Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications, and provides a communication method and apparatus. The communication method comprises: receiving first information used for indicating the total number of antenna ports corresponding to an antenna array, wherein the antenna ports comprise a first antenna port and a second antenna port; receiving second information used for indicating time-frequency resources; receiving a first reference signal and a second reference signal on the basis of the time-frequency resources indicated by the second information, wherein the first reference signal is a reference signal sent by a network device on a first resource by means of the first antenna port, and the second reference signal is a reference signal sent by the network device on a second resource by means of the second antenna port; and sending channel state information of the first antenna port and the second antenna port, wherein the channel state information is determined on the basis of the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal. The method is used for reducing interference of a signal sent by a signal sending end to a received echo signal, thereby improving sensing performance.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411956310.0, filed on December 25, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, communication systems are gradually evolving towards integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). ISAC, also known as joint communications and sensing (JCAS), enables access network nodes and / or terminals to have sensing capabilities, thereby allowing the communication system to provide sensing services to users.

[0004] In scenarios where communication systems provide sensing services to users, access network nodes or terminals can employ a single-site sensing mode to sense targets. Taking access network node sensing a target as an example, the access network node can send a reference signal, which, after being reflected by the target, forms an echo signal and is received by the access network node. Subsequently, the access network node can obtain information such as the target's position, speed, or type based on the received echo signal.

[0005] In the above process, the signal transmitting end needs to both send the reference signal and receive the echo signal of the reference signal. Therefore, the signal sent by the signal transmitting end will interfere with the received echo signal, thereby affecting the sensing performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for reducing the interference of signals transmitted by the signal transmitting end on the received echo signals, thereby improving sensing performance.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first communication device. In one scenario, the first communication device is a network-side device, such as a network device, a module within a network device (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. In another scenario, the first communication device is a terminal-side device, such as a terminal or a communication / processing module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip within a terminal responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip within a terminal responsible for processing functions (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0009] The method includes: receiving first information indicating the total number of antenna ports of a second communication device, the antenna ports including a first antenna port and a second antenna port; receiving second information indicating time-frequency resources, the time-frequency resources including a first resource and a second resource, the time-frequency resources having different time-domain resources; receiving a first reference signal and a second reference signal based on the time-frequency resources indicated by the second information, wherein the first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted by the network device on the first resource through the first antenna port, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted by the network device on the second resource through the second antenna port; and transmitting channel state information of the first antenna port and the second antenna port, wherein the channel state information is determined based on the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal.

[0010] In the first aspect, the first communication device receives time-frequency resources indicated by the second communication device, so that the first communication device can receive reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) transmitted by the second communication device on different first and second resources through a first antenna port and a second antenna port, respectively. This isolates the antenna port for transmitting the signal from the antenna port for receiving the signal, thereby reducing interference between the transmitted signal and the received signal and improving sensing performance. Furthermore, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0011] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a second communication device. In one scenario, the second communication device is a terminal-side device, such as a terminal or a communication / processing module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip within a terminal responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a circuit or chip within a terminal responsible for processing functions (such as a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC). In another scenario, the second communication device is a network-side device, such as a network device, a module within a network device (such as a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0012] The method includes: transmitting first information indicating the total number of antenna ports of a second communication device, the antenna ports including a first antenna port and a second antenna port; transmitting second information indicating time-frequency resources, the time-frequency resources including a first resource and a second resource, the time-frequency resources having different time-domain resources; transmitting a first reference signal on the first resource through the first antenna port; transmitting a second reference signal on the second resource through the second antenna port, the first reference signal and the second reference signal being used for sensing; and receiving channel state information, wherein the channel state information is determined based on the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal.

[0013] In the second aspect, the second communication device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. Furthermore, the second communication device instructs the first communication device on time-frequency resources so that the first communication device can receive the reference signals, thereby isolating the antenna ports for transmitting and receiving signals, reducing interference between the transmitted and received signals, and improving sensing performance. In addition, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0014] In the first aspect and its possible designs, or in the second aspect and its possible designs, the following designs may also be considered:

[0015] In one possible design, the first antenna port and the second antenna port are different ports.

[0016] In this design, the channel state information determined by the first communication device is ensured to reflect the complete channel state of the antenna array.

[0017] In one possible design, all frequency domain elements in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit the reference signal at the antenna port.

[0018] In this design, when sensing based on a reference signal, all frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit the reference signal at the antenna port, which can improve sensing performance.

[0019] In one possible design, time-frequency resources do not employ time-domain multiplexing.

[0020] In this design, avoiding time-domain multiplexing can prevent performance degradation caused by channel differences and ensure the stability and reliability of data transmission.

[0021] In one possible design, time-frequency resources do not employ code domain reuse.

[0022] In this design, avoiding code domain multiplexing prevents averaging channels with different characteristics, thereby improving the accuracy of channel estimation. Since sensing applications require high accuracy in channel estimation, avoiding code domain multiplexing reduces estimation errors caused by channel differences, enabling the receiver to obtain channel state information more accurately and providing a reliable foundation for subsequent signal processing and demodulation.

[0023] In one possible design, the first antenna port has 4 ports and the second antenna port has 4 ports; or, the first antenna port has 8 ports and the second antenna port has 8 ports.

[0024] This design offers several flexible antenna port isolation methods and supports a wide range of antenna array types, thus improving the flexibility of network configuration.

[0025] In one possible design, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are channel state information reference signals.

[0026] In this design, the first communication device and the second communication device are a terminal and a network device, respectively, to realize the perception of channel state information reference signals in downlink scenarios.

[0027] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing the method described in the first or second aspect. For example, the communication device may be a first communication device as described in the first aspect; or, the communication device may be a second communication device as described in the second aspect.

[0028] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation method. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0029] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations. The transceiver module, also called a transceiver unit, is used to implement the sending and / or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations. The transceiver module may consist of transceiver circuitry, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0030] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and / or a receiving module, which are used to implement the sending or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations.

[0031] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. For example, the communication device may be a first communication device as described in the first aspect; or, the communication device may be a second communication device as described in the second aspect.

[0032] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the aspects. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or the memory may exist independently of the processor; for example, the memory and the processor are two separate modules. The memory may be located outside or within the communication device.

[0033] The communication device is used to implement the method described in the first or second aspect. For example, the communication device can be the first communication device in the first aspect; or, the communication device can be the second communication device in the second aspect.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in either aspect.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0036] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the aspects.

[0037] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to fifth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0038] Ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system including the first communication device and the second communication device described in the preceding aspect.

