Communication method, and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a communication method and an apparatus. The communication method comprises: sending first information, the first information indicating the channel quality of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and receiving second information, the second information indicating a power parameter of the PDCCH, and the second information being determined on the basis of the first information.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411853681.6, filed in China on December 13, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] In New Radio (NR) systems, the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) has a fixed modulation scheme, such as Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), and a relatively fixed code rate. Except for the aggregation level, which can be adjusted in different scenarios, other parameters of the PDCCH are relatively fixed, leading to low transmission reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus, and offers a solution to improve the reliability of PDCCH transmission.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the communication method comprising: transmitting first information, the first information indicating the channel quality of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and receiving second information, the second information indicating power parameters of the PDCCH, the second information being determined based on the first information.

[0008] Optionally, the communication method further includes: receiving third information, the third information indicating the transmit power of the PDCCH, or the third information indicating the offset between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the first downlink signal.

[0009] Optionally, the offset between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the first downlink signal includes one or more of the following: the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the channel state information reference signal CSI-RS; the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the synchronization signal block SSB; and the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the physical downlink shared channel PDSCH.

[0010] Optionally, the channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of CSI measurement resources.

[0011] Optionally, the channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of the CSI measurement resources and the reference resources of the PDCCH.

[0012] Optionally, the reference resources of the PDCCH are determined based on the configuration parameters of the PDCCH that calculate the assumed block error rate. The configuration parameters include one or more of the following: the format of downlink control information, the number of control orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, the aggregation level, the ratio of the assumed PDCCH resource element energy to the average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy, bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, demodulation reference signal DMRS precoding granularity, the ratio of the assumed PDCCH DMRS energy to the average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy, the resource element group REG bundling size, the cyclic prefix length, and the mapping relationship between REG and control channel element CCE.

[0013] Optionally, the PDCCH and PDSCH share CSI-RS resources. The first information includes a first channel quality parameter and a second channel quality parameter, wherein the first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH and the second channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDSCH; or, the first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH and the second channel quality parameter indicates the difference between the channel quality of the PDSCH and the channel quality of the PDCCH; or, the first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDSCH and the second channel quality parameter indicates the difference between the channel quality of the PDSCH and the channel quality of the PDCCH.

[0014] Optionally, the second information indicates the adjustment of the power parameters of the PDCCH within the search space, with different power parameters for the PDCCH in different search spaces; or, the second information indicates the adjustment of the power parameters of the PDCCH within the control resource set CORESET, with different power parameters for the PDCCH in different CORESETs.

[0015] Optionally, receiving the second information includes receiving higher-layer signaling or downlink control information (DCI), wherein the higher-layer signaling or the DCI includes the second information, and the higher-layer signaling or the DCI further includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the search space and an identifier of the CORESET.

[0016] Optionally, the first information includes one or more of the following: Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), Recommended Aggregation Level, and Rank Indicator.

[0017] Optionally, the power parameters of the PDCCH include one or more of the following: modulation scheme, transmit power, aggregation level, code rate, and layer identifier.

[0018] Secondly, this disclosure also discloses a communication method, the communication method comprising: receiving first information, the first information indicating the channel quality of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and transmitting second information, the second information indicating power parameters of the PDCCH, the second information being determined based on the first information.

[0019] Optionally, the communication method further includes: sending third information, the third information indicating the transmit power of the PDCCH, or the third information indicating the offset between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the first downlink signal.

[0020] Optionally, receiving the second information includes sending higher-level signaling or DCI, wherein the higher-level signaling or DCI includes the second information, and the higher-level signaling or DCI further includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the search space and an identifier of the CORESET.

[0021] Thirdly, this disclosure also discloses a communication device, comprising: a communication module for transmitting first information, the first information indicating the channel quality of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); the communication module is further configured to receive second information, the second information indicating power parameters of the PDCCH, the second information being determined based on the first information.

[0022] Fourthly, this disclosure also discloses a communication device, comprising: a communication module for receiving first information, the first information indicating the channel quality of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); the communication module is further configured to transmit second information, the second information indicating power parameters of the PDCCH, the second information being determined based on the first information.

[0023] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0024] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to perform any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0025] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to perform any of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0026] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, on which a computer program is stored, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0027] Ninthly, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned terminal equipment and the aforementioned network equipment.

