Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of communications. In the method, a terminal receives first information, the first information indicating a first DMRS port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream among at least one data stream, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port being different, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port being for coherent joint transmission. Further, the terminal receives a DMRS by means of the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port. That is, when one data stream corresponds to two DMRS ports, in the present application, first information may be sent solely by means of a protocol station to indicate the two DMRS ports. Compared with the solution in the prior art in which, when one data stream corresponds to two DMRS ports, a master station and a cooperative station need to respectively send first information to indicate the DMRS ports, the present application may reduce the indication overhead of the first information and reduce the blind detection complexity of a terminal, thereby facilitating improvement of the processing efficiency.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411999481.1, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on December 31, 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 communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Coherent joint transmission (CJT) refers to a terminal being provided with services by multiple base stations through joint transmission. All participating base stations transmit the same data stream, resulting in coherent superposition of received signals at the terminal and coherent cancellation of interference. This effectively improves the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of downlink transmission, thereby enhancing network throughput and user experience. For distributed CJT, pilot interference may exist because inter-station information exchange is not possible in real time. To avoid pilot interference, a scheme has been proposed where multiple serving base stations can independently allocate DMRS ports to the terminal using multiple downlink control information (DCIs). However, this implementation requires the terminal to blindly detect multiple DCIs, increasing the DCI indication overhead and the terminal's blind detection complexity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce the indication overhead of DCI and the blind detection complexity of the terminal, thereby helping to improve processing efficiency.

[0005] The present application is described below from different aspects. It should be understood that the different implementation methods and beneficial effects described below can be referenced from each other.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a communication method applicable to terminal-side communication devices, such as a terminal or a communication / processing module within a terminal, or circuits or chips in the terminal responsible for communication functions (e.g., modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips in the terminal responsible for processing functions (e.g., graphics processing unit (GPU), artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, in this method, the terminal receives first information, which indicates at least one first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream. The first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are coherently coupled for transmission. The terminal receives DMRS through the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port. Specifically, the terminal can receive first information from the cooperating station. For a given data stream, the first DMRS port indicated by the first information can be understood as the DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port can be understood as the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station. The first and second DMRS ports corresponding to the same data stream can be understood as associated. Furthermore, when the DMRS port scheduled by the master station and the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station for the same data stream are the same, the first information can also indicate one DMRS port. That is, for each data stream, the first information can indicate one or two DMRS ports. However, this application embodiment mainly focuses on the case where the DMRS port scheduled by the master station and the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station for the same data stream are different.

[0007] In this embodiment, for distributed CJT transmission, the cooperating station can send first information (e.g., DCI) to the terminal to indicate the DMRS port number. The DCI indication is defined as follows: for each data stream, the DCI indicates one or two DMRS ports. If it indicates two DMRS ports (i.e., the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port), then these two DMRS ports are for CJT transmission. Therefore, the terminal can perform CJT merging processing on these two DMRS ports. Compared to the existing scheme where the master station and cooperating station need to send DCIs to indicate the DMRS ports separately when a data stream corresponds to two DMRS ports, the scheme provided in this embodiment only requires the protocol station to send the DCI to indicate the DMRS ports. This reduces the DCI indication overhead and the blind detection complexity of the terminal, thereby helping to improve processing efficiency.

[0008] In one possible implementation, when there are multiple first messages received, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port correspond to the same data stream.

[0009] In this implementation, when there are multiple cooperating stations, each of these stations can send first information to the terminal. Accordingly, when the terminal receives multiple first messages from multiple cooperating stations, it can determine that the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port are coherent joint transmissions. This helps to further improve the SINR of downlink transmission.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and a second index;

[0011] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams, the first DMRS port belongs to the first difference set, the second DMRS port belongs to the second difference set, the first difference set is the difference set between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, the second difference set is the difference set between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the first intersection set is the intersection set of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set.

[0012] In this implementation, the DMRS port is indicated by carrying the first index and the second index in the first information, which is beneficial for protocol compatibility, and this implementation method is simple to implement.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port's position in the first difference set after sorting by DMRS port number is the same as the second DMRS port's position in the second difference set after sorting by DMRS port number.

[0014] In this implementation, it is stipulated that when the DMRS ports corresponding to the same data stream are different, CJT merging can be performed according to the port number, which makes it simple and clear to determine the multiple DMRS ports corresponding to each data stream.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and first indication information;

[0016] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, the third DMRS port set is a subset of the first DMRS port set, the first DMRS port belongs to the third DMRS port set, the second DMRS port belongs to the fourth DMRS port set, the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set correspond to the at least one data stream, and the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set are different.

[0017] In this implementation, the DMRS port is indicated by carrying the first index and the first indication information in the first information, which is beneficial for protocol compatibility. At the same time, this implementation method makes the indication of the first information more flexible.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first indication information indicates a third DMRS port set, including:

[0019] The first indication information is the third DMRS port set; or,

[0020] The first indication information is a bit map, wherein one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value.

[0021] In this implementation, the first indication information directly indicates the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set or indicates the third DMRS port set through a bit map, which is simple to implement and easy to operate.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first information may further include second indication information, which indicates the fourth DMRS port set.

[0023] In this implementation, the cooperating station instructs the fourth DMRS port set through the second instruction information, which helps to further enhance the instruction flexibility of the DMRS ports.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the second indication information indicates the fourth DMRS port set, including:

[0025] The second indication information is the fourth DMRS port set; or,

[0026] The second indication information is the index of the fourth DMRS port set.

[0027] In this implementation, the second indication information directly indicates the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set or indicates the fourth DMRS port set by way of an index, which is simple to implement and easy to operate.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the first correspondence is predefined;

[0029] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0030] In this implementation, predefining, for example, predefining the first correspondence in the protocol, helps to reduce instruction overhead and save resources.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first information further includes third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence;

[0032] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0033] In this implementation, the cooperating station indicates the first correspondence through the third indication information, which helps to further enhance the indication flexibility of the DMRS port.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code.

[0035] In this implementation, each DMRS port can be replaced with a port within the same CDM group, or each DMRS port can be replaced with a DMRS port with the same corresponding OCC code. This clearly defines the DMRS ports or the set of DMRS ports that each DMRS port can be replaced with.

[0036] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to network-side communication devices, such as network-side access network devices, modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) within the access network device, or logic nodes, logic modules, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device. Taking the application of this method to an access network device as an example, in this method, the access network device sends first information, the first information indicating at least one first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream. The first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are coherently coupled for transmission; DMRS is transmitted through the second DMRS port. Here, the access network device can refer to a cooperating station.