[0039] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through nine can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one through two, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the time-frequency resources provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the perception scene provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the perception scene provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the perception scenario provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the CSI-RS multiplexing method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of CSI-RS port mapping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7 is a second schematic diagram of CSI-RS port mapping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of CSI-RS port mapping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figures 9-11 are schematic diagrams of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0049] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figures 13-14 are schematic diagrams of the first antenna port and the second antenna port in the antenna array provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figures 15-17 are schematic diagrams illustrating the mapping relationship between antenna ports and resources provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0054] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, the relevant technical terms involved in this application are explained. It is understood that these explanations are intended to make this application easier to understand and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0055] 1. Subcarrier

[0056] In an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, frequency domain resources are divided into several sub-frequency domain resources, each of which can be called a subcarrier. A subcarrier can be understood as the smallest granularity of frequency domain resources. A subcarrier can also be called a resource element (RE).

[0057] 2. Sub-carrier spacing (SCS)

[0058] Subcarrier spacing refers to the distance between the center or peak positions of two adjacent subcarriers in the frequency domain in an OFDM system. For example, the subcarrier spacing in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system is 15 kHz, while the subcarrier spacing in a New Radio (NR) system can be 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, or 120 kHz, etc.

[0059] 3. Resource block (RB)

[0060] N consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain can be called one RB. For example, one RB in an LTE system includes 12 subcarriers, and one RB in an NR system also includes 12 subcarriers. However, as communication systems evolve, the number of subcarriers included in one RB can also be other values, without restriction.

[0061] 4. Symbols

[0062] In an OFDM system, the smallest resource granularity in the time domain can be a single time-domain symbol, or simply a symbol. This symbol can be, for example, an OFDM symbol, or a Discrete Fourier Transform-Spread-OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol, etc., without restriction.

[0063] 5. Time slot

[0064] A time slot consists of multiple consecutive symbols in the time domain. The time slot length can vary depending on the subcarrier spacing. For example, in an NR system, a time slot consists of 14 symbols, with a time slot length of 1 millisecond (ms) corresponding to a 15kHz subcarrier spacing and 0.5ms corresponding to a 30kHz subcarrier spacing.

[0065] For example, taking one RB as an example, which includes 12 subcarriers and one time slot as an example, the pattern of RB and time slot can be as shown in Figure 1. One RB includes subcarrier 0 to subcarrier 11, and one time slot includes symbol 0 to symbol 13.

[0066] In an OFDM system, multiple consecutive time slots in the time domain can be called subframes, and multiple consecutive subframes in the time domain can be called frames (or system frames). For example, the length of a subframe is 1ms, and the length of a frame is 10ms.

[0067] 6. Port

[0068] A port, also known as an antenna port, is a logical concept referring to a logical port used for transmission. Ports have a mapping relationship with physical antennas; for example, a port can be a single physical antenna or a weighted combination of multiple physical antennas. Typically, the mapping relationship between a port and physical antennas is fixed and does not change over time. Therefore, signals transmitted through the same antenna port experience the same or correlated channel conditions.

[0069] 7. ISAC

[0070] In the evolution of fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems towards 5G-advanced (5G-A) technology, ISAC technology is considered one of the key technologies for expanding the service capabilities of mobile communication networks. The core idea of ​​this technology is to add sensing capabilities to the mobile communication network, building the ability to detect, track, and image targets. This allows communication and sensing capabilities to be integrated into a single network, achieving harmonious coexistence and even mutual benefit.

[0071] The technical principles of sensing differ somewhat from those of communication. In communication, the transmitting end modulates information onto radio waves and sends it to the receiving end, which then demodulates the signal to obtain the information. In sensing, however, the transmitting end sends radio waves in a specific direction. When these radio waves strike the surface of a target, they are reflected, and the receiving end receives and processes these reflected waves to obtain sensing information about the target, such as its location, speed, or type.

[0072] Sensing can generally be categorized into single-station sensing and dual-station sensing modes. Single-station sensing refers to a mode where the signal transmitter and receiver are the same device; in other words, the sensing device both transmits and receives the signal reflected from the target surface. Therefore, single-station sensing can also be called a self-transmitting and self-receiving mode.

[0073] For example, in sensing scenario 1 shown in Figure 2, the access network node can send a signal and receive the signal reflected from the target surface. In sensing scenario 2 shown in Figure 2, the terminal can send a signal and receive the signal reflected from the target surface.

[0074] Dual-station sensing mode refers to a mode where the signal transmitter and receiver are different devices. In other words, after one sensing device sends a sensing signal, the signal reflected from the target surface is received by another sensing device. Therefore, dual-station sensing mode can also be called self-transmitting and other-receiving mode, or A-transmitting and B-receiving mode.

[0075] For example, in sensing scenario 3 shown in Figure 3, access network node A can transmit a signal, and the signal reflected off the target surface is received by access network node B. In sensing scenario 4 shown in Figure 3, terminal A can transmit a signal, and the signal reflected off the target surface is received by terminal B. As another example, in sensing scenario 5 shown in Figure 4, access network nodes can transmit signals, and the signal reflected off the target surface is received by the terminal. In sensing scenario 6 shown in Figure 4, the terminal can transmit a signal, and the signal reflected off the target surface is received by the access network node.

[0076] 8. Accuracy

[0077] Accuracy can be used to describe the error between the perceived result and the actual result. Taking distance perception as an example, if the distance between the target and the sensing device is obtained through perception as 6m, while the actual distance between the target and the sensing device is 5m, then the perception error is 1m, also known as an accuracy of 1m. In a perception scenario, accuracy can also be called perception precision.

[0078] 9. Reference Signal

[0079] A reference signal is a known signal provided by the transmitter to the receiver. Reference signals can be used for communication (such as channel estimation or channel sounding) and / or for sensing. Depending on the transmission direction, reference signals can be classified as uplink reference signals and downlink reference signals.

[0080] Uplink reference signals refer to signals sent by the terminal to the access network node. These include demodulation reference signals (DMRS) and sounding reference signals (SRS). Uplink reference signals can be used for uplink channel estimation (e.g., for coherent demodulation and detection at the access network node or for precoding calculation), uplink channel quality measurement, or sensing. For example, SRS can be used for uplink channel quality estimation and channel selection, calculating the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the uplink channel, and obtaining uplink channel coefficients. In time-division duplex (TDD) scenarios, uplink and downlink channels are reciprocal, so SRS can also be used to obtain downlink channel coefficients. Furthermore, SRS can also be used for sensing. For example, in sensing scenario 6 shown in Figure 4, the terminal can send SRS, and the signal reflected from the target surface by the SRS is received by the access network node. In sensing scenarios, SRS can also be called sensing signals.

