Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which are applied to the technical field of communications. The method comprises: a first node receiving first instruction information from a second node, wherein the first instruction information is used for instructing the first node to determine, on the basis of first channel information corresponding to each third node from among a plurality of third nodes and channel graph information of a corresponding first grid, a sub-region where a terminal apparatus is located; on the basis of the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel graph information of the corresponding first grid, the first node determining a sub-region where the terminal apparatus is located; and the first node sending second indication information to the second node, wherein the second indication information is used for indicating an index of the sub-region where the terminal apparatus is located, the plurality of third nodes comprise a serving node and a cooperating node of the terminal apparatus, and the first channel information corresponding to each third node is channel information that is between the third node and the terminal apparatus and is obtained on the basis of reference signal measurement. The method can improve the accuracy of positioning a terminal apparatus.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510032436.7, filed on January 8, 2025, entitled "A 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] High-precision positioning is a crucial indicator in communication technology. In cellular positioning technology, the geometrical positional relationships between multiple base stations and the terminal are obtained by measuring the straight-line distances or angles between them. Then, based on the known base station locations, the terminal's location is determined. However, the straight-line distances or angles between the multiple base stations and the terminal are obtained based on pilot signal measurements between each base station and the terminal, leading to significant pilot resource overhead. To reduce pilot resource overhead, this paper proposes utilizing channel feature information provided by channel maps to assist in positioning.

[0004] Therefore, how to use the channel feature information provided by the channel map to assist in the localization of the terminal still needs to be studied. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can improve the positioning accuracy of locating terminal devices.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method executed by a first node. The first node can be a first node itself, or a device within the first node (e.g., a module, communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), a chip system, or a processor), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first node. In this method, the first node receives first indication information from a second node. The first indication information instructs the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. The first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. The first node sends second indication information to the second node. The second indication information instructs the first node to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Among them, multiple third nodes include service nodes and cooperative nodes of the terminal device, and the first channel information corresponding to the third node is the channel information between the third node and the terminal device and obtained based on the reference signal measurement.

[0007] As can be seen, through the above method, the first node can locate the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring reference signals between each node and the terminal device from the service node and cooperating nodes, as well as the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each node. Compared with the method of locating the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring reference signals between the service node and the terminal device from the service node, as well as the channel map information of the grid corresponding to the service node, this method can improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0008] In one optional implementation, the first node is a Distributed Unit (DU) in the service node of the terminal device, the second node includes DUs in the service node and DUs in the cooperating nodes of the terminal device, and the third node is a Service Unit (SU) or a Map Management Function (MMF) network element that manages the channel map. In this approach, after receiving first indication information from the SU or MMF network element, the DU in the service node can determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information measured between the service node and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the service node, the channel information measured between the cooperating nodes and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the cooperating nodes.

[0009] In another optional implementation, the first node is the DU in the serving node and the CU in the cooperating node of the terminal device, the second node includes the DU in the serving node and the DU in the cooperating node, and the third node is the SU or MMF network element that manages the channel map. In this mode, after receiving the first indication information from the DU or MMF network element, the CU can determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information measured between the serving node and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the serving node, the channel information measured between the cooperating node and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the cooperating node.

[0010] In another optional implementation, the first node is a terminal device, the second node includes a DU in the serving node and a DU in the cooperating node, and the third node is any one of the following: SU, MMF network element, CU, or DU in the serving node. In this mode, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal device can determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information measured between the serving node and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the serving node, the channel information measured between the cooperating node and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the cooperating node.

[0011] In one optional implementation, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, including: determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid.

[0012] In another optional implementation, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, including: determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid and the weight value corresponding to the correlation coefficient.

[0013] Based on the above scheme, the first node can flexibly determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located by using various methods, based on the first channel information and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid of each of the multiple third nodes, thereby realizing the positioning of the terminal device.

[0014] In one optional implementation, the first node receives third indication information from some or all of the multiple third nodes, the third indication information being used to indicate channel information between the third node and the terminal device obtained based on reference signal measurements.

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the first node obtains the channel information between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device based on the reference signal measurement, which is beneficial for the first node to use the channel information between each third node and the terminal device based on the reference signal measurement to locate the terminal device.

[0016] In one optional implementation, the first node further sends a fourth indication message to some or all of the plurality of third nodes, the fourth indication message being used to indicate a request to obtain channel information between the third node and the terminal device based on reference signal measurements.

[0017] Based on the above scheme, the first node requests each third node to obtain the channel information between the third node and the terminal device based on the reference signal measurement, which is beneficial for each third node to provide the first node with the channel information between the third node and the terminal device based on the reference signal measurement.

[0018] In one optional implementation, the first node receives fifth indication information from the second node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the first node obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each third node from the second node, which is beneficial for locating the terminal device based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each third node.

[0020] In one optional implementation, the channel map information corresponding to the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle.

[0021] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second node. The second node can be a network device, or a device within the second node (e.g., a module, communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), chip system, or processor), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the access functions of the second node. In this method, the second node sends first indication information to the first node. The first indication information is used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. The multiple second nodes include service nodes and cooperating nodes of the terminal device. The second node receives second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0022] As can be seen, the second node instructs the first node, based on the channel information obtained by the service nodes and cooperating nodes of the terminal device through reference signal measurements between each node and the terminal device, as well as the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each node, to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located. This yields the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, obtained by the first node using the channel information obtained by the service nodes and cooperating nodes of the terminal device through reference signal measurements, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each node. Compared to locating the terminal device by instructing the first node to use the channel information obtained by the service nodes of the terminal device through reference signal measurements and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the service nodes, this method improves the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0023] In one optional implementation, the first node is a distributed unit (DU) in the service node of the terminal device, the second node includes DUs in the service node and DUs in the cooperating nodes of the terminal device, and the third node is a service unit (SU) or a channel map management function (MMF) network element. In this mode, the SU or MMF network element instructs the service node of the terminal device to locate the terminal device based on channel information obtained from reference signal measurements between the service node and the cooperating nodes and the terminal device, and the corresponding channel map information of the first grid, thereby obtaining the location result obtained by the service node in locating the terminal device.

[0024] In another optional implementation, the first node is the DU in the serving node and the CU in the cooperating node of the terminal device, the second node includes the DU in the serving node and the DU in the cooperating node, and the third node is the SU or MMF network element that manages the channel map. In this mode, the SU or MMF network element instructs the CU to locate the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between each node in the serving node and the cooperating node and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid, thereby obtaining the positioning result of the serving node locating the terminal device accordingly.

[0025] In another optional implementation, the first node is a terminal device, the second node includes a DU in the serving node and a DU in the cooperating node, and the third node is any one of the following: SU, MMF network element, CU, or DU in the serving node. In this mode, the SU, MMF network element, CU, or DU in the serving node instructs the terminal device to locate itself based on the channel information obtained from reference signal measurements between the terminal device and each of the serving and cooperating nodes, and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid, thereby obtaining the location result of the serving node locating the terminal device accordingly.

[0026] In one optional implementation, the second node sends a fifth indication message to the first node, the fifth indication message being used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, the second node indicates the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes to the first node, which is beneficial for the first node to locate the terminal device by using the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes.

[0028] In one optional implementation, the channel map information of the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle.

[0029] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device. This communication device has the functions of implementing some or all of the functions of the first node described in the first aspect, or implementing some or all of the functions of the second node described in the second aspect. For example, the communication device may possess some or all of the functions of the first node described in the first aspect of this application, or it may possess the functions of any one of the embodiments of this application implemented individually. The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0030] In one possible design, the communication device may include a processing unit and a communication unit. The processing unit is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the above method. The communication unit is used to support communication between the communication device and other communication devices. The communication device may also include a storage unit coupled to the processing unit and the communication unit, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0031] In one embodiment, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, and the device is applied to a terminal device;

[0032] The communication unit is configured to receive first indication information from the second node, wherein the first indication information is configured to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid.

[0033] The processing unit is used to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid.

[0034] The communication unit is further configured to send second indication information to the second node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located;

[0035] The plurality of third nodes include the service node and the cooperative node of the terminal device, and the first channel information corresponding to the third node is the channel information between the third node and the terminal device and obtained based on the reference signal measurement.

[0036] In addition, other alternative implementations of the communication device in this regard can be found in the relevant content of the first aspect above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] In another embodiment, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, the processing unit being used to process signals / signaling, and the device being applied to a network device;

[0038] The communication unit is used to send first indication information to the first node; the first indication information is used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid; the multiple second nodes include the service node and the cooperating node of the terminal device.

