directions. For example, first region 1 and first region 4 both have a span of 0-5 on the x-axis and a span of 10-15 on the y-axis, but first region 1 is located at coordinate 0 on the z-axis, and first region 4 is located at coordinate 5 on the z-axis.

[0113] Please refer to Table 1, which is a parameter table of a channel map provided in an embodiment of this application:

[0114] Table 1

[0115] As shown in Table 1, after the first region is determined, each first region can correspond to different channel feature information. The channel feature information can specifically include the space-frequency basis, PDP, PL, etc. The space-frequency basis types corresponding to different regions can be the same or different. For example, the space-frequency basis type can be a discrete fourier transform (DFT) or a discrete cosine transform (DCT), etc.

[0116] Optionally, before the third communication device sends the channel map, the method further includes: the second communication device sending a first request message to the third communication device, the first request message being used to request the acquisition of the channel map.

[0117] Specifically, the network device can request the channel map from the MMF, and then the MMF can send the channel map to the network device.

[0118] Optionally, before the second communication device sends the first request information to the third communication device, the method further includes: the second communication device receiving third information from the first communication device, the third information indicating the location status of the first communication device; the first request information includes the location status of the first communication device.

[0119] As described above, the embodiments of this application may be applied to O2I scenarios, or scenarios where signals interact with the environment in other ways (which can be simply referred to as scenarios where the UE is in a first type of environment). In order to distinguish that the first region in the channel map is determined based on the first location rather than the UE's location, attribute values ​​can be added to this type of channel map to indicate the applicable scenarios of the channel map.

[0120] Specifically, the attribute values ​​of this type of channel map may include a location status flag of "in a first-type environment," which indicates that the channel map is applicable to scenarios where the UE is in a first-type environment. If the location status flag is included ("in a second-type environment"), or if there is no location status flag, then the channel map is applicable to scenarios where the UE is in a second-type environment, which refers to environments other than the first-type environment.

[0121] Correspondingly, when the UE communicates with the network device, it can report its own location status. After receiving this location status information, the network device can include the location status in the first request message sent to the MMF, so that the MMF can match the corresponding channel map based on the flag and send it to the network device.

[0122] Specifically, the UE can determine whether it is in a Type I or Type II environment by the number of satellites it detects. In a Type I environment, the UE's communication signals with the network device interact with the environment, so the UE may detect fewer satellites in this location. For example, detecting fewer than 3 satellites indicates a Type I environment, while detecting more than 6 satellites indicates a Type II environment. If the number of satellites detected is insufficient to determine the UE's location, other information can be used to further determine its location, such as outdoor maps and the UE's signal strength.

[0123] Optionally, the parameters of the channel map sent by the third communication device include the location status.

[0124] The parameters of the channel map can be found in Table 2:

[0125] Table 2

[0126] As shown in Table 2, a location status parameter can be added when distributing the channel map corresponding to each first region index, or when distributing the channel maps corresponding to the first regions indexed 1 to 9. When the network device receives the channel map distributed by the MMF, it can determine the usage scenario corresponding to that channel map.

[0127] The location status can be represented by different values. For example, "1" indicates that the channel map is applicable to the UE in the first type of environment, and "0" indicates that the channel map is applicable to the UE in the second type of environment.

[0128] 202. The second communication device sends first information, which indicates the parameters of the channel pattern. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information.

[0129] After receiving the channel map indication information sent by the MMF, the network device obtains the channel map parameters and sends them to the UE through configuration information, so that the UE can communicate with the network device based on the channel map. Specifically, the network device can first obtain the UE's first location, then determine the corresponding first region based on the UE's first location, and then send the channel map corresponding to the first region to the UE.

[0130] For example, one way a network device can obtain the UE's initial location is by having the UE send a Signal-to-Signal (SRS) message to the network device. The network device then determines the distance (or the UE's height) between itself and the UE based on the time difference between the UE sending the SRS and the network device receiving it, and further determines the angle of arrival of the SRS. Finally, based on the UE's height and the angle of arrival of the SRS, combined with the positions of objects on an outdoor map, the network device determines the initial location of the signal interaction with the environment.

[0131] Optionally, the first information can be carried in radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0132] Optionally, the method further includes: a first communication device receiving second information from a second communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by parameters of the channel map; and the first communication device decoding the parameters in the channel map based on the second information.

[0133] The second information indicates the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map, specifically indicating the index of the first region, the space-frequency basis, PDP, PL and other channel characteristic information, as well as the number of bits occupied by the location status. See Table 3 for details.

