Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a network device sends first port information to a terminal device; and the terminal device determines, on the basis of the first port information, a first group of antennas associated with the first port information, and performs reception by means of antennas in the first group of antennas. The first group of antennas comprises a portion of antennas of the terminal device. In the method, the terminal device performs reception by means of a portion of antennas, and antennas other than the first group of antennas can be disabled, which is conductive to energy saving of the terminal device compared with reception performed by means of all antennas.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411950980.1, filed on December 26, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0004] Currently, terminal devices activate all antennas to receive downlink information. For example, they periodically monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with all antennas on. Thus, even if the network device is not sending downlink control information (DCI) to the terminal device, all antennas remain active, resulting in high power consumption. In the future, terminal devices will have increasingly larger antenna arrays, and as the number of antennas increases to receive downlink information with all antennas, power consumption will continue to rise. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that helps reduce the energy consumption of terminal devices.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a terminal-side device (hereinafter referred to as a terminal device). Unless otherwise specified in this application, the terminal device can be a terminal equipment; or a module or unit for performing some functions of the terminal equipment (e.g., the terminal device is a circuit or chip / chip system in the terminal equipment); or the terminal device can be a logic node, logic module, or software that implements all or part of the functions of the terminal equipment. In one example, the terminal device is a terminal equipment or a circuit or chip / chip system in the terminal equipment (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core).

[0008] The method includes: determining first port information associated with a first group of antennas; and receiving data through antennas in the first group of antennas, which are part of the antennas of the terminal device.

[0009] In this method, the terminal device can receive signals through the first set of antennas. This is equivalent to the terminal device receiving signals through only some antennas, thus allowing the antennas other than the first set to be turned off. Compared to receiving signals through all antennas, this is beneficial for energy saving in the terminal device.

[0010] In one design, determining the first port information includes: receiving the first port information.

[0011] In this design, the first port information can be determined by other devices. The terminal device can determine the first port information by receiving the first port information from other devices, which is relatively simple.

[0012] In one design, determining the first port information includes: receiving second port information and determining the first port information based on the second port information. The second port information is associated with a second set of antennas, and the second set of antennas includes the first set of antennas.

[0013] In this design, the terminal device can further select the first set of antennas from the second set of antennas determined by the network device, so as to receive signals through as few antennas as possible, thereby further reducing energy consumption.

[0014] In one design, determining the first port information includes: acquiring K measurement results, and determining the first port information based on the K measurement results. Here, K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, and N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, where N is greater than R. The K measurement results include a first measurement result, which can be used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result. Optionally, the first measurement result can also be used to indicate the signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, etc., corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result.

[0015] In this design, the terminal device can make its own decision on the first set of antennas without having to report K measurement results to the network device, thus saving signaling overhead.

[0016] In one design, the method further includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate M, where M is the number of antennas included in the first group of antennas.

[0017] In this design, the terminal device determines the number of antennas included in the first group of antennas through the first indication information, and thus the first group of antennas can be uniquely identified by combining the first port information.

[0018] In one design, the method further includes: sending K measurement results, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, and N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, where N is greater than R. The K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result.

[0019] In this design, the terminal device can report K measurement results to the network device, so that the network device can select a suitable antenna combination (e.g., a high-performance antenna combination) based on the K measurement results. In turn, the network device can integrate the measurement results reported by multiple terminal devices to make decisions on the receiving antenna for each terminal device, so as to minimize the receiving interference of the terminal devices and improve the receiving performance of each terminal device.

[0020] In one design, before transmitting the measurement results of the K antenna combinations, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information including R.

[0021] In this design, R is determined by the network device and indicated to the terminal device through a second indication message, so that the terminal device knows exactly the number of antennas R to be measured.

[0022] In one design, the method further includes: sending first information, the first information being used by the network device to determine R.

[0023] In this design, the terminal device can report the first information used to determine R to the network device, which helps the network device determine a reasonable R.

[0024] In one design, the method further includes determining R based on the measurement results of N antennas.

[0025] In this design, the terminal device can make its own decision on R based on the measurement results of all antennas.

[0026] In one design, the method further includes: sending a third indication message, the third indication message being used to indicate R.

[0027] In this design, R is determined by the terminal device and indicated to the network device through a third instruction message, so that the network device knows the number of antenna combinations to be selected.

[0028] In one design, the method further includes: receiving configuration information of an uplink reference signal, the configuration information including an identifier of at least one port, one port corresponding to a group of antennas; and transmitting the uplink reference signal through the antenna corresponding to at least one port.

[0029] In this design, the terminal device also sends an uplink reference signal to the network device through an antenna corresponding to at least one port, so that the network device can determine the first set of antennas by combining the measurement results of the antenna corresponding to at least one port, so as to ensure the transmission performance of the terminal device as much as possible.

[0030] In one design, the method further includes: if no information is received within a first time period when all N antennas are turned on, turning off some or all of the antennas except for the first group of antennas.

[0031] In this design, the terminal device can switch between all antennas and some antennas, minimizing power consumption without affecting the reception of downlink information.

[0032] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a network-side device (hereinafter referred to as a network device). Unless otherwise specified in this application, the network device can be a network equipment; or a module or unit for performing some functions of the network equipment (e.g., the network device is a circuit or chip / chip system in the network equipment); or the network device can be a logical node, logical module, or software module that implements all or part of the functions of the network equipment. In one example, the network device is a network equipment or a component in a network equipment (e.g., a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU).

[0033] The method includes: sending first port information and downlink data to a terminal device, the first port information being associated with a first set of antennas of the terminal device. Alternatively, the method includes: sending second port information and downlink data to the terminal device, the second port information being associated with a second set of antennas of the terminal device.

[0034] In one design, the method further includes: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0035] In one design, before sending the first indication information, the method further includes: receiving K measurement results, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result.

[0036] In one design, the method further includes sending a second indication message, the second indication message being used to indicate R, R being greater than or equal to M.

[0037] In one design, before sending the second instruction information, the method further includes: receiving first information and determining R based on the first information.

[0038] In one design, the method further includes receiving third indication information, which is used to indicate R.

[0039] In one design, the method further includes: transmitting configuration information for an uplink reference signal; measuring the received uplink reference signal to obtain uplink measurement results; and determining first port information based on the uplink measurement and K measurement results. The configuration information for the uplink reference signal includes an identifier for at least one port, with each port corresponding to a set of antennas.

[0040] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and its various designs can be referred to the aforementioned beneficial effects of the first aspect and its various designs, and will not be repeated here.