[0039] The communication unit is further configured to receive second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0040] In addition, other alternative implementations of the communication device in this regard can be found in the relevant content of the second aspect above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0041] As an example, the processing unit can be a processor, and the communication unit can be a transceiver unit, transceiver, or communication interface. It is understood that when the communication device is a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal or network device), the communication unit can be a transceiver within the communication apparatus (e.g., a transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver), implemented, for example, through an antenna, feeder, and codec within the communication apparatus. Alternatively, if the communication device is a chip located within a device, the processing unit can be the chip's processing circuitry, logic circuitry, etc., and the communication unit can be the chip's input / output interface, such as input / output circuitry, pins, etc.

[0042] In another embodiment, the communication device is a chip or chip system. The processing unit may also be a processing circuit or logic circuit; the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip or chip system.

[0043] In implementation, the processor can be used for, but is not limited to, baseband-related processing, and the transceiver can be used for, but is not limited to, radio frequency transceiver. These devices can be disposed on separate chips, or at least partially or entirely on the same chip. For example, the processor can be further divided into analog baseband processors and digital baseband processors. The analog baseband processor can be integrated with the transceiver on the same chip, while the digital baseband processor can be disposed on a separate chip. With the continuous development of integrated circuit technology, more and more devices can be integrated on the same chip. For example, a digital baseband processor can be integrated with multiple application processors (e.g., but not limited to graphics processors, multimedia processors, etc.) on the same chip. Such a chip can be called a System-on-a-Chip (SoC). Whether the devices are disposed independently on different chips or integrated on one or more chips often depends on the needs of the product design. This application does not limit the implementation form of the above-mentioned devices.

[0044] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a processor for executing the various methods described above. During the execution of these methods, the processes of sending and receiving the aforementioned information can be understood as the processor outputting the aforementioned information and the processor receiving the input information. When outputting the aforementioned information, the processor outputs the information to a transceiver for transmission. After being output by the processor, the information may require further processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the information and inputs it to the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the information, the information may require further processing before being input to the processor.

[0045] Unless otherwise specified, or unless it contradicts its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and reception operations involved by the processor can be more generally understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, rather than transmission and reception operations directly performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas.

[0046] In implementation, the processor can be a dedicated processor for executing these methods, or it can be a processor that executes computer instructions stored in memory to execute these methods, such as a general-purpose processor. The memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or disposed on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the arrangement of the memory and processor.

[0047] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices / functional network elements that interact with at least one of the terminal device and the network device.

[0048] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions, which, when run on a communication device, implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect above.

[0049] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product including instructions, which, when run on a communication device, implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect above.

[0050] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip, which includes a processor (or logic circuit). Optionally, the chip may further include a communication interface (or interface) for implementing the method in any possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect. In one possible implementation, if the chip is the smallest processing unit in a whole machine, the chip may be a processor, or may include a processor and a memory, or may further include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver for implementing the method in any possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0051] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a chip system. The chip system includes a processor and an interface. Optionally, it may further include a memory for implementing the method in any possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect. The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0052] For the beneficial effects brought by the above third aspect to the ninth aspect, reference may specifically be made to the description of the beneficial effects in the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be elaborated here. Description of the Drawings

[0053] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture;

[0054] FIG. 2 is another schematic diagram of a system architecture;

[0055] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an O-RAN system;

[0056] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an O-RAN chip;

[0057] FIG. 5 is another schematic diagram of a system architecture;

[0058] FIG. 6 is another schematic diagram of a system architecture;

[0059] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a channel map;

[0060] Figure 8 is a positioning schematic diagram;

[0061] Figure 9 is an interaction schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 10 is an interaction schematic diagram of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 11 is an interaction schematic diagram of yet another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Figure 12 is an interaction schematic diagram of yet another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Figure 14 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0067] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0068] Figure 1 is a schematic architecture diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. Among them, RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may further include at least one terminal device (such as 120a - 120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may further include other RAN nodes, for example, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal device 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 wirelessly. The terminal devices and the RAN nodes can be connected to each other by wired or wireless means. The communication system may further include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 by wireless or wired means. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent different physical devices, or may be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network devices and the logical functions of the RAN nodes. The communication system may further include the Internet 300.

[0069] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, and a future radio access system defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN100 can also include two or more different radio access systems as described above. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN). RAN100 can also be a terrestrial network communication system or a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system. Among them, the NTN system can be an NTN system integrated with 4G, 5G, and any future generation communication systems, such as NR NTN, Internet of Things (IOT) NTN, etc. The NTN communication system can be, for example, a satellite communication system, and can also include drones, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other air access network devices, which are not limited in this application.

[0070] The RAN node, also known as a network device, a radio access network device, a RAN entity, or an access node, is used to help a terminal device access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. The RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), or a relay node or a donor node. In the NTN communication system, the RAN node can be a satellite or a base station device mounted on a satellite. The RAN node can also be a gateway station (or a ground station, an earth station, a gateway station, a gateway, or a gateway site), etc. The RAN node can also be a HAPS, a drone, a hot air balloon, a low-earth orbit satellite, a medium-earth orbit satellite, a high-earth orbit satellite, etc., which are not limited here.

[0071] In another application scenario, the cooperation of multiple RAN nodes can be used to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement partial functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU completes the functions of the radio resource control protocol and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of the base station, and can also complete the function of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP); the DU completes the functions of the radio link control layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer of the base station, and can also complete partial or all of the functions of the physical layer. For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, reference can be made to the relevant technical specifications of 3GPP. The RU can be used to implement the functions of transmitting and receiving radio signals. The CU and the DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or can be integrated in the same RAN node, for example, integrated in the baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in the radio device, for example, included in the remote radio unit (RRU) or the active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes, namely CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0072] In different systems, the RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in the O-RAN system, the CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and the RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). Optionally, in the O-RAN system, the RAN node can further include a service unit (SU), and the SU is used to implement map management.

[0073] The RAN nodes in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in the form of software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules. For example, the RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the RAN nodes. For the convenience of description, in the following text, the base station is used as an example of the RAN node for description.

[0074] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. A terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely applied in various scenarios, such as NTN, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), IOT, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart home, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, aircraft, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. A terminal can also be a satellite communication terminal, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) (usually referred to as a VSAT terminal), portable station, fixed station, vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminal, etc. It should be understood that the satellite communication terminal and satellite communication can also be used as a micro base station to further provide a data interface for the accessed user equipment. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the terminal.

[0075] The base station and the terminal can be fixed in position or movable. The base station and the terminal can be deployed on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water surface; they can also be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and artificial satellites. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal.

[0076] The roles of the base station and the terminal can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For the terminals 120j that access the radio access network 100 through 120i, the terminal 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, that is, the communication between 110a and 120i is through the radio air interface protocol. Of course, the communication between 110a and 120i can also be through the interface protocol between base stations. At this time, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, the base station and the terminal can both be uniformly referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functions, and 120a - 120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0077] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the terminal's functions can be a terminal itself; or it can be a device capable of supporting the terminal in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0078] In this application embodiment, the network device can be a device for implementing RAN functions, and the device for implementing RAN functions can be a RAN node; it can also be a device that can support the RAN node to implement the function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the RAN node.

[0079] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to wireless communication between communication devices. Wireless communication between communication devices can include: wireless communication between network devices and terminals, wireless communication between network devices, and wireless communication between terminals. In this application, the term "wireless communication" can also be abbreviated as "communication," and the term "communication" can also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0080] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of a system architecture applicable to this application. As shown in Figure 2, the system includes terminal equipment, access network equipment, and a core network. The core network includes access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, location management function (LMF) network elements, map management function (MMF) network elements, and session management function (SMF) network elements. Specifically, the AMF network elements are responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal equipment location updates, terminal equipment registration networks, and terminal equipment handover; the LMF network elements are used to implement terminal equipment location estimation; the MMF network elements are used to associate areas with scatterers and manage channel maps; and the SMF network elements are responsible for all control plane functions related to terminal session management. The AMF network elements communicate with the LMF / MMF / SF network elements through the NLs interface. Access network devices communicate with AMF network elements via the NG-C interface. The AMF network element is equivalent to a router for network devices to communicate with LMF / MMF / SMF network elements.