[0134] Table 3

[0135] As shown in Table 3, for example, the position status can be identified using "1" or "0", thus occupying 1 bit. The index of the first region corresponds to 9 index values, which can be indicated by 4 bits. The type of space-frequency base station can include DFT, DCT, or principal component analysis (PCA), etc., and can be indicated by 2 bits. The number of space-frequency base station columns can be indicated by X bits. The value of X can range from tens to hundreds, depending on the number of antennas, frequency domain subcarrier data, and transmission channel. The number of bits occupied by PL is determined according to the size of PL. Typically, the value of PL ranges from 100dB to 170dB, and the value of Y can be 7, 8, etc.

[0136] Optionally, the second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), medium access control-control element (MAC-CE), or RRC signaling.

[0137] After receiving the second information sent by the network device, the UE decodes the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) according to the number of bits indicated by the second information to obtain the parameters of the channel map indicated by the first information.

[0138] As can be seen, in this embodiment, by indicating the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map through the second information, the efficiency of the first communication device in decoding and obtaining the parameters of the channel map indicated by the first information can be improved. Furthermore, after obtaining the decoding result, the correctness of the decoding result can be verified based on the number of bits occupied. This helps to improve the accuracy of obtaining the parameters of the channel map.

[0139] 203. The first communication device communicates with the second communication device based on the channel map.

[0140] After obtaining the parameters of the channel map indicated by the first information, the UE can further obtain channel characteristic information based on the channel map. Specifically, the UE can calculate coefficients based on downlink reference signals sent by network equipment, such as channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RS), and then obtain the reconstructed channel by combining these coefficients with the space-frequency basis in the channel map. The reconstructed channel includes the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), transmission rate, and symbol error rate (SER) corresponding to the channel.

[0141] The UE communicates with network devices based on the obtained reconstructed channels, enabling fast communication based on a pre-built channel map.

[0142] As can be seen, in this embodiment, a first region corresponding to the first communication device is determined based on the first location where the signals of the first and second communication devices interact with the environment. Then, a channel map corresponding to the first region is configured for the first communication device, enabling communication between the first and second communication devices based on this channel map. This ensures that even when the signals of the first and second communication devices are intercepted by objects in the environment, making it impossible to accurately locate the first communication device, the channel map of the first communication device can still be obtained, guaranteeing the reliability of the communication process. Furthermore, since the first location is a necessary point for the signal and is very close to the first communication device, the accuracy of the channel map is also greatly ensured.

[0143] Example 2: The above example describes a method for configuring the channel map of the first communication device in a scenario where the signals of the first communication device and the second communication device interact with the environment. In some cases, the first communication device is located indoors, and there may be multiple access points (APs) indoors. In this case, the configuration of the channel map also needs to consider the channel characteristic information of the APs.

[0144] Based on this, please refer to Figure 3A, which is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0145] 301. The third communication device transmits channel map indication information, wherein the parameters of the channel map include the index of a first region, the channel characteristic information corresponding to the first region, and the channel characteristic information of the indoor access point. The first region is determined based on a first location, which is the location where the signal interacts with the environment. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the channel map indication information.

[0146] The explanations of the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1 above, and will not be repeated here. Similarly, the following description will use the first communication device as the UE, the second communication device as the network device, and the third communication device as the MMF as an example.

[0147] This embodiment is applicable to scenarios where the UE interacts with the network device's signal and environment, and also includes one or more APs, enabling the UE to access the network device through the APs. Refer to Figure 3B, which is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario including multiple APs provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0148] The channel map issued by the MMF includes an index of the first region and the corresponding channel characteristic information. It also includes the channel characteristic information of the AP. The AP's channel characteristic information includes the received power (RSRP) of the AP-UE communication, the main path delay, and the main path angle. Due to multipath effects, the signal used in the AP-UE communication includes not only the main path signal from the direct wave but also signals from multiple different paths reflected or diffracted from different objects. The delay corresponding to the main path signal is the main path delay, and correspondingly, the angle corresponding to the main path signal is the main path angle.

[0149] The first region corresponds to the channel characteristic information of the AP.

[0150] For example, when a network device obtains the first location corresponding to a UE, it also obtains the channel characteristic information between the UE and the AP. Assuming there are multiple APs communicating with the UE indoors, the network device reports the channel characteristic information of multiple APs. Furthermore, assuming that within the same first area, multiple UEs (whose corresponding first locations are all within the first area) report multiple sets of AP channel characteristic information, the network device clusters these multiple sets of AP channel characteristic information, determines the center point of each cluster, and the expansion of that center point, which serves as the channel characteristic range of the APs corresponding to the first area. For example, if the center point of RSRP is -100dBm, and an expansion of 10 points is performed, then the channel characteristic range of the APs corresponding to the first area is -110dBm to -90dBm.