[0041] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for performing the methods described in the first or second aspect and any of their designs. The beneficial effects can be found in the relevant descriptions of the first or second aspect, and will not be repeated here. For example, the communication device may be a terminal device as described in the first aspect, or it may be a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the first aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the terminal device. As another example, the communication device may be a network device as described in the second aspect, or it may be a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the second aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the network device.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding means, modules, or units for performing the methods of the first or second aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the communication device includes a processing module (sometimes also called a processing unit or processor) and / or input / output interfaces. Input / output interfaces include input interfaces and / or output interfaces, which can be interface circuits, output circuits, input circuits, pins, or related circuits. Optionally, the communication device also includes a transceiver module (sometimes also called a transceiver unit or transceiver). The transceiver module is capable of both transmitting and receiving functions. When the transceiver module performs the transmitting function, it can be called a transmitting module (sometimes also called a transmitting unit), and when it performs the receiving function, it can be called a receiving module (sometimes also called a receiving unit). The transmitting module and the receiving module can be the same functional module, referred to as the transceiver module, which performs both transmitting and receiving functions; or, the transmitting module and the receiving module can be different functional modules, with "transceiver module" being a collective term for these functional modules. These input / output interfaces and units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of the first or second aspect above. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0043] In one possible design, the processing module includes a baseband device, and the transceiver module includes a radio frequency device.

[0044] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the first aspect, the processing module is used to determine first port information associated with a first set of antennas, which are part of the antennas of the terminal device. The transceiver module is used to receive downlink data through the first set of antennas.

[0045] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the second aspect, the transceiver module is used to send first port information and downlink data to the terminal device, the first port information being associated with the first set of antennas of the terminal device.

[0046] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a processor configured to execute the methods described in the first aspect or the second aspect and any of their designs. This application does not limit the specific type of processor. For example, the processor can be a baseband device, a central processing unit (CPU), or other specific integrated circuits. As another example, the processor can 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, or discrete hardware components.

[0047] Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface. Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory for storing computer programs (also referred to as code or instructions), data, etc. The processor is coupled to the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program, data, etc., from the memory, the methods of the first aspect or the second aspect and any of their designs are executed.

[0048] In one design, the memory is located outside the communication device.

[0049] In one design, the memory is located within the communication device.

[0050] In one design, the processor and memory are integrated together.

[0051] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including a processor and a communication interface for implementing the methods described in the first or second aspect. Optionally, the chip system further includes a memory. The memory stores computer programs (also referred to as code or instructions). The processor retrieves and executes the computer programs from the memory, causing a device equipped with the chip system to perform the methods of the first or second aspect and any of their designs. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0052] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including an input / output interface and logic circuitry. The input / output interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information. The input / output interface may be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, pins, or related circuits, etc. The logic circuitry is used to execute the methods described in the first or second aspect.

[0053] In one implementation of the sixth aspect, when the communication device is a terminal device, the interface circuit can be a radio frequency processing chip in the terminal device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the terminal device. When the communication device is a network device, the interface circuit can be a radio frequency processing chip in the network device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the network device.

[0054] In one implementation of the sixth aspect, when the communication device is a chip or chip system, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the logic circuit can be a transistor, gate circuit, flip-flop, or various other logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver; the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the input / output interface and the logic circuit.

[0055] The aforementioned communication device may be the terminal device described in the first aspect. Alternatively, the communication device may be a means capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the first aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device may be the network device described in the second aspect. Alternatively, the communication device may be a means capable of supporting the network device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the second aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the network device. The chip may be a baseband chip and / or a radio frequency chip, and the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0056] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device. The terminal device is used to implement the functions described in the first aspect, and the network device is used to implement the functions described in the second aspect.

[0057] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the methods described in the first or second aspect and any of their designs to be implemented.

[0058] Ninthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the methods described in the first or second aspect and any of their designs to be implemented.

[0059] The beneficial effects of the third to ninth aspects and their implementation methods mentioned above can be referenced to the beneficial effects of the first or second aspects and any one of their designs. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture of a communication system;

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system;

[0062] Figure 3 shows another schematic diagram of the O-RAN system;

[0063] Figures 4A-4C are schematic flowcharts of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a first structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a third structure of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0067] In the embodiments of this application, "transmission" includes "sending" and / or "receiving." "Sending" and "receiving" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, including direct sending as well as indirect sending through other units, modules, devices, or network elements. "Receiving information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, including receiving directly from YY via the air interface as well as receiving indirectly from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between access network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, traces, or interfaces.

[0068] In this application embodiment, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A / B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and / or c means the following combinations: a exists alone, b exists alone, c exists alone, a and b exist simultaneously, a and c exist simultaneously, b and c exist simultaneously, or a, b, and c exist simultaneously, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0069] In the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action, nor do they imply any other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" can be substituted, and "when" and "in the case of" can be substituted. "When" and "if" / "if" can be substituted.

[0070] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0071] In the embodiments of this application, "association" can also be replaced with "mapping," "related," or "corresponding." For example, "the first port information is associated with the first group of antennas" can also be replaced with "the first port information corresponds to the first group of antennas." The association between A and B can be understood as A and B having an association / correspondence relationship. For example, "the first port information is associated with the first group of antennas" can be replaced with "the first port information and the first group of antennas have an association relationship." The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific implementation form of the association relationship; for example, the association relationship can be a table.

[0072] In this application's embodiments, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, "first port information" and "second port information" refer to two different port information, and do not indicate a difference in priority or importance between the two port information.

[0073] In the embodiments of this application, the solutions in each embodiment can be used in a reasonable combination, and the explanations or descriptions of various terms, similar operations, or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the embodiments, without limitation.

[0074] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) communication systems, fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems / new radio (NR) communication systems, or future mobile communication systems, or other similar communication systems. Other similar communication systems may include vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, internet of things (IoT) systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) (e.g., satellite communication systems), or wireless local area networks (WLANs), etc. The WLAN can be a WLAN employing any of the protocols in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 1, which illustrates a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. The communication system includes a wireless access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system may also include the Internet (Figure 1 uses this as an example).

[0076] The wireless access network 100 may include at least one network device and at least one terminal device. For example, the wireless access network 100 includes two network devices, 110a and 110b, and terminal devices 120a to 120j. The network architecture shown in Figure 1 is only schematic; the number of terminal devices and / or network devices may be fewer or more. The communication system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and does not constitute a limitation on the communication system to which the embodiments of this application are applicable. For example, the communication system may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems. When applying the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc. in the embodiments can be replaced with corresponding devices, components, modules in other communication systems without limitation.

