Wireless communication method, terminal device and network device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method, a terminal device and a network device. The method comprises: a terminal device receiving or sending a first synchronization signal, wherein the first synchronization signal is a synchronization signal obtained on the basis of a first signal modulation scheme, and the first signal modulation scheme is a modulation scheme other than OFDM. In the present application, transmission of a first synchronization signal is implemented on the basis of a modulation scheme other than OFDM. A terminal device performs synchronization on the basis of the first synchronization signal, thereby improving the synchronization accuracy.

Description

Wireless communication methods, terminal devices, and network devices Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method, terminal device, and network device. Background Technology

[0002] Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) can convert frequency-selective channels into parallel frequency-flat sub-channels through multi-carrier transmission. However, in some special scenarios, such as those with high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) or high-speed mobile scenarios, the pilot signals obtained based on OFDM may not meet the pilot signal detection requirements of terminal devices. Therefore, improving the detection performance of pilot signals has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a wireless communication method, terminal device, and network device. The various aspects covered by this application are described below.

[0004] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a terminal device receiving or transmitting a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than OFDM.

[0005] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a network device transmitting or receiving a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than OFDM.

[0006] Thirdly, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a transceiver unit for receiving or transmitting a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than OFDM.

[0007] Fourthly, a network device is provided, comprising: a transceiver unit for transmitting or receiving a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than OFDM.

[0008] Fifthly, a terminal device is provided, including a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to invoke the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send signals, so that the terminal device performs the method as described in the first aspect.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a network device is provided, including a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to invoke the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the network device performs the method as described in the second aspect.

[0010] A seventh aspect provides an apparatus including a processor for calling a program from a memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0011] Eighthly, a chip is provided, including a processor for calling a program from memory to cause a device having the chip mounted to perform the method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0012] Ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a program stored thereon that causes a computer to perform the method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0013] A tenth aspect provides a computer program product, including a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0014] Eleventhly, a computer program is provided that causes a computer to perform the method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0015] In this embodiment, a first pilot signal based on a modulation method other than OFDM is provided to improve the detection performance of the pilot signal. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 is a system architecture example diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of OFDM processing.

[0018] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the wireless communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the downlink synchronization process according to an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the direction corresponding to the SSB index.

[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Wireless communication system

[0026] Figure 1 is an example diagram of the system architecture of a wireless communication system 100 to which embodiments of this application can be applied. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120. The network device 110 can provide network coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with the terminal device 120 located within that coverage area. The terminal device 120 can access a network, such as a wireless network, through the network device 110. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity; this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0027] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) systems, new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as sixth generation mobile communication systems, satellite communication systems, etc.

[0028] In this application embodiment, the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user apparatus. The terminal device in this application embodiment can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connectivity, vehicle-mounted device, etc. Terminal devices can also be mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, self-driving, remote medical surgery, smart grids, transportation safety, smart cities, and smart homes. Optionally, terminal devices can act as base stations. For example, a terminal device can act as a dispatching entity, providing sidelink signals between terminal devices in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device-to-device (D2D) systems. For instance, cellular phones and cars communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cellular phones and smart home devices communicate without relaying communication signals through base stations.

[0029] In this embodiment, the network device can be a device used to communicate with a terminal device. The network device can be an access network device or a wireless access network device. For example, the network device can be a base station. The term "base station" can broadly encompass various names as follows, or can be replaced by names such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station (MeNB), secondary station (SeNB), multi-mode radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar entity, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, or an entity that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or an entity that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the network equipment.

[0030] Furthermore, base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0031] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0032] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform such as a cloud platform.

[0033] OFDM

[0034] From 2G's Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and 3G's Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) to 4G / 5G's Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Discrete Fourier Transform Spread-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (DFT-S-OFDMA), the design of multiple access methods (or waveform design) has always been the core of wireless communication systems. To meet the needs of multi-user communication, the system needs to generate a series of mutually orthogonal transmitted waveforms to effectively transmit information-carrying symbols through the propagation channel. OFDM can convert frequency-selective channels into parallel frequency-flat sub-channels through multi-carrier transmission, thereby effectively reducing inter-symbol interference (ISI) and enabling flexible allocation of time and frequency resources. However, OFDM also has some practical problems, such as peak-to-average power ratio and severe Doppler shift in high-speed mobile scenarios. In the LTE uplink, DFT-s-OFDM is used to reduce PAPR, but this increases implementation complexity and reduces system performance.

[0035] Despite some drawbacks, OFDM's numerous advantages have led to its adoption in 4G and its continued use in 5G. OFDM divides transmitted data into multiple sub-channels (or subcarriers) for parallel transmission. Each subcarrier carries a portion of the data at a low rate, and the orthogonality between subcarriers reduces interference during wideband transmission. Subcarrier spectral overlap fully utilizes subcarrier resources, improving spectral efficiency. Furthermore, inter-symbol interference caused by multipath propagation in OFDM systems can be mitigated by inserting guard intervals (e.g., cyclic prefixes, CP). Since signal detection and channel estimation in OFDM systems only require simple gain adjustments to each subcarrier in the frequency domain, eliminating the need for complex time-domain equalizers, OFDM can be easily combined with other technologies, such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), to further improve system performance.

[0036] As an example, Figure 2 illustrates the OFDM processing procedure, in which the signal to be transmitted is mapped onto each subcarrier, and the frequency domain signal A on each subcarrier is transformed using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). k Convert to time domain signal a n Where n ranges from 0 to N-1, this process can be implemented, for example, based on the following formula:

[0037] After that, signal a n After further processing such as parallel-to-serial conversion and digital-to-analog conversion (D / A), the time-domain signal a(t) is obtained.

[0038] Doppler shift

[0039] Doppler shift is the change in signal frequency caused by the relative motion between the transmitter and receiver, and can be expressed by the following formula:

[0040] Where Δf is the frequency shift, v is the relative velocity (positive value indicates moving away, negative value indicates moving closer), c is the speed of light, and f is the carrier frequency of the signal (also known as the carrier frequency).

[0041] When the transmitter and receiver move away from each other, the frequency of the signal received by the receiver decreases. When they move closer together, the frequency of the signal received by the receiver increases. Frequency drift introduces frequency deviation, affecting frequency synchronization, especially in high-speed communications (e.g., high-speed trains or satellite communications). The Doppler effect accelerates changes in channel state, affecting the accuracy of channel estimation. In technologies such as OFDM, the Doppler effect can lead to inter-carrier interference, affecting signal demodulation.