[0151] Please refer to Table 4, which is a parameter table of a channel map provided in an embodiment of this application:

[0152] Table 4

[0153] As shown in Table 4, each first region corresponds to a set of AP channel feature information. The channel feature information of APs corresponding to different first regions can be the same feature value (range) or different feature values.

[0154] Optionally, the channel feature information of the AP includes feature values ​​(ranges) corresponding to multiple channel features. For example, the channel feature information of the AP corresponding to the first region 2 includes the feature value ranges corresponding to feature 1 and feature 2, respectively.

[0155] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments, the parameters of the channel map in this embodiment may also include location status, used to indicate whether the applicable scenario of the channel map is that the UE is in a first-type environment or a second-type environment. See Table 5 for details:

[0156] Table 5

[0157] As shown in Table 5, a position status of "1" indicates that the channel map is applicable to scenarios where the UE is in a Class I environment.

[0158] 302. The second communication device sends first information, which indicates the parameters of the channel pattern. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information.

[0159] After obtaining the channel map from the MMF, the network device can send first information to the UE to indicate the parameters of the channel map. Specifically, the network device sends the channel map corresponding to the first region to the UE based on the first location corresponding to the UE. The method by which the network device determines the first location corresponding to the UE is the same as in the aforementioned Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0160] Optionally, the method further includes: a first communication device receiving second information from a second communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by parameters of the channel map; and the first communication device decoding the parameters in the channel map based on the second information.

[0161] Similar to Embodiment 1 described above, the network device can use the second information to indicate the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map. Specifically, it can indicate the index of the first region, the space-frequency base station, the channel characteristic information of the AP, and the number of bits occupied by the location status. See Table 6 for details.

[0162] Table 6

[0163] As shown in Table 6, in addition to the channel characteristic information such as the index, space-frequency base, PDP, PL, etc. of the first region indicated in Table 3 of the aforementioned embodiment, as well as the number of bits occupied by the location status, the table also indicates the number of APs and the number of bits occupied by the channel characteristic type of the APs. For example, if the number of APs is less than 10, then the number of APs occupies 4 bits. The channel characteristic type of the AP may include RSRP, main path delay, and main path angle, then the channel characteristic signaling of the AP can occupy 3 bits.

[0164] After receiving the second information sent by the network device, the UE decodes the PDSCH according to the number of bits indicated by the second information to obtain the parameters of the channel map indicated by the first information.

[0165] 303. The first communication device communicates with the second communication device based on the channel map.

[0166] After obtaining the parameters of the channel map indicated by the first information, the UE can further obtain channel feature information based on the channel map. The specific method for obtaining channel feature information for communication with network devices is the same as described in Embodiment 1 above, and will not be repeated here. Furthermore, since the channel map also includes channel feature information between the UE and the AP, the UE can determine, based on the parameters of the channel feature information, whether to access the network device through the AP or communicate directly with the network device, thus ensuring higher quality communication.

[0167] As can be seen, in this embodiment, a first region corresponding to the first communication device is determined based on the first location where the signals of the first and second communication devices interact with the environment. Then, a channel map corresponding to the first region is configured for the first communication device. This channel map includes the spatial frequency basebands of both the first and second communication devices, and may also include channel characteristic information of the access point if one exists. This allows the first communication device to simultaneously obtain channel characteristic information from both the first communication device and the indoor access point, and to choose between direct communication with the second communication device or communication through the indoor access point based on these two types of channel characteristic information. This further ensures the efficiency and reliability of the communication process.

[0168] Example 3: Examples 1 and 2 described above describe two channel map formats. Therefore, the parameters of the channel map can also include format information to distinguish between different channel map formats.

[0169] Please refer to Tables 7 and 8 below:

[0170] Table 7

[0171] Table 8

[0172] As shown in Table 7, when the channel map does not include the channel characteristic information of the AP, it can correspond to format 0. As shown in Table 8, when the channel map includes the channel characteristic information of the AP, it can correspond to format 1. Or vice versa, the former corresponds to format 1, and the latter corresponds to format 0.

[0173] Furthermore, as described in Embodiments 1 and 2 above, the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel pattern can be indicated by the second information. Therefore, the number of bits occupied by the format of the channel pattern can also be indicated by the second information. See Tables 9 and 10 below:

[0174] Table 9

[0175] Table 10

[0176] As shown in Tables 9 and 10, the second information can also indicate the number of bits occupied by the channel map format. Assuming "0" and "1" are used to indicate the channel map format, this parameter occupies 1 bit. Assuming "1" and "2" are used, this parameter occupies 2 bits. Assuming "000" or "111" are used, this parameter occupies 3 bits, and so on.