[0081] Downlink reference signals (MRS) refer to signals sent from access network nodes to terminals. Examples include DMRS or CSI-RS. MRS can be used for downlink channel estimation, downlink channel measurement, or sensing. For example, with CSI-RS, a terminal can determine current channel state information, such as channel fading or interference levels, based on the received CSI-RS. Alternatively, CSI-RS can be used for interference measurement, or the terminal can obtain analog beamforming weights by scanning the CSI-RS. Furthermore, CSI-RS can also be used for sensing. For instance, in sensing scenario 5 shown in Figure 4, access network nodes can send CSI-RS, and the signal reflected from the target surface by the CSI-RS is received by the terminal. In this sensing scenario, CSI-RS can also be referred to as a sensing signal.

[0082] The reference signal in this application supports multiple ports; in other words, the transmitter can send the reference signal through multiple ports. A multi-port reference signal can be viewed as multiple mutually orthogonal signals multiplexed on a set of repeaters (REs). This multiplexing can refer to code division multiplexing (CDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), or time division multiplexing (TDM).

[0083] CDM can refer to reference signals from different ports using the same set of REs, which are distinguished by orthogonal codewords. FDM can refer to reference signals from different ports using different subcarriers within the same time domain resource, such as different subcarriers within a single symbol. TDM can refer to reference signals from different ports using different time domain resources, such as different symbols within a single time slot.

[0084] The following section uses CSI-RS as an example to introduce various multiplexing methods.

[0085] For example, Figure 5 illustrates the resource mapping for CSI-RS without multiplexing (i.e., No CDM), FD-CDM2, CDM4 (FD2, TD2), and CDM8 (FD2, TD4). Different patterns on the REs represent different CSI-RS ports. In the case of No CDM, CSI-RS occupies one RE, and this one RE corresponds to one CSI-RS port. FD-CDM2 indicates that CSI-RS occupies two consecutive REs in the frequency domain, and through code division multiplexing, two superimposed orthogonal cover codes (OCCs) correspond to two CSI-RS ports. CDM4 (FD2-TD2) indicates that CSI-RS occupies two consecutive REs in the frequency domain and two consecutive REs in the time domain, a total of four REs, and through code division multiplexing, four OCCs correspond to four CSI-RS ports. CDM8(FD2,TD4) indicates that CSI-RS occupies 2 consecutive REs in the frequency domain and 4 consecutive REs in the time domain, for a total of 8 REs. Through code division multiplexing, 8 OCCs correspond to 8 CSI-RS ports.

[0086] It should be understood that Figure 5 is only an example of CSI-RS port mapping. In specific applications, CSI-RS port mapping can also take other forms. For example, CSI-RS can be mapped to the 8 ports shown in Figure 6 or Figure 7, or CSI-RS can be mapped to the 16 ports shown in Figure 8.

[0087] In scenarios where communication systems provide sensing services to users, for single-site sensing mode, the sensing device (such as an access network node or terminal) must both transmit a reference signal and receive the echo signal of the reference signal. The transmission power of the reference signal is usually relatively high, which can lead to significant energy leakage and interference with the echo signal, thereby affecting sensing performance.

[0088] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. In this method, a second communication device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. Furthermore, the second communication device instructs a first communication device on time-frequency resources so that the first communication device can receive the reference signals. This isolates the antenna port for transmitting the signal from the antenna port for receiving the signal, reducing interference between the transmitted and received signals and improving sensing performance. In addition, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0089] The first communication device described above can be a network device, and the second communication device can be a terminal, or the first communication device can be a terminal and the second communication device can be a network device; there is no limitation. For ease of description, this application uses the example of the first communication device being a terminal and the second communication device being a network device. For the case where the first communication device is a network device and the second communication device is a terminal, please refer to the description in the following embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0090] The method provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0091] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5G mobile communication systems, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) systems, future communication systems, or systems integrating multiple communication systems. This application does not limit the application to these systems. 5G can also be referred to as NR.

[0092] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication scenarios, such as one or more of the following communication scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), machine type communication (MTC), massive machine type communications (mMTC), device to device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), and Internet of Things (IoT).

[0093] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the application scenario used in this application will be described using the communication system architecture shown in Figure 9 as an example. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a possible, non-limiting system. As shown in Figure 9, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 9, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 9, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 9). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 200. The core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0094] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0095] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 9 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 9 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0096] In one possible scenario, the 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), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 9, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 9, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions, as well as corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node's functions.

[0097] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0098] 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. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0099] In this embodiment, the form of the RAN node is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the RAN node can be the RAN node itself; or it can be a device that supports the RAN node in implementing this function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the RAN node or used in conjunction with the RAN node.

[0100] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication functions. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication functions.

[0101] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal can be the terminal itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. All or part of the functions of the terminal in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0102] In one embodiment, AI nodes may also be introduced into the wireless network to support artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

[0103] AI nodes can be deployed in one or more of the following locations within the communication system: access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminals, or core network equipment, etc. Alternatively, AI nodes can be deployed independently, for example, in a location other than any of the above-mentioned devices, such as in the host or cloud server of an over-the-top (OTT) system. AI nodes can communicate with other devices in the communication system, which can be one or more of the following: network equipment, terminals, or core network elements, etc.

[0104] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of AI nodes. For example, when there are multiple AI nodes, these nodes can be divided based on function, such as different AI nodes being responsible for different functions.

[0105] It can also be understood that AI nodes can be independent devices, or they can be integrated into the same device to achieve different functions. Alternatively, they can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the aforementioned AI nodes.

[0106] AI nodes can be AI network elements or AI modules.

[0107] The preceding text has introduced the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application from a macro-architectural perspective. To help deepen the understanding of this system in a practical application environment, the following will provide a more specific explanation of the communication system through several examples. It should be noted that the communication system examples listed below are for illustrative purposes and are intended to provide an intuitive understanding. The actual application scope of this application is far greater than this, and it is also compatible and adaptable to other types of communication systems, and is not limited thereto.

[0108] For example, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure in a communication system. As shown in Figure 10, network elements in the communication system are connected through interfaces (e.g., NG, Xn) or air interfaces. These network element nodes, such as core network equipment, access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminals, or one or more devices in operations administration and maintenance (OAM), are equipped with one or more AI modules (only one is shown in Figure 10 for clarity). The access network node can be a single RAN node or can include multiple RAN nodes, for example, including CU and DU. The CU and / or DU can also be equipped with one or more AI modules. The CU can also be split into CU-CP and CU-UP, and one or more AI modules are installed in the CU-CP and / or CU-UP.