[0028] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a chip that stores a computer program, which, when executed by the chip, implements the steps of the above-described method.

[0029] Eleventhly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a system chip for use in a terminal. The system chip includes at least one processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected via a line. The at least one processor is used to execute instructions to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 is an interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 is an interactive flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The communication systems applicable to the embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, and future evolution systems or multiple converged communication systems. The 5G system can be a non-standalone (NSA) 5G system or a standalone (SA) 5G system. The technical solutions of this disclosure are also applicable to different network architectures, including but not limited to relay network architectures, dual-connectivity architectures, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication architectures.

[0035] This disclosure primarily relates to communication between terminal devices and network devices. Specifically:

[0036] The network device in this embodiment can also be called an access network device, for example, a base station (BS) (also called a base station device). A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions. For example, in second-generation (2G) networks, the equipment providing base station functionality includes base transceiver stations (BTS); in third-generation (3G) networks, it includes nodes (NodeB); in fourth-generation (4G) networks, it includes evolved nodes (eNB); in wireless local area networks (WLANs), the equipment providing base station functionality is access points (APs); and in NR, the equipment providing base station functionality includes next-generation node base stations (gNBs) and further evolved nodes (ng-eNBs). gNBs and terminal devices communicate using NR technology, while ng-eNBs and terminal devices communicate using evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) technology. Both gNBs and ng-eNBs can connect to the 5G core network. The network device in this disclosure also includes devices that provide base station functionality in future new communication systems.

[0037] In this disclosure, terminal equipment can refer to various forms of access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations (MS), remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, wireless communication devices, user agents, or user devices. Terminal equipment can also be cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal equipment in future 5G networks, or terminal equipment in future evolved Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), etc. This disclosure does not limit the scope of these examples. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, etc.

[0038] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions disclosed herein, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies involved in this disclosure will be given first.

[0039] In the strategy of adaptive linking of Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), the following methods can be mainly used:

[0040] 1. Modulation and coding scheme (Modulation Coding Scheme, MCS) adjustment

[0041] Optionally, the coding scheme and coding rate can be adjusted according to changes in the channel. When the channel quality is good, the modulation level and coding rate can be increased to improve the data rate, and when the channel quality is poor, the modulation level and coding rate can be decreased to improve reliability.

[0042] Network devices can select appropriate modulation schemes based on feedback from the Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), such as Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), 64QAM, 256QAM, and coding rates (e.g., 1 / 2, 3 / 4, 5 / 6).

[0043] 2. Power Control

[0044] Optionally, the transmit power can be adjusted according to channel conditions. Transmit power can be reduced to save energy when channel quality is good, and increased to improve signal strength when channel quality is poor.

[0045] 3. Resource allocation

[0046] Resource blocks are dynamically allocated based on user needs and channel conditions. When channel conditions are good, more resource blocks are allocated to increase throughput; when channel conditions are poor, fewer resource blocks are allocated to concentrate resources and improve reliability.

[0047] 4. Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ)

[0048] Optionally, a HARQ mechanism can be used for error detection and correction. If the received data is erroneous, a retransmission request is sent to improve the reliability of data transmission. By adjusting data redundancy information, retransmission / merging gain is obtained at the receiving end, enabling precise and rapid adaptation to the small dynamic range of the channel.

[0049] In future communication systems, we should consider introducing a strategy similar to PDSCH link adaptation and applying it to PDCCH.

[0050] In this disclosed technical solution, the terminal device can send first information to the network device to indicate the channel quality of the PDCCH; the network device can then adjust the power parameters of the PDCCH according to the channel quality of the PDCCH reported by the terminal, thereby realizing the link adaptation of the PDCCH, that is, dynamically adjusting the transmission parameters according to the current channel conditions of the PDCCH, overcoming the impact of real-time channel changes, and improving the reliability and efficiency of PDCCH data transmission.

[0051] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] This disclosure provides a communication method. Referring to FIG1, the following detailed steps will be described in detail.

[0053] It is understood that, in specific implementations, the communication method can be implemented using software programs, which run within a processor integrated into the chip or chip module. The method can also be implemented using a combination of software and hardware; this disclosure does not impose any limitations. The following description uses a terminal device as the executing entity.