[0177] As can be seen, in this embodiment, setting the channel map including channel feature information of the AP and the channel map excluding channel feature information of the AP as channel maps of different formats facilitates the first communication device in determining the parameter content included in the channel map when receiving the configuration information of the channel map, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of obtaining the parameters of the channel map. Simultaneously, indicating the number of bits occupied by the format of the channel map through the second information also facilitates the accuracy of decoding to obtain the format of the channel map.

[0178] Example 4: Examples 1 to 3 described above all describe the process of sending a channel map to a second communication device and configuring the channel map to the first communication device when the third communication device has already constructed a channel map. This example describes the process of the third communication device constructing a channel map.

[0179] Referring to Figure 4, which is a flowchart of a method for constructing a channel map according to an embodiment of this application, the method includes the following steps:

[0180] 401a. The second communication device transmits a first location and first channel characteristic information, where the first location is the position where the signal between the first and second communication devices interacts with the environment, and the first channel characteristic information is channel characteristic information related to communication between the first and second communication devices. Correspondingly, the third communication device receives the first location and first channel characteristic information.

[0181] The explanations of the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1 above, and will not be repeated here. Similarly, the following description will use the first communication device as the UE, the second communication device as the network device, and the third communication device as the MMF as an example.

[0182] When a UE interacts with the network device's signal and environment (or when the UE is indoors), the network device can report the first location of multiple UEs, as well as (partial) first channel characteristic information related to that UE, to the MMF. The first channel characteristic information reported by the network device to the MMF may include spatial channel, frequency channel, PL, PAS, etc.

[0183] Specifically, before the third communication device constructs the channel map, the method may further include the following steps:

[0184] 4001. The first communication device transmits its location status. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the location status from the first communication device.

[0185] For example, when a UE detects that it is in a Type I environment (e.g., determined by the number of satellites acquired), it reports a location status flag indicating that it is in a Type I environment to the network device. After determining that the UE is in a Type I environment, the network device initiates a process of constructing a channel map corresponding to that state.

[0186] 4002. The second communication device requests an outdoor map from the third communication device. Correspondingly, the third communication device sends the outdoor map to the second communication device.

[0187] 4003. The second communication device sends a downlink reference signal to the first communication device and instructs the first communication device to report channel characteristic information.

[0188] 4004. The second communication device receives part of the channel characteristic information reported by the first communication device and obtains another part of the channel characteristic information (optional).

[0189] The network device sends a CSI-RS to the UE and instructs the UE to report channel feature information. The UE reports partial channel feature information, such as spatial channel information, based on the detected channel feature information. The network device receives the partial channel feature information reported by the UE and determines another part of the channel feature information, such as frequency domain channel information, based on the SRS sent by the UE. The partial channel feature information reported by the UE and the other part of the channel feature information obtained by the network device constitute the first channel feature information sent to the MMF. Where possible, either the UE or the network device may obtain all of the first channel feature information independently; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0190] 4005. The second communication device determines the first location of the first communication device based on the outdoor map and the first channel characteristic information of the first communication device.

[0191] The network device obtains an outdoor map from the MMF, determines the approximate location of the UE (including UE height and signal angle) based on the first channel feature information of the UE (including some channel feature information reported by the first communication device and another part of channel feature information obtained by the second communication device), and then determines the first location where the signal interacts with the environment by combining the approximate location of the UE and the outdoor map.

[0192] Optionally, the second communication device may also send the AP's channel characteristic information to the third communication device. Correspondingly, step 401a can be replaced by step 401b, whereby the second communication device sends a first location, first channel characteristic information, and the AP's channel characteristic information. The first location is the position where the signal and environment interact between the first and second communication devices, and the first channel characteristic information is channel characteristic information related to communication between the first and second communication devices. Correspondingly, the third communication device receives the first location, the first channel characteristic information, and the AP's channel characteristic information.

[0193] Step 401b corresponds to the aforementioned Embodiment 2. The channel characteristic information of the AP may include RSRP, main path delay, or main path angle, etc. Further details will not be provided here.

[0194] 402. The third communication device constructs a channel map, the parameters of which include the index of a first region and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region (or may also include the channel feature information of the AP). The first region is determined based on a first position, and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region is determined based on the first feature information.

[0195] After the MMF obtains the first location and first channel feature information reported by the network device, it constructs a channel map. This includes determining a first region based on the first location. For example, if the parameters related to the first channel feature information reported by multiple UEs are similar, the first locations of these multiple UEs are determined to be the same first region. Then, based on the first channel feature information corresponding to these multiple UEs, channel feature information corresponding to the first region is generated. This includes generating a spatial base based on the spatial channel, generating a frequency base based on the frequency channel, matching the spatial base and the frequency base, and generating a space-frequency base, etc. The identifiers of multiple UEs can correspond to this first region. When the network device requests a channel map for a certain UE, it simply sends the channel map of the first region corresponding to the UE's identifier to that UE. The specific channel map format can be found in Table 1 of the aforementioned Embodiment 1.