[0042] Doppler shift causes frequency offset and phase drift, affecting the synchronization performance of the receiver. Especially in high-speed moving scenarios, frequency offset can lead to carrier frequency deviation, making proper demodulation difficult. Due to time synchronization errors caused by frequency offset, the signal start point is difficult to capture. Relative motion between the transmitter and receiver results in significant Doppler shift, requiring a frequency compensation mechanism to maintain synchronization. In high-speed rail or V2X communication, the Doppler effect caused by high-speed movement necessitates real-time frequency adjustment to maintain communication quality. High-density device access and frequency offset in dynamic scenarios place higher demands on synchronization algorithms. Through effective synchronization and Doppler shift compensation, communication systems can maintain efficient and reliable transmission in high-speed moving and variable channel environments.

[0043] Delayed Doppler waveform

[0044] There are various types of time-delay Doppler waveforms, among which the orthogonal time-frequency space (OTFS) technique performs well in the time-delay Doppler domain. The main advantage of OTFS over traditional OFDM receivers lies in distance estimation in high-speed mobile scenarios. For traditional OFDM receivers, multipath effects and Doppler shift in high-speed scenarios lead to the loss of orthogonality between subcarriers, causing frequency offset correction algorithms in traditional OFDM receivers to fail. OTFS uses two-dimensional orthogonal basis functions in the time-delay Doppler domain to combat the dynamic characteristics of time-varying multipath channels, transforming fading, time-varying multipath channels into sparse, slowly varying time-varying channels. Therefore, as long as the highest Doppler shift is less than the subcarrier spacing, the frequency offset problem can be solved. For low-speed scenarios, the Doppler shift is close to zero, and synchronization and channel estimation parameters are mainly located in the time-delay channel. Traditional OFDM receivers have good estimation performance for time-delay channels unaffected by Doppler shift. In this case, the time delay estimation results of OTFS and OFDM are equivalent in specific scenarios, and their performance is similar. Therefore, in high-speed scenarios, OTFS can estimate higher Doppler frequency shifts, showing its advantage over OFDM.

[0045] Taking downlink synchronization as an example, during downlink synchronization, the terminal device first detects the primary synchronization signal to obtain time synchronization information, and then detects the secondary synchronization signal to obtain precise time and frequency synchronization, as well as complete cell identification (ID) information. In some special scenarios, such as peak-to-average power ratio or high-speed mobile scenarios, the synchronization signal obtained based on OFDM may not meet the downlink synchronization accuracy requirements of the terminal device.

[0046] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a first pilot signal based on a modulation method other than OFDM, thereby improving the detection performance of the pilot signal.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first signal modulation method refers to a modulation method other than OFDM. For example, the first signal modulation method may be OTFS modulation or other time-delay Doppler modulation methods. The second signal modulation method refers to OFDM or other time-frequency domain signal modulation methods. The signal modulation method in this embodiment may be, for example, a multi-carrier modulation method. The term "modulation" in this embodiment should be broadly understood as a "processing" of the signal.

[0048] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 3.

[0049] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 300 shown in Figure 3 can be executed by a terminal device and a network device. The terminal device can be, for example, the terminal device 120 shown in Figure 1, and the network device can be, for example, the network device 110 shown in Figure 1.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3, in step 310, the first communication device sends a first pilot signal to the second communication device.

[0051] Accordingly, in step 320, the second communication device receives the first pilot signal sent by the first communication device.

[0052] The first pilot signal may include, for example, a first synchronization signal to improve the synchronization accuracy of the terminal device; or, the first pilot signal may include a first channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS) to improve the channel state estimation accuracy of the terminal device. Alternatively, the first pilot signal may also include a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or other signals.

[0053] The first synchronization signal is used for downlink and / or uplink synchronization of the terminal device. For downlink synchronization, the first communication device is a network device, and the second communication device is a terminal device; for uplink synchronization, the first communication device is a terminal device, and the second communication device is a network device. For example, when the first synchronization signal is used for downlink synchronization of the terminal device, it may include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and / or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS); when the first synchronization signal is used for uplink synchronization of the terminal device, it may include a random access preamble.

[0054] Hereinafter, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described using the first communication device as a network device and the second communication device as a terminal device as examples. In this case, the first synchronization signal is used for downlink synchronization. The first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, that is, the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a modulation method other than OFDM. For example, the first pilot signal can be a pilot signal based on time-delay Doppler (e.g., OTFS).

[0055] Thus, by transmitting the first synchronization signal in the time-delay Doppler domain, the terminal device can improve the resolution of the first synchronization signal through multi-dimensional processing after performing two-dimensional detection on the first synchronization signal, thereby providing higher precision measurement results for subsequent high-speed data, high-order modulation, high-speed mobile scenarios, and more refined perception and measurement.

[0056] When the first pilot signal includes the first CSI-RS and the second pilot signal includes the second CSI-RS, after estimating the large-scale channel falloff based on the first CSI-RS, the second CSI-RS can be used to estimate the multipath, the multipath delay, and the Doppler information.

[0057] In some implementations, method 300 may also include steps 330 and 340.

[0058] In step 330, the first communication device sends a second pilot signal to the second communication device.

[0059] Accordingly, in step 340, the second communication device receives the second pilot signal sent by the first communication device.

[0060] The second pilot signal may include, for example, a second synchronization signal; or, the second pilot signal may include a second CSI-RS; or, the second pilot signal may also include a second DMRS or other signals.

[0061] The second synchronization signal is used for downlink and / or uplink synchronization of the terminal device. For downlink synchronization, the first communication device is a network device, and the second communication device is a terminal device; for uplink synchronization, the first communication device is a terminal device, and the second communication device is a network device. For example, when the second synchronization signal is used for downlink synchronization of the terminal device, it may include a PSS and / or an SSS; when it is used for uplink synchronization, it may include a random access preamble.

[0062] The second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on the second signal modulation method, that is, the second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on OFDM.

[0063] As an example, if the first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal and the second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal, where the second synchronization signal is a downlink synchronization signal, then the network device can send both the second synchronization signal and the first synchronization signal to the terminal device. As another example, if the first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal and the second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal, where the second synchronization signal is an uplink synchronization signal, then the terminal device can send both the second synchronization signal and the first synchronization signal to the network device. As yet another example, if the first pilot signal includes a first CSI-RS and the second pilot signal includes the first CSI-RS, then the network device can send both the second CSI-RS and the first CSI-RS to the terminal device.