[0037] In one possible implementation, when multiple first messages are sent, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port correspond to the same data stream.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and a second index;

[0039] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams, the first DMRS port belongs to the first difference set, the second DMRS port belongs to the second difference set, the first difference set is the difference set between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, the second difference set is the difference set between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the first intersection set is the intersection set of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port's position in the first difference set after sorting by DMRS port number is the same as the second DMRS port's position in the second difference set after sorting by DMRS port number.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and first indication information;

[0042] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, the third DMRS port set is a subset of the first DMRS port set, the first DMRS port belongs to the third DMRS port set, the second DMRS port belongs to the fourth DMRS port set, the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set correspond to the at least one data stream, and the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set are different.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the first indication information indicates a third DMRS port set, including:

[0044] The first indication information is the third DMRS port set; or,

[0045] The first indication information is a bit map, wherein one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the first information may further include second indication information, which indicates the fourth DMRS port set.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the second indication information indicates the fourth DMRS port set, including:

[0048] The second indication information is the fourth DMRS port set; or,

[0049] The second indication information is the index of the fourth DMRS port set.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the first correspondence is predefined;

[0051] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0052] In one possible implementation, the first information further includes third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence;

[0053] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station.

[0056] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device comprising units, modules, or means for implementing any of the methods in the first to second aspects, or any possible implementations of any of the aspects, wherein the modules, units, or means may be implemented by software, by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0057] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device including a processor. The processor is configured to cause the communication device to implement the methods shown in any of the first to second aspects, or any possible implementation thereof.

[0058] Optionally, the communication device further includes a transceiver for sending and receiving information.

[0059] Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory storing a computer program; the processor and transceiver are used to invoke the computer program in the memory, causing the communication device to implement the method shown in any of the first or second aspects, or any possible implementation thereof.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication device can be a chip that implements the above method or a device containing a chip.

[0061] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors, which implement, via logic circuits or execution code instructions, any of the methods described in the first or second aspects, or any possible implementation thereof.

[0062] Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit for receiving signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmitting them to the processor, or sending signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device.

[0063] Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory for storing part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions involved in the first aspect above.

[0064] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip that contains a modem module.

[0065] The aforementioned communication device may be an access network device, a module (e.g., a circuit, chip, or chip system) within the access network device, or a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0066] Sixthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method shown in any of the first to second aspects, or any possible implementation thereof.

[0067] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer program product that, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the methods in the first aspect to the second aspect, or any possible implementation thereof.

[0068] Eighthly, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor and an interface, the processor being configured to read and execute a computer program or instructions in a memory, wherein when the computer program or instructions are executed, the chip performs the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects, or the method shown in any possible implementation of either aspect.

[0069] Ninthly, this application provides a communication system that may include a terminal and an access network device. The terminal is used to perform the method shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The access network device is used to perform the method shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0070] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application;

[0071] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the O-RAN system provided in this application;

[0072] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the network element function division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device provided in this application;

[0073] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the CJT transmission architecture;

[0074] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a CJT transmission scenario;

[0075] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another CJT transmission scenario;

[0076] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a DMRS port allocation scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a possible communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a possible communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a possible communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0081] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] In the description of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Additionally, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one 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.

[0083] 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 steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0084] In this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary," "for example," or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the words "exemplary," "for example," or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0085] It is understood that in this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited, nor do they require the device to make a judgment when it is implemented, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0086] In this application, the use of singular pronouns for elements is intended to indicate "one or more," rather than "one and only one," unless otherwise specified. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application are used interchangeably.

[0087] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that there is a correspondence between A and B, and B can be determined based on A. Determining B based on A does not mean that B can be determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0088] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application will be described first below:

[0089] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, and LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems. The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other communication systems, such as Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) systems, LTE Advanced (LTE-A) systems, the 5th generation (5G) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, or other future communication systems, or other wireless communication systems employing wireless access technologies, all of which can adopt the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0090] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system applied in the embodiments of this application. It should be noted that Figure 1 is a possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, 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 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network elements in core network 200 and RAN nodes 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, or they can be a single physical device integrating some core network element functions and some RAN node 110 functions. Terminals can be interconnected with each other, and RAN nodes 110 can be interconnected with each other via wired or wireless means. Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram. This communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices. Each device may also include different functional units, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0091] 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.

[0092] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as a radio access network device, access network apparatus, 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 1 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 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0093] In one possible scenario, RAN node 110 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. RAN node 110 can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, RAN node 110 can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or an in-vehicle device. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of RAN node 110 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). In this application, RAN node 110 can also be a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of RAN node 110.

[0094] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes 110 collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node 110 implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node 110 can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0095] 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.

[0096] For example, please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the O-RAN system provided in this application. Figure 2 is only a schematic diagram, and the O-RAN system may also include other components besides those shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the access network device (e.g., it may be an eNB, gNB, or next-generation access network device) communicates with the core network elements in the CN through a backhaul link and communicates with the terminal through the air interface.

[0097] Specifically, the BBU in the access network device communicates with the core network elements in the CN via a backhaul link, and the RU in the access network device communicates with at least one terminal via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, which can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0098] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the network element function division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device. In some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network device. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU can have some of the functions of the core network. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., the RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as F1 interfaces. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, and in some examples, it defines the signaling procedures of F1. The F1 interface supports the control plane F1-C and the user plane F1-U.

[0099] In some examples, the CU can be split into CU-CP (control unit-control plane) and CU-UP (control unit-user plane). CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal location updates, terminal registration with the network, and terminal handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in the terminal. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0100] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the physical (PHY) layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0101] In some examples, the RU is a logical node that carries both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more terminals via a wireless link.

[0102] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through the Lower-Layer Split CUS-Plane (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0103] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0104] A terminal is a device or module that connects to the aforementioned communication system and possesses corresponding communication functions. Terminals can also be referred to as terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), user devices, access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations (MS), remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, terminal units, terminal stations, terminal devices, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices, etc. Terminals typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. They can also be configured with program instructions for performing these functions. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, transportation vehicle with wireless communication function, communication module, roadside unit (RSU) with terminal function, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0105] For ease of description, the following description uses a base station as an example of RAN node 110. Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. Base stations and terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminals.

[0106] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0107] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0108] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0109] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. To communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell. When the terminal communicates with this serving cell, it is also susceptible to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0110] In this application, "sending information" 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, "base station sending information" can be understood as the base station sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the base station sending information to logical module 2 in the base station.

[0111] 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, "base station receiving information" can be understood as the base station receiving information from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the base station receiving information from logical module 2 in the base station.