[0196] If the UE also reports the channel characteristic information of the AP, the constructed channel map can also include the correspondence between the first region and the channel characteristic information of the AP. Specifically, the correspondence between the first region and the channel characteristic information of the AP is established through the correspondence between the UE and the first region, and the correspondence between the UE and the channel characteristic information of the AP. The specific channel map format can be found in Table 4 of the aforementioned Embodiment 2.

[0197] Optionally, the parameters of the channel map include the UE's location status. This can be illustrated in Table 2 or Table 4 above. When the network device needs to obtain a channel map for the UE, it also needs to report the UE's location status flag (in a Type I environment) before issuing the corresponding channel map.

[0198] Optionally, the channel map constructed by MMF can also correspond to different formats. For example, a channel map including channel feature information of APs corresponds to format 1, while a channel map excluding channel feature information of APs corresponds to format 0. For details, please refer to Tables 7 and 8 above and related descriptions, which will not be repeated here.

[0199] After constructing the channel map, MMF stores the channel map according to a certain format. When a trigger condition is met, the channel map is sent to network devices. This includes sending the channel map corresponding to all first regions, or a portion of the channel map corresponding to the first regions.

[0200] As can be seen, in this embodiment, when the second communication device determines that the first location of the first communication device is a signal-environment interaction location, or when it receives that the first communication device is indoors, the second communication device is triggered to report the first location of the first communication device and the corresponding first channel characteristic information (or also includes the channel characteristic information of the AP) to the third communication device, so that the MMF can construct a channel map based on the reported information. This makes the channel map provided by the MMF applicable to scenarios where the signals of the first and second communication devices interact with the environment. This expands the applicable scenarios of the channel map and improves communication efficiency.

[0201] Example 5: The above examples all use the second communication device as a network device and the third communication device as an MMF as an example for description. As also mentioned in the examples, the second communication device can also be a module in the network device, and the third communication device can also be a module in the network device. The following description uses the second communication device as the CU or DU in the network device and the third communication device as the SU to further describe the method of constructing the channel map. It should be understood that the case where the second communication device is the CU or DU in the network device and the third communication device is the SU can also be applied to the communication methods in Examples 1 to 4 above.

[0202] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a flowchart of another method for constructing a channel map provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0203] 501. UE sends location status. The DU receives the UE's location status and forwards it to the CU (optional).

[0204] 502. The CU requests an outdoor map from the SU. Correspondingly, the SU sends an outdoor map to the CU (optional).

[0205] 503. The CU sends a downlink reference signal to the DU and instructs the UE to report channel characteristic information. The DU forwards the downlink reference signal and indication information to the UE (optional).

[0206] 504.DU receives part of the channel feature information reported by the UE and obtains another part of the channel feature information based on the SRS sent by the UE.

[0207] 505. The DU forwards the first channel feature information to the CU. The first channel feature information includes part of the channel feature information reported by the UE and another part of the channel feature information obtained by the DU. The CU receives the first channel feature information (optional).

[0208] 506. The CU determines the first location of the UE based on the outdoor map and the first channel characteristic information (optional).

[0209] Normally, the UE communicates with the DU, and the DU communicates with the CU. The above communication process satisfies this limitation. In addition, the first position in this embodiment refers to the position where the signals of the DU and the UE interact with the environment. The description of the remaining steps 501 to 505 can be found in the relevant description of steps 4001 to 4005 in the aforementioned embodiment four, and will not be repeated here.

[0210] 507. The CU transmits a first location and first channel characteristic information, or may also include channel characteristic information of the AP. The first location is the location where the signal between the UE and the CU / DU interacts with the environment, and the first channel characteristic information is channel characteristic information related to communication between the UE and the CU / DU. Correspondingly, the SU receives the first location and first channel characteristic information, or may also include channel characteristic information of the AP.

[0211] 508. SU constructs a channel map, the parameters of which include the index of a first region and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region, or may also include the channel feature information of the AP. The first region is determined based on a first position, and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region is determined based on first feature information.

[0212] The process of SU constructing and storing the channel map is the same as that of MMF constructing and storing the channel map, and will not be repeated here. Similarly, SU can also send the channel map to the network device when triggering conditions are met, such as receiving a request information from the network device, determining that the UE is indoors, or meeting a periodicity. This includes sending the channel map for all first areas, or the channel map corresponding to a specific first area.