[0081] Both access network equipment and terminal equipment include a radio resource control (RRC) signaling interaction module, a MAC signaling interaction module, and a physical (PHY) layer signaling interaction module. The RRC signaling interaction module is used for sending and receiving RRC signaling between the access network equipment and the terminal equipment. The MAC signaling interaction module is used for sending and receiving media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling between the access network equipment and the terminal equipment. The PHY layer signaling interaction module is used for sending and receiving uplink / downlink control signaling and uplink / downlink data between the access network equipment and the terminal equipment. Uplink control signaling may be, for example, a physical uplink control channel, and uplink data may be, for example, a physical uplink shared channel. Downlink control signaling may be, for example, a physical downlink control channel, and downlink data may be, for example, a physical downlink shared channel.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system architecture. As shown in Figure 3, this O-RAN system includes core network equipment, access network equipment, and terminal equipment. The access network equipment includes BBUs and RUs, and the BBUs include CUs and DUs. It should be understood that the architecture shown in Figure 3 is also applicable to access network equipment architectures with CU-DU separation. The access network equipment (RAN nodes, such as eNBs, gNBs, or next-generation access network equipment) communicates with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link and with the terminal equipment via an air interface. Specifically, the BBU in the access network equipment communicates with the CN via the backhaul link, and the RU in the access network equipment communicates with at least one terminal equipment 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. Furthermore, at least one CU and at least one DU included in the BBU can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0083] In some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the RRC, SDAP, PDCP, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The control unit connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as the E2 interface. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher) connects to the DU (e.g., the radio link control (RLC) layer and lower) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as the F1 interface. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0084] In some examples, the CU can be split into a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) and a central unit-user plane (CU-UP). The CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the control plane part of PDCP (PDCP-C) layer, used to implement the control plane functions. The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function network elements, such as the AMF network element in a 5G system. The CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. The 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) network element in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal equipment. 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.

[0085] In some examples, the DU is a logical node that carries the RLC layer, MAC layer, higher physical layer (higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, the 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 PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0086] 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 TRP, a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entity. 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.

[0087] 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 a lower-layer split control user and sync-Plane (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include a lower-layer split control (LLS-C) interface and a lower-layer split user (LLS-U) interface, respectively providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane). 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 a fronthaul link's LLS-M interface; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0088] 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.

[0089] Optionally, the access network equipment also includes a SU, which is connected to the CU. The SU is used to provide services such as at least one of sensing, channel map management, and positioning functions.

[0090] Optionally, the SU can be deployed outside the access network. For example, the SU can be a functional entity deployed outside the access network to provide services, such as at least one of sensing information management and channel map management functions. Optionally, the SU can also provide positioning functions.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN chip structure. It should be understood that the chip structure shown in Figure 4 is also applicable to the chip structure of access network equipment with CU-DU separation. As shown in Figure 4, the CU and DU include an x86 processor / advanced reduced instruction set computer machine (ARM-based CPU), and field programmable gate array (FPGA) / graphics processing unit (GPU) / other accelerators. The RU includes an O-RAN processing unit (OPU), a digital processing unit (DPU), and an RF processing unit.

[0092] The CU is a platform that performs upper-layer L2 and L3 functions. Midhaul and backhaul interfaces carry traffic between the CU and DU, as well as between the CU and the core network. The DU performs L1 and some L2 functions, while the RU performs L1 computation and RF digital functions; fronthaul and backhaul interfaces carry traffic between the RU and DU, as well as between the CU and DU. An integrated DU includes the aforementioned DU and RU functions.

[0093] The CU / DU hardware includes a chassis platform, motherboard, peripherals, and cooling system. The motherboard contains processing units, memory, internal input / output (I) / output (O) interfaces, and external connection ports. Its hardware accelerators are designed with interfaces, and hardware functional components include: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller.

[0094] DU systems are typically implemented using multi-core processors and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to hardware accelerators based on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) / graphics processing units (GPUs); alternatively, all L1 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators, while other protocol stack components are implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. Hardware accelerators support interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, accelerators have multi-channel PCIe interfaces pointing to the CPU and external connections via GbE.

[0095] Additionally, the O-RAN processing unit receives eCPRI frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and performs fronthaul interface operations, the lowest level L1 (encoding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0096] A DPU (such as the digital processing unit of an O-RU) is used to perform synchronization, digital downconversion (DDC) (such as digital downconversion in the uplink (UL)), digital upconversion (DUC) (such as digital upconversion in the downlink (DL)), crest factor reduction (CFR), and digital pre-distortion (DPD). It improves power amplifier efficiency by reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) / adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of the RF front end. The DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC.

[0097] The RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and Tx / Rx filters. All conversions between the analog and digital domains (digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs)) (e.g., RF sampling, use of RF in up-conversion and down-conversion, and frequency conversion by mixing intermediate frequency (IF) and local oscillator (LO) frequencies) are performed within the transceiver module. Furthermore, the physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries.

[0098] The embodiments of this application can also be applied to the system architectures shown in Figures 5 and 6. The system architecture shown in Figure 5 includes a terminal, a serving TRP for the terminal, a cooperating TRP for the terminal, a CU, a SU, and an AMF network element. Both the serving TRP and the cooperating TRP include DUs and RUs, and the CU is connected to the DUs of the serving TRP and the cooperating TRP, as well as to the AMF network element and the SU. The system architecture shown in Figure 6 differs from that shown in Figure 5 in that it does not include the SU; the CU is connected to the DUs of the serving TRP and the cooperating TRP, and to the AMF network element.

[0099] It is understood that when the solutions of this application are applied to future communication systems, the corresponding network node names may change, and this application does not limit this.

[0100] The embodiments disclosed in this application will be presented to illustrate various aspects, embodiments, or features of this application in relation to systems including multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches may also be used.

[0101] For ease of understanding, the examples provide explanations of some concepts related to the embodiments of this application for reference, as shown below.

[0102] 1. Channel information.

[0103] Channel information can be used to characterize channel features or properties. For example, channel information can be at least one of channel matrix information, channel state information (CSI), and channel eigenvectors. Channel information can include at least one of the following: time domain information, frequency domain information, spatial domain information, time-frequency domain information, space-frequency domain information, delay-Doppler domain information, or time-frequency-spatial domain information, without specific limitations.

[0104] Channel quality information (CSI) can be used to describe information related to channel quality. For example, CSI describes the propagation process of a wireless signal between the transmitter and receiver, including the effects of distance, scattering, and fading on the signal. For downlink transmission, CSI can be used by the terminal device to report downlink channel quality to the network device, so that the network device can perform downlink transmission based on the CSI. The CSI sent by the terminal device to the network device can be carried in the CSI report. For example, CSI can include at least one of the following: channel state information - reference signal resource indicator (CRI), rank indicator (RI), channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), layer indicator (LI), reference signal receiving power layer indicator (RSRP), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), reference signal interference power, capability index, time-domain channel properties (TDCP), etc.

[0105] Access network equipment can send downlink reference signals to terminal equipment, such as a channel sounding reference signal (SRS), to perform channel measurements and obtain channel information between the access network equipment and the terminal equipment. Channel measurement can also be described as channel assessment, channel detection, or channel estimation.

[0106] 2. Channel map.

[0107] A channel map can be understood as a database used to store / indicate channel characteristics based on location regions. These channel characteristics include at least one of the following: channel statistical covariance matrix, angle spectrum, delay spectrum, path loss, and feature domain vector. The channel map can be pre-determined and managed by core network equipment, access network equipment, or other entities / functional network elements based on channel characteristics from a large number of locations.

[0108] For example, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a channel map. As shown in Figure 7, a channel map can divide a physical cell into two-dimensional grids. Each two-dimensional grid point stores several channel characteristics of that location area in the form of a matrix, vector, or scalar. The channel map in Figure 7 stores the statistical covariance matrix, angle spectrum, delay spectrum, path loss, and feature domain vector of each location area.

[0109] In one embodiment, the channel map stores channel features such as the cell identity document (ID) of each sub-region, the sub-region ID, the sub-region coordinates, the ID of the associated scatterer of the sub-region, the channel statistical covariance matrix, the angle spectrum, the delay spectrum, the path loss, and the feature domain vector corresponding to the sub-region. The storage of channel features such as the sub-region ID, sub-region coordinates, and the feature domain vector corresponding to the sub-region in the channel map is used in this embodiment to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0110] In one implementation, the map management function (MMF) is a network element in the core network used to construct and manage the channel map. In this approach, the gNB and the AMF network element communicate via the NG-C interface. The AMF network element acts as a router for communication between the gNB and the location management function (LMF). The MMF network element constructs and updates the channel map, and communicates with the AMF network element via the NLs interface. The LMF network element is the location management unit, responsible for terminal location estimation.

[0111] In another implementation, for the O-RAN architecture, a new SU can be added on the base station side to realize map management, where the SU can be connected to the CU.

[0112] With the development of communication technology, system bandwidth has increased, terminal antennas have multiplied, and network load has become heavier. This has exacerbated the contradiction between the surge in wireless channel dimensions and the limited resources available for pilot measurement, leading to significant challenges in high-precision wireless channel measurement. Accurate measurement of wireless channels is the cornerstone of mobile communication network research and is crucial for the design, analysis, and optimization of wireless communication networks.

[0113] Traditional pilot-symbol-based wireless channel measurement methods are insufficient to meet the demands of next-generation communication technologies. To address the limited pilot measurement resources in wireless communication systems, a method using channel maps to achieve low pilot overhead is proposed. For example, by providing candidate beam sets at specific locations through channel maps, the overhead of beam scanning in actual communication can be reduced; by providing channel covariance matrices at specific locations through channel maps, this covariance matrix can be used to help reduce SRS pilot overhead. It is evident that networks can utilize the prior information provided by channel maps to assist communication.