[0109] AI modules are used to implement corresponding AI functions. AI modules deployed in different network elements can be the same or different. The models of AI modules can achieve different functions depending on the parameter configurations. The models of AI modules can be configured based on one or more of the following parameters: structural parameters (e.g., at least one of the following: number of neural network layers, neural network width, inter-layer connections, neuron weights, neuron activation function, or biases in the activation function), input parameters (e.g., the type and / or dimension of the input parameters), or output parameters (e.g., the type and / or dimension of the output parameters). The biases in the activation function can also be referred to as the biases of the neural network.

[0110] In one example, the neural network mentioned above can be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a generative adversarial network (GAN).

[0111] Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are artificial neural network architectures with multiple layers of nonlinear transformation units stacked in a hierarchical structure to form deep computational models. Compared to shallow neural networks, deep neural networks have more hidden layers, allowing the network model to capture more complex data structures and higher-level abstract features.

[0112] A CNN is a deep neural network with a convolutional structure. A CNN contains a feature extractor consisting of convolutional layers and subsampling layers. This feature extractor can be viewed as a filter, and the convolution process can be seen as performing convolution between a trainable filter and an input image or a convolutional feature map.

[0113] RNN is a type of recursive neural network that takes sequence data as input, recursively moves along the direction of sequence evolution, and connects all nodes (recurrent units) in a chain-like manner.

[0114] GAN is a deep learning model. It consists of a generator and a discriminator, and is trained through adversarial learning. Its purpose is to estimate the potential distribution of data samples and generate new data samples.

[0115] An AI module can have one or more models. A model can infer an output, which includes one or more parameters. The learning, training, or inference processes of different models can be deployed on different nodes or devices, or they can be deployed on the same node or device.

[0116] In another example, Figure 11 illustrates another possible structural diagram of a communication system. As shown in Figure 11, the communication system includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). For example, the RIC can be used to implement the aforementioned AI-related functions. RICs include near-real-time RICs (near-RT RICs) and non-real-time RICs (non-RT RICs). Non-real-time RICs primarily process non-real-time information, such as data that is not sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of seconds. Real-time RICs primarily process near-real-time information, such as data that is relatively sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of tens of milliseconds.

[0117] Near real-time (NRT) RICs are used for model training and inference. For example, they are used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. NRT RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data. NRT RICs can deliver inference results to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs. For example, a NRT RIC delivers an inference result to a DU, which then forwards it to an RU.

[0118] Non-real-time RICs are also used for model training and inference. For example, they are used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. Non-real-time RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs; for example, a non-real-time RIC delivers inference results to a DU, which then forwards them to an RU.

[0119] Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be configured as separate network elements. Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be part of other devices. For example, near real-time RICs can be set in RAN nodes (e.g., CU, DU), while non-real-time RICs can be set in OAM, cloud servers, core network devices, or other network devices.

[0120] In conjunction with the aforementioned communication system, this application provides a communication method in which a network device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. Furthermore, the network device instructs a terminal on time-frequency resources so that the terminal can receive the reference signals, thereby isolating the antenna ports for transmitting and receiving signals to reduce interference between the transmitted and received signals and improve sensing performance. In addition, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0121] It should be noted that "sending information" in this application can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "network device sending information" can be understood as a network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0122] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "network device receiving information" can be understood as a network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0123] In this application, phrases such as "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal)" or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as indicating that the destination of the information is a terminal. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a terminal. Similarly, phrases such as "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal)," "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal)," or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a terminal)," or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as indicating that the source of the information is a terminal. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a terminal. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly and will not be elaborated further here.

[0124] In the following embodiments of this application, the message names between network elements, the names of parameters, or the names of information are just examples. Other names may be used in other embodiments, and the communication method provided in this application does not specifically limit them.

[0125] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, each network element may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0126] It is understood that this application uses terminals and network devices as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be executed by a module applied to the terminal (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal's functions; the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be implemented by a communication / processing module in the terminal or a circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for communication / processing functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip / SIP chip containing a modem core, or a GPU / AI processor / ASIC).

[0127] The methods executed by the network device in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0128] Figure 12 shows a flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 12, the method may include the following steps:

[0129] S110, the network device sends the first information to the terminal, and the terminal receives the first information from the network device accordingly.

[0130] In integrated communication and sensing scenarios, particularly for self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing modes, network devices play a dual role: both signal transmitters and receivers. This dual function inevitably leads to interference between the transmitted signal and the weak received signal, significantly reducing the performance of the sensing system. To overcome this problem, this application employs a multi-array approach for signal transmission and reception in the aforementioned integrated communication and sensing scenarios.

[0131] Specifically, in this embodiment of the application, the antenna port of the antenna array of the network device is divided into multiple parts, and the multiple parts divided into the antenna port transmit signals on different transmission resources.

[0132] In one possible interpretation, the division of the antenna ports described above can also be described as isolating the antenna port for transmitting signals from the antenna port for receiving signals.

[0133] In one implementation, in a self-transmitting and self-receiving scenario, within different time units, the network device uses some antenna ports to transmit reference signals for communication and sensing multiplexing, while the remaining antenna ports are used to receive signals, thereby achieving effective isolation between transmission and reception in a self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing scenario.

[0134] For example, the antenna ports of the antenna array are divided into a first antenna port and a second antenna port. In time unit 1, the network device uses the first antenna port to transmit a reference signal for communication and sensing multiplexing, while the remaining antenna ports (which may include complete or partial second antenna ports) are used to receive signals. In time unit 2, the network device uses the second antenna port to transmit the reference signal for communication and sensing multiplexing, while the remaining antenna ports (which may include complete or partial first antenna ports) are used to receive signals.

[0135] In another example, the antenna ports of the antenna array are divided into a first antenna port, a second antenna port, and a third antenna port. In time unit 1, the network device uses the first antenna port to transmit a reference signal for communication and sensing multiplexing, while the remaining antenna ports (possibly including at least some of the second antenna ports and / or at least some of the third antenna ports) are used to receive signals. In time unit 2, the network device uses the second antenna port to transmit the reference signal for communication and sensing multiplexing, while the remaining antenna ports (possibly including at least some of the first antenna ports and / or at least some of the third antenna ports) are used to receive signals. In time unit 3, the network device uses the third antenna port to transmit the reference signal for communication and sensing multiplexing, while the remaining antenna ports (possibly including at least some of the first antenna ports and / or at least some of the second antenna ports) are used to receive signals.

[0136] By utilizing the aforementioned antenna port isolation mechanism, signals are transmitted and received separately in different time units. This time-division multiplexing method ensures the orderly conduct of the communication process and avoids mutual interference between signals.

[0137] It is understood that the two-group and three-group divisions of the antenna ports of the antenna array described above are merely illustrative examples. In actual division, there can be many more ways to divide the antenna ports, such as dividing them into four or even more groups, without limitation.