[0112] The communication between different devices involved in this application can refer to direct communication between different devices (i.e., without the need for relaying or forwarding by other devices), or communication between different devices through other devices (i.e., requiring relaying or forwarding by other devices), or communication between a functional unit within a device and other devices through another functional unit. In other words, "sending information to… (e.g., a terminal)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the terminal. "Receiving information from… (e.g., a terminal)" or "receiving information from… (e.g., a terminal)" or "receiving information sent (e.g., by a terminal)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the terminal. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, analog-to-digital conversion, amplification, filtering, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0113] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, some knowledge / terms used in the solutions of this application are introduced below. It should be noted that these explanations are for the purpose of making the embodiments of this application easier to understand, and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0114] 1. Main site and collaborating sites

[0115] The master station refers to the base station with the maximum reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the UE. It can determine the initial scheduling, including stream allocation, DMRS port allocation, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), time and frequency resource allocation, etc. The cooperating station refers to the base station that cooperates in transmission.

[0116] The master station mentioned in this application can also be a master station cluster. Generally speaking, a master station cluster can include one or more master stations. Similarly, a collaborating station can also be a collaborating station cluster, and a collaborating station cluster can include one or more collaborating stations. A master station can correspond to one or more collaborating stations, or a master station cluster can correspond to one or more collaborating station clusters.

[0117] 2. Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT)

[0118] CJT refers to a method where the UE is provided by multiple BSs through joint transmission. All BSs participating in the joint transmission transmit the same data stream, resulting in coherent superposition of received signals at the UE and coherent cancellation of interference. This effectively improves the SINR of downlink transmission, thereby enhancing network throughput and user experience. CJT includes centralized CJT and distributed CJT.

[0119] In centralized CJT transmission, multiple BSs providing services to the UE are treated as a virtual large array. Joint scheduling and transmission weight design are performed based on the joint channel matrix formed by concatenating the channel matrices from each BS to the UE, ensuring the transmission of the same data stream and guaranteeing high SINR for downlink data transmission. As shown in Figure 4(a), taking four BSs providing services to three UEs as an example, UE1 is transmitted via CJT by BS1 and BS2, UE2 by BS2 and BS3, and UE3 by BS3 and BS4. In the centralized CJT architecture, a centralized processing unit handles the joint processing across the entire network. The processing flow is as follows: BS1 estimates its downlink channel H to UE1. 11 And it interacts with the centralized processing unit, BS2 estimates its downlink channel H to UE1 and UE2. 21 and H 22 And exchanged with the centralized processing unit; similarly, BS3 estimates and exchanges the downlink channel H. 32 and H 33 The BS4 estimates and interacts with the downlink channel H using the centralized processing unit. 43 The data is then fed to the centralized processing unit. Based on the channel matrix from all BSs to all UEs, the centralized processing unit performs global optimization design, such as determining the number of transmit streams for each UE on its serving BS, the corresponding DMRS port, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), time and frequency resource allocation, and transmission weights. Finally, the centralized processing unit exchanges the weights and scheduling results obtained during the joint optimization process with each BS for CJT transmission.

[0120] As frequency bands increase, the number of antennas and bandwidth also increases, leading to more cells and more inter-site communication. Existing centralized processing methods are limited by chip computing power, necessitating a shift towards a distributed CJT architecture. In distributed CJT transmission, each baseband processing unit (BBU) handles signal processing tasks for a limited number of base stations (BSs), and limited interaction is possible between BBUs. As shown in Figure 4(b), UE1 uses BS1 and BS2 for CJT transmission, and BS1 and BS2 can interact; UE2 uses BS2 and BS3 for CJT transmission, and BS2 and BS3 can interact; UE3 uses BS3 and BS4 for CJT transmission, and BS3 and BS4 can interact. However, in distributed scenarios, such as in Figure 4(b), BS1 and BS3 cannot exchange information in real time, thus preventing the exchange of information regarding UE DMRS port allocation. This hinders joint DMRS port allocation and unified instruction, potentially leading to DMRS port conflicts and pilot interference.

[0121] For example, as shown in Figure 5(a), UE1 is transmitted via CJT by BS1 and BS2. When BS1 is the master station and is responsible for allocating DMRS ports, data stream 1 in UE1 is assigned DMRS port number #1. UE2 is transmitted via CJT by BS2 and BS3. When BS3 is the master station and is responsible for allocating DMRS ports, since BS1 and BS3 do not interact, data stream 2 in UE2 may also be assigned DMRS port number #1. In this case, for BS2, two different data streams use the same DMRS port number #1, which can easily cause DMRS pilot interference. When the spatial beam correlation between the two data streams is very high, the pilot interference is particularly severe.

[0122] To address pilot interference, one solution is to replace the DMRS port corresponding to one of the data streams, ensuring that all data streams transmitted on BS2 use different DMRS ports to avoid pilot interference. For example, as shown in Figure 5(b), BS2 replaces DMRS port number #1 corresponding to data stream 1 with DMRS port number #2. That is, BS1 still uses DMRS port number #1 to transmit data stream 1, while BS2 uses DMRS port number #2, and BS1 is unaware of the DMRS port used by BS2 for data stream transmission. Furthermore, both BS2 and BS3 use DMRS port number #1 to transmit data stream 2. To implement DMRS port allocation under this solution, each serving BS (e.g., BS1 and BS2) can independently allocate DMRS port numbers for the UE and indicate this independently through multiple DCIs. For example, BS1 sends DCI1 to UE1, indicating DMRS port number #1 corresponding to data stream 1, and BS2 sends DCI2 to UE1, indicating DMRS port number #2 corresponding to data stream 1. Optionally, since the UE's serving BS can transmit multiple data streams for the UE simultaneously, when a DCI indicates multiple DMRS ports, the UE can be associated with each data stream according to a specific rule. For example, when different BSs allocate different DMRS ports for the same data stream, the DMRS port numbers allocated by each BS are associated with each data stream in ascending order.

[0123] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the UE transmits three data streams. BS1 assigns DMRS port numbers #1, #2, and #4 to the three data streams of the UE, respectively. According to the rule that the DMRS port numbers assigned by each BS correspond one-to-one with each data stream in ascending order, DMRS port numbers #1, #2, and #4 correspond to data streams 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The DMRS port allocation result of BS1 is indicated by DCI1. Similarly, BS2 assigns DMRS port numbers #5, #7, and #8 to the three data streams of the UE, respectively, corresponding to data streams 1, 2, and 3. The DMRS port allocation result of BS2 is indicated by DCI2. For the UE, after receiving the port numbers of the two sets of DMRS ports indicated by DCI1 and DCI2, namely #1, #2 and #4 (here #1, #2 and #4 are one group) and #5, #7 and #8 (here #5, #7 and #8 are the second group), the UE performs channel estimation on the downlink equivalent channel of data stream 1 on DMRS port numbers #1 and #5 respectively, and then merges them to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 1. Correspondingly, channel estimation is performed on DMRS port numbers #2 and #7 respectively and merged to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 2, and channel estimation is performed on DMRS port numbers #4 and #8 respectively and merged to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 3.

[0124] However, this implementation scheme, in which each UE's service BS independently assigns a DMRS port number and provides independent indication through multiple DCIs, requires the terminal to blindly detect multiple DCIs, which increases the DCI indication overhead and the terminal's blind detection complexity.