[0054] The second and third information mentioned in this disclosure can be configured by the network device to the terminal device through higher-layer signaling (such as Radio Resource Control (RRC)) or Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[0055] Step 101: The terminal device sends first information. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first information. The first information indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH.

[0056] In practice, the first piece of information can be Channel State Information (CSI), which describes the channel characteristics of the PDCCH. This first piece of information helps network devices understand the current channel conditions of the PDCCH, thereby optimizing data transmission efficiency, reliability, and resource allocation.

[0057] In one specific embodiment, the first information may include one or more of the following: Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), Aggregation Level, Rank Indication (RI), and Recommended Transmit Power.

[0058] CQI is an evaluation of the channel quality of the PDCCH by the terminal device based on the current channel conditions. CQI reflects the modulation and / or coding scheme (MCS) supported by the channel. For example, the value of CQI ranges from 0 to 15, where 0 indicates very poor channel quality and 15 indicates very good channel quality.

[0059] SINR is an important indicator used to describe the channel quality of PDCCH. SINR represents the ratio of received signal strength to the sum of interference and noise. A higher SINR indicates better channel quality and lower interference and noise in PDCCH; a lower SINR indicates poorer channel quality and higher interference and noise in PDCCH.

[0060] The suggested aggregation level is determined by the terminal device based on the channel conditions of the PDCCH. Compared to the network device directly determining the aggregation level, the terminal device can also autonomously determine the suggested aggregation level and report it to the network device, which can improve the autonomy and reliability of terminal device communication.

[0061] The RI is determined by the terminal device based on channel conditions, and its rank represents the rank of the channel matrix. The RI can be used to indicate the number of data streams that can be transmitted independently in a multi-antenna system. For example, the RI can represent the number of data streams that the PDCCH can support.

[0062] It should be noted that the table used to determine the CQI value can be the same as the table used to determine the CQI of the PDSCH, or a dedicated table can be configured for the PDCCH CQI by the network device or the communication standard protocol. This disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this. Alternatively, when the PDCCH can use a dedicated table for the PDCCH CQI configuration or a dedicated table for the PDSCH CQI configuration, the network device can additionally configure the terminal device to use which table through higher-layer signaling.

[0063] Step 102: The terminal device receives the second information. Correspondingly, the network device sends the second information. The second information indicates the power parameters of the PDCCH and is determined based on the first information. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the network device learns the current channel quality of the PDCCH based on the first information and can adjust the power parameters of the PDCCH accordingly. The network device sends the second information to the terminal device so that the terminal device knows the adjusted power parameters of the PDCCH from the network device.

[0064] In this disclosed technical solution, the terminal device can send first information to the network device to indicate the channel quality of the PDCCH; the network device can then adjust the power parameters of the PDCCH according to the channel quality of the PDCCH reported by the terminal, thereby realizing the link adaptation of the PDCCH, that is, dynamically adjusting the transmission parameters according to the current channel conditions of the PDCCH, overcoming the impact of real-time channel changes, and improving the reliability and efficiency of PDCCH data transmission.

[0065] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of the CSI measurement resources and the reference resources of the PDCCH. In addition to the measurement results of the CSI measurement resources, this disclosure also requires the combination of the PDCCH reference resources, which can be determined based on the configuration parameters of the PDCCH calculated with assumed block error rate, thereby enabling accurate determination of the PDCCH channel quality.

[0066] Furthermore, the second information indicates the adjustment of the power parameters of the PDCCH within the search space, or the second information indicates the adjustment of the power parameters of the PDCCH within the CORESET. This disclosure enables the independent configuration of power parameters for different search spaces or different CORESETs, i.e., the configuration of independent link adaptive strategies, thereby achieving flexibility in PDCCH transmission control.

[0067] In an alternative embodiment, the network device may adjust at least one of the following power parameters: modulation scheme, transmit power, aggregation level, bit rate, and layer identifier.

[0068] Accordingly, the second information may indicate one or more of the aforementioned power parameters. Optionally, the second information may be an identifier or index of the power parameter value. The identifiers or indices of different power parameters are located in different bit fields in the downlink signaling.

[0069] For example, when the second information indicates the modulation scheme, it may include index 0 to indicate the modulation scheme QPSK; or the second information may include index 1 to indicate 16QAM, etc.

[0070] For example, when the second information indicates an aggregation level, it may include index 00 to indicate aggregation level 1; or, the second information may include index 01 to indicate aggregation level 2, etc.