[0138] This application embodiment will exemplify the signal transmission and reception process under this array design by taking the example of dividing the antenna ports of the antenna array into a first antenna port and a second antenna port. Similarly, if the antenna ports of the antenna array are divided into two or more parts (such as three or four parts) to achieve signal transmission and reception under a more complex array design, the same approach is applicable and can be understood with reference to the description of this embodiment.

[0139] For example, as shown in Figure 13, the first antenna port has 4 ports and the second antenna port has 4 ports. In another example, as shown in Figure 14, the first antenna port has 8 ports and the second antenna port has 8 ports.

[0140] In this application, the first antenna port and the second antenna port are each a set of multiple antenna ports. In one possible interpretation, the first antenna port can also be referred to as the first antenna subarray, and the second antenna port can also be referred to as the second antenna subarray.

[0141] In the aforementioned multiplexing scenario, the network device instructs the terminal with first information via step S110. This first information indicates the total number of antenna ports corresponding to the antenna array. For example, the network device can instruct the terminal with the first information via higher-layer parameters in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0142] The content of the first information can be flexibly set. For example, the first information may include N1 and N2, where N1 and N2 represent the number of specific antenna ports, respectively. For instance, N1 may represent the number of antenna ports in the horizontal direction, and N2 may represent the number of antenna ports in the vertical direction. Based on the protocol-defined mapping relationship between N1 and N2 and the total number of antenna ports, after receiving N1 and N2, the terminal can determine the corresponding total number of antenna ports based on the above mapping relationship.

[0143] S120, the network device sends the second information to the terminal, and the terminal receives the second information from the network device accordingly.

[0144] The second information is used to indicate time-frequency resources. Different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals for different antenna ports. In other words, this application uses frequency domain multiplexing to transmit reference signals. For example, a frequency domain unit may include one or more subcarriers.

[0145] Time-frequency resources may include time-frequency pattern information. For example, time-frequency pattern information may include at least one of the following: the index of the time-frequency pattern, the period and offset of the reference signal, and other possible configuration parameters, such as resource block allocation information, power control, etc.

[0146] The terminal can determine the time-frequency pattern based on the time-frequency pattern information, and then determine the transmission resources of the reference signal based on the time-frequency pattern. The time-frequency pattern defines the position of the reference signal in the time and frequency domains.

[0147] Time-frequency resources include first resources and second resources, and the time-domain resources in the first resources and second resources are different.

[0148] For example, either the first resource or the second resource may include one or more symbols. These symbols may be continuous or discontinuous in the time domain. After receiving the second information, the terminal can determine on which resources the reference signal should be received.

[0149] One possible interpretation is that the difference in temporal resources in the first and second resources can be understood as the fact that the temporal resources in the first resource and the temporal resources in the second resource do not overlap at all.

[0150] In time-frequency resources, each group of transmission resources may include at least one cycle of resources, and each cycle of resources includes a group of resource elements (REs). Taking a group of transmission resources consisting of one cycle of resources as an example, in the scenario shown in Figure 13, the first and second resources respectively measure the channels of two groups of 4-antenna ports. As another example, in the scenario shown in Figure 14, the first and second resources respectively measure the channels of two groups of 8-antenna ports.

[0151] Optionally, the time-domain resources in each period of at least one period of resources are contained within a single time unit. This time unit may include one or more symbols.

[0152] For example, in at least one cycle of resources, the time-domain resources in each cycle are located within a single symbol, thus ensuring that the configuration of resources for a single cycle does not span different symbols. This reduces the complexity of sensing operations, thereby reducing sensing overhead and simultaneously alleviating the burden on the communication system.

[0153] Optionally, the first antenna port and the second antenna port are different ports, and the sum of the number of antenna ports used for time-frequency resource measurement is the same as the total number of antenna ports. In an alternative description, the antenna ports used for time-frequency resource measurement can be replaced with the antenna ports used for the reference signal transmitted based on the time-frequency resources.

[0154] For example, if the total number of antenna ports is K, the time-frequency resources include a first resource and a second resource, the antenna port used for the first reference signal transmitted based on the first resource is M, and the antenna port used for the second reference signal transmitted based on the second resource is N, then M + N = K. Where M, N, and K are positive integers.

[0155] The content of the second information can be flexibly configured. For example, the second information can directly include specific parameters of the aforementioned time-frequency resources, such as port number and time-frequency location. Alternatively, the second information can include some indexes or flags, which the terminal parses to select the aforementioned time-frequency resources from a preset set of transmission resources. Alternatively, the second information can also include some configuration parameters that determine the generation and mapping method of the aforementioned time-frequency resources, such as spread spectrum mode and frequency domain resource location configuration.

[0156] Optionally, all frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals for the antenna port. For example, the reference signals include the first reference signal and the second reference signal mentioned above.

[0157] Understandably, in conventional designs, for time-frequency resources indicated by network devices, terminals do not use all frequency domain units of the time-frequency resources for transmitting reference signals. Instead, they reserve some frequency domain units for the transmission of other possible communication signals. For example, as shown in Figure 15, taking the 7th time-frequency pattern among the 18 currently defined channel state information reference signal time-frequency patterns as an example, in this time-frequency pattern, the horizontal axis represents the time domain, and the vertical axis represents the frequency domain. One grid represents one RE, occupying two symbols in the time domain and four REs in the frequency domain. The CDM method is FD-OCC2, meaning that two consecutive REs in the frequency domain form a CDM group, and each CDM group corresponds to two ports. The entire CSI-RS resource includes four CDM groups, totaling eight ports. It can be seen that in this time-frequency pattern, the reference signal does not occupy all frequency domain units of the time-frequency resources.

[0158] In this application, all frequency domain elements in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit the reference signal of the antenna port.

[0159] In one possible interpretation, all frequency domain units in the time-frequency resource are used to transmit the reference signal at the antenna port, which could mean that the reference signal transmitted at the antenna port occupies every frequency domain unit (e.g., RE) in the time-frequency resource.

[0160] For example, in a scenario with a total of 8 antenna ports as shown in Figure 13, assuming the time-frequency resources indicated by the network device include 12 REs, the time-frequency pattern can be shown in Figure 16, occupying two symbols in the time domain and 12 REs in the frequency domain. As another example, in a scenario with a total of 16 antenna ports as shown in Figure 14, assuming the time-frequency resources indicated by the network device include 8 REs, the time-frequency pattern can be shown in Figure 17, occupying two symbols in the time domain and 8 REs in the frequency domain.