[0064] It should be noted that the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method can be regarded as different multiple access methods or different waveforms. For example, the first signal modulation method can also be called the first multiple access method, the first waveform, or the first signal processing method, and the second signal modulation method can also be called the second multiple access method, the second waveform, or the second signal processing method, etc.

[0065] Given that existing standards are based on OFDM, designing a new system standard entirely independent of OFDM would result in massive engineering challenges. Furthermore, such a approach would significantly impact the industry landscape. Therefore, this application embodiment can also build upon the existing OFDM framework by introducing other multiple access methods to compensate for OFDM's shortcomings, thereby designing a scheme where multiple multiple access methods coexist, leveraging their respective strengths to compensate for each other's weaknesses, enabling the system to adapt to various scenarios. In future wireless communication systems, in addition to supporting current high-speed data communication, high reliability and low latency, and massive connectivity, it is also necessary to support integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), air-space-ground integration, and integrated artificial intelligence and communication. These scenarios require utilizing the advantages of various multiple access waveforms. Therefore, this application embodiment proposes a method of coexistence of multiple multiple access methods (or waveforms) to better support different needs in various future scenarios. Moreover, the coexistence of multiple access methods (or waveforms) is also more conducive to leveraging the advantages of signal processing in the time-delay Doppler domain, allowing for more accurate estimation of Doppler frequency shift without introducing excessive computational complexity.

[0066] The following describes in detail the situation where multiple access methods (or multiple waveforms) coexist, that is, a first pilot signal based on a first signal modulation method and a second pilot signal based on a second signal modulation method exist simultaneously. When multiple access methods (or multiple waveforms) coexist, pilot signals exist under different access methods (or multiple waveforms). These pilot signals may have different functions and detection times, thereby jointly improving the signal detection accuracy of the terminal device.

[0067] Taking downlink synchronization as an example, the downlink synchronization process is shown in Figure 4. In step 410, the terminal device first receives the primary synchronization information from the second synchronization signal and obtains coarse time synchronization information. Next, in step 420, the terminal device receives the secondary synchronization information from the second synchronization signal and obtains fine time synchronization information. Finally, in step 430, the terminal device receives the first synchronization signal, thereby obtaining fine-to-fine time synchronization information. Here, fine-to-fine synchronization means that the synchronization accuracy obtained in step 430 is higher than the synchronization accuracy obtained in step 420.

[0068] In some implementations, signal detection based on a first pilot signal is correlated with signal detection results based on a second pilot signal; in other words, the signal detection process correlated with the second pilot signal may depend on the result of the signal detection process correlated with the first pilot signal. For example, synchronization based on a first synchronization signal is correlated with synchronization based on a second synchronization signal; in other words, the downlink synchronization process correlated with the second synchronization signal may depend on the result of the downlink synchronization process correlated with the first synchronization signal. As another example, channel estimation based on a first CSI-RS is correlated with channel estimation results based on a second CSI-RS; in other words, the signal estimation process correlated with the second CSI-RS may depend on the result of the channel estimation process correlated with the first CSI-RS.

[0069] Taking downlink synchronization as an example, referring to Figure 4, before performing downlink synchronization based on the first synchronization signal in step 430, downlink synchronization is first performed based on the second synchronization signal in steps 410 and 420. This is to reduce the high computational load generated when performing downlink synchronization solely based on the second synchronization signal, thereby improving the accuracy of downlink synchronization without increasing the complexity of the terminal equipment.

[0070] Specifically, during initial access, terminal devices have no information and need to smoothly scan the data within a cycle. Although fast algorithms exist, their complexity remains high due to the large amount of data processed. Furthermore, in 5G scenarios, due to limitations in device processing capabilities, synchronization signals are transmitted via beam scanning. In some cases, a single synchronization signal block burst (SSB burst) from a network device can contain 64 beams, transmitted at different times and directions. Users need to detect each of these beams individually during synchronization detection. If the terminal device performs receive beam scanning, the detection complexity increases exponentially with the number of beams. For example, if there are 64 transmit beams and 32 receive beams, then 64*32 initial synchronization searches are required. The OTFS (Optical Time-of-Flight) algorithm itself remains complex. With OTFS, the receiver, unaware of channel information, doesn't know where to receive the target. While peaks can be found at corresponding locations for blind OTFS detection, this introduces additional complexity. The algorithm complexity of OTFS transformation is typically several times that of traditional OFDM receivers, significantly impacting synchronization detection efficiency. Therefore, based on downlink synchronization using the first synchronization signal, the terminal device can know approximately where to receive the second synchronization signal, thereby reducing the complexity of downlink synchronization based on the second synchronization signal and improving synchronization accuracy without introducing a large amount of computation.

[0071] During downlink synchronization, the terminal device first detects the primary synchronization signal to obtain time synchronization information, and then detects the secondary synchronization signal to obtain fine-grained time and frequency synchronization, as well as complete cell ID information. Therefore, when obtaining the initial synchronization information, the OFDM synchronization signal is retained. During synchronization signal detection, the synchronization signal beam is obtained, and if there is further beam scanning, the direction of the received beam is recorded.

[0072] If the terminal device does not require high synchronization accuracy, for example, in a low-speed moving scenario, then only steps 410 and 420 need to be executed; that is, the terminal device completes the downlink synchronization part from steps 410 to 420. If the terminal device requires high synchronization accuracy, for example, in a high-speed moving scenario, then synchronization detection based on signal modulation methods other than OFDM is also required. In this case, steps 410 to 430 are used to achieve more accurate downlink synchronization.

[0073] When the terminal device needs to achieve more precise downlink synchronization through steps 410 to 430, in some implementations, the time-domain position of the first pilot signal can be determined by its time-domain position relative to the second pilot signal. For example, the time-domain position of the first synchronization signal can be determined by its time-domain position relative to the second synchronization signal. As an example, there is a specific frequency offset between the time-domain position of the second synchronization signal and the time-domain position of the first synchronization signal. This frequency offset information can be pre-agreed or indicated by the network device; or, the time-domain position of the first synchronization signal can be the next time-domain position used for transmitting the synchronization signal after the time-domain position of the second synchronization signal. That is, after the terminal device detects the second synchronization signal at a certain time-domain position used for transmitting the synchronization signal, it can detect the first synchronization signal at the next time-domain position used for transmitting the synchronization signal. In this case, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal can also be regarded as a synchronization signal block formed by merging.