[0213] As can be seen, this embodiment of the application implements a method for constructing a corresponding channel map when the UE is indoors under the O-RAN architecture. The channel map construction process is completed through interaction between modules within the network device, ensuring the efficiency and reliability of the communication process.

[0214] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be used to execute any of the methods in the foregoing embodiments.

[0215] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device includes a processing module 1501 and a transceiver module 1502. The processing module 1501 may be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 1502 may be a transceiver or a communication interface. This communication device can be used to implement the functions of devices such as the first communication device and the second communication device involved in any of the above method embodiments. These devices may be hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the communication device may also include a storage module 1503 for storing the program code and data of the communication device.

[0216] In a first example, the communication device can be used as a terminal device or a chip within a terminal device in Embodiments 1 to 5, and executes the steps performed by the first communication device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 1502 is used to support communication with the second communication device. The processing module 1501 can be used to support the execution of actions performed by the first communication device in the above method embodiments, excluding sending and receiving.

[0217] Specifically, the transceiver module 1502 is used to receive first information from the second communication device. The first information indicates the parameters of the channel map. The parameters of the channel map include the index of the first region and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined according to the first position, which is the position where the signal interacts with the environment. The processing module 1501 is used to communicate with the second communication device based on the channel map and the transceiver module 1502.

[0218] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include location status, which indicates whether the channel map is applicable to the first communication device in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment.

[0219] In one feasible implementation, the channel map corresponds to a first format or a second format; when the channel map corresponds to the second format, the parameters of the channel map also include channel characteristic information of the indoor access point.

[0220] In one feasible implementation, the channel characteristic information of the indoor access point includes at least one of the indoor access point's received power, main path delay, and main path angle.

[0221] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include indication information in a first or second format.

[0222] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to receive second information from the second communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map; and the processing module 1501 is configured to decode the parameters in the channel map according to the second information.

[0223] In one feasible implementation, the second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), multimedia access control-control element (MAC-CE), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0224] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1501 is further configured to determine the location status of the first communication device, the location status including being in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment; the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to send third information to the second communication device, the third information indicating the location status of the first communication device.

[0225] In a second example, the communication device can be used as a network device or a chip within a network device as described in Embodiments 1 to 5, and execute the steps performed by the second communication device or CU / DU in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 1502 supports communication with the first and third communication devices. The processing module 1501 can be used to support the execution of actions other than sending and receiving performed by the second communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0226] Specifically, the transceiver module 1502 is used to receive a channel map from a third communication device. The parameters of the channel map include the index of a first region and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined according to a first position, which is the position where the signal interacts with the environment. The transceiver module 1502 is also used to send first information to the first communication device. The first information indicates the parameters of the channel map.

[0227] In one feasible implementation, the channel map corresponds to a first format or a second format; when the channel map corresponds to the second format, the parameters of the channel map also include relevant information about indoor access points, which includes at least one of the following: the number of indoor access points, the number of channel features of indoor access points, and channel feature information between indoor access points.

[0228] In one feasible implementation, the channel characteristic information of the indoor access point includes at least one of the indoor access point's received power, main path delay, and main path angle.

[0229] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include indication information in a first or second format.

[0230] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to: send second information to the first communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel pattern.

[0231] In one feasible implementation, the second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), multimedia access control-control element (MAC-CE), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0232] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to: send a first request message to a third communication device, the first request message being used to request the acquisition of a channel map.

[0233] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to: receive third information from the first communication device, the third information indicating the location status of the first communication device; and the processing module 1501 is configured to add the location status of the first communication device to the first request information.

[0234] In a third example, the communication device can be used as a chip in the MMF in Embodiments 1 to 4, or in the network device in Embodiment 5, and execute the steps performed by the third communication device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 1502 is used to support communication with the second communication device. The processing module 1501 can be used to support the execution of actions other than sending and receiving performed by the third communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0235] Specifically, the transceiver module 1502 is used to receive a first location and a first channel feature information from the second communication device. The first location is the location where the signal between the first communication device and the second communication device interacts with the environment, and the first channel feature information is the channel feature information related to communication between the first communication device and the second communication device. The processing module 1501 is used to construct a channel map. The parameters of the channel map include the index of a first region and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined according to the first location, and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region is determined according to the first feature information.

[0236] In one feasible implementation, constructing a channel map includes constructing a channel map in a first format and constructing a channel map in a second format; in the case of constructing a channel map in the second format, the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to: receive channel feature information from an indoor access point of the second communication device; the parameters of the channel map also include the channel feature information of the indoor access point.

[0237] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include indication information in a first or second format.