[0161] Another possible interpretation is that all frequency domain cells in the time-frequency resource are used to transmit the reference signal at the antenna port. This could also mean that the reference signal transmitted at the antenna port occupies a portion of the frequency domain cells in the time-frequency resource, such as all even-indexed REs, but the remaining frequency domain cells do not carry other signals (e.g., signals carrying communication data). In other words, no frequency domain resources are reserved in this time-frequency resource for carrying other signals.

[0162] Thus, when sensing based on reference signals, using all frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources to transmit the reference signal at the antenna port can improve sensing performance.

[0163] Optionally, the time-frequency resources indicated by the second information do not employ code domain multiplexing.

[0164] Avoiding code domain multiplexing prevents averaging channels with different characteristics, thus improving the accuracy of channel estimation. Since sensing applications require high accuracy in channel estimation, avoiding code domain multiplexing reduces estimation errors caused by channel differences, enabling the receiver to obtain channel state information more accurately and providing a reliable foundation for subsequent signal processing and demodulation.

[0165] Optionally, the time-frequency resources indicated by the second information do not employ time-domain multiplexing.

[0166] The time-domain multiplexing strategy requires that resource elements traverse the same channels. However, in practical applications, especially when using time-division multiplexing (TDM) transmission technology, the hardware channel characteristics of different arrays may differ. These differences can lead to inconsistent channel characteristics, thus affecting the effectiveness of time-domain multiplexing. Using time-domain multiplexed resource configurations for channel measurements can result in performance degradation. Avoiding time-domain multiplexing can prevent this performance degradation caused by channel differences, ensuring the stability and reliability of data transmission.

[0167] S130, on the first resource, the network device sends a first reference signal to the terminal through the first antenna port, and correspondingly, the terminal receives the first reference signal from the network device.

[0168] Specifically, after the network device instructs the terminal with the second information indicating the time-frequency resources, it can transmit a first reference signal to the terminal via the first antenna port on the first resource within the aforementioned time-frequency resources, so that the terminal can determine the channel measurement results. Optionally, the first reference signal can also be used for sensing. For example, the first reference signal can be a channel state information reference signal. In this case, the time-frequency resources indicated by the second information are channel state information reference signal resources.

[0169] S140, on the second resource, the network device sends a second reference signal to the terminal through the second antenna port, and correspondingly, the terminal receives the second reference signal from the network device.

[0170] Similar to step S130, after the network device indicates the second information regarding the indicated time-frequency resources to the terminal, a second reference signal can be sent to the terminal via the second antenna port on the second resource within the time-frequency resources, so that the terminal can determine the channel measurement results. Optionally, the second reference signal can also be used for sensing. For example, the second reference signal can be a channel state information reference signal.

[0171] S150, the terminal determines the channel state information based on the first information, the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0172] The terminal first measures the channels of the first antenna port and the second antenna port based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, respectively, to obtain the channel measurement results. Then, based on the channel measurement results and the total number of antenna ports indicated by the first information, the channel state information is determined. More specifically, by receiving and processing the first and second reference signals, the terminal can estimate the transmission characteristics of the channels of the first and second antenna ports, such as gain, phase, and delay. These estimation results constitute the channel measurement results.

[0173] Channel state information includes one or more of the following: rank indication (RI), channel quality indicator (CQI), or precoding matrix indication (PMI). This information is determined based on parameters such as channel measurement results and the total number of antenna ports. The terminal can determine the channel state information based on the channel measurement results and the total number of antenna ports indicated by the first information.

[0174] For details on the specific implementation of step S150 above, please refer to relevant technologies; further details will not be provided here.

[0175] S160, the terminal sends channel state information to the network device, and the network device receives the channel state information from the terminal accordingly.

[0176] Once the terminal has determined the channel state information, it can report the channel state information to the network device.

[0177] Optionally, after receiving channel state information, the network device can schedule resources based on the channel state information. For example, the network device can determine one or more of the following information and instruct the terminal: downlink communication time-frequency resource information, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) information, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) layer number information, or precoding matrix.

[0178] In this embodiment, the network device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. The network device also instructs the terminal on time-frequency resources so that the terminal can receive the reference signals, thereby isolating the antenna ports for transmitting and receiving signals to reduce interference between the transmitted and received signals and improve sensing performance. Furthermore, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0179] In one embodiment, the method may optionally include:

[0180] S170, the network device receives the first echo signal reflected by the first reference signal after passing through the sensing object, and the second echo signal reflected by the second reference signal after passing through the sensing object.

[0181] As explained earlier, in the scenario of integrated communication and sensing, the reference signal can also be used for sensing. The sensing object can be various types of entities, such as vehicles, equipment, animals, buildings, roads, bridges, etc. Network devices can receive the aforementioned first echo signal and second echo signal for sensing.

[0182] S180, the network device senses based on the first echo signal and the second echo signal.

[0183] In this process, after receiving the first and second echo signals, the network device uses these signals for sensing. The network device analyzes the received first and second echo signals to achieve the sensing objective. For details on the specific sensing process, please refer to relevant technologies; further explanation is omitted here.

[0184] In this embodiment, the reference signal is used for sensing, realizing the multiplexing of sensing signals, reducing the need for additional sensing resources, and enabling the sharing of communication and sensing resources.

[0185] In summary, the communication method of this application aims to improve sensing accuracy by reducing interference between the signal transmitted by the signal transmitter and the received echo signal. It is designed as follows: a second communication device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. Furthermore, the second communication device instructs the first communication device on time-frequency resources so that the first communication device can receive the aforementioned reference signals. This isolates the antenna port for transmitting the signal from the antenna port for receiving the signal, reducing interference between the transmitted signal and the received signal and improving sensing performance. In addition, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0186] It is understood that the communication method provided in this application embodiment does not limit the applicable communication system. For example, the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to an O-RAN communication system. Based on the functional design of O-DU / O-CU / O-RU in the O-RAN communication system, the steps executed by the network device in the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be flexibly implemented by one or more of O-DU / O-CU / O-RU, without limitation.

[0187] In another embodiment, the communication method proposed in this application is also applicable to a chip system. Specifically, the chip system on the network side and / or the terminal side is provided with a memory unit for storing the corresponding information (e.g., first information, second information, etc.) for implementing the communication method of this application embodiment. Based on the corresponding information, the processor, in conjunction with a radio frequency / antenna module with transceiver functions, interacts with the other side to implement the communication method of this application embodiment.

[0188] The foregoing mainly describes the solution provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of the execution logic of each step. It is understood that each node, such as a network device, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules to execute each function in order to achieve the above-mentioned functions. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the method of the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software-driven hardware manner 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 implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0189] This application embodiment can divide the network device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0190] Figure 18 illustrates a possible exemplary structural diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 18, the communication device 900 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described above. In one possible design, the communication device 900 includes a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 903. Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage unit 901 for storing device program code and / or data.