[0077] In this embodiment, network equipment refers to radio access network (R)AN equipment / RAN node. R)AN and RAN are interchangeable; for ease of description, RAN is used as an example below. RAN can be a cellular system related to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), such as a 5G / NR mobile communication system or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), a virtualized RAN (vRAN), a non-terrestrial network (NTN), etc. RAN can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems. RAN equipment can also be called a RAN node, RAN entity, or access node, etc.

[0078] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), or a base station in a future mobile communication system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor / host nodes, or radio controllers. RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, the RAN node can be a roadside unit (RSU). An AP acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, primarily connecting various wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. This AP can serve as the central hub of the communication system and can be a base station with a Wi-Fi chip, a router, gateway, repeater, communication server, switch, or bridge. The AP can support the 802.11be standard or its next generation, such as Wi-Fi 8 or other WLAN standards. The AP can also support WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0079] In another possible scenario, the RAN node can be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of the base station; or multiple RAN nodes can cooperate to assist terminal equipment in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes performing some of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a CU, DU, or RU. The function of the CU can be implemented by a single entity or by different entities. For example, the function of the CU can be further divided, that is, the control plane and the user plane can be separated and implemented by different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (i.e., CU-control plane (CP) entity) and the user plane CU entity (i.e., CU-user plane (UP) entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with the DU to jointly complete the function of the RAN node. The CU and DU can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as in the baseband unit (BBU). Any of the units among the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0080] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples.

[0081] CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement.

[0082] For example, a CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and higher protocol layers (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer). The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU can have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as the F1 interface. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane / CP and user plane / UP functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, user equipment (UE) context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol for the F1 interface, defining the F1 signaling procedures in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0083] For example, a DU can be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (e.g., RLC, medium access control (MAC) layer, and / or physical (PHY) layer). For specific descriptions of the aforementioned protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications or other applicable communication protocol specifications. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which may be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes PHY layer processing functions such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0084] The above division of CU and DU processing functions according to the protocol layer is merely an example; other division methods are also possible, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0085] For example, in one design, the CU or DU can be further divided into partial processing functions with protocol layers. In one design, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layer above the RLC layer are located in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layer below the RLC layer are located in the DU.

[0086] For example, in another possible design, the DU and RU cooperate to implement the PHY layer functions, or it can be described as moving a portion of the PHY layer functions of the DU to the RU. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that the DU is configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, and lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side. This application does not limit the specific functions of the DU and RU. The interface between the DU and RU can be called a fronthaul interface. In one design, the CU may not have a PDCP layer; for example, the CU may only include an RRC layer. The CU-CP may not have PDCP-C. The CU-UP may not have PDCP-U, or it may not have a CU-UP. In one design, the DU may not have an RLC layer; for example, the DU may only have a MAC and a higher PHY layer.

[0087] Figure 2 illustrates an O-RAN system. It should be understood that the O-RAN system may also include components other than those shown in Figure 2, without specific limitations. As shown in Figure 2, access network equipment can communicate with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link and with terminal equipment via an air interface. For example, access network equipment may include a BBU and an RU. The BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, which can communicate via at least one midhaul link. The RU can implement lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) functions. In some examples, the RU may be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY may include PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The BBU can communicate with the CN via the backhaul link, and the RU can communicate with at least one terminal device via the air interface. The BBU can also communicate with at least one RU via the fronthaul link. The BBU and RU can be co-located or not.

[0088] Figure 3 illustrates the network element function division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device. It should be noted that the CU and DU configurations shown in Figure 3 are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only partial protocol layer processing functions. The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU can exchange control plane information and user plane information via the lower-layer split CUS-plane (LLS-CUS) interface through the fronthaul link. The LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces that provide the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via the LLS-M interface of the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0089] When the RAN is O-RAN, it can also have artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. For example, O-RAN includes an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / non-RT RIC / NRT RIC) or a near-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / near-RT RIC / nRT RIC). A non-real-time RIC can be used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of RAN functions, enabling workflows including model training and model updates, and guiding applications / functions in the nRT RIC based on policies. A near-real-time RIC can be used to implement near-real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near-real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources are achieved.

[0090] In the embodiments of this application, the means for implementing the functions of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a means that supports the network device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components that can implement the functions of the network device. This means can be installed in the network device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used in the network device.

[0091] In this application embodiment, anything capable of data communication with a base station can be considered a terminal device. A terminal device is also called a terminal, terminal equipment, UE, user equipment, mobile station, or mobile terminal, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios. For example, a terminal device can be: a mobile phone, computer, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, station (STA), robotic arm, camera, robot, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, or smart home device (e.g., television, air conditioner, robot vacuum cleaner, speaker, set-top box), relay, customer premise equipment (CPE), etc. Among these, an STA can be a mobile phone supporting Wi-Fi communication, a tablet computer supporting Wi-Fi communication, a set-top box supporting Wi-Fi communication, a smart TV supporting Wi-Fi communication, a smart wearable device supporting Wi-Fi communication, an in-vehicle communication device supporting Wi-Fi communication, and a computer supporting Wi-Fi communication, etc. An STA can also be a router, switch, and bridge, etc. STA supports the 802.11be standard, as well as various WLAN standards in the 802.11 family, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8, or their next generation.

[0092] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system, such as a water meter or electricity meter. When the terminal device is applied to V2X, it can also be called a V2X device, such as a smart car, an unmanned car, a driverless car, a pilotless car, or an automobile, or a roadside unit (RSU). All the terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed / installed inside the vehicle), can be considered in-vehicle terminal devices. In-vehicle terminal devices can be built into a vehicle's in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the methods of this application through the built-in in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit. The vehicle terminal equipment can be a complete vehicle equipment, vehicle module, vehicle, on-board unit (OBU), RSU, vehicle infotainment system (or on-board transmitter unit) (telematics box, T-box), chip or SoC, etc. The above-mentioned chip or SoC can be installed in the vehicle, OBU, RSU or T-box.

[0093] In the embodiments of this application, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components capable of implementing the functions of the terminal device. This device can be installed in the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used in the terminal device.

[0094] In this application, downlink refers to the direction from the network device to the terminal device. As mentioned in the background, currently, terminal devices will turn on all antennas to receive downlink information. For example, terminal devices will periodically monitor the PDCCH with all antennas turned on. Even if the network device does not send DCI to the terminal device, the terminal device will still turn on all antennas to prepare for reception. However, PDCCH monitoring consumes 60% to 70% of the terminal device's power consumption, therefore, the terminal device has high power consumption.

[0095] Therefore, the solution provided in this application embodiment is as follows. In this application embodiment, the terminal device can turn off some antennas and receive signals through other antennas. Compared to turning on all antennas, this helps the terminal device save energy.