[0071] The modulation scheme is optional, such as QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, etc. When the channel quality is good, the network device increases the modulation level and coding rate of the PDCCH to increase the data rate; when the channel quality is poor, the network device decreases the modulation level and coding rate of the PDCCH.

[0072] In addition, network equipment can reduce the transmission power of PDCCH to save energy when the channel quality is good, and increase the transmission power of PDCCH to improve signal strength when the channel quality is poor.

[0073] The aggregation level refers to the number of aggregated Control Channel Elements (CCEs). A CCE is the smallest resource unit of a control channel; a higher aggregation level indicates a larger number of aggregated CCEs, resulting in greater robustness of control information transmission. For example, aggregation levels can be 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc. When the PDCCH channel quality is good, the terminal device can correctly decode control information at a lower aggregation level. In this case, the network device can choose a lower aggregation level to improve resource utilization; conversely, the network device can choose a higher aggregation level to improve the reliability of control information transmission.

[0074] Code rate refers to the ratio of the actual number of data bits transmitted to the total number of bits encoded (including redundant bits) during channel coding. For example, when the PDCCH channel quality is good, channel conditions allow for a higher code rate, and network devices can increase the code rate to improve data transmission speed; conversely, network devices can decrease the code rate to improve data transmission reliability.

[0075] In cases where PDCCH supports multi-layer transmission, network devices can adjust the number of layers used for transmission and notify the terminal device of the layer identifiers. For example, when the channel quality of PDCCH is good, channel conditions allow for the use of more layers, in which case the network device can use more layers to transmit data, thereby improving transmission efficiency. For instance, the network device can choose layer 2 or layer 4 transmission. Conversely, the network device needs to reduce the number of layers to reduce the bit error rate. For example, the network device can choose layer 1 transmission.

[0076] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps in some embodiments of this disclosure do not represent a limitation on the execution order of the steps.

[0077] It is understood that, in specific implementations, the communication method can be implemented using a software program, which runs in a processor integrated within the chip or chip module. The method can also be implemented using a combination of software and hardware; this disclosure does not impose any limitations.

[0078] In a non-limiting embodiment, when performing link adaptive adjustment of PDCCH power control, the terminal device needs to know the PDCCH transmit power for channel quality detection. Please refer to Figure 2, which illustrates a flow chart of a communication method.

[0079] In step 201, the terminal device receives third information. Correspondingly, the network device sends the third information. In one specific embodiment, the third information may include the transmit power of the PDCCH.

[0080] In another specific embodiment, the third information indicates the offset between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the first downlink signal. That is, the terminal device can know the transmit power of the first downlink signal, and determine the transmit power of the PDCCH by combining the aforementioned offset.

[0081] In specific implementation, the first downlink signal can be one or more of the following: CSI reference signal (RS), synchronization signal block (SSB), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), PDSCH, and PDCCH transmitted at a previous time.

[0082] Optionally, in related technologies, the network device can notify the terminal device of the transmit power of the CSI-RS (or infer it based on the power of the SSS and the power difference between the SSS and CSI-RS). Then, the network device can also notify the terminal device of the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the CSI-RS, allowing the terminal device to calculate the transmit power of the PDCCH. Similarly, in related technologies, the network device can notify the terminal device of the transmit power of the SSS. Then, the network device can also notify the terminal device of the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the SSS, allowing the terminal device to calculate the transmit power of the PDCCH. Likewise, in related technologies, the network device can notify the terminal device of the transmit power of the PDSCH (or infer it based on the power of the CSI-RS and the power difference between the CSI-RS and the PDSCH). Then, the network device can also notify the terminal device of the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the PDSCH, allowing the terminal device to calculate the transmit power of the PDCCH. In step 202, the terminal device measures the CSI measurement resources (or resource set). The channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of the CSI measurement resources (or resource set). Among them, CSI measurement resources (or resource sets) can be CSI-RS resource sets (or resources) or SSBs.

[0083] In practice, the CSI-RS resource set (or resources) can be used for channel estimation and channel state information (CSI) acquisition.

[0084] In one specific embodiment, the CSI-RS resource set (or resource) can be a reference signal dedicated to channel quality measurement of PDCCH, which can be configured by network devices through higher-layer signaling (such as RRC) or specified by communication standard protocols.