[0191] The communication device 900 can be the first communication device in the above embodiments.

[0192] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 903 is configured to receive first information indicating the total number of antenna ports corresponding to the antenna array, the antenna ports including a first antenna port and a second antenna port.

[0193] The communication unit 903 is also configured to receive second information for indicating time-frequency resources. Different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals for different antenna ports.

[0194] The communication unit 903 is further configured to receive a first reference signal and a second reference signal based on time-frequency resources indicated by the second information. The first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted by the network device on the first resource through a first antenna port, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted by the network device on the second resource through a second antenna port. The time-domain resources in the first and second resources are different, and the time-frequency resources include both the first and second resources.

[0195] The processing unit 902 is used to determine channel state information based on the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal.

[0196] The communication unit 903 is also used to transmit channel status information for the first antenna port and the second antenna port.

[0197] In this embodiment, the second communication device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. Furthermore, the second communication device instructs the first communication device on time-frequency resources so that the first communication device can receive the reference signals. This isolates the antenna port for transmitting the signal from the antenna port for receiving the signal, reducing interference between the transmitted and received signals and improving sensing performance. In addition, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0198] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a first communication device or a communication module within a first communication device, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

[0199] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the first communication device, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0200] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a first communication device or a processing module within a first communication device, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a GPU, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU. Alternatively, the processor may include an AI processor, or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor. Or, the processor may include an ASIC, or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0201] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip responsible for processing functions in the first communication device, such as a GPU or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU, an AI processor or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor, or an ASIC or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0202] In another possible implementation, the communication device 900 can be the second communication device in the above embodiments. The communication unit 903 can be used for:

[0203] The system transmits first information indicating the total number of antenna ports corresponding to the antenna array, including a first antenna port and a second antenna port; it also transmits second information indicating time-frequency resources, where different frequency domain elements in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals for different antenna ports; on the first resource, a first reference signal is transmitted through the first antenna port; and on the second resource, a second reference signal is transmitted through the second antenna port. The first and second reference signals are used for sensing, and the time domain resources in the first and second resources are different, with the time-frequency resources including both the first and second resources; finally, it receives channel state information, which is determined based on the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal.

[0204] In this implementation, the second communication device transmits reference signals (including a first reference signal and a second signal) through a first antenna port and a second antenna port on different first and second resources, respectively. The second communication device also instructs the first communication device on time-frequency resources so that the first communication device can receive the reference signals. This isolates the antenna port for transmitting the signal from the antenna port for receiving the signal, reducing interference between the transmitted and received signals and improving sensing performance. Furthermore, different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit reference signals from different antenna ports, reducing interference between reference signals and improving sensing performance when the reference signals are used for sensing.

[0205] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 can also be used to receive a first echo signal reflected by the sensing object from the first reference signal, and a second echo signal reflected by the sensing object from the second reference signal. The processing unit 902 is used to perform sensing based on the first and second echo signals. In one possible design, the sum of the number of antenna ports used for measurement using time-frequency resources is the same as the total number of antenna ports, and the first antenna port and the second antenna port are different ports.

[0206] In this design, the channel state information determined by the first communication device is ensured to reflect the complete channel state of the antenna array.

[0207] In one possible design, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are channel state information reference signals.

[0208] In this design, the first communication device and the second communication device are a terminal and a network device, respectively, to realize the perception of channel state information reference signals in downlink scenarios.

[0209] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. One function can correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated onto a single physical entity, or distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed 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 specific applications, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0210] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0211] In one example, storage unit 901 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0212] Referring to Figure 19, which is a structural schematic diagram of a terminal 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application, the terminal 1000 can correspond to the terminals shown in Figures 9-11 and is used to implement the operation of the terminals in the above embodiments. As shown in Figure 19, the terminal includes: one or more antennas 1010, a radio frequency processing system 1020, and a processor system 1030.

[0213] In the downlink or sidelink direction, the RF processing system 1020 receives RF signals through the antenna 1010 and sends the RF-processed signals to the processor system 1030 for further processing. In the uplink or sidelink direction, the processor system 1030 processes the terminal-side information and sends it to the RF processing system 1020, which then processes the signal and transmits it through the antenna 1010.

[0214] In one example, the RF processing system 1020 serves as the communication interface for external communication of the terminal and may include an RF front end (RFFE) 1021 and an RF transceiver 1022 (abbreviated as transceiver 1022 in Figure 19). The RFFE 1021 is mainly used for one or more of the following processing operations on the RF signal received by the antenna or the RF signal to be transmitted through the antenna: shaping, passband selection, or gain adjustment. It may include one or more components such as RF switches, duplexers, filters, power amplifiers, antenna tuning, and low-noise amplifiers. The RFFE 1021 can be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete devices or it can be integrated and packaged in one or more chips. The radio frequency transceiver 1022 is used to process the RF signal received by the RFFE into a baseband / intermediate frequency signal for further processing by the processor system 1030, and to process the baseband / intermediate frequency signal provided by the processor system 1030 into an RF signal for transmission to the RFFE 1021. The baseband / intermediate frequency signal transmitted between the radio frequency transceiver 1022 and the processor system 1030 can be a digital signal or an analog signal. The radio frequency transceiver 1022 can be implemented by one or more chips, which are commonly referred to as radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs).

[0215] In one example, processor system 1030 may include one or more processors for processing signals and executing one or more communication protocols. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include memory 1036. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 1031 (also known as a modem processor). Memory 1036 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include one or more application processors 1032 for implementing processing of the terminal operating system and application layer. Application processor 1032 may include, for example, a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include one or more of a voice subsystem 1033, a multimedia subsystem 1034, or an interface circuit 1035. The voice subsystem 1033 is used to process voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 1034 is used to handle multimedia-related operations, such as video encoding / decoding, image processing, etc., and the interface circuit 1035 is used to implement communication with other terminal components, such as a display 1040, an input device 1050, memory 1060, etc. The aforementioned components in the processor system 1030 can communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0216] In one example, the processor system 1030 can be packaged as a single processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, the processor system 1030 can be a system composed of multiple chips, for example, the baseband processor 1031 can be packaged as a single chip, or packaged with part or all of the circuitry of the radio frequency processing system into a single chip.

[0217] In one example, memory 1036 can be on-chip memory, i.e., located on the processor system 1030 chip. In another example, memory 1060 can be off-chip memory, i.e. located outside the processor system 1030 chip.

[0218] In one example, the baseband processor 1031 may include one or more processor cores 10311 and interface circuitry 10314. The one or more processor cores 10311 are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the baseband processor 1031 may also include a memory 10312 for storing at least a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores 10311 implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments by executing the computer program instructions stored in the memory 10312.