[0096] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0097] In the following description, taking the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 1 as an example, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application can be executed by a first communication device and a second communication device. The steps executed by the first communication device can be implemented by the first communication device itself, or by components within the first communication device (such as a baseband chip, or other processing units or processor modules), or by logic modules or software that perform some or all of the functions of the first communication device. For example, if the first communication device is a network device, the steps executed by the first communication device can be implemented by the network device, or by a CU, DU, or RU that performs some of the functions of the network device. The steps executed by the second communication device can be implemented by the second communication device itself, or by components within the second communication device (such as a baseband chip, or other processing units or processor modules), or by logic modules or software that perform some or all of the functions of the second communication device. For example, if the second communication device is a terminal device, the steps executed by the second communication device can be implemented by the terminal device, or by a baseband chip or a SoC chip containing a modem core within the terminal device. For ease of description, the following example uses a network device as the first communication device and a terminal device as the second communication device.

[0098] In this embodiment, (pre)configuration includes configuration / instruction via signaling, and the specific implementation of the signaling is not limited. For example, the signaling includes one or more of RRC signaling, MAC control element (CE) signaling, or DCI. In the flowcharts shown in Figures 4A-4B, dashed lines indicate steps that are not mandatory but optional.

[0099] Please refer to Figure 4A, which is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4A describes the method from the perspective of interaction between network devices and terminal devices. It should be understood that the communication method can also be implemented by other devices, such as a chip or communication device with communication capabilities. Furthermore, the processing performed by a single execution entity can be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, RU, etc. As shown in Figure 4A, the flow of this communication method includes the following steps.

[0100] S401. The terminal device determines the first port information, which is associated with the first group of antennas of the terminal device.

[0101] The first group of antennas is a subset of the antennas of the terminal device. The first group of antennas may include one or more antennas. In this embodiment, a group of antennas is associated with a port, and one or more groups of antennas can be indicated / associated through port information. Different antenna groups associated with a single port information include different numbers of antennas; thus, a group of antennas can be uniquely identified based on the port information and the number of antennas. For example, port information A is associated with antenna group 1 and antenna group 2. Antenna group 1 includes antennas 1 and 2, and antenna group 2 includes antennas 3, 4, and 5. Different groups of antennas may contain some of the same antennas. For example, port information B is associated with antenna group 1 and antenna group 4. Antenna group 1 includes antennas 1 and 2, and antenna group 4 includes antennas 1, 4, and 5. The association between port information and antenna groups can be (pre)configured or predefined. For example, a (pre)configured or predefined table 1 may be used, which includes the correspondence between multiple port information sets and multiple antenna groups.

[0102] Table 1

[0103] The first set of antennas can be used by the terminal device to receive downlink information from the network device, including downlink control information or downlink data. The terminal device can select the first set of antennas and then turn off the remaining antennas to save power. Turning off antennas can also be replaced with deactivating or disabling antennas. For example, "turn off the remaining antennas except for the first set" can be replaced with "deactivate / disable the remaining antennas except for the first set".

[0104] Optionally, the terminal device may use some antennas from the first group of antennas to receive downlink information from the network device, thereby saving energy. For example, the terminal device may determine the first group of antennas and, in addition to turning off the remaining antennas, may also turn off some antennas in the first group and receive downlink information through the other antenna in the first group that is not turned off.

[0105] Before receiving downlink information, the terminal device may determine the first group of antennas, or determine the port information associated with the first group of antennas (e.g., the first port information in this document). "The terminal device determines the first port information" can be replaced with "The terminal device determines the first group of antennas." Accordingly, S401 can be replaced with: The terminal device determines the first group of antennas. This application embodiment uses the terminal device determining the first port information as an example. The terminal device determining the first port information includes various implementation methods (e.g., implementation methods 1 to 3 below), which are illustrated below.

[0106] In implementation method 1, the first port information is determined by the network device and indicated to the terminal device; or, the first set of antennas is determined by the network device and indicated to the terminal device.

[0107] For example, a network device identifies a first set of antennas, then determines the first port information, and sends the first port information to a terminal device; the terminal device receives the first port information and thus determines the first port information. The first port information can be carried in RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, or DCI.

[0108] The first group of antennas consists of a subset of the terminal device's antennas. For example, if the terminal device has N antennas and the first group has M antennas, where M and N are both positive integers, and M is less than N. Different combinations of antenna numbers can achieve different communication performance (e.g., communication quality). For example, fewer antennas may not meet beamforming gain or diversity multiplexing gain requirements, while more antennas are more energy-intensive. Therefore, the network device can determine an appropriate number of antennas M to ensure the terminal device's reception performance as much as possible.

[0109] In implementation method 1, the process by which the terminal device determines the first port information / first group of antennas may include S4011a to S4015a, as shown in Figure 4B.

[0110] S4011a. The network device determines the number R of antennas that the terminal device needs to measure, where R is greater than or equal to M.

[0111] Network devices determine R in two ways, which are described below with specific examples (e.g., Examples 1 to 3).

[0112] In Example 1, R can be (pre)configured or predefined, or R can be determined based on predefined rules.

[0113] For example, R can be predefined as floor(N×(1-x%)) or ceiling(N×(1-x%)), where x% is the percentage of energy consumption to be saved. In this case, the network device can determine R according to the predefined rules.

[0114] In Example 2, the network device determines R itself.

[0115] Network devices can determine R based on the capabilities of terminal devices. The capabilities of a terminal device may indicate, for example, the number of antennas, operating frequency band, battery level, maximum transmit power, etc. Different terminal devices may have different capabilities. Terminal devices can report their own capabilities to the network device so that the network device can determine R based on these capabilities. For example, a terminal device can send first information to the network device, which indicates the terminal device's capabilities for the network device to determine R. There is no limitation on the type of capabilities indicated by the first information. For example, the first information may include one or more of the following: number of antennas, operating frequency band, battery level, or maximum transmit power. There is no limitation on the specific name of the first information; for example, the first information may also be called capability information.

[0116] The network device can determine R based on the first information. The specific implementation method of the network device determining R based on the first information is not limited. For example, the higher the battery level, the fewer antennas can be turned off; or, the lower the battery level, the more antennas can be turned off. Different battery level ranges correspond to R; for example, if the battery level range is the first range, R is R1; if the battery level range is the second range, R is R2. When the first information includes the number of antennas N and the battery level, if the battery level is in the first range, then R is R1; if the battery level is in the second range, then R is R2.

[0117] Optionally, the network device can determine R based on other information besides the first information. For example, the network device can determine R based on energy consumption requirements and the first information. As an example, if x% of energy consumption needs to be saved, assuming the number of antennas indicated by the first information is N, then R can be floor(N×(1-x%)) or ceiling(N×(1-x%)), where floor is rounded down and ceiling is rounded up.