[0114] High-precision positioning is one of the key indicators of 5G and future communication systems. It has applications in numerous mobile communication scenarios, such as factories and smart robots. 5G standardizes several positioning technologies based on Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Angle of Arrival (AOA), and Multi-Round Trip Time (multi-RTT), calculating the target location by measuring the SRS and Positioning Reference Signal (PRS). In one possible approach, cellular positioning includes: measuring the straight-line distance or angle between multiple base stations and the terminal to obtain the geometric positional relationship between the base stations and the terminal; and determining the terminal's location based on the known positional relationship between the base stations. For example, Figure 8 illustrates one positioning method. Specifically, Figure 8 illustrates angle-time based positioning. As shown in Figure 8, base station 1 can determine the angle θ1 between base station 1 and the terminal using SRS and PRS, and base station 2 can determine the angle θ2 between base station 2 and the terminal using SRS and PRS. Base station 1 or base station 2 can then determine the terminal's location based on θ1, θ2, and the geometric positional relationship between base station 1 and base station 2.

[0115] In another possible approach, the base station can also utilize channel maps to locate the terminal; this method is also known as feature matching. Specifically, the MMF network element sends channel map information corresponding to a region to the base station. The region includes the location of the terminal. This channel map information includes channel information corresponding to multiple sub-regions within the region, such as domain vectors for multiple sub-regions. The base station measures the channel information between itself and the terminal based on SRS and PRS. The base station compares the measured channel information with the channel feature information stored in the channel map information corresponding to the region to obtain the channel information in the channel map information corresponding to the region that matches the measured channel information. The sub-region corresponding to the channel information in the channel map information corresponding to the region that matches the measured channel information is determined as the sub-region where the terminal is located, thereby achieving terminal location. Alternatively, the base station matches the eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue in the measured channel information with the autocorrelation matrix of the channel map corresponding to the region, and the matching result is the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0116] The location information of the area can be determined by the base station based on traditional positioning, which includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Bluetooth positioning, AOA / TDOA positioning, and environmental + light tracing positioning.

[0117] Furthermore, the domain vector includes spatial domain vectors and frequency domain vectors. Each element in the spatial domain vector can represent the weight of each antenna port, and the length of the spatial domain vector can be N, which represents the number of transmit antenna ports in a polarization direction. s N s ≥1 and an integer. A spatial vector can be, for example, of length N. s The spatial vector can be a column vector or a row vector, which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the spatial vector is a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) vector. A DFT vector can refer to a vector in a DFT matrix. Optionally, the spatial vector is the conjugate transpose of a DFT vector. The conjugate transpose of a DFT vector can refer to a column vector in the conjugate transpose of a DFT matrix. Optionally, the spatial vector is an oversampled DFT vector. An oversampled DFT vector can refer to a vector in an oversampled DFT matrix.

[0118] Frequency domain vectors can be used to represent the variation of a channel in the frequency domain. Each frequency domain vector can represent a variation pattern. Since a signal can travel from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna via multiple paths during transmission through a wireless channel, multipath delay leads to frequency-selective fading, which is a variation of the channel in the frequency domain. Therefore, different frequency domain vectors can be used to represent the variation of the channel in the frequency domain caused by delays along different transmission paths.

[0119] The length of the frequency domain vector can be denoted as N. fN f For positive integers, the frequency domain vector can be, for example, of length N. f The frequency domain vector can be a column vector or a row vector. The length of the frequency domain vector can be determined by the number of frequency domain units to be reported pre-configured in the reporting bandwidth, the length of the reporting bandwidth, or a predefined value in the protocol. This application does not limit the length of the frequency domain vector. The reporting bandwidth can, for example, refer to the CSI reporting bandwidth (csi-ReportingBand) carried in the pre-configured CSI reporting through higher-layer signaling. The frequency domain vectors corresponding to all spatial domain vectors for each spatial layer can be referred to as the frequency domain vectors corresponding to that spatial layer. The frequency domain vectors corresponding to each spatial layer can be the same or different.

[0120] The base station compares the measured channel information with the channel feature information stored in the channel map information corresponding to the region. This comparison can be done through autocorrelation matrix matching, for example, matching the eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue in the measured channel information with the autocorrelation matrix in the channel map information corresponding to the region. The matching result is the sub-region where the terminal is located. However, in this method of comparing the measured channel information with the channel feature information in the channel map information corresponding to the region, the low signal-to-noise ratio between the base station and the terminal can lead to poor accuracy in locating the terminal.

[0121] In one optional embodiment, the first node and the second node in this application embodiment are DUs in different TRPs, and the third node is an SU or MMF network element. The different TRPs include the serving TRP and the cooperating TRP of the terminal device. In another optional embodiment, the first node in this application embodiment is a CU in a TRP, the second node is a DU, and the third node is an SU or an MMF network element. In yet another optional embodiment, the first node in this application embodiment is a terminal device, the second node is a DU, and the third node is an SU, or a CU, or a DU, or an MMF network element.

[0122] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This application uses a first node and a second node as examples to illustrate the corresponding methods. For example, the first node is the CU in the system shown in Figure 5, and the second node is the SU in the system shown in Figure 5. However, this application does not limit the executing entity of the method. For example, the first node in the method can also be a processor, module, chip, chip system, or software module that supports the implementation of the corresponding method, and the third node in the method can also be a processor, module, chip, chip system, or software module that supports the implementation of the corresponding method.

[0123] This application proposes a communication method, and Figure 9 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method. The communication method is described from the perspective of the interaction between the first node and the third node. The communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0124] S901. The second node sends first indication information to the first node. The first indication information is used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid. Correspondingly, the first node receives the first indication information from the second node.

[0125] In this embodiment, when the second node is a device, the second node can transmit information / signals via an antenna provided with the device. When the second node is a chip, the second node can output information / signals. Optionally, the chip includes an interface, and the second node outputs information / signals through the interface in the chip.

[0126] In this embodiment, when the first node is a device, the first node receives information / signals via an antenna configured in the device. When the first node is a chip, the first node receives information / signals by inputting information / signals into the chip. Optionally, the chip includes an interface, and the first node inputs information / signals through the interface in the chip.

[0127] In one optional implementation, the first node is a CU, the second node is a SU or MMF network element, and the multiple third nodes include service nodes and cooperating nodes of the terminal device. For example, the multiple third nodes include DUs in the service TRP of the terminal device and DUs in one or more cooperative TRPs. The service node of the terminal device is the node currently providing network services to the terminal device, and the cooperating node of the terminal device is the node currently providing network services to the terminal device by the cooperating service node.

[0128] In another optional implementation, the first node is a DU in the serving node of the terminal device, or a DU in the cooperating node of the terminal device; the second node is a SU or MMF network element; and the multiple third nodes include the serving node and the cooperating node of the terminal device. For example, the first node is a DU in the serving TRP of the terminal device, the second node is a SU, and the multiple third nodes include a DU in the serving TRP of the terminal device and a DU in one or more cooperating TRPs.

[0129] In another optional implementation, the first node is a terminal device, the second node is a CU, SU, or MMF network element, and the plurality of third nodes include serving nodes and cooperating nodes of the terminal device. For example, the first node is a terminal device, the second node is an SU, and the plurality of third nodes include DUs in the serving TRP and DUs in one or more cooperating TRPs of the terminal device.

[0130] In addition, the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes is the channel information between each third node and the terminal device, which is obtained based on the measurement of the reference signal.

[0131] Furthermore, the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes can be the same or different. For example, the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes may all be candidate areas issued by the SU or MMF network elements. These candidate areas can be physical or virtual areas, and can be all areas stored in the channel map information, or only a portion of the areas stored in the channel map information. As another example, the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes may be obtained by each third node through traditional positioning of the terminal device. The implementation method of traditional positioning can be found above and will not be repeated here. In this method, the first grid corresponding to each third node may be different.

[0132] Optionally, the first grid is associated with the location of the terminal device. For example, when the third node performs traditional positioning determination of the terminal device, the first grid is associated with the location of the terminal device; in other words, the first grid includes the location information of the terminal device.

[0133] Optionally, the location of the first grid is not related to the location of the terminal device. For example, when the first grid is a candidate area issued by the SU or MMF network element, there is no direct correlation between the location of the first grid and the location of the terminal device.

[0134] As can be seen, the second node can use the first instruction information to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information measured between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device, as well as the channel map information of the corresponding first grid, thereby achieving the localization of the terminal device. Alternatively, the second node can use the first instruction information to instruct the first node to jointly match the channel information measured between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device with the channel map of the corresponding candidate grid (first grid) of each third node, enabling the first node to locate the terminal device.