[0074] In some implementations, the frequency domain position of the first pilot signal can be adjacent to the frequency domain position of the second pilot signal. For example, the frequency domain position of the first synchronization signal is adjacent to the frequency domain position of the second synchronization signal. As an example, the frequency position corresponding to the first synchronization signal and / or the first signal modulation method is located at the high-frequency end or low-frequency end of a certain frequency band, and is adjacent to the frequency band corresponding to the second synchronization signal and / or the second signal modulation method. This is beneficial for network device resource scheduling and is also suitable for low-bandwidth transmissions such as narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT).

[0075] Taking downlink synchronization as an example, in some implementations, the terminal device can detect the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) (e.g., OFDM-based PBCH) after step 420; or, the terminal device can also detect the PBCH (e.g., OFDM-based PBCH) after step 430. In this case, since more precise downlink synchronization has already been performed based on the first synchronization signal, a higher modulation order can be used for the PBCH, allowing for the carrying of master information block (MIB) information at a more efficient coding rate.

[0076] In some implementations, the network device can notify the terminal device of information related to the first pilot signal via a second synchronization signal. Taking downlink synchronization as an example, since step 430 is optional, the first synchronization signal is not always transmitted; for example, in scenarios where the cell does not support high-speed mobility, the first synchronization signal may not need to be transmitted. Therefore, the network device needs to notify the terminal device of the transmission status of the first synchronization signal. For example, the network device can notify the terminal device of information related to the first synchronization signal via a second synchronization signal. The following describes in detail how to use the second pilot signal to indicate information related to the first pilot signal.

[0077] In some implementations, the second pilot signal is used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal. Specifically, the first pilot signal will only be transmitted in the cell if the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme and / or the first pilot signal. For example, taking downlink synchronization as an example, in step 310, if the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme and / or the first pilot signal, the network device sends the first pilot signal to the terminal device, and indicates to the terminal device via the second pilot signal that the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme and / or the first pilot signal; correspondingly, in step 320, if the second indication information indicates that the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme and / or the first pilot signal, the terminal device receives the first pilot signal sent by the network device.

[0078] In some implementations, the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands. Specifically, the transmission and reception of the first pilot signal only occur when the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method. For example, taking downlink synchronization as an example, in step 310, when the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the network device transmits the first pilot signal to the terminal device; correspondingly, in step 320, when the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the terminal device receives the first pilot signal.

[0079] For example, if certain frequency bands support a first pilot signal and / or a first signal modulation scheme (or, in other words, these frequency bands can have non-OFDM waveforms), then the first pilot signal can be transmitted on these frequency bands. Conversely, if certain frequency bands do not support the first pilot signal and / or the first signal modulation scheme (or, in other words, these frequency bands cannot have non-OFDM waveforms), then the first pilot signal cannot be transmitted on these frequency bands. For instance, if the frequency band is shared by 5G and 6G, non-OFDM waveforms may not be supported on this frequency band to ensure better coexistence between 6G and 5G systems. Similarly, if certain frequency bands support a second pilot signal and / or a second signal modulation scheme, then the second pilot signal can be transmitted on these frequency bands. Furthermore, if certain frequency bands simultaneously support both the first and second pilot signals, or simultaneously support both the first and second signal modulation schemes, then both the first and second pilot signals can be transmitted on these frequency bands. The terminal device can determine whether it needs to receive or transmit the first pilot signal based on its access frequency band.

[0080] Furthermore, the frequency location for transmitting the first pilot signal can be agreed upon or indicated by network devices. For example, the first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, i.e., the first frequency band is a band used for transmitting non-OFDM waveforms. Further, the first frequency band includes sub-bands supporting the first signal modulation method, i.e., non-OFDM waveforms are transmitted within these sub-bands of the first frequency band. These sub-bands supporting the first signal modulation method may, for example, include: sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band. If the first pilot signal is transmitted at the high-frequency end or low-frequency end of a frequency band, when the adjacent frequency band is an OFDM band, OFDM resource scheduling can be more convenient, and it is also beneficial for estimating the signal strength of the OFDM band.

[0081] For example, the first pilot signal is associated with the second frequency band, meaning the first frequency band is used to transmit the first pilot signal. Further, the second frequency band includes a sub-frequency band supporting the first pilot signal, meaning the first pilot signal is transmitted within this sub-frequency band of the second frequency band. This sub-frequency band supporting the first pilot signal in the second frequency band may include, for example, one or more of the following: a sub-frequency band near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; a sub-frequency band near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; an intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency and low-frequency bands; or a sub-frequency band closer to the third frequency band between the high-frequency and low-frequency bands. The third frequency band is the frequency band that supports the second signal modulation scheme and / or the second pilot signal.

[0082] In some implementations, the second pilot signal is used to indicate relevant information about the first pilot signal to help the terminal device better receive or transmit the first pilot signal. The relevant information about the first pilot signal includes, for example, one or more of the following: indication information indicating whether the current cell supports a first signal modulation scheme; indication information indicating whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; time-domain information of the first pilot signal; frequency-domain information of the first pilot signal; the synchronous signal broadcast channel block (SSB) index associated with the first pilot signal; and the subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

[0083] In some implementations, the relevant information of the first pilot signal can be carried in the second pilot signal. For example, the relevant information of the first synchronization signal can be carried in the second synchronization signal (e.g., the primary synchronization signal (or primary synchronization sequence) or the secondary synchronization signal (or secondary synchronization sequence)), the PBCH associated with the second pilot signal, the MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or the system information block (SIB1) associated with the second pilot signal.

[0084] For example, the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, and the PBCH can constitute a synchronization signal block. The PBCH can carry a bit to indicate whether the current cell includes the first synchronization signal or whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method.

[0085] For example, a secondary synchronization sequence can be used to indicate whether the current cell includes the first synchronization signal. Typically, a secondary synchronization sequence can indicate more than 300 cells. When using a secondary synchronization sequence to indicate whether the current cell includes the first synchronization signal, more than 600 different sequences are needed. Each pair of sequences forms a group. In this group, one sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell does not include the first synchronization signal or does not support the first signal modulation method. The other sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell includes the first synchronization signal or supports the first signal modulation method.