[0085] In another specific embodiment, the PDCCH and PDSCH share a set of CSI measurement resources (such as the CSI-RS resource set or SSB), that is, the CSI-RS resource set (or resources) can be used to measure the channel quality of both the PDCCH and the PDSCH.

[0086] In a non-limiting embodiment, the terminal device can determine the channel quality of the PDCCH, such as the CQI of the PDCCH, based on the difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the CSI-RS, the measurement results of the CSI-RS, and the reference resources of the PDCCH.

[0087] The reference resource for the PDCCH can be the assumed PDCCH referenced by the terminal device when performing CSI measurements. Parameter settings, such as aggregation level values ​​and the number of time-domain symbols, will be provided for this assumed PDCCH.

[0088] In one specific embodiment, the reference resources for the PDCCH are determined based on the configuration parameters of the PDCCH used to calculate the Hypothetical Block Error Rate (BLER), and the configuration parameters include one or more of the following:

[0089] The downlink control information includes the format, number of control orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, aggregation level, assumed ratio of PDCCH resource element energy to average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy, bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, demodulation reference signal DMRS precoding granularity, assumed ratio of PDCCH DMRS energy to average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy, resource element group (REG) bundling size, cyclic prefix length, and mapping relationship between REG and control channel element (CCE).

[0090] Here, the ratio of the assumed PDCCH resource element energy to the average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy represents the ratio of the assumed PDCCH resource element energy to the average SSS signal resource element energy. This ratio can be used to evaluate and control the channel signal strength and channel quality.

[0091] Precoding granularity refers to the fineness with which a precoder adjusts a signal. Specifically, precoding granularity describes the smallest unit of change or resolution that a precoder can achieve when adjusting the amplitude and phase of a signal. The choice of precoding granularity affects system performance, including signal transmission efficiency and reliability.

[0092] The ratio of the assumed PDCCH DMRS energy to the average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy represents the ratio of the assumed PDCCH DMRS signal energy to the average SSS signal resource element energy. This ratio can be used to evaluate and control the channel signal strength and channel quality.

[0093] REGs are the smallest resource units used for transmitting control information (such as PDCCH). An REG consists of a set of resource elements (REs), each corresponding to one OFDM subcarrier and one OFDM symbol. REG bundling refers to combining multiple REGs together as a larger resource unit for transmission or processing. The purpose of bundling is to improve transmission efficiency and the robustness of control information. The REG bundle size refers to the number of REGs contained in each bundle. This parameter determines the resource allocation granularity and transmission efficiency of the control channel (such as PDCCH).

[0094] A Control Channel Equipment (CCE) is the smallest unit of resource used to transmit control information (such as the PDCCH), while a Resource Element Group (REG) is an even smaller unit that constitutes a CCE. The mapping from REG to CCE is a critical step in control channel design, directly affecting the performance, resource utilization, and transmission efficiency of the control channel.

[0095] For example, please refer to Table 1, which shows the various configuration parameters of a PDCCH with an assumed block error rate.

[0096] Table 1

[0097] It should be noted that in actual application scenarios, the configuration parameters of PDCCH can be one or more of the parameters shown in Table 1, or any other implementable new parameters can be added, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0098] Referring again to Figure 2, in step 203, the terminal device sends first information. This first information can be carried via MAC-CE, Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), higher-layer signaling, or Uplink Control Information (UCI).

[0099] In one specific implementation, the CSI-RS resource set (or resource) for measuring the channel quality of the PDCCH is a dedicated resource. In this case, the first information transmitted by the terminal device can directly indicate the channel quality of the PDCCH.

[0100] In one specific implementation, the PDCCH and PDSCH share the CSI-RS set (or resources). In this case, the first information may include a first channel quality parameter and a second channel quality parameter. The first channel quality parameter and the second channel quality parameter may specifically include the following meanings:

[0101] 1. A first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH, and a second channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDSCH. For example, the first channel quality parameter CQI-1 represents the CQI of the PDCCH, and the second channel quality parameter CQI-2 represents the CQI of the PDSCH.

[0102] 2. The first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH, and the second channel quality parameter indicates the difference between the channel quality of the PDSCH and the channel quality of the PDCCH. For example, the first channel quality parameter CQI-1 represents the CQI of the PDCCH, and the second channel quality parameter CQI-2 represents the difference between the CQI of the PDSCH and the CQI of the PDCCH, deltaCQI.