[0238] In one feasible implementation, the parameters of the channel map also include location status, which indicates whether the channel map is applicable to the first communication device in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment.

[0239] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1502 is further configured to: receive a first request message from the second communication device, the first request message being used to request the acquisition of a channel map; and send the channel map to the second communication device.

[0240] The processing module 1501 may be a processor that can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to cause the chip to perform the methods involved in any of the above embodiments.

[0241] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a simplified structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application, and can be used as an implementation of the first communication device of this application.

[0242] The network device includes a radio frequency (RF) signal transceiver and conversion section and a baseband section 42. The RF signal transceiver and conversion section further includes a receiving module 41 and a transmitting module 43 (which can also be collectively referred to as transceiver modules). The RF signal transceiver and conversion section is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals and converting RF signals to baseband signals. The baseband section 42 is mainly used for baseband processing and controlling the network device. The receiving module 41 can also be called a receiver, receiver circuit, etc., and the transmitting module 43 can also be called a transmitter, transmitter, transmitter circuit, etc. The baseband section 42 is usually the control center of the network device, and can also be called a processing module, used to execute the steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods. See the description of the relevant sections above for details. The transmitting module 43 may include an antenna and RF circuitry. The RF circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves.

[0243] The baseband section 42 may include one or more boards, each board may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processors are used to read and execute programs in the memories to implement baseband processing functions and control network devices. If multiple boards exist, they can be interconnected to increase processing power. As an optional implementation, multiple boards may share one or more processors, multiple boards may share one or more memories, or multiple boards may simultaneously share one or more processors.

[0244] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of a RAN chip structure provided in an embodiment of this application, and can be used as another implementation of the network device of this application.

[0245] The RAN chip is divided into CU, DU, and RU. The CU is a platform that performs upper-layer L2 (data link layer) and L3 (network layer) functions. The midhaul and backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the CU and DU, as well as between the CU and the core network. The DU performs L1 and some L2 functions, while the RU performs L1 (physical layer) computation and RF digital functions. The fronthaul and backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the RU and DU, as well as between the CU and DU. An integrated DU includes the functions of both the DU and RU.

[0246] The CU / DU hardware includes a chassis platform, motherboard, peripherals, and cooling system. The motherboard contains processing units, memory, internal I / O interfaces, and external connection ports. Its hardware accelerator is designed with interfaces, and hardware functional components include: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller.

[0247] DU systems are typically implemented using multi-core processors and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators; alternatively, all L1 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators, while other protocol stack components are implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. Hardware accelerators support interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, accelerators have multi-channel PCIe interfaces pointing to the CPU and external connections via GbE.

[0248] The RU comprises three parts: the OPU (O-RAN Processing Unit), which receives eCPRI frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and performs fronthaul interface, lowest-level L1 (coding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC. The DPU (O-RU Digital Processing Unit) performs synchronization, DDC (digital downconversion in UL), DUC (digital upconversion in DL), CFR, and DPD, improving power amplifier efficiency by reducing PAPR / ACLR at the RF front-end; the DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC. The O-RU's RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and Tx / Rx filters. All conversions between the analog and digital domains (DAC and ADC) (e.g., RF sampling, frequency conversion using RF, IF, and LO mixing during up-conversion and down-conversion) are performed within the transceiver module. Note that physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries.

[0249] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a simplified structural diagram of a UE provided in an embodiment of this application, as an implementation of the second communication device in this application.

[0250] For ease of understanding and illustration, Figure 9 uses a mobile phone as an example of the UE. As shown in Figure 9, the UE includes at least one processor, and may also include radio frequency (RF) circuitry, an antenna, and input / output devices. The processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as to control the UE, execute software programs, and process data from those programs. The UE may also include a memory, primarily used to store software programs and data. These programs can be loaded into the memory at the time of manufacture or added later when needed. The RF circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna 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 to receive user input data and output data to the user. It should be noted that some types of UEs may not have input / output devices.

[0251] When a signal needs to be transmitted, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then processes the baseband signal and transmits it outward as an electromagnetic wave through the antenna. When data is sent to the UE, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs it to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal back into data and processes it. For ease of explanation, Figure 9 only shows one memory and one processor. In actual UE products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be set up independently of the processor or integrated with the processor; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0252] In this embodiment, the antenna and radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the receiving unit and transmitting unit of the UE (or collectively referred to as the transceiver unit), and the processor with processing functions can be regarded as the processing unit of the UE. As shown in Figure 9, the UE includes a receiving module 31, a processing module 32, and a transmitting module 33. The receiving module 31 can also be referred to as a receiver, receiver circuit, etc., and the transmitting module 33 can also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, transmitter circuit, etc. The processing module 32 can also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing device, etc.