[0086] For example, a secondary synchronization sequence can be used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme. Typically, a secondary synchronization sequence can indicate more than 300 cells. When using a secondary synchronization sequence to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme, more than 600 different sequences are needed. Each pair of sequences forms a group. In this group, one sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell does not include the first synchronization signal or does not support the first signal modulation scheme. The other sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell includes the first synchronization signal or supports the first signal modulation scheme.

[0087] For example, the primary synchronization sequence can be used to indicate whether the current cell includes the first synchronization signal. Typically, the primary synchronization sequence can indicate three groups of cells. When using the primary synchronization sequence to indicate whether the current cell includes the first synchronization signal, six different sequences are needed. Each pair of sequences forms a group. In this group, one sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell does not include the first synchronization signal or does not support the first signal modulation method. The other sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell includes the first synchronization signal or supports the first signal modulation method.

[0088] For example, the primary synchronization sequence can be used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme. Typically, the primary synchronization sequence can indicate three groups of cells. When using the primary synchronization sequence to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme, six different sequences are needed. Each pair of sequences forms a group. In this group, one sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell does not include the first synchronization signal or does not support the first signal modulation scheme. The other sequence indicates partial information about the cell identifier and indicates that the cell includes the first synchronization signal or supports the first signal modulation scheme.

[0089] For example, the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources of the first synchronization signal and / or its associated pilot signal can be indicated by the SIB1 associated with the second synchronization signal. For a cell-defined SSB, the terminal device can determine the time-frequency position of the first synchronization signal and / or its associated pilot signal based on the indication of the SIB1 by detecting the SIB1 corresponding to the cell-defined SSB.

[0090] In some implementations, the first pilot signal can be associated with the signal transmission direction. For example, the first pilot signal can be associated with an SSB index. This association can, for example, refer to a quasi-co-located (QCL) relationship or other associations. Specifically, the first pilot signal can be transmitted in some SSB index-associated directions, while it may not be transmitted in other SSB index-associated directions.

[0091] For downlink synchronization, when the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal coexist, since the second synchronization signal is transmitted in the form of beam scanning, in a practical system, precise downlink synchronization is only required in specific directions, and may not be necessary in other directions. For example, as shown in Figure 5, a base station deployed along a highway covers the highway on one side and farmland on the other. Precise downlink synchronization is required in the highway direction, but not in the farmland direction. In this case, only certain SSB indices (i.e., SSB indices transmitted on the highway side) require corresponding first synchronization signals, while others (i.e., SSB indices transmitted on the farmland side) do not. Therefore, when the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal coexist, the first synchronization signal can be transmitted only in the directions corresponding to some SSB indices, and this information needs to be communicated to the terminal equipment.

[0092] For example, in some implementations, the first synchronization signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first synchronization signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second synchronization signal, or the SSB index associated with the first synchronization signal is carried in broadcast signaling. That is, the SSB index corresponding to the direction of the first synchronization signal can be indicated by the PBCH / MIB associated with the second synchronization signal or by broadcast signaling.

[0093] As an example, the PBCH or MIB associated with the second synchronization signal includes one indicator bit, used to indicate whether there is a first synchronization signal in the direction corresponding to its associated SSB index. The value of this indicator bit in the corresponding PBCH or MIB can be different for different SSB indices; that is, each indicator bit only indicates whether there is a first synchronization signal in the direction corresponding to its corresponding SSB index. Of course, this indicator bit can also indicate whether there is a first synchronization signal in the directions corresponding to multiple SSB indices, for example, simultaneously indicating that there is a first synchronization signal in the directions corresponding to multiple SSB indices, or simultaneously indicating that there is no first synchronization signal in the directions corresponding to multiple SSB indices, i.e., the value indicated by this bit is the same for different SSB indices.

[0094] For example, broadcast signaling may include a bit string containing multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices. Each bit in the bit string indicates whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with a first synchronization signal. For instance, a bit with a value of 1 indicates that a first synchronization signal is transmitted in the direction of its corresponding SSB index, while a bit with a value of 0 indicates that a first synchronization signal is not transmitted in the direction of its corresponding SSB index.

[0095] For example, the broadcast signaling may include an indicator bit that indicates whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first synchronization signal.

[0096] The values ​​of the indicator bits corresponding to different SSB indices can be the same or different. Specifically, for different SSB indices, the values ​​of the indicator bits in their corresponding PBCH or MIB can be different. That is, each indicator bit only indicates whether there is a first synchronization signal in the direction corresponding to its corresponding SSB index. Of course, the indicator bit can also indicate whether there is a first synchronization signal in the directions corresponding to multiple SSB indices. For example, it can simultaneously indicate that there is a first synchronization signal in the directions corresponding to multiple SSB indices, or it can simultaneously indicate that there is no first synchronization signal in the directions corresponding to multiple SSB indices. That is, the value indicated by the bit corresponding to different SSB indices is the same.

[0097] The larger the carrier spacing of the first pilot signal, the greater the estimated Doppler frequency shift. Therefore, a larger subcarrier spacing is desired when using the first signal modulation method. Thus, in some implementations, the carrier spacing of the first pilot signal can be different from the carrier spacing of the second pilot signal. For example, the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is called the first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is called the second subcarrier spacing, where the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different. Furthermore, the first subcarrier spacing can be configured to be greater than the second subcarrier spacing; for example, the first subcarrier spacing can be N times the second subcarrier spacing (e.g., 1, 1.5, or 2 times, etc.).

[0098] For example, information regarding the subcarrier spacing corresponding to a first pilot signal or a first signal modulation scheme supported on a certain frequency band, and / or the subcarrier spacing corresponding to a second pilot signal or a second signal modulation scheme, can be agreed upon or indicated by the network device. The subcarrier spacing information may include one or more subcarrier spacings, or a set of subcarriers. For instance, the subcarrier spacing information corresponding to the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation scheme may be 120kHz, 240kHz, or subcarrier set 1 (including 120kHz and 240kHz); the subcarrier spacing information corresponding to the second pilot signal or the second signal modulation scheme may be 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, or subcarrier set 2 (including 15kHz, 30kHz, and 60kHz). This subcarrier spacing information can, for example, be carried in SIB1 or MIB information.

[0099] Based on the technical solutions of this application, signal transmission can be performed using methods other than OFDM, such as pilot signal transmission, and a resource allocation scheme for pilot signal transmission under time-delay Doppler waveforms is provided. Simultaneously, for situations where multiple multiple access methods (or multiple waveforms) coexist, a pilot signal transmission (or detection) scheme is provided, enabling pilot signals under different multiple access methods (or multiple waveforms) to complement each other, obtaining relatively accurate estimation results in the time and frequency domains, and providing high-precision assurance for subsequent access, communication, positioning measurement, sensing measurement, and link measurement.