[0118] In Example 3, R is determined by the terminal device and instructed to the network device.

[0119] For example, a terminal device can send third indication information to a network device, which can be used to indicate R. The network device receives the third indication information and can determine R. There are no restrictions on the specific implementation of the third indication information indicating R. For example, the third indication information can directly and simply include R. Alternatively, the third indication information can indirectly indicate R, such as indicating the relationship between R and N, based on which the network device can determine R.

[0120] The terminal device can determine R based on the measurement results of N antennas. For example, the terminal device determines that the number of antennas with RSRP greater than or equal to a first threshold is R based on the measurement results of N antennas. As another example, if the terminal device determines that multiple antennas have high channel correlation based on the measurement results of N antennas, then some of these antennas can be turned off, leaving R antennas remaining.

[0121] If R is (pre)configured or predefined, or if R can be determined according to predefined rules, the terminal device does not need to indicate R to the network device via third indication information after determining R. Accordingly, sending third indication information is not a mandatory step for the terminal device, but an optional one.

[0122] S4012a, The network device sends a second instruction message to the terminal device, the second instruction message being used to instruct R.

[0123] Accordingly, the terminal device receives the second indication information and can determine R based on the second indication information. If R is determined by the network device, the network device can indicate R to the terminal device through the second indication information, so that the terminal device can specify the number of antennas to be measured. There are no restrictions on the specific implementation of the second indication information indicating R. For example, the second indication information can directly and simply include R. Alternatively, the second indication information can indirectly indicate R, such as indicating the relationship between R and N, based on which the terminal device can determine R.

[0124] As in Example 2 or Example 3 above, if R is determined by the terminal device itself, the network device does not need to instruct R through the second indication information. Accordingly, sending the second indication information by the network device is not a mandatory step, but an optional one.

[0125] S4013a, The terminal device sends K measurement results to the network device.

[0126] Accordingly, the network device receives K measurement results from the terminal device, also known as K downlink measurement results. K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas. The K measurement results are obtained by the terminal device traversing R antennas out of N antennas to receive reference signals from the network device and measuring the received reference signals. One antenna group corresponds to one measurement result. Taking the K measurement results including the first measurement result as an example, the first measurement result can be used to indicate the channel state information (CSI) corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result. For example, the first measurement result may include information such as channel quality indicator (CQI), rank indicator (RI), and pre-coding matrix indicator (PMI). Optionally, the first measurement result may include information such as reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0127] The terminal device obtains K measurement results and sends them to the network device. The terminal device can send all K measurement results to the network device together, or it can send the K measurement results to the network device via signaling (e.g., RRC Measurement Report). Alternatively, the terminal device can obtain only one measurement result and send that result to the network device. The terminal device also sends the antenna information corresponding to the K measurement results to the network device, or each measurement result includes the corresponding antenna information. For example, the K measurement results include a first measurement result, a second measurement result, and a third measurement result, where the first measurement result corresponds to antenna group 1, the second measurement result corresponds to antenna group 2, and the third measurement result corresponds to antenna group 3. Accordingly, the terminal device can send three sets of information to the network device: {(first measurement result and antenna group 1), (second measurement result and antenna group 2), and (third measurement result and antenna group 3)}.

[0128] S4014a The network device determines the first group of antennas based on K measurement results.

[0129] A network device can select a group of antennas as the first group of antennas from a pool of K antenna combinations based on K measurement results. For example, the network device can select a group of antennas with better channel conditions from the K antenna combinations as the first group of antennas. As an example, the network device can select a group of antennas with RSRP greater than or equal to a first threshold from the K antenna combinations as the first group of antennas. As another example, the network device can select a group of antennas with SNR greater than or equal to a second threshold from the K antenna combinations as the first group of antennas.

[0130] In one implementation, the first group of antennas includes M and R antennas. The network device selects R antennas from the K antenna combinations as the first group of antennas based on K measurement results.

[0131] In another implementation, M is less than R. M can be any value less than R, and the specific value of M can be determined by the network device. For example, the relationship between M and R can be predefined, such as M being R-1 or R-2. Another example is M being floor(R / 2)+1 or ceiling(R / 2)+1.

[0132] Considering that terminal devices can autonomously select antennas for uplink transmission, the R antennas selected by the network device based on K measurement results may affect the uplink transmission performance of the terminal device. Therefore, the network device can measure the uplink reference signal (e.g., sounding reference signal (SRS)) ports corresponding to some antennas of the terminal device to select M antennas from these R antennas as the first group of antennas.

[0133] For example, prior to S4014a, network devices could send uplink reference signal configuration information to terminal devices. This configuration information included the identifier of at least one port. One port corresponds to a group of antennas, and a group of antennas includes one or more antennas. The terminal device receives the uplink reference signal configuration information and transmits the uplink reference signal (e.g., SRS) through the antennas corresponding to at least one port. Optionally, the antenna group corresponding to one port includes M antennas, and at least one port is the port corresponding to one of the M antennas selected from R antennas. For example, the R antennas are antenna 1, antenna 2, and antenna 3, M=2, and at least one port includes the port corresponding to {antenna 1, antenna 2}, the port corresponding to {antenna 1, antenna 3}, and the port corresponding to {antenna 2, antenna 3}. As another example, the R antennas are antenna 1, antenna 2, and antenna 3, M=1, and at least one port includes the port corresponding to {antenna 1}, the port corresponding to {antenna 2}, and the port corresponding to {antenna 3}.

[0134] The terminal device receives configuration information for the uplink reference signal and transmits the uplink reference signal through at least one port. The network device receives the uplink reference signal transmitted by the terminal device through at least one group of ports, measures the received uplink reference signal, and obtains the uplink measurement result corresponding to at least one port. The network device can select M antennas from R antennas based on the obtained uplink measurement results. For example, the R antennas are antenna 1, antenna 2, and antenna 3, and the uplink measurement results obtained by the network device include uplink measurement result 1, uplink measurement result 2, and uplink measurement result 3, where M = 2. Uplink measurement result 1 corresponds to {antenna 1, antenna 2}, uplink measurement result 2 corresponds to {antenna 1, antenna 3}, and uplink measurement result 3 corresponds to {antenna 2, antenna 3}. If the network device determines that the SNR corresponding to uplink measurement result 1 is higher based on the uplink measurement results corresponding to at least one port, then the network device can select {antenna 1, antenna 2} as the first group of antennas. In this case, the number of antennas in the first group of antennas associated with the first port information is M, and the first indication information is used to indicate M.