[0219] In this application, memory 10312 is used to store corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. This can mean that memory 10312 stores all corresponding computer program instructions and / or data for execution by processor core 10311; or it can mean that memory 10312 stores a portion of corresponding computer program instructions and / or data, including the computer program instructions and / or data currently required to be executed by processor core 10311. Memory 10312 can store different portions of computer program instructions and / or data multiple times for execution by processor core 10311 to implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments. Interface circuit 10314 serves as a communication interface for communication with other components, such as transmitting signals with radio frequency processing system 1020, communicating with other subsystems and related components of processor system 1030 via bus, such as transmitting data control signals with application processor 1032, and transmitting data or computer program instructions with memory 1036 or memory 1060.

[0220] Optionally, in order to reduce the load on the processor core, a baseband signal processing circuit 10313 can be set to perform at least some baseband signal processing, including one or more of signal demodulation, modulation, encoding or decoding.

[0221] In one example, the communication device provided in this application may be a terminal 1000, a communication module including a processor system 1030 and a radio frequency system 1020, the processor system 1030, or a baseband processor 1031.

[0222] The processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit, or processor core mentioned above can be collectively referred to as a processor. The processor may include one or more of the following: central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), microprocessor unit (MPU), microcontroller unit (MCU), graphics processing unit (GPU), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), artificial intelligence processor (AI processor), or neural processing unit (NPU).

[0223] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), cache, register, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments may be stored on non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the aforementioned memory 1060 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or hard disk). When the terminal is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded onto a memory with a faster transfer speed than the processor, such as at least a portion of memory 1036 and / or memory 10312 (e.g., one or more of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, PCM, RERAM, MRAM, FRAM, cache, or register), for the processor to execute in order to implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0224] In one example, the RF transceiver 1022 and the RF front-end 1021 can also be packaged in a single chip. In another example, the RF transceiver 1022, the RF front-end 1021, and the baseband processor 1031 can also be packaged in a single chip.

[0225] This application also provides a communication system corresponding to an integrated communication and sensing scenario. The communication system may include a first communication device and a second communication device. The first and second communication devices may have the functionality to implement the aforementioned method steps.

[0226] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be a terminal device of any of the foregoing embodiments, such as an internal storage unit including a data sending end and / or a data receiving end, such as a hard disk or memory of the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the terminal device, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the terminal device. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both the internal storage unit and the external storage device of the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0227] This application also provides computer instructions. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be executed by computer instructions to instruct related hardware (such as computers, processors, network devices, and terminals). The program can be stored in the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium.

[0228] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the above-described method embodiments to be executed.

[0229] This application also provides a chip system. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, without limitation. The chip system includes a processor and a transceiver. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by this chip system, such as the chip system being used to implement the functions performed by the network devices or terminals in the above method embodiments.

[0230] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. When the chip system is running, the processor executes the program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip system to perform the functions performed by the network device or terminal in the above method embodiments.

[0231] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0232] In the embodiments of this application, the memory can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store instructions and / or data.

[0233] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0234] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) 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 (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A. For example, B can be determined based on A. It should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information. Furthermore, the term "connection" in the embodiments of this application refers to various connection methods, such as direct or indirect connections, to achieve communication between devices; the embodiments of this application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0235] Unless otherwise specified, the term "transmission" in the embodiments of this application refers to bidirectional transmission, encompassing the actions of sending and / or receiving. Specifically, "transmission" in the embodiments of this application includes sending data, receiving data, or both sending and receiving data. In other words, data transmission here includes uplink and / or downlink data transmission. Data may include channels and / or signals; uplink data transmission refers to uplink channel and / or uplink signal transmission, and downlink data transmission refers to downlink channel and / or downlink signal transmission. The terms "network" and "system" in the embodiments of this application refer to the same concept; a communication system is a communication network.

[0236] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0237] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or 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 device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0238] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0239] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device, such as a microcontroller, chip, or processor, to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0240] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0241] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0242] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0243] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0244] 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.

[0245] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: Receive first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the total number of antenna ports of the second communication device, the antenna ports including a first antenna port and a second antenna port; Receive second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate time-frequency resources, and different frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit different reference signals of the antenna ports, the time-frequency resources include a first resource and a second resource, and the time domain resources in the first resource and the second resource are different; The time-frequency resource indicated by the second information receives a first reference signal and a second reference signal, wherein the first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted by the second communication device on the first resource through the first antenna port, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted by the second communication device on the second resource through the second antenna port. Transmit channel state information, wherein the channel state information is determined based on the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, All frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit the reference signal of the antenna port.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time-frequency resources do not employ time-domain multiplexing.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time-frequency resources do not use code domain reuse.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first antenna port and the second antenna port are different antenna ports.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first reference signal and the second reference signal are channel state information reference signals.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first antenna port has 4 ports and the second antenna port has 4 ports; or, the first antenna port has 8 ports and the second antenna port has 8 ports.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: Send first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the total number of antenna ports in the antenna array, the antenna ports including a first antenna port and a second antenna port; Send a second message, wherein the second message is used to indicate time-frequency resources, the time-frequency resources having different frequency domain units in the frequency domain used to transmit different reference signals of the antenna port, the time-frequency resources including a first resource and a second resource, the time domain resources in the first resource and the second resource being different; On the first resource, a first reference signal is transmitted through the first antenna port; On the second resource, a second reference signal is transmitted through the second antenna port, and the first reference signal and the second reference signal are used for sensing; Receive channel state information, wherein the channel state information is determined based on the first information, the first reference signal, and the second reference signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, All frequency domain units in the time-frequency resources are used to transmit the reference signal of the antenna port.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The time-frequency resources do not employ time-domain multiplexing.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, The time-frequency resources do not use code domain reuse.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, The first antenna port and the second antenna port are different antenna ports.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8-12, characterized in that, The first reference signal and the second reference signal are channel state information reference signals.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized in that, The first antenna port has 4 ports and the second antenna port has 4 ports; or, the first antenna port has 8 ports and the second antenna port has 8 ports.

15. The method according to any one of claims 8-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the first echo signal reflected by the first reference signal after passing through the sensing object; Receive the second echo signal reflected by the second reference signal after passing through the sensing object; Sensing is performed based on the first echo signal and the second echo signal.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a module that performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-7; or, it includes a module that performs the method as described in any one of claims 8-15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor for supporting the communication device in performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-15 to be performed.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, When it is run on a computer, it causes the method described in any one of claims 1-15 to be performed.

20. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor for supporting the chip in performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-15.

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