[0135] S902. The first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid.

[0136] As can be seen, after receiving the first instruction information, the first node knows that it needs to locate the terminal device based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple second nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. Therefore, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple second nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid, so as to achieve the location of the terminal device.

[0137] S903. The first node sends second indication information to the second node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Correspondingly, the second node receives the second indication information from the first node.

[0138] In this embodiment, when the first node is a device, the first node can transmit information / signals via an antenna provided with the device. When the first node is a chip, the first node can output information / signals. Optionally, the chip includes an interface, and the first node outputs information / signals through the interface in the chip.

[0139] In this embodiment, when the second node is a device, the second node receives information / signals via an antenna configured in the device. When the second node is a chip, the second node receives information / signals by inputting information / signals into the chip. Optionally, the chip includes an interface, through which the second node inputs information / signals.

[0140] The index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located can be understood as the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located in the multiple sub-regions stored in the channel map, or the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located in the multiple sub-regions stored in the channel map.

[0141] As can be seen, after the first node locates the terminal device and obtains the sub-region where the terminal device is located, it indicates the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to the second node through the second indication information, so that the second node can know the sub-region where the terminal device is located. This is beneficial for the second node to use the channel information corresponding to the sub-region where the terminal device is located in the channel map to assist communication and improve communication quality.

[0142] The following is an example of S902:

[0143] Understandably, the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes is obtained through measurements between the third node and the terminal device based on reference signals. Therefore, each of the multiple third nodes can send a reference signal, such as an SRS, to the terminal device to measure the channel information between the third node and the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the reference signals from the multiple third nodes, performs channel estimation based on the received reference signals, and obtains the measured channel information between itself and the multiple third nodes. Thus, the terminal device reports the measured channel information to the corresponding third nodes, so that each of the multiple third nodes obtains the channel information between itself and the terminal device measured based on the reference signals.

[0144] Understandably, the first node learns from the first indication information from the second node that it needs to locate the terminal device using the first channel information measured based on reference signals between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device. Therefore, the first node needs to acquire the first channel information measured based on reference signals between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device. The first node can acquire the first channel information measured based on reference signals between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device through various implementation methods. In one optional implementation, when the first node is a DU among the multiple third nodes, the other nodes besides the first node send third indication information to the first node. The third indication information is used to indicate the channel information measured between the third node and the terminal device, i.e., the first channel information. Correspondingly, the first node receives second indication information from some or all of the multiple third nodes.

[0145] In another optional implementation, when the first node is not a DU among the multiple third nodes, the multiple third nodes respectively send third indication information to the first node. The third indication information is used to indicate the channel information measured between the third node and the terminal device, i.e., the first channel information. Correspondingly, the first node receives the third indication information from the multiple third nodes respectively.

[0146] Among them, each of the multiple third nodes indicates the channel information obtained by measurement to the first node through third indication information, including but not limited to at least one of the following: channel matrix information, channel feature vector H, CQI, RSRP, SINR, RSRQ, and reference signal interference power.

[0147] As can be seen, after each of the multiple third nodes obtains the first channel information measured between itself and the terminal device, it can indicate the first node to the first node the first channel information measured between itself and the terminal device through the third indication information. Thus, the first node obtains the first channel information measured between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device.

[0148] For example, multiple third nodes include DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2, with DU1 in TRP1 being the first node. DU1 and DU2 send SRS1 and SRS2 to the terminal device, respectively. The terminal device performs channel estimation based on the received SRS1 to obtain channel information 1 measured between DU1 and the terminal device; the terminal device also performs channel estimation based on the received SRS to obtain channel information 2 measured between DU2 and the terminal device. The terminal device sends channel information 1 to DU1 and channel information 2 to DU2. DU2 sends third indication information to DU1, which indicates channel information 2. Thus, DU1, as the first node, obtains channel information 1 measured between DU1 and the terminal device, and channel information 2 measured between DU2 and the terminal device.

[0149] In one optional implementation, each of the plurality of third nodes sends a message to the first node after receiving a request message from the first node, indicating channel information obtained with the terminal device based on reference signal measurements. For example, the first node sends a fourth indication message to some or all of the plurality of third nodes, the fourth indication message indicating a request to obtain the channel information obtained with the terminal device based on reference signal measurements. Correspondingly, some or all of the plurality of third nodes receive the fourth indication message from the first node. Furthermore, after receiving the third indication message, each of the plurality of third nodes knows that it needs to send the channel information obtained with the terminal device based on reference signal measurements to the first node, and therefore sends a third indication message to the first node indicating the first channel information.

[0150] As can be seen, the first node can send a fourth indication message to some or all of the multiple third nodes to indicate a request to obtain the channel information between the third node and the terminal device based on the reference signal measurement, so that the first node obtains the channel information between each third node and the terminal device from the multiple third nodes.

[0151] For example, the first node is CU, the third node includes DU1 in the serving TRP and DU2 in the cooperative TRP of the terminal device, and the second node is SU. After receiving the first indication information from SU, CU sends fourth indication information to DU1 and DU2 respectively. The fourth indication information sent to DU1 indicates a request to obtain the channel information between DU1 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement, and the fourth indication information sent to DU2 indicates a request to obtain the channel information between DU2 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement. Therefore, based on the fourth indication information from CU, DU1 sends a third indication information to CU, indicating the channel information between DU1 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement; DU2 also sends a third indication information to CU, indicating the channel information between DU2 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement. Furthermore, CU obtains the channel information between DU1 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement through the third indication information from DU1, and obtains the channel information between DU2 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement through the third indication information from DU2.

[0152] Understandably, the first node, through the first indication information from the second node, learns that it needs to utilize the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes to locate the terminal device. Therefore, the first node also needs to obtain the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes. The first node can obtain the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes through various implementation methods. In one optional implementation, if the first grid corresponding to the third node is obtained by the third node through traditional positioning of the terminal device, the third node can indicate the obtained first grid to the second node, so that the second node network element knows the first grid obtained by the third node. Then, the second node network element can provide the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the third node to the first node. For example, the second node sends a fifth indication information to the first node, which indicates the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes. The channel map information of the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle. The channel feature domain vector can also be called the main channel feature domain vector, which can be the channel feature vector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue of the channel feature information. The channel feature domain vector includes the channel feature spatial domain vector and the channel feature frequency domain vector. The channel feature spatial domain vector can be referred to as the spatial domain vector mentioned above, and the channel feature frequency domain vector can be referred to as the frequency domain vector mentioned above, which will not be repeated here.

[0153] As can be seen, when the first grid corresponding to the third node is obtained by the third node through traditional positioning of the terminal device, the first node can obtain the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes from the second node. This facilitates the first node in using the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes to locate the terminal device. Specifically, the SU or MMF network element obtains the first grid obtained by each of the multiple third nodes through traditional positioning of the terminal device.

[0154] For example, the first node is CU, the second node is SU, and multiple third nodes include DU1 in the serving TRP and DU2 in the cooperating TRP of the terminal device. The serving TRP performs conventional positioning of the terminal device based on GPS to obtain a first grid a; the cooperating TRP performs conventional positioning of the terminal device based on GPS to obtain a first grid b. DU1 in the serving TRP indicates the first grid a to SU, and DU2 in the cooperating TRP indicates the first grid b to SU. SU indicates the channel spectrum information of the first grid a and the channel spectrum information of the first grid b to CU.

[0155] In another optional implementation, when the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes is a candidate region, the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes is the same. In this method, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the multiple third nodes is all or part of the channel map information stored in the channel map database. Furthermore, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the multiple third nodes is sent from the second node to the first node. For example, the second node sends fifth indication information to the first node, which is used to indicate the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes.

[0156] It is evident that regardless of whether the first grid corresponding to the third node is obtained through traditional positioning of the terminal device by the third node or is a candidate area, the first grid can obtain the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes from the second node. This allows the first grid to use the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes to locate the terminal device.

[0157] Understandably, the first node learns from the first indication information from the second node that it needs to locate the terminal device based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. Furthermore, the first node obtains the first channel information between each of the multiple third nodes and the terminal device based on reference signal measurements, and obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes, respectively, through the above implementation method. Therefore, the first node can locate the terminal device based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. The following exemplarily illustrates an implementation method in which the first node locates the terminal device using the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid:

[0158] In one optional implementation, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, including: determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid.

[0159] Optionally, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. This includes determining the maximum value of the sum of the correlation coefficients between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid as the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Here, the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located refers to the index of the sub-region within the area where the channel map information is stored.