[0125] Based on this, this application proposes a communication method and apparatus that can reduce the indication overhead of DCI and the blind detection complexity of the terminal, thereby helping to improve processing efficiency.

[0126] In the description of this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (such as the first instruction information, second instruction information, etc., as described below) is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed. For example, the information to be instructed can be directly instructed, where the information to be instructed itself or its index is used. Alternatively, the information to be instructed can be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a correlation between the other information and the information to be instructed. Another example is that only a portion of the information to be instructed can be indicated, while the other portions are known, pre-agreed upon, or deducible. Furthermore, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent.

[0127] The communication method and apparatus provided in this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that this application uses a cooperating station and a terminal as examples to illustrate the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. It should be understood that the cooperating station described in this application can specifically be an access network device, which can be an access network equipment, or a module (e.g., circuit, chip, or chip system) within the access network equipment, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the access network equipment'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 (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) responsible for communication / processing functions in the terminal.

[0128] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0129] S701, the cooperating station sends the first information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first information from the cooperating station.

[0130] The first information indicates a first DMRS port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream. For simplicity, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port mentioned below refer to the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream. For example, the first information can be downlink control information (DCI). The first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different (or the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream are different), and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are coherently co-transmitted. Optionally, the first DMRS port involved in the embodiments of this application can also be understood as a DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port can also be understood as a DMRS port scheduled by a cooperating station. Generally speaking, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream can be understood as associated, or, in other words, the second DMRS port associated with a certain first DMRS port is a DMRS port that transmits the same data stream as the first DMRS port, or, in other words, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream are DMRS ports for coherently co-transmitted transmission.

[0131] Optionally, when the DMRS port scheduled by the master station and the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station for the same data stream are the same, the first information can indicate one DMRS port. That is, for each data stream, the first information can indicate one or two DMRS ports. If two DMRS ports are indicated, it indicates that the two corresponding DMRS ports are for CJT transmission, and the terminal can perform CJT merging processing on the two DMRS ports. If one DMRS port is indicated, it means that the DMRS port scheduled by the master station and the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station for the same data stream are the same. This application mainly focuses on the case where the DMRS port scheduled by the master station and the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station for the same data stream are different.

[0132] In one possible scenario, when the terminal receives multiple first messages (or, as understood, when the number of cooperating stations is greater than one), the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages, and the second DMRS port associated with that same first DMRS port, correspond to the same data stream; or, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages, and the second DMRS port associated with that same first DMRS port, are coherently coupled transmissions. Here, "the second DMRS port associated with the first DMRS port" can be understood as the first DMRS port indicated in the same first message and the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream having the same data stream indicated in the same first message. It is understood that the second DMRS ports associated with the same first DMRS port in different first messages may be the same or different.

[0133] For a concrete example, as shown in Figure 8, assume that the cooperating stations of the master station 1 are cooperating station 1 and cooperating station 2. The first information 1 sent by cooperating station 1 to the terminal indicates that the port numbers of the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to data stream 1 are DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #5, respectively. The first information 2 sent by cooperating station 2 to the terminal indicates that the port numbers of the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to data stream 1 are DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #0, respectively. Then, the same first DMRS port indicated by the first information 1 and the first information 2 refers to DMRS port number #1. The second DMRS ports associated with the same first DMRS port are DMRS port number #5 and DMRS port number #0, respectively. That is to say, the second DMRS ports associated with the same first DMRS port in different first information are different. The DMRS port number #1 indicated by the first information 1 and the first information 2, as well as the DMRS port number #5 and DMRS port number #0 associated with the DMRS port number #1, correspond to the same data stream, namely data stream 1.

[0134] To give a more concrete example, as shown in Figure 8, assume that the cooperating stations of the master station 1 are cooperating station 1 and cooperating station 2. The first information 1 sent by cooperating station 1 to the terminal indicates that the port numbers of the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to data stream 2 are DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6, respectively. The first information 2 sent by cooperating station 2 to the terminal indicates that the port numbers of the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to data stream 2 are DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6, respectively. Then, the same first DMRS port indicated by the first information 1 and the first information 2 refers to DMRS port number #2, and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port refers to DMRS port number #6. That is to say, the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port in different first information is the same. The DMRS port number #2 indicated by the first information 1 and the first information 2, and the DMRS port number #6 associated with the DMRS port number #2, correspond to the same data stream, namely data stream 2.

[0135] The following describes the specific implementation of the first information indicator for the first and second DMRS ports corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream:

[0136] In one possible implementation (1), the first information includes a first index and a second index. The first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, and the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams. The first DMRS port belongs to / is contained in a first difference set, and the second DMRS port belongs to / is contained in a second difference set. The first difference set is the difference between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the second difference set is the difference between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set. The first intersection set is the intersection of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set. It should be noted that the aforementioned "all data streams" can be understood as all data streams scheduled / indicated by one / one first piece of information (e.g., DCI) received by the terminal, or all data streams scheduled by the terminal for downlink data reception. Optionally, the first index and the second index can refer to indices in the DMRS antenna port(s) table defined in the protocol.

[0137] Optionally, the position of the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting by DMRS port number in the first difference set is the same as the position of the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting by DMRS port number in the second difference set. The sorting rules for the first and second difference sets can be the same or different. For example, the sorting rules can include ascending or descending order.

[0138] For example, the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, after being sorted in ascending order according to the DMRS port number in the first difference set, is in the same position as the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, after being sorted in ascending order according to the DMRS port number in the second difference set.

[0139] For example, the position of the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in descending order according to the DMRS port number in the first difference set is the same as the position of the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in descending order according to the DMRS port number in the second difference set.

[0140] For example, the position of the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in descending order according to the DMRS port number in the first difference set is the same as the position of the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in ascending order according to the DMRS port number in the second difference set.

[0141] For example, the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, after being sorted in ascending order according to the DMRS port number in the first difference set, is in the same position as the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, after being sorted in descending order according to the DMRS port number in the second difference set.

[0142] For a concrete example, consider the DMRS port numbers in the first DMRS port set of all data streams corresponding to the first index as DMRS port numbers #1, #2, #3, #4, and the DMRS port numbers in the second DMRS port set of all data streams corresponding to the second index as DMRS port numbers #3, #4, #5, #6. Based on this, we can determine that the DMRS port numbers in the first intersection set are DMRS port numbers #3 and #4, the DMRS port numbers in the first difference set are DMRS port numbers #1 and #2, and the DMRS port numbers in the second difference set are DMRS port numbers #5 and #6. Where:

[0143] Assuming that the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, after being sorted in ascending order by DMRS port number in the first difference set, has the same position as the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, or vice versa, the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, after being sorted in descending order by DMRS port number in the first difference set, has the same position as the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, then DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #5 correspond to one data stream, and DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6 correspond to another data stream.