[0135] The steps of the network device sending uplink reference signal configuration information to the terminal device, and the terminal device sending uplink reference signal through at least one port, are not mandatory and are illustrated by dashed lines in Figure 4B.

[0136] S4015a, The network device sends the first port information to the terminal device.

[0137] The network device identifies the first group of antennas and can indicate this group to the terminal device via first port information. For example, the network device sends first port information to the terminal device, which is associated with the first group of antennas. The association between the port information and the antenna group can be (pre)configured or predefined. For instance, port information 1000 might be associated with antenna group 1 and antenna group 2. Antenna group 1 includes antennas 1 and 2, and antenna group 2 includes antennas 3, 4, and 5. It is evident that the same port information can be associated with multiple antenna groups. To ensure the terminal device uniquely identifies the first group of antennas, it also needs to know the number of antennas included in the first group.

[0138] In one implementation, the network device, in addition to sending first port information to the terminal device, also indicates to the terminal device the number of antennas included in the first group of antennas. For example, the network device also sends first indication information to the terminal device, which can be used to indicate the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas. Optionally, the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas can be the number R of antennas that the network device indicates the terminal device wants to measure, i.e., M = R. Or, the first indication information can indicate the number R of antennas included in the first group of antennas. The terminal device can determine the first group of antennas based on the first port information and the first indication information received from the network device. The first port information and the first indication information can be carried in a single signaling message; or the first port information and the first indication information can be carried in different signaling messages.

[0139] If R is (pre)configured or predefined, or if R can be determined according to predefined rules, then the terminal device can determine the first set of antennas based on the first port information received from the network device, and the network device does not need to send the first indication information. Accordingly, sending the first indication information is not a mandatory step for the network device, but an optional one.

[0140] In implementation method 2, the terminal device determines the first port information based on the second port information received from the network device.

[0141] The second port information is associated with a second set of antennas, which includes the first set of antennas. The second set of antennas can be understood as the antennas initially selected by the network device for the terminal device; for example, the second set of antennas includes R antennas. For better energy efficiency, the terminal device can automatically determine the first set of antennas from the second set. Compared to implementation 1, in implementation 2, the first set of antennas is jointly determined by the terminal device and the network device. In implementation 2, the process by which the terminal device determines the first port information / first set of antennas may include S4011b to S4012b, as shown in Figure 4C.

[0142] S4011b: The network device sends the second port information to the terminal device.

[0143] Accordingly, the terminal device receives the second port information from the network device. Optionally, the second set of antennas can be R antennas selected by the network device from N antennas as described in Implementation 1 above. The process of the network device determining the second set of antennas / second port information can be referred to the implementation process of the network device determining the first set of antennas / first port information in Implementation 1 above, and will not be repeated here. The network device determines the second set of antennas and sends the second port information to the terminal device.

[0144] The terminal device receives the second port information and can determine the second group of antennas associated with the second port information. Taking the number of antennas in the second group of antennas as R as an example, when R is (pre)configured or predefined, or R can be determined according to predefined rules, the terminal device can determine the second group of antennas based on the second port information received from the network device. Alternatively, the terminal device can determine the second group of antennas based on the second port information received from the network device and the first indication information.

[0145] S4012b: The terminal device determines the first port information based on the second port information.

[0146] "The terminal device determines the first port information based on the second port information" can be replaced with "The terminal device determines the first group of antennas based on the second group of antennas".

[0147] To minimize energy consumption, the terminal device can select the first antenna group from the second antenna group. The first antenna group can be a portion of the antennas in the second antenna group, or it can be all of the antennas in the second antenna group. Assuming the second antenna group contains R antennas and the first antenna group contains M antennas, then M is less than or equal to R.

[0148] For example, as described in implementation 1 above, the network device can send configuration information of the uplink reference signal to the terminal device. The terminal device sends the uplink reference signal through at least one set of ports. The network device measures the received uplink reference signal and obtains at least one uplink measurement result. The network device can send at least one uplink measurement result to the terminal device, and the terminal device can further determine the first set of antennas from the second set of antennas based on the at least one uplink measurement result.

[0149] For example, the terminal device may select M antennas whose RSRP is greater than or equal to a first threshold as a first group of antennas based on at least one uplink measurement result. Alternatively, based on at least one uplink measurement result, the terminal device may select one antenna from a plurality of antennas with high channel correlation, along with the remaining antennas, as a first group of antennas.

[0150] In implementation method 3, the first set of antennas is determined by the terminal device itself, or the first port information is determined by the terminal device itself.

[0151] As shown in Example 3 of Implementation 1 above, the terminal device can determine R based on the measurement results of N antennas. Alternatively, the network device determines R and indicates R to the terminal device. The terminal device can traverse R antennas out of the N antennas to receive reference signals from the network device and measure the received reference signals to obtain K measurement results. Based on the K measurement results, the terminal device can select R antennas from the N antennas as the first group of antennas. The terminal device's determination of the first group of antennas also determines the first port information. For the specific implementation of the terminal device determining the first group of antennas based on K measurement results, please refer to the specific implementation of the network device determining the first group of antennas based on K measurement results in Implementation 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0152] S402, Network devices send downlink data to terminal devices.

[0153] Network devices can send downlink information to terminal devices, including downlink control information and / or downlink data. The terminal device determines the first set of antennas. The terminal device turns off all antennas out of N antennas except the first set, turns on the first set of antennas, and receives downlink data from the network device through the first set of antennas. Compared to the terminal device receiving downlink data through all antennas, this method helps save energy. Here, "turn on antennas" can be replaced with "activate antennas," "enable antennas," or "open antennas."

[0154] When a terminal device needs to receive downlink information through all antennas, it can activate all antennas. If no information is received within a certain period (e.g., a first duration) when all antennas (e.g., N antennas) are on, some antennas can be turned off to conserve energy. For example, if no information is received within the first duration when all antennas are on, some or all antennas except the first group can be turned off.

[0155] Optionally, when all antennas of the terminal device are turned on, a first timer can be started. The duration of the first timer is a first duration. When the first timer expires and the terminal device does not receive downlink information, some or all antennas except the first group of antennas are turned off.

[0156] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application above are described using network devices and terminal devices as examples. In this application, each embodiment can be implemented independently or in combination based on certain inherent connections; in each embodiment, different implementation methods can be implemented in combination or independently. To achieve the functions in the methods provided in the embodiments of this application above, the steps executed by the network device can be implemented by the network device itself, or by a functional entity including the network device, or by different functional entities constituting the network device. The steps executed by the terminal device can be implemented by the terminal device itself, or by different functional entities constituting the terminal device, or by a functional entity including the terminal device. To achieve the functions in the methods provided in the embodiments of this application above, the network device and terminal device can include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the above functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules. Whether a particular function is executed in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0157] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiments, this application provides a communication device. The communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The content above can be used in subsequent embodiments, and repeated content will not be repeated.