[0160] For example, multiple second nodes include DU1 and DU2. When the CU matches the channel information obtained by measuring between DU1 and DU2 and the terminal device with the channel spectrum information corresponding to the first grid, the following formula (1) is satisfied: Grid=max(corrcoef(S11,S12)+corrcoef(S21,S22)) (1)

[0161] Wherein, S11 represents the first channel between DU1 and the terminal device obtained based on reference signal measurement; S12 represents the channel feature information in the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 that is correlated with S11; S21 represents the first channel between DU2 and the terminal device obtained based on reference signal measurement; and S22 represents the channel feature information in the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 that is correlated with S21. `corrcoef(S11,S12)` calculates the correlation coefficient between S11 and S12, `corrcoef(S21,S22)` calculates the correlation coefficient between S21 and S22, and `max()` calculates the maximum value. Furthermore, S11 can be the eigenvector with the largest eigenvalue in the feature vector of the first channel between DU1 and the terminal device; S12 can be the eigenvector with the largest eigenvalue in the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1; S21 can be the eigenvector with the largest eigenvalue in the feature vector of the first channel between DU2 and the terminal device; and S22 can be the eigenvector with the largest eigenvalue in the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0162] As can be seen, when DU1 uses S11 obtained from measurements between DU1 and the terminal device, S21 of the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, S12 obtained from measurements between DU2 and the terminal device, and S22 of the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 to locate the terminal device, it determines the correlation coefficient between S11 and S12 and the correlation coefficient between S21 and S22, then calculates the maximum value of the sum of the correlation coefficient between S11 and S12 and the correlation coefficient between S21 and S22, and determines the maximum value of the sum of the two correlation coefficients as the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0163] In another optional implementation, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid. This includes: determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, and the weight value corresponding to the correlation coefficient.

[0164] The weight value corresponding to the correlation coefficient can be determined based on other indicators used to indicate channel quality, such as SNR, RSRQ, RSRP, and reference signal interference power in the channel information.

[0165] Optionally, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, as well as the weight value corresponding to the correlation coefficient. This includes: determining the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each third node and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid; determining the product between each correlation coefficient and the weight value corresponding to that correlation coefficient; determining the maximum value of the sum of the products between each correlation coefficient and the weight value corresponding to that correlation coefficient; and determining the maximum value of the sum of the products between each correlation coefficient and the weight value corresponding to that correlation coefficient as the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0166] For example, multiple second nodes include DU1 and DU2. When the CU matches the channel information between DU1 and DU2 and the terminal device with the channel map information corresponding to the first grid, the following formula (2) is satisfied:

[0167] S11, S12, S21, and S22 have the same meaning as in formula (1) above, and will not be repeated here. In addition, SNR1 represents the SNR measured between DU1 and the terminal device, and SNR2 represents the SNR measured between DU2 and the terminal device. This represents the weighted value of the correlation coefficient between the channel information obtained from reference signal measurements between DU1 and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1. The weighted value represents the correlation coefficient between the channel information obtained from the reference signal measurement between DU2 and the terminal device and the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0168] As can be seen, the first node can perform spectrum indexing / spectrum matching based on the instructions of the second node and the channel information measured between multiple third nodes and the terminal device to achieve the positioning of the terminal device.

[0169] In one optional implementation, the first indication information sent by the second node to the first node is further used to instruct the first node to determine the method used by the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid.

[0170] For example, the first indication information is also used to instruct the first node to use the method corresponding to the above formula (1) to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid. Thus, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the above (1).

[0171] For example, the first indication information is also used to instruct the first node to use the method corresponding to the above formula (2) to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid. Thus, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the above formula (2).

[0172] As can be seen, in this embodiment, the second node instructs the first node, through first indication information, to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid. The multiple third nodes include the terminal device's service node and cooperating nodes. Thus, the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the service node and one or more cooperating nodes, and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid, achieving terminal device positioning through multi-station joint indexing. Compared with network positioning based on channel information obtained from reference signal measurements between the terminal device's service node and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the grid corresponding to the service node, this method improves the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0173] The following example illustrates the communication method shown in Figure 9, using TRP1 as the service node of the terminal device, TRP2 as the cooperating node of the terminal device, DU1 in TRP1 as the first node, SU as the second node, and multiple third nodes including DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2. Figure 10 is an interactive schematic diagram of this communication method. As shown in Figure 10, this communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0174] S1001.DU1 measures the channel H1 between DU1 and the terminal device.

[0175] S1002.DU2 measures the channel H2 between DU2 and the terminal device.

[0176] The measurement of H1 between DU1 and the terminal device can be achieved as follows: DU1 sends a reference signal, such as an SRS, to the terminal device; the terminal device receives the reference signal from DU1, performs channel estimation based on the received reference signal, and obtains H1; the terminal device sends H1 back to DU1, and DU1 receives H1 from the terminal device. Thus, DU1 obtains the H1 between DU1 and the terminal device based on the reference signal measurement. Similarly, the measurement of H2 between DU2 and the terminal device can be performed with reference to the implementation method of DU1 measuring H1 between DU1 and the terminal device, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] S1003.SU sends first indication information to DU1. The first indication information is used to instruct DU1 to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained by DU1 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement, the channel information obtained by DU2 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Correspondingly, DU1 receives the first indication information from SU.

[0178] The first grid corresponding to DU1 and the first grid corresponding to DU2 can be referred to in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0179] As can be seen, the SU can use the first instruction information to instruct DU1 on the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU1 and the terminal device, the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU2 and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, thereby locating the terminal device. Compared with the SU instructing DU1 to locate the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU1 and the terminal device and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, this method is beneficial for improving the positioning accuracy.

[0180] This application does not restrict the execution order of any two of S1001, S1002 and S1003. For example, S1002 can be executed before or after S1001; S1001 and S1002 can be executed before or after S1003.

[0181] S1004.DU1 obtains H2, which is a reference signal-based measurement between DU2 and the terminal device, from DU2.

[0182] Understandably, DU1 learns from the first instruction information from SU that positioning the terminal device requires H2 obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU2 and the terminal device, and therefore requests DU2 to obtain H2 measured by the reference signal between DU2 and the terminal device.

[0183] In one optional implementation, when an Xn interface exists between DU1 and DU2, DU1 requests H2, measured based on a reference signal, from DU2 via the Xn interface. Correspondingly, DU2 provides H2, measured based on the reference signal, to DU1 via the Xn interface.

[0184] In another alternative implementation, if there is no Xn interface between DU1 and DU2, DU1 requests H2, obtained from the measurement of the reference signal between DU2 and the terminal device, via the following path: DU1->CU1->CU2->DU2. Correspondingly, DU2 provides the measured H2 to DU1 via the following path: DU2->CU2->CU1->DU1.

[0185] S1005.DU1 obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1.

[0186] Understandably, DU1 learns from the first indication information from SU that locating the terminal device also requires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and therefore obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1. The first grid corresponding to DU1 can be referred to as the first grid corresponding to the third node in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0187] In one optional implementation, DU1 acquires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, including: receiving fifth indication information from SU, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1. Correspondingly, SU sends the fifth indication information to DU1. The channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 can be referred to as the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the third node in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0188] S1006.DU1 obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0189] Understandably, DU1 learns from the first instruction information from SU that channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 is also needed to locate the terminal device. Therefore, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 is obtained in a similar way to the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and will not be described again.

[0190] It can be seen that DU1 can obtain the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 through the fifth indication information from SU, so that DU1 can use the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 to locate the terminal device.

[0191] S1007.DU1 determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1, H2, and DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0192] The implementation method for determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1, H2, and DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, can be referred to in S902, where the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid of each of the multiple third nodes, which will not be repeated here.

[0193] As can be seen, DU1 locates the terminal device and obtains the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 (obtained through measurements between DU1 and the terminal device), the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 (obtained through measurements between DU2 and the terminal device), and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Alternatively, under the guidance / instruction of SU, DU1 can perform map indexing / map matching based on the channel between the terminal device's serving TRP and cooperating TRP and the terminal device to obtain the sub-region where the terminal device is located, thus achieving the location of the terminal device.

[0194] S1008.DU1 sends a second indication message to SU, the second indication message being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Correspondingly, SU receives the first indication message from DU1.

[0195] It is evident that DU1, through the second indication information, indicates the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to SU, which is beneficial for SU to utilize the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to assist communication.

[0196] In one optional implementation, after the SU obtains the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located through the second indication information, it can also communicate with the terminal device based on the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, so as to improve the communication quality.

[0197] As can be seen, the SU instructs DU1 to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained by DU1 and the terminal device through reference signal measurements, the channel information obtained by DU2 and the terminal device through reference signal measurements, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Then, DU1 obtains H1 between DU1 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurements, requests H2 between DU2 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurements, and obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the first grid corresponding to DU2 from the SU. Furthermore, based on H1, H2, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, DU1 determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located through multi-station joint indexing, and instructs the SU on the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, so that the SU can communicate based on the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Compared with DU1, which uses the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1 and DU1 obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU1 and the terminal device to locate the terminal device, this method can improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal device, and thus help improve the communication quality of the network using the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0198] Optionally, when the serving node of the terminal device is TRP1, the cooperating node of the terminal device is TRP2, the first node is DU1 in TRP1, the second node is an MMF network element, and multiple third nodes include DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2, SU in S1001 to S1007 can be replaced with an MMF network element. For example, S1004 can be replaced with: the MFF network element sends first indication information to DU1.