[0100] The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The apparatus embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 6 and 7. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the preceding method embodiments.

[0101] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 600 shown in Figure 6 may include a transceiver unit 610. The transceiver unit 610 is used to receive or transmit a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than OFDM.

[0102] In some implementations, the first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal.

[0103] In some implementations, the transceiver unit 610 is further configured to: receive or transmit a second pilot signal, wherein the second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a second signal modulation method, and the second signal modulation method is OFDM.

[0104] In some implementations, the second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal.

[0105] In some implementations, the second synchronization signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

[0106] In some implementations, the second pilot signal is further used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; wherein, the transceiver unit 610 is specifically used to: when the second pilot signal indicates that the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or the current cell supports the first pilot signal, the terminal device receives or transmits the first pilot signal.

[0107] In some implementations, the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands; wherein, the transceiver unit 610 is specifically used to: when the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the terminal device receives or transmits the first pilot signal.

[0108] In some implementations, the second pilot signal is further used to indicate relevant information of the first pilot signal, which includes one or more of the following: indication information indicating whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme; indication information indicating whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; time-domain information of the first pilot signal; frequency-domain information of the first pilot signal; SSB index associated with the first pilot signal; and subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

[0109] In some implementations, the relevant information of the first pilot signal is carried in: the second pilot signal; or, the PBCH associated with the second pilot signal; or, the MIB associated with the second pilot signal; or, the SIB1 associated with the second pilot signal.

[0110] In some implementations, the first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the first frequency band that support the first signal modulation method include: sub-frequency bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, sub-frequency bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band.

[0111] In some implementations, the first pilot signal is associated with a second frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the second frequency band that support the first pilot signal include one or more of the following: sub-frequency bands near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; sub-frequency bands near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; an intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band; and a sub-frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band that is closer to a third frequency band; wherein the third frequency band is a frequency band that supports the second signal modulation scheme and / or the second pilot signal.

[0112] In some implementations, the time-domain position of the first pilot signal is the next time-domain position for transmitting the pilot signal after the time-domain position of the second pilot signal; and / or, the frequency-domain position of the first pilot signal is adjacent to the frequency-domain position of the second pilot signal.

[0113] In some implementations, the first pilot signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first pilot signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or carried in broadcast signaling.

[0114] In some implementations, the broadcast signaling includes a bit string comprising multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices, wherein each of the multiple bits is used to indicate whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal.

[0115] In some implementations, the broadcast signaling includes an indicator bit that indicates whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal.

[0116] In some implementations, the values ​​of the indicator bits corresponding to different SSB indices may be the same or different.

[0117] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is a first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different.

[0118] In some implementations, the first subcarrier interval is greater than the second subcarrier interval.

[0119] In some implementations, the first signal modulation method is OTFS.

[0120] It is understood that the transceiver unit 610 may be, for example, a transceiver 830. Additionally, the terminal device 600 may optionally include a processor 810 and a memory 820, as detailed in Figure 8.

[0121] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application. The network device 700 shown in Figure 7 may include a transceiver unit 710. The transceiver unit 710 is used to transmit or receive a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than OFDM.

[0122] In some implementations, the first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal.

[0123] In some implementations, the transceiver unit 710 is further configured to: transmit or receive a second pilot signal, wherein the second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a second signal modulation method, and the second signal modulation method is OFDM.

[0124] In some implementations, the second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal.

[0125] In some implementations, the second synchronization signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

[0126] In some implementations, the second pilot signal is further used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; wherein, the transceiver unit 710 is specifically used to: when the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or the current cell supports the first pilot signal, the network device sends or receives the first pilot signal.

[0127] In some implementations, the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands; wherein, the transceiver unit 710 is specifically used to: when the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the network device sends or receives the first pilot signal.

[0128] In some implementations, the second pilot signal is further used to indicate relevant information of the first pilot signal, which includes one or more of the following: indication information indicating whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation scheme; indication information indicating whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; time-domain information of the first pilot signal; frequency-domain information of the first pilot signal; SSB index associated with the first pilot signal; and subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

[0129] In some implementations, the relevant information of the first pilot signal is carried in: the second pilot signal; or, the PBCH associated with the second pilot signal; or, the MIB associated with the second pilot signal; or, the SIB1 associated with the second pilot signal.

[0130] In some implementations, the first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the first frequency band that support the first signal modulation method include: sub-frequency bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, sub-frequency bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band.

[0131] In some implementations, the first pilot signal is associated with a second frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the second frequency band that support the first pilot signal include one or more of the following: sub-frequency bands near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; sub-frequency bands near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; an intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band; and a sub-frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band that is closer to a third frequency band; wherein the third frequency band is a frequency band that supports the second signal modulation scheme and / or the second pilot signal.

[0132] In some implementations, the time-domain position of the first pilot signal is the next time-domain position for transmitting the pilot signal after the time-domain position of the second pilot signal; and / or, the frequency-domain position of the first pilot signal is adjacent to the frequency-domain position of the second pilot signal.

[0133] In some implementations, the first pilot signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first pilot signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or carried in broadcast signaling.

[0134] In some implementations, the broadcast signaling includes a bit string comprising multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices, wherein each of the multiple bits is used to indicate whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal.

[0135] In some implementations, the broadcast signaling includes an indicator bit that indicates whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal.

[0136] In some implementations, the values ​​of the indicator bits corresponding to different SSB indices may be the same or different.

[0137] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is a first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different.

[0138] In some implementations, the first subcarrier interval is greater than the second subcarrier interval.

[0139] In some implementations, the first signal modulation method is OTFS.

[0140] It is understood that the transceiver unit 710 may be, for example, a transceiver 830. Additionally, the network device 700 may optionally include a processor 810 and a memory 820, as detailed in Figure 8.

[0141] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 8 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The apparatus 800 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The apparatus 800 may be, for example, a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0142] The apparatus 800 may include one or more processors 810. The processors 810 may support the apparatus 800 in implementing the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor 810 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor 810 may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor 810 may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0143] The apparatus 800 may further include one or more memories 820. The memories 820 store programs that can be executed by the processor 810, causing the processor 810 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 820 may be independent of the processor 810, or they may be integrated into the processor 810.