[0144] Furthermore, suppose that the position of the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in descending order of DMRS port number in the first difference set is the same as the position of the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in ascending order of DMRS port number in the second difference set; or, suppose the position of the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in ascending order of DMRS port number in the first difference set is the same as the position of the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in descending order of DMRS port number in the second difference set. Then, DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #6 correspond to one data stream, and DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #5 correspond to another data stream.

[0145] For ease of understanding, the following text will mainly refer to the merging of CJTs when the DMRS ports corresponding to the same data stream are different, according to the port number from smallest to largest. That is, the position of the first DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in ascending order according to the DMRS port number in the first difference set is the same as the position of the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream after sorting in ascending order according to the DMRS port number in the second difference set.

[0146] In one possible implementation (2), the first information includes a first index and first indication information. The first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, and the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, which is a subset of the first DMRS port set. The first DMRS ports belong to / are contained in the third DMRS port set, and the second DMRS ports belong to / are contained in the fourth DMRS port set. The fourth and third DMRS port sets correspond to at least one data stream, and the fourth and third DMRS port sets are different. Here, the fourth and third DMRS port sets corresponding to at least one data stream can be understood as at least one second DMRS port contained in the fourth DMRS port set and at least one first DMRS port contained in the third DMRS port set corresponding to at least one data stream, or as each data stream in the at least one data stream corresponds to one second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set and one first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set. The fourth DMRS port set is different from the third DMRS port set. This can be understood as the intersection of the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set being an empty set, or as the DMRS ports contained in the fourth DMRS port set being completely different or different from the DMRS ports contained in the third DMRS port set.

[0147] Optionally, the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set can also be understood as the DMRS ports that need to be replaced (or the DMRS ports before replacement), and the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set can also be understood as the DMRS ports used for replacement (or the DMRS ports after replacement).

[0148] In one possible design, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, which can be understood as follows: ① The first indication information is the third DMRS port set, that is, the first indication information directly includes the DMRS ports contained in the third DMRS port set; or, ② The first indication information can also be an index of the third DMRS port set, where one index of the third DMRS port set corresponds to one third DMRS port set; or, ③ The first indication information is a bit map, where one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports contained in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value, where the first value can be, for example, "1". Optionally, the first value can also be "0". For ease of understanding, the following text mainly uses the first value of "1" for illustrative purposes.

[0149] For a concrete example, let's assume that the DMRS ports in the first DMRS port set corresponding to all data streams of the first index are DMRS port numbers #1, #2, #3, and #4 respectively. Assume that the DMRS ports in the third DMRS port set are DMRS port numbers #1 and #2 respectively, and the index of the third DMRS port set is index value 3. Then: ① The first indication information can include DMRS port numbers #1 and #2, or ② The first indication information is index value 3. Therefore, based on index value 3, we can determine that the DMRS ports in the third DMRS port set are DMRS port numbers #1 and #2, or ③ The first indication information is bitmap 1100, where the bits in the bitmap, from left to right, correspond to DMRS port numbers #1, #2, #3, and #4 in the first DMRS port set. Based on bitmap 1100, we can determine that the DMRS ports in the third DMRS port set are DMRS port numbers #1 and #2.

[0150] The fourth DMRS port set described in implementation method (2) can be indicated by the first information, or it can be determined by combining the third DMRS port set with the first correspondence. The determination method of the fourth DMRS port set will be explained in detail below.

[0151] In one possible implementation (2.1), the first information may include second indication information, which indicates a fourth DMRS port set. The second indication information indicating a fourth DMRS port set can be understood as ① the second indication information being a fourth DMRS port set, meaning the second indication information directly includes the DMRS ports contained in the fourth DMRS port set; or ② the second indication information being an index of a fourth DMRS port set, where one index of a fourth DMRS port set corresponds to one fourth DMRS port set.

[0152] For a specific example, taking the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set as DMRS port number #5 and #6 respectively, and the index of the fourth DMRS port set as index value 4, then ① the second indication information can include DMRS port number #5 and #6, or ② the second indication information is index value 4. Therefore, based on index value 4, it can be determined that the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set are DMRS port number #5 and #6 respectively.

[0153] In one possible implementation (2.2), the first information may include third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence. Alternatively, in one possible implementation (2.3), the first correspondence may be predefined, for example, protocol-predefined. This first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in conjunction with the third DMRS port set.

[0154] For a concrete example, suppose that in the first correspondence, DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #5 correspond to one data stream, and DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6 correspond to another data stream, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set indicated by the first indication information have DMRS port numbers #1 and #2 respectively, then according to the first correspondence and the third DMRS port set, it can be determined that the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set have DMRS port numbers #5 and #6 respectively.

[0155] Understandably, the aforementioned first correspondence refers to the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream. This first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in conjunction with the third DMRS port set. Generally, the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing (CDM) group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal cover code (OCC). In other words, the other DMRS ports that can be used to interchange / replace a certain DMRS port are usually fixed. For example, a DMRS port can usually be replaced by another DMRS port within the same CDM group, or a DMRS port can be replaced by another DMRS port with the same corresponding OCC code. Optionally, the number of other DMRS ports that can be used to swap / replace a certain DMRS port may be one or more. When there are multiple DMRS ports, the first information can indicate which DMRS port to select as the final DMRS port for the cooperating station scheduling (for example, the first information may include a fourth indication information, which indicates the selection of a DMRS port from the multiple DMRS ports). Alternatively, a selection rule can be predefined, such as randomly selecting a DMRS port from the multiple DMRS ports as the final DMRS port for the cooperating station scheduling, or selecting the DMRS port with the smallest port number from the multiple DMRS ports as the final DMRS port for the cooperating station scheduling, or selecting the DMRS port with the largest port number from the multiple DMRS ports as the final DMRS port for the cooperating station scheduling, or selecting a port from the multiple DMRS ports as the final DMRS port for the cooperating station scheduling according to a certain algorithm.

[0156] For a concrete example, taking the first correspondence where DMRS port numbers #0, #1, and #5 correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code group and one data stream, and DMRS port numbers #2 and #6 correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code and another data stream, and assuming that the port numbers of the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set indicated by the first indication information are DMRS port numbers #1 and #2 respectively, then according to the first correspondence and the third DMRS port set, it can be determined that the port numbers of the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set can be DMRS port numbers #0 and #6, or DMRS port numbers #5 and #6.