[0103] 3. The first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDSCH, and the second channel quality parameter indicates the difference between the channel quality of the PDSCH and the channel quality of the PDCCH. For example, the first channel quality parameter CQI-1 represents the CQI of the PDSCH, and the second channel quality parameter CQI-2 represents the difference deltaCQI between the CQI of the PDSCH and the CQI of the PDCCH.

[0104] Accordingly, after receiving the first information from the terminal device, the network device determines to adjust the power parameters of the PDCCH.

[0105] In step 204, the network device sends the second information.

[0106] In practice, network devices send higher-layer signaling, MAC CE, or DCI, which includes second information.

[0107] Furthermore, the higher-level signaling or DCI also includes at least one of the following: an identifier for the search space and an identifier for the Control Resource Set (CORESET). Optionally, the search space can be a UE-specific search space (USS) or a common search space (CSS).

[0108] For example, the network device sends a MAC CE to the terminal device, the MAC CE including the identifier SS0 of the search space, the identifier CORESET0 of the control resource set, and second information.

[0109] For example, the network device sends a MAC CE to the terminal device, the MAC CE including the identifier SS0 of the search space and second information.

[0110] For example, the network device sends a MAC CE to the terminal device, the MAC CE including the identifier CORESET0 of the control resource set and second information.

[0111] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the higher-layer signaling or DCI includes the identifier of the search space and / or the identifier of the CORESET because the power parameters of the PDCCH are different in different search spaces or in different CORESETs.

[0112] Accordingly, the second information indicates that the power parameters of the PDCCH within the search space be adjusted. Alternatively, the second information indicates that the power parameters of the PDCCH within the CORESET be adjusted.

[0113] The search space defines the set of resources that a terminal device needs to search when receiving control information, while the PDCCH is the physical channel that actually carries this control information. The search space defines the possible locations and ranges of the PDCCH, including the starting position of the CCE, the aggregation level, and the resource mapping method. The terminal device searches for the PDCCH within the specified resource range according to the search space configuration. The terminal device needs to decode the PDCCH according to the parameters of the search space. Therefore, network devices can configure PDCCHs within the same search space to use the same power parameters; similarly, when adjusting the power parameters of a PDCCH, the same adjustments can be made to PDCCHs within the same search space.

[0114] The network device maps the PDCCH to the resource elements of the CORESET according to the CORESET configuration. Therefore, the network device can configure PDCCHs within the same CORESET to use the same power parameters, and similarly, when adjusting the power parameters of a PDCCH, the same adjustments can be made to all PDCCHs within the same CORESET.

[0115] Some embodiments of this disclosure can enable independent configuration of power parameters for different search spaces or different CORESETs, that is, configuration of independent link adaptive strategies, thereby achieving flexibility in PDCCH transmission control.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will understand that steps S203 to S204 can be considered as execution steps corresponding to steps S101 to S102 in the embodiment shown in FIG1, and the two are complementary in terms of optional implementation principles and logic. Therefore, the explanation of terms involved in some embodiments of this disclosure can be referred to the relevant description of the embodiment shown in FIG1, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] In a non-limiting embodiment, the network device can configure a dedicated path loss reference signal for the PDCCH via higher-layer signaling.

[0118] Path loss refers to the signal strength attenuation caused by distance, obstacles, reflection, refraction, etc. during signal propagation. The path loss reference signal of PDCCH can be used to measure the path loss of PDCCH.

[0119] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the measurement results of the path loss reference signal of the PDCCH can be used to evaluate the channel quality of the PDCCH and to provide network devices with a reference for adjusting the power parameters of the PDCCH.

[0120] All embodiments of this disclosure can be executed individually or in combination with other embodiments, and are all considered to be within the scope of protection claimed by this disclosure.

[0121] Please refer to Figure 3, which shows a communication device 30. The communication device 30 may include:

[0122] Communication module 301 is used to send first information, the channel quality of the first information PDCCH.

[0123] Communication module 301 is also used to receive second information, which indicates the power parameters of the PDCCH, and the second information is determined based on the first information.

[0124] Furthermore, the communication module 301 is also used to receive third information, which indicates the transmit power of the PDCCH, or the third information indicates the offset between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the first downlink signal.