[0158] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of the communication device 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 500 can correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the network device or terminal device in the various method embodiments described above. For example, the communication device 500 can be the network device in Figure 1; or, the communication device 500 can be a chip (system) in the network device; or, the communication device 500 can be a software module of the network device. Alternatively, the communication device 500 can be the terminal device in Figure 1; or, the communication device 500 can be a chip (system) in the terminal device; or, the communication device 500 can be a software module of the terminal device.

[0159] The communication device 500 may include a processing module 510 and a transceiver module 520. Optionally, it may also include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. This storage module may be, for example, a memory. The processing module 510 and the transceiver module 520 may be coupled to the storage module. For example, the processing module 510 can read instructions (code or program) and / or data from the storage module to implement a corresponding method. When the communication device 500 is a chip in a terminal device or network device, the storage module may be an internal storage module within the chip, such as a register or cache. For example, the storage module may also be an external storage module within the terminal device or network device, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM). The above-mentioned units may be set independently or partially or completely integrated.

[0160] Processing module 510 may be a processor or controller, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processing unit (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc. Transceiver module 520 is a transceiver, interface circuit, bus, pin, or other possible communication interface for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, transceiver module 520 is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices, or an interface circuit for the chip to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0161] In one implementation, the communication device 500 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 500 can be the terminal device itself, a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the terminal device, a part of a chip or chipset in the terminal device used to execute the relevant method functions, or a software module in the terminal device capable of implementing the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0162] For example, processing module 510 is used to determine first port information associated with a first group of antennas, which is part of the antennas of communication device 500. Transceiver module 520 is used to receive signals through the antennas in the first group of antennas.

[0163] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is specifically used to receive information from the first port.

[0164] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is specifically used to receive second port information, which is associated with a second set of antennas, including the first set of antennas. The processing module 510 is specifically used to determine the first port information based on the second port information.

[0165] As an optional design, the processing module 510 is specifically used to acquire K measurement results and determine the first port information based on the K measurement results. Here, K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, and N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, where N is greater than R. The K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result.

[0166] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to receive first indication information, which indicates M, where M is the number of antennas included in the first group of antennas.

[0167] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to transmit K measurement results, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, and N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, where N is greater than R. The K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result.

[0168] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to receive second indication information, which includes R.

[0169] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to send first information, which is used by the network device to determine R.

[0170] As an optional design, the processing module 510 is also used to determine R based on the measurement results of the N antennas.

[0171] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to send a third indication message, which is used to indicate R.

[0172] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to receive configuration information for the uplink reference signal, which includes the identifier of at least one port, one port corresponding to a set of antennas; and to transmit the uplink reference signal through the antenna corresponding to at least one port.

[0173] As an optional design, the processing module 510 is also used to turn off some or all of the antennas except the first group of antennas if no information is received within a first time period when all N antennas are turned on.

[0174] In one implementation, the communication device 500 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 500 can be a network device, a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the network device, a part of a chip or chipset in the network device used to execute the relevant method functions, or a software module in the network device capable of implementing the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0175] For example, transceiver module 520 is used to send first port information and downlink data to the terminal device, the first port information being associated with a first set of antennas of the terminal device. Alternatively, transceiver module 520 is used to send second port information and downlink data to the terminal device, the second port information being associated with a second set of antennas of the terminal device.

[0176] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to transmit first indication information, which indicates the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0177] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also configured to: receive K measurement results, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result.

[0178] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to send a second indication message, which indicates that R is greater than or equal to M.

[0179] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to receive the first information and determine R based on the first information.

[0180] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to receive third indication information, which is used to indicate R.

[0181] As an optional design, the transceiver module 520 is also used to transmit configuration information for the uplink reference signal, measure the received uplink reference signal to obtain uplink measurement results, and determine the first port information based on the uplink measurement results and K measurement results. The configuration information for the uplink reference signal includes an identifier for at least one port, with one port corresponding to a set of antennas.

[0182] When the communication device 500 is a chip-based device or circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0183] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device 600 can implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above embodiments. For example, the communication device 600 can be the terminal device in Figure 1 or a chip (system) within a terminal device. As another example, the communication device 600 can be the network device in Figure 1 or a chip (system) within a network device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. Specific functions can be found in the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0184] The communication device 600 includes one or more processors 601, used to implement or support the communication device 600 in implementing the functions of the terminal device or network device in the methods provided in the embodiments of this application. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method examples, which will not be repeated here. The processor 601 can also be called a processing unit or processing module, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 601 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it includes: a baseband processor, a central processing unit, an application processor, a modem processor, a graphics processor, an image signal processor, a digital signal processor, a video codec processor, a controller, a memory, and / or a neural network processor, etc. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be used to control the communication device 600 (e.g., a terminal device or a network device), execute software programs, and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated on one or more application-specific integrated circuits.

[0185] In one design, processor 601 may include program 603 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that can be executed on processor 601 to cause communication device 600 to perform the methods described in the embodiments below. In yet another possible design, communication device 600 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG. 6) for implementing the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above embodiments.

[0186] In one design, the communication device 600 may include one or more memories 602 storing a program 604 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 601 to cause the communication device 600 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0187] In one possible design, the processor 601 and / or memory 602 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0188] In one possible design, the communication device 600 may further include a transceiver and / or an antenna. The processor 601, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device 600. The transceiver, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or simply a transceiver, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device 600 via the antenna.

[0189] In one possible design, the communication device 600 may further include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, etc. It is understood that in some embodiments, the communication device 600 may include more or fewer components, or some components may be integrated, or some components may be separated. These components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0190] Based on the above embodiments, referring to FIG7, this application embodiment also provides another communication device 700, including: an input / output interface 710 and a logic circuit 720; the input / output interface 710 is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the logic circuit 720; the logic circuit 720 is used to run the code instructions to execute the method executed by the terminal device or network device in any of the above embodiments, which can be referred to the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0191] When the communication device 700 is applied to a terminal device and executes the method described above, the logic circuit 720 is used to determine first port information, which is associated with a first group of antennas, which are part of the antennas of the communication device 700. The input / output interface 710 is used to receive signals through the antennas in the first group of antennas.

[0192] When the communication device 700 is applied to a network device and executes the method performed by the network device, the input / output interface 710 is used to send first port information and downlink data to the terminal device, the first port information being associated with the first set of antennas of the terminal device. The logic circuit 720 is used to determine the first set of antennas.