[0157] To make the scheme described in this application clearer, the following explanation uses the scenario shown in Figure 8 as an example. Figure 8 includes three stations: master station 1, cooperating station 1, and cooperating station 2. The port numbers of the first DMRS ports corresponding to the four data streams scheduled by the master station are #1, #2, #3, and #4, respectively. Specifically, the master station uses the DMRS port corresponding to port number #1 to send data stream 1, the DMRS port corresponding to port number #2 to send data stream 2, the DMRS port corresponding to port number #3 to send data stream 3, and the DMRS port corresponding to port number #4 to send data stream 4. Data streams 1 through 4 are different. After the two collaborating stations reallocate their DMRS ports, they each issue two DCI instructions to the DMRS ports. DCI1 indicates that the first DMRS port corresponding to data stream 1 has port number #1 and the second DMRS port has port number #5; the first DMRS port corresponding to data stream 2 has port number #2 and the second DMRS port has port number #6; the DMRS port corresponding to data stream 3 has port number #3 (meaning both master station 1 and collaborating station 1 use the DMRS port corresponding to port number #3 to send data stream 3); and the DMRS port corresponding to data stream 4 has port number #4 (meaning both master station 1 and collaborating station 1 use the DMRS port corresponding to port number #4 to send data stream 4). DCI2 indicates that the port number of the first DMRS port corresponding to data stream 1 is #1, and the port number of the second DMRS port is #0; the port number of the first DMRS port corresponding to data stream 2 is #2, and the port number of the second DMRS port is #6; the port number of the first DMRS port corresponding to data stream 3 is #3, and the port number of the second DMRS port is #9; the port number of the DMRS port corresponding to data stream 4 is #4 (that is, both master station 1 and cooperating station 1 use the DMRS port corresponding to port number #4 to send data stream 4).

[0158] When the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are indicated using the aforementioned implementation method (1), the first index in DCI1 is index value 1, and the second index is index value 2. The DMRS port numbers included in the first DMRS port set of all data streams corresponding to index value 1 are #1, #2, #3, and #4, and the DMRS port numbers included in the second DMRS port set of all data streams corresponding to index value 2 are #3, #4, #5, and #6. The first index in DCI2 is index value 1, and the second index is index value 5. The DMRS port numbers included in the first DMRS port set of all data streams corresponding to index value 1 are #1, #2, #3, and #4, and the DMRS port numbers included in the second DMRS port set of all data streams corresponding to index value 5 are #0, #4, #6, and #9. Based on the different DMRS ports and the CJT merging implementation method according to the port number from smallest to largest, the DMRS port numbers corresponding to data flow 1 can be determined as follows: #1 (i.e., the DMRS port used by master station 1), #5 (i.e., the DMRS port used by collaborating station 1), and #0 (i.e., the DMRS port used by collaborating station 2); the DMRS port numbers corresponding to data flow 2 are #2 (i.e., the DMRS port used by master station 1) and #6 (i.e., the DMRS ports used by collaborating stations 1 and 2); the DMRS port numbers corresponding to data flow 3 are #3 (i.e., the DMRS ports used by master station 1 and collaborating station 1) and #9 (i.e., the DMRS port used by collaborating station 2); and the DMRS port number corresponding to data flow 4 is #4 (i.e., the DMRS port used by master station 1, collaborating station 1, and collaborating station 2).

[0159] When the aforementioned implementation method (2.1) is used to indicate the first and second DMRS ports, DCI1 includes a first index of index value 1, a first indication information of bit map 1100, and a second indication information indicating that the port numbers of the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set are #5 and #6. Specifically, the port numbers of the DMRS ports included in the first DMRS port set corresponding to index value 1 are #1, #2, #3, and #4, and the port numbers of the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set corresponding to bit map 1100 are #1 and #2. DCI2 includes a first index of index value 1, a first indication information of bit map 1110, and a second indication information indicating that the port numbers of the DMRS ports included in the fourth DMRS port set are #0, #6, and #9. The first DMRS port set corresponding to index value 1 contains DMRS ports with port numbers #1, #2, #3 and #4, and the third DMRS port set corresponding to bit map 1110 contains DMRS ports with port numbers #1, #2 and #3.

[0160] When the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are indicated using the aforementioned implementation method (2.2), the first index included in DCI1 is index value 1, the first indication information is bit map 1100, and the first correspondence indicated by the second indication information shows that DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #5 correspond to one data stream, and DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6 correspond to another data stream. The first index included in DCI2 is index value 1, the first indication information is bit map 1110, and the first correspondence indicated by the second indication information shows that DMRS port number #1 and DMRS port number #0 correspond to one data stream, DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6 correspond to another data stream, and DMRS port number #3 and DMRS port number #9 correspond to yet another data stream.

[0161] When the aforementioned implementation method (2.3) is used to indicate the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port, the first index included in DCI1 is index value 1, and the first indication information is bit map 1100. The first index included in DCI2 is index value 1, and the first indication information is bit map 1110. In the first correspondence predefined by the protocol, DMRS port number #0, DMRS port number #1, and DMRS port number #5 belong to one CDM group, and DMRS port number #2 and DMRS port number #6 belong to another CDM group. Assuming that DCI1 carries the fourth indication information instructing cooperating station 1 to select DMRS port number #5 to send data stream 1, and DCI2 carries the fourth indication information instructing cooperating station 2 to select DMRS port number #0 to send data stream 1, then it can be determined that the port numbers of the DMRS ports corresponding to data stream 1 are #1 (i.e., the DMRS port used by master station 1) and #5 ( The DMRS ports for data stream 1 and 2 are #2 (the DMRS port used by the master station 1) and #6 (the DMRS ports used by both the master station 1 and the master station 2); the DMRS ports for data stream 3 are #3 (the DMRS ports used by both the master station 1 and the master station 1) and #9 (the DMRS ports used by the master station 2); and the DMRS ports for data stream 4 are #4 (the DMRS ports used by the master station 1, the master station 1, and the master station 2).

[0162] S702: The master station and the cooperating station send DMRS to the terminal through the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port, respectively. Correspondingly, the terminal receives DMRS from the master station through the first DMRS port and receives DMRS from the cooperating station through the second DMRS port.

[0163] It should be understood that after the terminal receives DMRS through the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port corresponding to the same data stream, the terminal can perform coherent joint transmission processing on the received DMRS, so that the received signals are coherently superimposed at the terminal, interference is coherently canceled, and thus the downlink transmission SINR is improved.

[0164] For a concrete example, again using Figure 8, Master Station 1 can send data stream 1 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #1, data stream 2 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #2, data stream 3 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #3, and data stream 4 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #4. Collaborating Station 1 can send data stream 1 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #5, data stream 2 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #6, data stream 3 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #3, and data stream 4 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #4. Collaborating Station 2 can send data stream 1 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #0, data stream 2 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #6, data stream 3 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #9, and data stream 4 through the DMRS port corresponding to DMRS port number #4. For the terminal, it can receive data stream 1 through DMRS ports corresponding to DMRS port numbers #0, #1, and #5, perform channel estimation on the downlink equivalent channel of data stream 1, and then combine them to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 1; it can receive data stream 2 through DMRS ports corresponding to DMRS port numbers #2 and #6, perform channel estimation on the downlink equivalent channel of data stream 2, and then combine them to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 2; it can receive data stream 3 through DMRS ports corresponding to DMRS port numbers #3 and #9, perform channel estimation on the downlink equivalent channel of data stream 3, and then combine them to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 3; it can receive data stream 4 through DMRS port number #4, perform channel estimation on the downlink equivalent channel of data stream 4, and then combine them to obtain the joint downlink equivalent channel corresponding to data stream 4.