[0144] The device 800 may also include a transceiver 830. The processor 810 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 830. For example, the processor 810 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 830.

[0145] This application also provides a communication system. The communication system includes the terminal device and network device described above. In some implementations, the system further includes other devices that interact with the terminal device and network device.

[0146] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0147] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. This computer program product can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in the various embodiments of this application.

[0148] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the terminal device or network device provided in this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in the various embodiments of this application.

[0149] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terminology used in this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit this application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0150] In the embodiments of this application, the term "instruction" can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0151] In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0152] In the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an association between two things, or a relationship such as instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured.

[0153] In this application embodiment, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0154] In this application embodiment, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the LTE protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0155] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0156] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes 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 application.

[0157] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0158] 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.

[0159] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0160] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0161] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising: include: The terminal device receives or transmits a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a synchronization signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device receives or transmits a second pilot signal, wherein the second pilot signal is a synchronization signal obtained based on a second signal modulation method, and the second signal modulation method is OFDM.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The second synchronization signal includes the primary synchronization signal PSS and / or the secondary synchronization signal SSS.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; The terminal device receiving or transmitting the first pilot signal includes: When the second pilot signal indicates that the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or the current cell supports the first pilot signal, the terminal device receives or transmits the first pilot signal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands; The terminal device receiving or transmitting the first pilot signal includes: When the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the terminal device receives or transmits the first pilot signal.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate relevant information of the first pilot signal, wherein the relevant information of the first pilot signal includes one or more of the following: Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method; Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; The time-domain information of the first pilot signal; Frequency domain information of the first pilot signal; The synchronization signal broadcast channel block (SSB) index associated with the first pilot signal; The subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The relevant information of the first pilot signal is carried in: The second pilot signal; or, The physical broadcast channel PBCH associated with the second pilot signal; or, The second pilot signal is associated with the main information block (MIB); or, The system information block SIB1 associated with the second pilot signal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the first frequency band that support the first signal modulation method include: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with a second frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the second frequency band that support the first pilot signal include one or more of the following: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; The intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band; The high-frequency band and the sub-band of the low-frequency band that is closer to the third frequency band; The third frequency band is a frequency band that supports the second signal modulation method and / or the second pilot signal.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The time-domain position of the first pilot signal is the next time-domain position for transmitting the pilot signal after the time-domain position of the second pilot signal; and / or, the frequency-domain position of the first pilot signal is adjacent to the frequency-domain position of the second pilot signal.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first pilot signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or carried in broadcast signaling.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The broadcast signaling includes a bit string, which includes multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices, wherein each bit is used to indicate whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal; or, The broadcast signaling includes one indicator bit, which is used to indicate whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal, wherein the value of the indicator bit corresponding to different SSB indices is the same or different.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is a first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first subcarrier spacing is greater than the second subcarrier spacing.

17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, The first signal modulation method is orthogonal time-frequency space OTFS.

18. A method of wireless communication, comprising: include: The network device sends or receives a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein, The method further includes: The network device sends or receives a second pilot signal, wherein the second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a second signal modulation method, and the second signal modulation method is OFDM.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The second synchronization signal includes the primary synchronization signal PSS and / or the secondary synchronization signal SSS.

23. The method of any one of claims 20-22, wherein, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; The network device sending or receiving the first pilot signal includes: When the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or the current cell supports the first pilot signal, the network device sends or receives the first pilot signal.

24. The method of any one of claims 20-23, wherein, The first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands; The network device sending or receiving the first pilot signal includes: When the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the network device sends or receives the first pilot signal.

25. The method of any one of claims 20-24, wherein, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate relevant information of the first pilot signal, wherein the relevant information of the first pilot signal includes one or more of the following: Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method; Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; The time-domain information of the first pilot signal; Frequency domain information of the first pilot signal; The synchronization signal broadcast channel block (SSB) index associated with the first pilot signal; The subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The relevant information of the first pilot signal is carried in: The second pilot signal; or, The physical broadcast channel PBCH associated with the second pilot signal; or, The second pilot signal is associated with the main information block (MIB); or, The system information block SIB1 associated with the second pilot signal.

27. The method of any one of claims 18-26, wherein, The first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the first frequency band that support the first signal modulation method include: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band.

28. The method of any one of claims 18-27, wherein, The first pilot signal is associated with a second frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the second frequency band that support the first pilot signal include one or more of the following: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; The intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band; The high-frequency band and the sub-band of the low-frequency band that is closer to the third frequency band; The third frequency band is a frequency band that supports the second signal modulation method and / or the second pilot signal.

29. The method of any one of claims 18-28, wherein, The time-domain position of the first pilot signal is the next time-domain position for transmitting the pilot signal after the time-domain position of the second pilot signal; and / or, the frequency-domain position of the first pilot signal is adjacent to the frequency-domain position of the second pilot signal.

30. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 29, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first pilot signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or carried in broadcast signaling; or, The broadcast signaling includes one indicator bit, which is used to indicate whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal, wherein the value of the indicator bit corresponding to different SSB indices is the same or different.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, The broadcast signaling includes a bit string, which includes multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices, wherein each of the multiple bits is used to indicate whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal.

32. The method of any one of claims 18-31, wherein, The subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is a first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein, The first subcarrier spacing is greater than the second subcarrier spacing.

34. The method of any one of claims 18-33, wherein, The first signal modulation method is orthogonal time-frequency space OTFS.

35. A terminal device, comprising: include: A transceiver unit is used to receive or transmit a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

36. The terminal device of claim 35, wherein, The first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal.

37. The terminal device of claim 35 or 36, wherein, The transceiver unit is also used for: Receive or transmit a second pilot signal, wherein the second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a second signal modulation method, and the second signal modulation method is OFDM.

38. The terminal device of claim 37, wherein, The second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal.

39. The terminal device of claim 38, wherein, The second synchronization signal includes the primary frequency signal PSS and / or the secondary frequency signal SSS.

40. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; Specifically, the transceiver unit is used for: When the second pilot signal indicates that the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or the current cell supports the first pilot signal, the terminal device receives or transmits the first pilot signal.

41. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 40, characterized in that, The first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands; Specifically, the transceiver unit is used for: When the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the terminal device receives or transmits the first pilot signal.

42. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 41, characterized in that, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate relevant information of the first pilot signal, wherein the relevant information of the first pilot signal includes one or more of the following: Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method; Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; The time-domain information of the first pilot signal; Frequency domain information of the first pilot signal; The synchronization signal broadcast channel block (SSB) index associated with the first pilot signal; The subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

43. The terminal device according to claim 42, characterized in that, The relevant information of the first pilot signal is carried in: The second pilot signal; or, The physical broadcast channel PBCH associated with the second pilot signal; or, The second pilot signal is associated with the main information block (MIB); or, The system information block SIB1 associated with the second pilot signal.

44. The terminal device of any one of claims 35 to 43, wherein, The first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the first frequency band that support the first signal modulation method include: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band.

45. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35 to 44, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with a second frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the second frequency band that support the first pilot signal include one or more of the following: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; The intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band; The high-frequency band and the sub-band of the low-frequency band that is closer to the third frequency band; The third frequency band is a frequency band that supports the second signal modulation method and / or the second pilot signal.

46. The terminal device of any one of claims 35 to 45, wherein, The time-domain position of the first pilot signal is the next time-domain position for transmitting the pilot signal after the time-domain position of the second pilot signal; and / or, the frequency-domain position of the first pilot signal is adjacent to the frequency-domain position of the second pilot signal.

47. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35 to 46, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first pilot signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or carried in broadcast signaling.

48. The terminal device according to claim 47, characterized in that, The broadcast signaling includes a bit string, which includes multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices, wherein each bit is used to indicate whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal; or, The broadcast signaling includes one indicator bit, which is used to indicate whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal, wherein the value of the indicator bit corresponding to different SSB indices is the same or different.

49. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35 to 48, characterized in that, The subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is a first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different.

50. The terminal device of claim 49, wherein, The first subcarrier spacing is greater than the second subcarrier spacing.

51. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35 to 50, characterized in that, The first signal modulation method is orthogonal time-frequency space OTFS.

52. A network device, comprising: include: The transceiver unit is used to transmit or receive a first pilot signal, wherein the first pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a first signal modulation method, and the first signal modulation method is a modulation method other than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

53. The network device according to claim 52, characterized in that, The first pilot signal includes a first synchronization signal.

54. The network device according to claim 52 or 53, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Sending or receiving a second pilot signal, wherein the second pilot signal is a pilot signal obtained based on a second signal modulation method, and the second signal modulation method is OFDM.

55. The network device according to claim 54, characterized in that, The second pilot signal includes a second synchronization signal.

56. The network device according to claim 55, characterized in that, The second synchronization signal includes the primary synchronization signal PSS and / or the secondary synchronization signal SSS.

57. The network device according to any of claims 54-56, wherein, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; Specifically, the transceiver unit is used for: When the current cell supports the first signal modulation method and / or the current cell supports the first pilot signal, the network device sends or receives the first pilot signal.

58. The network device according to any one of claims 54 to 57, characterized in that, The first pilot signal and the second pilot signal are associated with different frequency bands, or the first signal modulation method and the second signal modulation method are associated with different frequency bands; Specifically, the transceiver unit is used for: When the access frequency band of the terminal device is associated with the first pilot signal or the first signal modulation method, the network device sends or receives the first pilot signal.

59. The network device according to any one of claims 54 to 58, characterized in that, The second pilot signal is also used to indicate relevant information of the first pilot signal, wherein the relevant information of the first pilot signal includes one or more of the following: Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first signal modulation method; Indication information used to indicate whether the current cell supports the first pilot signal; The time-domain information of the first pilot signal; Frequency domain information of the first pilot signal; The synchronization signal broadcast channel block (SSB) index associated with the first pilot signal; The subcarrier spacing associated with the first pilot signal.

60. The network device according to claim 59, characterized in that, The relevant information of the first pilot signal is carried in: The second pilot signal; or, The physical broadcast channel PBCH associated with the second pilot signal; or, The second pilot signal is associated with the main information block (MIB); or, The system information block SIB1 associated with the second pilot signal.

61. The network device according to any one of claims 52 to 60, characterized in that, The first signal modulation method is associated with a first frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the first frequency band that support the first signal modulation method include: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the first frequency band; and / or, The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the first frequency band.

62. The network device according to any one of claims 52 to 61, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with a second frequency band, and the sub-frequency bands in the second frequency band that support the first pilot signal include one or more of the following: The sub-bands near the high-frequency end of the second frequency band; The sub-bands near the low-frequency end of the second frequency band; The intermediate frequency band between the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band; The high-frequency band and the sub-band of the low-frequency band that is closer to the third frequency band; The third frequency band is a frequency band that supports the second signal modulation method and / or the second pilot signal.

63. The network device according to any one of claims 52 to 62, characterized in that, The time-domain position of the first pilot signal is the next time-domain position for transmitting the pilot signal after the time-domain position of the second pilot signal; and / or, the frequency-domain position of the first pilot signal is adjacent to the frequency-domain position of the second pilot signal.

64. The network device according to any one of claims 52 to 63, characterized in that, The first pilot signal is associated with an SSB index, and the SSB index associated with the first pilot signal is carried in the PBCH or MIB associated with the second pilot signal, or carried in broadcast signaling.

65. The network device according to claim 64, characterized in that, The broadcast signaling includes a bit string, which includes multiple bits corresponding to multiple SSB indices, wherein each bit is used to indicate whether its corresponding SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal; or, The broadcast signaling includes one indicator bit, which is used to indicate whether the currently transmitted SSB index is associated with the first pilot signal, wherein the value of the indicator bit corresponding to different SSB indices is the same or different.

66. The network device according to any one of claims 52 to 65, characterized in that, The subcarrier spacing used to transmit the first pilot signal is a first subcarrier spacing, and the subcarrier spacing used to transmit the second pilot signal is a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing and the second subcarrier spacing are different.

67. The network device according to claim 66, characterized in that, The first subcarrier spacing is greater than the second subcarrier spacing.

68. The network device according to any one of claims 52 to 67, characterized in that, The first signal modulation method is orthogonal time-frequency space OTFS.

69. A terminal device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or send signals so that the terminal device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

70. A network device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the network device performs the method according to any one of claims 18 to 34.

71. An apparatus, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 34.

72. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 34.

73. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It contains a program that causes a computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 34.

74. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a program that causes a computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 34.

75. A computer program, characterized in that, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 34.

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