[0253] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0254] Optionally, the memory may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together. The memory may be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it may be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). In the embodiments of this application, the processor may also be flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

[0255] Optionally, the UE may include instructions (sometimes referred to as code or program) that can be executed on the processor.

[0256] Optionally, the UE may also include a transceiver and an antenna. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver circuit, transceiver, input / output interface, etc., and is used to realize the UE's transmission and reception functions through the antenna.

[0257] This application provides a communication system, which includes the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device described above.

[0258] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method described in any of the above methods.

[0259] This application provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run, it causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the above methods.

[0260] This application provides a chip coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions in the memory, so that the device containing the chip implements the method described in any of the above methods.

[0261] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis. Parts not described in detail in a particular embodiment can be found in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments. It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0262] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of the units described above is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical or other forms.

[0263] The units described above 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.

[0264] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. 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 spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: The system receives first information from a second communication device. The first information indicates parameters of a channel map. The parameters of the channel map include an index of a first region and channel feature information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined based on a first position, which is the position where the signal interacts with the environment. Communicate with the second communication device based on the channel map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The parameters of the channel map also include location status, which indicates whether the channel map is applicable to the first communication device in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The channel map corresponds to either a first format or a second format; when the channel map corresponds to the second format, the parameters of the channel map also include channel characteristic information of the indoor access point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The channel characteristic information of the indoor access point includes at least one of the indoor access point's received power, main path delay, and main path angle.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The parameters of the channel map also include indication information in the first format or the second format.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information from the second communication device, the second information indicating the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map; The parameters in the channel map are obtained by decoding based on the second information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), multimedia access control-control element (MAC-CE), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Before receiving the first information from the second communication device, the method further includes: Determine the location status of the first communication device, wherein the location status includes being in the first environment or being in the second environment; Send a third message to the second communication device, the third message indicating the location status of the first communication device.

9. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: The system receives channel map indication information from a third communication device. The parameters of the channel map include the index of a first region and channel feature information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined based on a first position, which is the position where the signal interacts with the environment. Send first information to a first communication device, the first information indicating parameters of the channel map.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The channel map corresponds to a first format or a second format; when the channel map corresponds to the second format, the parameters of the channel map also include relevant information about indoor access points, and the relevant information about indoor access points includes at least one of the following: the number of indoor access points, the number of channel features of indoor access points, and channel feature information between indoor access points.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The channel characteristic information of the indoor access point includes at least one of the indoor access point's received power, main path delay, and main path angle.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The parameters of the channel map also include indication information in the first format or the second format.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message to the first communication device, the second message indicating the number of bits occupied by the parameters of the channel map.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The second information is carried in downlink control information (DCI), multimedia access control-control element (MAC-CE), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that, Before receiving the channel map from the third communication device, the method further includes: Send a first request message to the third communication device, the first request message being used to request the acquisition of a channel map.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: Receive third information from the first communication device, the third information indicating the location status of the first communication device; The first request information includes the location status of the first communication device, which includes being in the first environment or in the second environment.

17. A method of communication, comprising: Applied to a third communication device, the method includes: Receive first location and first channel feature information from the second communication device, wherein the first location is the location where the signal and environment between the first communication device and the second communication device interact, and the first channel feature information is channel feature information related to communication between the first communication device and the second communication device; A channel map is constructed, the parameters of which include the index of a first region and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region. The first region is determined based on the first position, and the channel feature information corresponding to the first region is determined based on the first feature information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The method of constructing a channel map includes constructing a channel map in a first format and constructing a channel map in a second format; when constructing a channel map in the second format, the method further includes: Receive channel characteristic information from the indoor access point of the second communication device; The parameters of the channel map also include the channel characteristic information of the indoor access point.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The parameters of the channel map also include indication information in the first format or the second format.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17-19, characterized by, The parameters of the channel map also include location status, which indicates whether the channel map is applicable to the first communication device in a first type of environment or in a second type of environment.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17-20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a first request message from a second communication device, the first request message being used to request the acquisition of a channel map; The channel map indication information is sent to the second communication device.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, Used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, The device includes a terminal device or a chip.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, Used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 16.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein, The device includes network equipment or a chip.

26. A communications device, characterized by Used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 17 to 21.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes at least one processor coupled to a memory; The at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, such that the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented, or the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 16 is implemented, or the method as described in any one of claims 17 to 21 is implemented.

28. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 to be implemented, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 16 to be implemented, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 17 to 21 to be implemented.

29. A computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is run, it causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 to be implemented, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 16 to be implemented, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 17 to 21 to be implemented.

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