[0165] In this embodiment, for distributed CJT transmission, the cooperating station can send first information to the terminal indicating the DMRS port number. The first information indication is defined as follows: for each data stream, the first information will indicate one or two DMRS ports. If it indicates two DMRS ports (i.e., the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port), then these two DMRS ports are for CJT transmission. Therefore, the terminal can perform CJT merging processing on these two DMRS ports. Compared to the existing scheme where the master station and cooperating station need to send DCI to indicate the DMRS ports separately when a data stream corresponds to two DMRS ports, the scheme provided in this application embodiment can reduce the DCI indication overhead and the blind detection complexity of the terminal, thereby helping to improve processing efficiency.

[0166] Optionally, the embodiments shown in Figure 7 above can also be applied to O-RAN scenarios. It should be understood that in O-RAN scenarios, the cooperative stations involved in Figure 7 can be replaced by CUs (e.g., CU-CP or CU-UP) or DUs or RUs, etc.

[0167] The communication device provided in this application will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 9 to 11.

[0168] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0169] Figures 9 to 11 are schematic diagrams illustrating the possible communication devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or access network device (e.g., base station) in the above method embodiments, and thus also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in Figure 1, or it can be RAN node 110a or 110b shown in Figure 1. Optionally, it can also be a module (e.g., a chip) applied to the terminal or access network device.

[0170] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a transceiver unit 920. The transceiver unit 920 and the processing unit 910 can be software, hardware, or a combination of both. Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage unit 930 for storing device program code and / or data, not shown in Figure 9.

[0171] The transceiver unit 920 can implement sending and / or receiving functions. Optionally, the transceiver unit 920 can also be referred to as a communication unit. The transceiver unit 920 may further include a receiving unit and / or a sending unit, wherein the receiving unit is used to implement the receiving function, and the sending unit is used to implement the sending function. Optionally, the transceiver unit 920 can be used to receive information sent by other devices, and can also be used to send information to other devices.

[0172] The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the terminal-side communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG7 above, such as a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, or a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions, or to implement the functions of the network-side communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG7 above, such as an access network device, a module (e.g., a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) in an access network device, or a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0173] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG7:

[0174] The transceiver unit 920 is configured to receive first information, which indicates at least one first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream. The first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different and are coherently coupled transmissions. The transceiver unit 920 is also configured to receive DMRS through the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port. The processing unit 910 is configured to perform CJT combining processing on the received DMRS.

[0175] In one possible implementation, when there are multiple first messages received, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port correspond to the same data stream.

[0176] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and a second index;

[0177] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams, the first DMRS port belongs to the first difference set, the second DMRS port belongs to the second difference set, the first difference set is the difference set between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, the second difference set is the difference set between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the first intersection set is the intersection set of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port's position in the first difference set after sorting by DMRS port number is the same as the second DMRS port's position in the second difference set after sorting by DMRS port number.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and first indication information;

[0180] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, the third DMRS port set is a subset of the first DMRS port set, the first DMRS port belongs to the third DMRS port set, the second DMRS port belongs to the fourth DMRS port set, the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set correspond to the at least one data stream, and the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set are different.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the first indication information indicates a third DMRS port set, including:

[0182] The first indication information is the third DMRS port set; or,

[0183] The first indication information is a bit map, wherein one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the first information may further include second indication information, which indicates the fourth DMRS port set.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the second indication information indicates the fourth DMRS port set, including:

[0186] The second indication information is the fourth DMRS port set; or,

[0187] The second indication information is the index of the fourth DMRS port set.

[0188] In one possible implementation, the first correspondence is predefined;

[0189] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0190] In one possible implementation, the first information further includes third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence;

[0191] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0192] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code.

[0193] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station.

[0194] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, the functionality of the processing unit 910 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core. The functionality of the transceiver unit 920 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0195] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions, 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 910 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the transceiver unit 920 can be implemented by the interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0196] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the access network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG7:

[0197] The processing unit 910 is used to determine first information; the transceiver unit 920 is used to send the first information, the first information indicating a first demodulation reference signal DMRS port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are coherently coupled transmission; the transceiver unit 920 is also used to send DMRS through the second DMRS port.

[0198] In one possible implementation, when multiple first messages are sent, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port correspond to the same data stream.

[0199] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and a second index;

[0200] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams, the first DMRS port belongs to the first difference set, the second DMRS port belongs to the second difference set, the first difference set is the difference set between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, the second difference set is the difference set between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the first intersection set is the intersection set of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set.

[0201] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port's position in the first difference set after sorting by DMRS port number is the same as the second DMRS port's position in the second difference set after sorting by DMRS port number.

[0202] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first index and first indication information;

[0203] Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, the third DMRS port set is a subset of the first DMRS port set, the first DMRS port belongs to the third DMRS port set, the second DMRS port belongs to the fourth DMRS port set, the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set correspond to the at least one data stream, and the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set are different.

[0204] In one possible implementation, the first indication information indicates a third DMRS port set, including:

[0205] The first indication information is the third DMRS port set; or,

[0206] The first indication information is a bit map, wherein one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value.

[0207] In one possible implementation, the first information may further include second indication information, which indicates the fourth DMRS port set.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the second indication information indicates the fourth DMRS port set, including:

[0209] The second indication information is the fourth DMRS port set; or,

[0210] The second indication information is the index of the fourth DMRS port set.

[0211] In one possible implementation, the first correspondence is predefined;

[0212] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0213] In one possible implementation, the first information further includes third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence;

[0214] Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

[0215] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the first DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station.

[0217] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 910 and the transceiver unit 920, please refer to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in Figure 7.

[0218] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be 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 each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0219] 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.

[0220] In one example, storage unit 930 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0221] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes a processor 1010, and optionally an interface circuit 1020. The processor 1010 and the interface circuit 1020 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1000 may also include a memory 1030 for storing computer programs or instructions executed by the processor 1010, or storing input data required by the processor 1010 to execute instructions, or storing data generated by the processor 1010 after executing computer programs or instructions.

[0222] When the communication device 1000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG7, the processor 1010 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 910, and the interface circuit 1020 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 920.

[0223] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information sent to the terminal by the access network device through other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal; or, the terminal chip sends information to other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal, which is information sent by the terminal to the access network device.