[0199] The following example illustrates the communication method shown in Figure 9, using the terminal device's service node as TRP1, its cooperating node as TRP2, the first node as the CU controlling DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2, the second node as the SU, and multiple third nodes including DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2. Figure 11 is an interactive schematic diagram of this communication method. As shown in Figure 11, this communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0200] S1101.DU1 measures the channel H1 between DU1 and the terminal device.

[0201] S1102.DU2 measures the channel H2 between DU2 and the terminal device.

[0202] The implementation methods of S1101 and S1102 can be found in the implementation methods of S1001 and S1002 described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0203] S1103.SU sends first indication information to CU. The first indication information is used to instruct DU1 to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained by DU1 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement, the channel information obtained by DU2 and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Correspondingly, CU receives the first indication information from SU.

[0204] The first grid corresponding to DU1 and the first grid corresponding to DU2 can be referred to in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0205] As can be seen, the SU can use the first indication information to instruct the CU on the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU1 and the terminal device, the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU2 and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, thereby locating the terminal device. Compared with the SU instructing the CU on locating the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal between DU1 and the terminal device, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, this method is beneficial for improving the positioning accuracy.

[0206] This application does not restrict the execution order of any two of S1101, S1102 and S1103. For example, S1102 can be executed before or after S1101; S1101 and S1102 can be executed before or after S1103.

[0207] S1104.CU obtains H1, a reference signal-based measurement between DU1 and the terminal device, from DU1, and H2, a reference signal-based measurement between DU2 and the terminal device, from DU2.

[0208] Optionally, the CU obtains the H1 between DU1 and the terminal device based on the reference signal from DU1, including: the CU sending indication information to DU1 to indicate a request to obtain the H1 between DU1 and the terminal device based on the reference signal; and the CU receiving the H1 from DU1.

[0209] Similarly, the CU obtains H2, which is a reference signal measurement between DU2 and the terminal device, from DU2, including: the CU sending an indication message to DU2 to indicate a request to obtain H2, which is a reference signal measurement between DU2 and the terminal device; and the CU receiving H2 from DU2.

[0210] It can be seen that the CU can request the H1 obtained by the measurement between DU1 and the terminal device based on the reference signal from DU1, and can request the H2 obtained by the measurement between DU2 and the terminal device based on the reference signal from DU2.

[0211] S1105.CU obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1.

[0212] S1106.CU obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0213] The channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 can be referred to the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to the third node in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0214] Understandably, the CU learns from the first instruction information from the SU that locating the terminal device also requires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Therefore, the CU also obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0215] Optionally, the CU acquires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, including: the CU receiving fifth indication information from the SU, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1.

[0216] Optionally, the CU acquires the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, including: the CU receiving fifth indication information from the SU, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0217] It can be seen that the SU can indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 to the CU through the fifth indication information sent to the CU.

[0218] S1107.CU determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1, H2, and DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0219] The CU determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1, H2, and DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. This can be referred to in S902, where the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes. The implementation method will not be repeated here.

[0220] As can be seen, the CU locates the terminal device and obtains the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 (obtained through measurements between DU1 and the terminal device), the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 (obtained through measurements between DU2 and the terminal device), and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Alternatively, under the guidance / instruction of the SU, the CU can perform map indexing / map matching based on the channel between the terminal device's serving TRP and cooperating TRP and the terminal device to obtain the sub-region where the terminal device is located, thus achieving the location of the terminal device.

[0221] S1108.CU sends a second indication message to SU, the second indication message being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Correspondingly, SU receives the first indication message from CU.

[0222] It is evident that the CU, through the second indication information, indicates the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to the SU, which is beneficial for the SU to utilize the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to assist communication.

[0223] In one optional implementation, after the SU obtains the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located through the second indication information, it can also communicate with the terminal device based on the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, so as to improve the communication quality.

[0224] As can be seen, the SU instructs the CU to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained by DU1 and the terminal device through reference signal measurement, the channel information obtained by DU2 and the terminal device through reference signal measurement, the channel information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Then, the CU requests H1 obtained by DU1 through reference signal measurement, requests H2 obtained by DU2 through reference signal measurement, and obtains the channel information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 from the SU. Furthermore, based on H1, H2, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, the CU determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located and instructs the SU on the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, so that the SU can communicate based on the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Compared with the method of locating the terminal device by means of multi-station joint indexing based on the channel map information of H1 and the first grid corresponding to DU1 obtained by the network based on the reference signal measurement between DU1 and the terminal device, this method can improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal device, and thus help improve the communication quality of communication using the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0225] Optionally, the serving node of the terminal device is TRP1, the cooperating node of the terminal device is TRP2, the first node is the CU that controls DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2, the second node is an MMF network element, and when multiple third nodes include DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2, the SU in S1101 to S1108 above can be replaced with an MMF network element. For example, S1103 can be replaced with: the MFF network element sends first indication information to the CU.

[0226] The following example illustrates the communication method shown in Figure 9, using the terminal device's service node TRP1, its cooperating node TRP2, the first node being the terminal device, the second node being the SU, and multiple third nodes including DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2. Figure 12 is an interactive schematic diagram of this communication method. As shown in Figure 12, this communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0227] S1201. The terminal device measures the channel H1 between DU1 and the terminal device.

[0228] S1202. The terminal device measures the channel H2 between DU2 and the terminal device.

[0229] The terminal device measures H1 between DU1 and the terminal device, including: receiving a reference signal from DU1; and performing channel estimation based on the reference signal to obtain H1. Similarly, the terminal device measures H2 between DU2 and the terminal, including: receiving a reference signal from DU2; and performing channel estimation based on the reference signal to obtain H2.

[0230] S1203.SU sends first indication information to the terminal device. The first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained by reference signal measurement between DU1 and the terminal device, the channel information obtained by reference signal measurement between DU2 and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from SU.

[0231] The first grid corresponding to DU1 and the first grid corresponding to DU2 can be referred to in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0232] As can be seen, the SU can use the first indication information to indicate to the terminal device the channel information obtained by reference signal measurement between DU1 and the terminal device, the channel information obtained by reference signal measurement between DU2 and the terminal device, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, so as to locate itself. Compared with the SU indicating the channel information obtained by reference signal measurement between DU1 and the terminal device and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 to locate the terminal device, this method is beneficial to improving the positioning accuracy.

[0233] This application does not restrict the execution order of any two of S1201, S1202 and S1203. For example, S1202 can be executed before or after S1201; S1201 and S1202 can be executed before or after S1203.

[0234] S1204. The terminal device obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1.

[0235] S1205. The terminal device obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0236] The channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 can be referred to the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to the third node in S901 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0237] Understandably, the terminal device learns from the first indication information from the SU that locating the terminal device also requires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Therefore, the terminal device also obtains the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0238] Optionally, the terminal device acquires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, including: receiving fifth indication information from SU, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1.

[0239] Optionally, the terminal device acquires the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, including: receiving fifth indication information from SU, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0240] It can be seen that the SU can indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 to the terminal device through the fifth indication information sent to the terminal device.

[0241] S1206. The terminal device determines the sub-region where it is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1, H2, and DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2.

[0242] The terminal device determines the sub-region where it is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to H1, H2, and DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. This can be referred to in S902, where the first node determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes. The implementation method will not be repeated here.

[0243] As can be seen, the terminal device locates itself and obtains the sub-region where it is located based on the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 (obtained through measurements between DU1 and the terminal device), the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 (obtained through measurements between DU2 and the terminal device), and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Alternatively, under the guidance / instruction of the SU, the terminal device can perform map indexing / map matching based on the channel between its serving TRP and cooperating TRP and the terminal device to obtain the sub-region where it is located, thus achieving the location of the terminal device.

[0244] S1207. The terminal device sends second indication information to the SU, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Correspondingly, the SU receives first indication information from the CU.

[0245] It is evident that by using the second indication information, the terminal device indicates the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to the SU, which helps the SU to utilize the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located to assist in communication.

[0246] In one optional implementation, after the SU obtains the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located through the second indication information, it can also communicate with the terminal device based on the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, so as to improve the communication quality.