[0125] Furthermore, the communication device 30 may also include a processing module 302, which is used to measure CSI measurement resources. The channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of the CSI measurement resources.

[0126] Furthermore, the communication module 301 is also used to receive higher-layer signaling or DCI, the higher-layer signaling or DCI including the second information, and the higher-layer signaling or DCI also including at least one of the following: the identifier of the search space and the identifier of the CORESET.

[0127] In specific implementations, the aforementioned communication device 30 may correspond to a chip with communication function in a terminal device, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc.; or to a chip module in a terminal device that includes a chip with communication function; or to a chip module with a chip with data processing function; or to a terminal device.

[0128] In another non-limiting embodiment, the communication module 301 is used to receive first information and send second information.

[0129] In specific implementations, the aforementioned communication device 30 may correspond to a chip with communication function in a network device, such as a SOC or baseband chip; or to a chip module in a network device that includes a chip with communication function; or to a chip module with a chip that has data processing function; or to a network device.

[0130] Other relevant descriptions of the communication device 30 can be found in the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0131] Regarding the modules / units included in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or a combination of both. For example, for devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs running on a processor integrated within the chip, while the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. The implementation is achieved through a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the chip module. The remaining modules / units (if any) can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For various devices and products applied to or integrated into terminal equipment, each of their modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components within the terminal equipment. Alternatively, at least some modules / units can be implemented using a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the terminal equipment, while the remaining modules / units (if any) can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits.

[0132] This disclosure also discloses a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon. When the computer program is executed, it can perform the steps of the method shown in the foregoing embodiments. The storage medium may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc. The storage medium may also include non-volatile memory or non-transitory memory, etc.

[0133] Referring to Figure 4, this disclosure also provides a hardware structure diagram of a communication device. The device includes a processor 401, a memory 402, and a transceiver 403.

[0134] Processor 401 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of programs according to the present disclosure. Processor 401 may also include multiple CPUs, and processor 401 may be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. Here, "processor" may refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0135] The memory 402 may be a ROM or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, RAM or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. The memory 402 may exist independently (in which case, the memory 402 may be located outside or inside the device) or may be integrated with the processor 401. The memory 402 may contain computer program code. The processor 401 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 402 to implement the method provided in this disclosure.

[0136] The processor 401, memory 402, and transceiver 403 are connected via a bus. The transceiver 403 is used to communicate with other devices or communication networks. Optionally, the transceiver 403 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The device in the transceiver 403 that implements the receiving function can be considered as a receiver, which is used to perform the receiving steps in the embodiments of this disclosure. The device in the transceiver 403 that implements the transmitting function can be considered as a transmitter, which is used to perform the transmitting steps in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0137] When the structural diagram shown in Figure 4 is used to illustrate the structure of the terminal device involved in the above embodiments, the processor 401 is used to control and manage the actions of the terminal device. For example, the processor 401 is used to support the terminal device in performing actions performed by the terminal device in other processes described in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 401 can communicate with other network entities through the transceiver 403, for example, with the aforementioned network device. The memory 402 is used to store the program code and data of the terminal device. When the processor runs the computer program, it can control the transceiver 403 to receive one or more of RRC signaling, MAC signaling, and DCI.

[0138] When the structural diagram shown in Figure 4 illustrates the structure of the network device involved in the above embodiments, the processor 401 is used to control and manage the actions of the network device. For example, the processor 401 is used to support the network device in performing actions performed by the network device in other processes described in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 401 can communicate with other network entities through the transceiver 403, for example, with the aforementioned terminal device. The memory 402 is used to store the program code and data of the network device. When the processor runs the computer program, it can control the transceiver 403 to send one or more of RRC signaling, MAC signaling, and DCI.

[0139] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a one-way communication link from the access network to the terminal device is defined as a downlink, and the data transmitted on the downlink is called downlink data. The transmission direction of the downlink data is called the downlink direction. On the other hand, a one-way communication link from the terminal device to the access network is defined as an uplink, and the data transmitted on the uplink is called uplink data. The transmission direction of the uplink data is called the uplink direction.

[0140] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0141] In this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0142] The descriptions of "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes and to distinguish the objects being described. They have no order and do not indicate any particular limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this disclosure, nor do they constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0143] The term "connection" in this disclosure refers to various connection methods, such as direct connection or indirect connection, to achieve communication between devices. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the term.