[0193] The communication device in the above embodiments can be a terminal device or a network device, a circuit, a chip applied in a terminal device or network device, or other combined devices or components having the aforementioned terminal device or network device. When the communication device is a terminal device, the transceiver module can be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and radio frequency circuits, etc., and the processing module can be a processor, such as a CPU. When the communication device is a chip system, the communication device can be an FPGA, a dedicated ASIC, a SoC, a CPU, a network processor (NP), a DSP, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips. The processing module can be the processor of the chip system. The transceiver module or communication interface can be the input / output interface or interface circuit of the chip system. For example, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (the code instructions are stored in memory and can be read directly from memory or through other devices) and transmit them to the processor; the processor can be used to run the code instructions to execute the methods in the above method embodiments. For example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between the communication processor and the transceiver.

[0194] This application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The terminal device is used to implement the functions related to the above-described communication method, and the network device is used to implement the functions related to the above-described communication method.

[0195] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method executed by the terminal device or network device in the above-described communication method to be executed.

[0196] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer program code, which, when executed, causes the method executed by the terminal device or network device in the above-described communication method to be executed.

[0197] This application provides a chip system including a processor and potentially a memory, for implementing the functions of a network device or terminal device in the aforementioned communication method. The chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0198] To achieve the functions of the communication devices shown in Figures 5 to 7, this application embodiment also provides a chip, including a processor, for supporting the communication device in implementing the functions involved in the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the chip is connected to a memory or the chip includes a memory for storing necessary computer programs, instructions, and data for the communication device.

[0199] It should be understood that 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.

[0200] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0201] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0202] 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.

[0203] 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.

[0204] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contributing part of the technical solution of this application, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0205] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Determine the first port information, which is associated with the first group of antennas; Downlink data is received through the first set of antennas, which are part of the antennas of the terminal device.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the first port information includes: Receive the information from the first port.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the first port information includes: Receive second port information, the second port information is associated with a second group of antennas, the second group of antennas includes the first group of antennas; The first port information is determined based on the second port information.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the first port information includes: K measurement results are obtained, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, and the K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result, where N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The first port information is determined based on the K measurement results.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3 and 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: K measurement results are sent, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, and the K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result, where N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Before transmitting the measurement results of the K antenna combinations, the method further includes: Receive second indication information, the second indication information including R, wherein R is greater than or equal to M.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first information, which is used by the network device to determine the R.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the measurement results of the N antennas, R is determined.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third indication message, which indicates that R is greater than or equal to M.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 5-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Configuration information for receiving uplink reference signals, the configuration information including the identifier of at least one port, one port corresponding to a group of antennas; The uplink reference signal is transmitted through the antenna corresponding to the at least one port.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: If no information is received within the first time period when all N antennas are turned on, some or all of the antennas except the first group of antennas will be turned off.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send first port information, which is associated with the first group of antennas of the terminal device; Send downlink data to the terminal device.

14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message, which indicates the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

15. The method as described in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, Before sending the first indication information, the method further includes: K measurement results are received, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, and the K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result, where N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message, which indicates that R is greater than or equal to M.

17. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, Before sending the second indication information, the method further includes: Receive the first message; The R is determined based on the first information.

18. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third indication information, which is used to indicate R.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15-18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Configuration information for transmitting uplink reference signals, the configuration information including the identifier of at least one port, one port corresponding to a group of antennas; The received uplink reference signal is measured to obtain the uplink measurement result; The first port information and the first indication information are determined based on the uplink measurement and the K measurement results.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processing unit is configured to determine first port information, wherein the first port information is associated with a first group of antennas; The transceiver unit is used to receive downlink data through the first set of antennas, which are part of the antennas of the terminal device.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used to: receive the first port information.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to: receive second port information, the second port information being associated with a second group of antennas, the second group of antennas including the first group of antennas; The processing unit is specifically used to: determine the first port information based on the second port information.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that, The processing unit is specifically used for: K measurement results are obtained, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, and the K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result, where N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The first port information is determined based on the K measurement results.

24. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20-23, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Receive first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

25. The apparatus according to any one of claims 20-22 and 24, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: K measurement results are sent, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, and the K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result, where N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, characterized in that, Before transmitting the measurement results of the K antenna combinations, the transceiver unit is also used for: Receive second indication information, the second indication information including R, wherein R is greater than or equal to M.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Send first information, which is used by the network device to determine the R.

28. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20-23, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: Based on the measurement results of the N antennas, R is determined.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Send a third indication message, which indicates that R is greater than or equal to M.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 20, 21 and 24-29, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Configuration information for receiving uplink reference signals, the configuration information including the identifier of at least one port, one port corresponding to a group of antennas; The uplink reference signal is transmitted through the antenna corresponding to the at least one port.

31. The apparatus according to any one of claims 20-30, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: If no information is received within the first time period when all N antennas are turned on, some or all of the antennas except the first group of antennas will be turned off.

32. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing unit is used to determine the first port information, which is associated with the first group of antennas of the terminal device. The transceiver unit is used to send the first port information and send downlink data to the terminal device.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Send a first indication message, which indicates the number M of antennas included in the first group of antennas, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32 or 33, characterized in that, Before sending the first indication information, the transceiver unit is further configured to: K measurement results are received, where K is the number of antenna combinations obtained by selecting R antennas from N antennas, N is the number of antennas included in the terminal device, and the K measurement results include a first measurement result, which is used to indicate the channel state information corresponding to the antenna combination corresponding to the first measurement result, where N is greater than R, and R is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: Send a second indication message, which indicates that R is greater than or equal to M.

36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, characterized in that, Before sending the second instruction information, the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive the first information; The processing unit is further configured to: determine R based on the first information.

37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that, The device further includes: Receive third indication information, which is used to indicate R.

38. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 34-37, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used to: transmit configuration information for uplink reference signals, the configuration information including the identifier of at least one port, one port corresponding to a group of antennas; The processing unit is further configured to: measure the received uplink reference signal to obtain uplink measurement results, and determine the first port information and the first indication information based on the uplink measurement and the K measurement results.

39. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 13-19.

40. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to cause the method of any one of claims 1-12 to be performed by the communication device, or the at least one processor being configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 13-19.

41. A chip or chip system, characterized in that, The chip or chip system includes: At least one processor and an interface, the at least one processor being configured to call and execute instructions from the interface, such that, when the at least one processor executes the instructions, the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-12 is executed, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 13-19 is executed.

42. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1-12 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 13-19 to be performed.

43. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions that, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 13-19.

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