[0247] As can be seen, the SU instructs the terminal device to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained from the reference signal measurement between DU1 and the terminal device, the channel information obtained from the reference signal measurement between DU2 and the terminal device, the channel information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2. Then, the terminal device measures H1 between DU1 and the terminal device, measures H2 between DU2 and the terminal device, and obtains the channel information of the first grid corresponding to DU1 and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2 from the SU. Furthermore, based on H1, H2, the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU1, and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to DU2, the terminal device determines its own sub-region through multi-station joint indexing and indicates the index of its own sub-region to the SU so that the SU can communicate based on the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located. Compared with the method of locating the terminal device based on the channel map information of H1 and the first grid corresponding to DU1 obtained by the network based on the reference signal measurement between DU1 and the terminal device, this method can improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal device, and thus help improve the communication quality of communication using the channel map information of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0248] Optionally, when the first node is a terminal device, the second node is an MMF network element or a CU, and multiple third nodes include DU1 in TRP1 and DU2 in TRP2, the SU in S1201 to S1206 can be replaced with an MMF network element or a CU. For example, S1203 can be replaced with: The MMF network element sends the first instruction information to the terminal device.

[0249] The following section further describes the corresponding device implementation scheme in relation to the technical solution described above.

[0250] To achieve the functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the first node and the second node may include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is executed in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0251] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1300 provided in this application. The device 1300 may include modules corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in any of the embodiments of the above-described communication method. The modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0252] The communication device 1300 includes a communication unit 1301 and a processing unit 1302, used to implement the methods executed by the various devices in the foregoing embodiments. The communication unit 1301 is also called a transceiver unit, which includes a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit is used to send signals, and the receiving unit is used to receive signals. Optionally, the communication device 1300 may further include a storage unit 1303 for storing information.

[0253] In one possible implementation, the device 1300 is, for example, a first node. Specifically, the communication unit 1301 is used to receive first indication information from a second node, the first indication information being used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid; the processing unit 1302 is used to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid; the communication unit 1301 is also used to send second indication information to the second node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located; wherein, the plurality of third nodes include the service node and cooperating node of the terminal device, and the first channel information corresponding to the third node is the channel information between the third node and the terminal device obtained based on reference signal measurement.

[0254] In the communication method implemented by the device 1300, the first node can locate the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring reference signals between each node in the service node and cooperative nodes of the terminal device and the terminal device, as well as the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each node. Compared with the method of locating the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by measuring reference signals between the service node and the terminal device and the channel map information of the grid corresponding to the service node, this method can improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0255] In one possible approach, the processing unit 1302 determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, including: determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid.

[0256] In another possible approach, the processing unit 1302 determines the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, including: determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid and the weight value corresponding to the correlation coefficient.

[0257] In one possible embodiment, the communication unit 1301 is further configured to receive third indication information from some or all of the plurality of third nodes; the third indication information is used to indicate channel information between the third node and the terminal device obtained based on reference signal measurement.

[0258] In one possible embodiment, the communication unit 1301 is further configured to send fourth indication information to some or all of the plurality of third nodes respectively; the fourth indication information is used to indicate a request to obtain channel information between the third node and the terminal device based on reference signal measurement.

[0259] In one possible embodiment, the communication unit 1301 is further configured to receive fifth indication information from the second node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes.

[0260] In another possible approach, the channel map information corresponding to the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle.

[0261] In this embodiment of the application, the beneficial effects of the implementation method can be referred to the corresponding beneficial effects in the previous method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0262] In another possible implementation, the device 1300 may be, for example, a second node. Specifically, the communication unit 1301 is used to send first indication information to the first node; the first indication information is used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, wherein the plurality of second nodes include the service node and cooperating node of the terminal device; the communication unit 1301 is also used to receive second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

[0263] In the communication method implemented by the device 1300, the second node instructs the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the channel information obtained by the first node from the service nodes and cooperative nodes of the terminal device based on reference signal measurements and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each node. This obtains the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located, determined by the first node based on the channel information obtained by the first node from the service nodes and cooperative nodes of the terminal device based on reference signal measurements and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to each node. Compared with the method where the second node instructs the first node to locate the terminal device based on the channel information obtained by the first node from the service nodes of the terminal device based on reference signal measurements and the channel map information of the first grid corresponding to the service nodes, this method improves the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0264] In one possible embodiment, the communication unit 1301 is further configured to send a fifth indication information to the first node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes.

[0265] In one possible approach, the channel map information of the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle.

[0266] In this embodiment of the application, the beneficial effects of the implementation method can be referred to the corresponding beneficial effects in the previous method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0267] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 1300 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit, or logic circuit integrated on the chip.

[0268] This application also provides a communication device 1400, as shown in Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device. The communication device 1400 can be used to execute the steps performed by the first node or the second node in the above method embodiments, as described in the relevant descriptions above.

[0269] The communication device 1400 includes a processor 1401. Optionally, the communication device 1400 may also include a memory 1402 and a transceiver 1403.

[0270] In one possible implementation, the processor 1401, memory 1402, and transceiver 1403 are connected via a bus, and the memory stores computer instructions. Optionally, the processor 1401 and memory 1402 can also be integrated together.

[0271] Optionally, the processing unit 1302 in the foregoing embodiments may specifically be the processor 1401 in this embodiment, therefore the specific implementation of the processor 1401 will not be described in detail. The communication unit 1301 in the foregoing embodiments may specifically be the transceiver 1403 in this embodiment, therefore the specific implementation of the transceiver 1403 will not be described in detail.

[0272] In this application, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0273] In this application, the memory can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited to this. The memory in this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0274] This application provides another communication device, which includes a processor and an interface. Optionally, it also includes a memory, with the processor coupled to the memory, the processor being used to read and execute computer instructions stored in the memory to implement the communication method in the embodiments shown above.

[0275] This application also provides a communication system including a terminal device and a network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices / functional network elements that interact with at least one of the terminal device and the network device.

[0276] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a program or instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication method as shown in the embodiments described above is implemented.

[0277] This application provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, they implement the communication method as shown in the embodiments described above.

[0278] This application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor and an interface, the interface and at least one processor being interconnected via a circuit, the at least one processor being used to run computer programs or instructions to perform the communication method as shown in the embodiments of the communication method described above.

[0279] The interfaces in the chip can be input / output interfaces, pins, or circuits, etc.

[0280] The aforementioned chip system can be a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) or a baseband chip, etc. The baseband chip may include a processor, channel encoder, digital signal processor, modem, and interface module, etc.

[0281] In one implementation, the chip or chip system described above in this application further includes at least one memory, which stores instructions. The memory can be an internal storage unit of the chip, such as a register or cache, or it can be a storage unit of the chip itself (e.g., read-only memory, random access memory, etc.).

[0282] The technical solutions provided in this application can be implemented in whole or in part through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they can be implemented in whole or in part as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a terminal, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media, etc.

[0283] In the embodiments of this application, for a technical feature, the technical features in the technical feature are distinguished by "first", "second", "third", etc., and there is no order or size among the technical features described by "first", "second", "third".

[0284] In this application, provided there is no logical contradiction, the various embodiments may reference each other. For example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, and the functions and / or terms between device embodiments and method embodiments may reference each other.

[0285] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to the first node, and the method includes: Receive first indication information from the second node, the first indication information being used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid. Based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid, the sub-region where the terminal device is located is determined; Send a second indication message to the second node, the second indication message being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located; The plurality of third nodes include the service node and the cooperative node of the terminal device, and the first channel information corresponding to the third node is the channel information between the third node and the terminal device and obtained based on the reference signal measurement.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid includes: Based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, the sub-region where the terminal device is located is determined.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel map information of the corresponding first grid includes: Based on the correlation coefficient between the first channel information corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, and the weight value corresponding to the correlation coefficient, the sub-region where the terminal device is located is determined.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third indication information from some or all of the plurality of third nodes respectively; The third indication information is used to indicate the channel information between the third node and the terminal device obtained based on reference signal measurement.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send fourth indication information to some or all of the plurality of third nodes respectively; The fourth indication information is used to indicate a request to obtain channel information between the third node and the terminal device based on reference signal measurements.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The fifth indication information is received from the second node, which is used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The channel map information corresponding to the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to the second node, and the method includes: Send first indication information to the first node; the first indication information is used to instruct the first node to determine the sub-region where the terminal device is located based on the first channel information corresponding to each of the multiple third nodes and the channel spectrum information of the corresponding first grid, wherein the multiple second nodes include the service node and the cooperating node of the terminal device; Receive second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate the index of the sub-region where the terminal device is located.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fifth indication message is sent to the first node, the fifth indication message being used to indicate the channel spectrum information of the first grid corresponding to each of the plurality of third nodes.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The channel map information of the first grid includes at least one of the following: channel feature domain vector, multipath delay, and multipath angle.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or includes a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

13. A chip, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute instructions to cause a communication device including the chip to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 8 to 10.

14. The chip according to claim 13, characterized in that, The chip also includes an interface circuit for receiving the executed instructions and transmitting them to the processor.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store instructions that, when executed on a communication device, implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or implement the method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

16. A computer program product containing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, they implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

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