[0224] When the aforementioned communication device is a module applied to an access network device, the access network device module implements the functions of the access network device in the above method embodiments. The access network device module receives information from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the access network device, which is information sent by the terminal to the access network device; or, the access network device module sends information to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the access network device, which is information sent by the access network device to the terminal. Here, the access network device module can be the baseband chip of the access network device, or a CU, DU, or other module, or a device under an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture, such as an open CU, open DU, etc.

[0225] As shown in Figure 11, the communication device includes a processor 1110, a memory 1120, and a transceiver 1130. The processor 1110 is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data; controlling terminal / access network devices; executing software programs; and processing data from software programs. The memory 1120 can store computer program code, software programs, and data. The transceiver 1130 includes a transmitter 1131, a receiver 1132, radio frequency circuitry (not shown in the figure), and an antenna 1133.

[0226] The processor 1110 can also be called a processing unit, processing board, processing module, or processing device. The transceiver 1130 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver device.

[0227] Optionally, the device in transceiver 1130 used to implement the receiving function can be considered a receiving module, and the device in transceiver 1130 used to implement the transmitting function can be considered a transmitting module. That is, transceiver 1130 includes a receiver and / or a transmitter. A transceiver may also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver module, or transceiver circuit, etc. A receiver may also be called a receiver unit, receiving module, or receiving circuit, etc. A transmitter may also be called a transmitter, transmitting module, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0228] Processor 1110 is used to execute terminal-side processing actions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. Transceiver 1130 is used to execute terminal-side transmission and reception actions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. Alternatively, processor 1110 is used to execute network-side processing actions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. Transceiver 1130 is used to execute network-side transmission and reception actions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

[0229] When the communication device 1100 is a chip, the chip includes a processor and a transceiver. The transceiver can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor can be a processing module integrated on the chip, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit. In the above method embodiments, the terminal's transmitting operation can be understood as the chip's output, and the terminal's receiving operation can be understood as the chip's input. Similarly, in the above method embodiments, the access network device's transmitting operation can be understood as the chip's output, and the access network device's receiving operation can be understood as the chip's input.

[0230] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions for implementing the methods executed by a terminal or access network device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0231] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to implement the method performed by the terminal or access network device in the above method embodiments.

[0232] This application also provides a computer program product containing a program or instructions, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to implement the method executed by the terminal or access network device in the above method embodiments.

[0233] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal and the access network device described in the above embodiments. The terminal is used to perform some or all of the operations performed by the terminal in the above method embodiments, and the access network device is used to perform some or all of the operations performed by the access network device in the above method embodiments.

[0234] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method provided in the embodiment shown in FIG7 above.

[0235] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in the embodiment shown in FIG7 above, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in the embodiment shown in FIG7 above.

[0236] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0237] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory in which computer programs or computer instructions are stored.

[0238] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0239] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in an access network device or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the access network device or terminal.

[0240] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0241] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0242] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive first information, the first information indicating at least one first demodulation reference signal DMRS port and second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are coherent joint transmission; DMRS is received through the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When there are multiple first messages received, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port correspond to the same data stream.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information includes a first index and a second index; Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams, the first DMRS port belongs to the first difference set, the second DMRS port belongs to the second difference set, the first difference set is the difference set between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, the second difference set is the difference set between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the first intersection set is the intersection set of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first DMRS port's position in the first difference set after sorting by DMRS port number is the same as the second DMRS port's position in the second difference set after sorting by DMRS port number.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information includes a first index and first indication information; Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, the third DMRS port set is a subset of the first DMRS port set, the first DMRS port belongs to the third DMRS port set, the second DMRS port belongs to the fourth DMRS port set, the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set correspond to the at least one data stream, and the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set are different.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first indication information indicates a third DMRS port set, including: The first indication information is the third DMRS port set; or, The first indication information is a bit map, wherein one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first information also includes second indication information, which indicates the fourth DMRS port set.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second indication information indicates the fourth DMRS port set, including: The second indication information is the fourth DMRS port set; or, The second indication information is the index of the fourth DMRS port set.

9. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first correspondence is predefined; Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

10. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first information also includes third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence; Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

11. The method according to any one of claims 5-10, characterized in that, The first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The first DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send a first message, the first message indicating a first demodulation reference signal DMRS port and a second DMRS port corresponding to each data stream in at least one data stream, the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are different, and the first DMRS port and the second DMRS port are coherently combined transmission; DMRS is sent through the second DMRS port.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, When multiple first messages are sent, the same first DMRS port indicated in different first messages and the second DMRS port associated with the same first DMRS port correspond to the same data stream.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first information includes a first index and a second index; Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the second index corresponds to the second DMRS port set of all data streams, the first DMRS port belongs to the first difference set, the second DMRS port belongs to the second difference set, the first difference set is the difference set between the first DMRS port set and the first intersection set, the second difference set is the difference set between the second DMRS port set and the first intersection set, and the first intersection set is the intersection set of the first DMRS port set and the second DMRS port set.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first DMRS port's position in the first difference set after sorting by DMRS port number is the same as the second DMRS port's position in the second difference set after sorting by DMRS port number.

17. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first information includes a first index and first indication information; Wherein, the first index corresponds to the first DMRS port set of all data streams, the first indication information indicates the third DMRS port set, the third DMRS port set is a subset of the first DMRS port set, the first DMRS port belongs to the third DMRS port set, the second DMRS port belongs to the fourth DMRS port set, the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set correspond to the at least one data stream, and the fourth DMRS port set and the third DMRS port set are different.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first indication information indicates a third DMRS port set, including: The first indication information is the third DMRS port set; or, The first indication information is a bit map, wherein one bit in the bit map corresponds to one DMRS port in the first DMRS port set, and the DMRS ports included in the third DMRS port set are the DMRS ports in the bit map that take the first value.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The first information also includes second indication information, which indicates the fourth DMRS port set.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The second indication information indicates the fourth DMRS port set, including: The second indication information is the fourth DMRS port set; or, The second indication information is the index of the fourth DMRS port set.

21. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The first correspondence is predefined; Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

22. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The first information also includes third indication information, which indicates the first correspondence; Wherein, the first correspondence is the correspondence between the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream, and the first correspondence is used to determine the fourth DMRS port set in combination with the third DMRS port set.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17-22, characterized in that, The first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream belong to the same code division multiplexing group, or the first DMRS port in the third DMRS port set and the second DMRS port in the fourth DMRS port set corresponding to the same data stream correspond to the same orthogonal overlay code.

24. The method according to any one of claims 1-23, characterized in that, The first DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the master station, and the second DMRS port is the DMRS port scheduled by the cooperating station.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for executing computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a transceiver, the transceiver being used to send and receive information, and the processor being used to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices besides the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices besides the communication device. The processor is used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or implement the method as described in any one of claims 13-24.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes computer program code, which, when run on a computer, implements the method of any one of claims 1-12, or implements the method of any one of claims 13-24.

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