[0144] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means.

[0145] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this disclosure, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0146] In the several embodiments provided in this disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed methods, apparatuses, and systems can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units is merely a logical functional division, and other division methods may exist in actual implementation; 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, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0147] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0148] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be physically comprised separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0149] The integrated unit implemented as a software functional unit described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This software functional unit, stored in a storage medium, includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0150] While the above disclosure is provided, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may make various alterations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure; therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising: Send a first message, which indicates the channel quality of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH); Receive second information, which indicates the power parameters of the PDCCH, and the second information is determined based on the first information.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein, Also includes: Receive third information, the third information indicating the transmit power of the PDCCH, or the third information indicating the offset of the transmit power of the PDCCH from the transmit power of the first downlink signal.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, wherein, The offset between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the first downlink signal includes one or more of the following: The difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); The difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the synchronization signal block SSB; The difference between the transmit power of the PDCCH and the transmit power of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

4. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of CSI measurement resources.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, wherein, The channel quality of the PDCCH is determined based on the measurement results of the CSI measurement resources and the reference resources of the PDCCH.

6. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein, The reference resources for the PDCCH are determined based on the configuration parameters of the PDCCH that calculate the assumed block error rate, and the configuration parameters include one or more of the following: The downlink control information includes the format, number of control orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, aggregation level, assumed ratio of PDCCH resource element energy to average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy, bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, demodulation reference signal DMRS precoding granularity, assumed ratio of PDCCH DMRS energy to average secondary synchronization signal SSS resource element energy, resource element group REG bundling size, cyclic prefix length, and mapping relationship between REG and control channel element CCE.

7. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The PDCCH and PDSCH share CSI-RS resources. The first information includes a first channel quality parameter and a second channel quality parameter. The first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH, and the second channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDSCH. Alternatively, the first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDCCH, and the second channel quality parameter indicates the difference between the channel quality of the PDSCH and the channel quality of the PDCCH. Or, the first channel quality parameter indicates the channel quality of the PDSCH, and the second channel quality parameter indicates the difference between the channel quality of the PDSCH and the channel quality of the PDCCH.

8. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The second information indicates that the power parameters of the PDCCH in the search space should be adjusted, and the power parameters of the PDCCH are different in different search spaces; Alternatively, the second information indicates that the power parameters of the PDCCH in the control resource set CORESET be adjusted, and the power parameters of the PDCCH in different CORESETs are different.

9. The communication method according to claim 8, wherein, The receiving of the second information includes: Receive higher-layer signaling or downlink control information (DCI), wherein the higher-layer signaling or DCI includes the second information, and the higher-layer signaling or DCI further includes at least one of the following: The search space identifier and the CORESET identifier.

10. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The first information includes one or more of the following: Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), Recommended Aggregation Level, and Rank Indicator.

11. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The power parameters of the PDCCH include one or more of the following: Modulation method, transmit power, aggregation level, code rate, layer identifier.

12. A communication method, comprising: Receive first information, which indicates the channel quality of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH); Send a second message indicating the power parameters of the PDCCH, the second message being determined based on the first message.

13. The communication method according to claim 12, wherein, Also includes: Send a third message indicating the transmit power of the PDCCH, or the third message indicating the offset of the transmit power of the PDCCH from the transmit power of the first downlink signal.

14. The communication method according to claim 12, wherein, The receiving of the second information includes: Sending higher-layer signaling or DCI, wherein the higher-layer signaling or DCI includes the second information, and wherein the higher-layer signaling or DCI further includes at least one of the following: The search space identifier and the CORESET identifier.

15. A communication device, comprising: The communication module is used to send first information, which indicates the channel quality of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The communication module is also used to receive second information, which indicates the power parameters of the PDCCH, and the second information is determined based on the first information.

16. A communication device, comprising: The communication module is used to receive first information, which indicates the channel quality of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The communication module is also used to send a second message indicating the power parameters of the PDCCH, the second message being determined based on the first message.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform the steps of the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 11, or to perform the steps of the communication method of any one of claims 12 to 14.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the communication method of claims 1 to 14.

19. A communication device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program executable on the processor, the processor executing the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 when running the computer program.

20. A communication device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program executable on the processor, the processor executing the steps of the communication method of any one of claims 12 to 14 when running the computer program.

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