Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a related apparatus. In the method, N signals received by a first communication apparatus are associated with M reference channels, and the first communication apparatus can determine a first reference channel from among the M reference channels on the basis of signal quality information of the N signals, and thereafter, the first communication apparatus may send first information, such that a receiver of the first information can determine the first reference channel on the basis of the first information. In this way, a first communication apparatus can determine, on the basis of signal quality information of N signals and from among M reference channels, a channel associated with a signal having a high signal transmission quality to serve as a first reference channel, and subsequently, the first communication apparatus can perform signal transmission by means of the first reference channel, so as to achieve high-quality channel transmission by means of the first reference channel, thereby improving the communication performance. In some implementations, the N signals may be broadcast signals. For example, the N signals may be SSBs.

Description

Communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese Patent Application No. 202510081056.2 filed on January 17, 2025, and entitled "A communication method and related apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a communication method and related apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a communication system, different communication devices can use multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technology for communication. In the communication process, the acquisition of channel information can be used to meet the transmission requirement of high rate. For example, a communication device can use the pre-coding information corresponding to the channel information for high-rate data transmission. For another example, a communication device can use the channel information for multi-user resource allocation, which can reduce the interference of different users to improve the overall system performance.

[0004] With the development of communication technology, in the future communication network, a communication device can communicate through the channel information of a reference channel to reduce the difficulty of acquiring channel information. For example, the reference channel can be determined by a radio frequency map (RF map). For example, in a certain RF map, different communication devices (for example, the different communication devices are in the same area, or the different communication devices correspond to the same device cluster) in adjacent positions correspond to the same channel and use the same channel information for communication; wherein the same channel can be referred to as a reference channel, and the same channel information can be referred to as reference channel information.

[0005] However, in the above process, how to improve the communication performance is a technical problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving communication performance.

[0007] The first aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first communication device, for example, the first communication device can be a communication equipment (such as a terminal equipment), or the first communication device can be a part component (for example, a processor or a circuit or a chip or a chip system responsible for communication function, including but not limited to a modem chip, a baseband chip, a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core, etc.) of a communication equipment, or the first communication device can also be a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of a communication equipment. The following is described by taking the first communication device as an example.

[0008] In the method, the first communication device receives N signals, the N signals are associated with M reference channels, and signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine a first reference channel in the M reference channels, N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1; the first communication device sends first information, and the first information is used to determine the first reference channel.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, the N signals received by the first communication device are associated with the M reference channels, and the first communication device can determine the first reference channel in the M reference channels based on the signal quality information of the N signals. Thereafter, the first communication device can send the first information, so that the receiver of the first information can determine the first reference channel based on the first information. In this way, the first communication device can determine the channel associated with the signal with higher signal transmission quality as the first reference channel in the M reference channels based on the signal quality information of the N signals, and the first communication device can perform signal transmission through the first reference channel in the future, so as to obtain high-quality channel transmission through the first reference channel and improve the communication performance.

[0010] In addition, in the above process, the N signals are associated with the M reference channels, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. In this way, the association of one or more signals and at least two reference channels can be realized, and / or the association of at least two signals and one or more reference channels can be realized, which can further improve the communication performance.

[0011] For example, when M is greater than 1, the above scheme can associate one or more signals with at least two reference channels, wherein the signal transmission quality on a reference channel can be determined by the signal quality information of the signal associated with that reference channel. In this way, the first communication device can determine the channel associated with the signal with higher signal transmission quality among at least two reference channels as the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of one or more signals (for example, the first communication device may not determine the channel associated with the signal with lower signal transmission quality as the first reference channel), enabling the first communication device to communicate based on the reference channel associated with the signal with higher signal quality among the at least two reference channels, thereby improving communication performance.

[0012] For example, when N is greater than 1, the above scheme can associate at least two signals with one or more reference channels. Different reference channels can indicate the reference channels between the same signal transmitter and different signal receivers. These different signal receivers can be determined by the different signal quality information of the at least two signals; for example, the locations or areas of these different signal receivers may both be within the signal coverage range of the at least two signals. Therefore, the relative relationship between the signal quality information of the at least two signals is different for different reference channels, allowing this relative relationship to be used to determine the channel quality information of the reference channel associated with the signal. In this way, the first communication device can determine a first reference channel with the same or similar relative relationship among one or more reference channels based on the relative relationship between the signal quality information of the at least two signals, thereby improving communication performance.

[0013] Optionally, in the above scheme, N signals are associated with M reference channels. Taking the example of one of the N signals being associated with one of the M reference channels, a signal being associated with one reference channel can be understood as follows: the reference channel indicates channel A between two communication devices (e.g., a first communication device and a second communication device), the transmission channel of the signal between the two communication devices is channel B, and the channel characteristic information on channel A and the channel characteristic information on channel B are the same or similar (e.g., the difference in channel characteristics is less than a threshold). Similarly, two or more signals being associated with the same channel can be understood as follows: the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of the two or more signal transmission channels is the same or similar to the channel characteristic information of the same reference channel.

[0014] For example, the channel feature information described above can indicate time delay, number of paths, power of paths, path loss, angle (e.g., direction of departure (DoD), direction of arrival (DoA), etc.) information, information indicating the direction of departure of a path, such as one or more of azimuth angle of departure (aod), zenith angle of departure (zod).

[0015] Optionally, the first communication device can determine that the N signals are associated with the M reference channels in various manners. For example, the first communication device can determine the association between the N signals and the M reference channels based on any one of the second information, the fourth information, and the sixth information described below. For another example, the first communication device can determine the association between the N signals and the M reference channels in a preconfigured or predefined manner.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the N signals are broadcast signals.

[0017] Based on the above scheme, the N signals can be broadcast signals transmitted in a broadcast manner, so that one or more first communication devices can implement indication of respective first reference channels through the N signals, and multi-user multiplexing can be implemented to reduce transmission overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0018] Optionally, the broadcast signal involved in this application may be a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB or S-SS / PSBCH block), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) PBCH block (or PBCH signal, PBCH signal block, etc.), a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB), a sidelink (SL) SSB (for example, the SL SSB can be a broadcast signal used for synchronization in sidelink communication, such as including synchronization signals and / or broadcast channels), a low power SSB (LP-SSB), or other information / message / signaling names defined by the future network.

[0019] For example, the aforementioned N signals can be used for synchronization (e.g., the N signals can be SSBs). In this case, the first communication device can obtain synchronization information through the N signals, and simultaneously determine and indicate the first reference channel, thereby reducing transmission overhead and improving resource utilization. Furthermore, the first communication device can also initiate random access using the synchronization signals, enabling it to determine the reference channel (i.e., the first reference channel) used for subsequent communication during the random access process. Compared to determining the reference channel through resource allocation and measurement reporting of reference signals after random access, this method allows the first communication device to determine and / or indicate the reference channel earlier, thereby reducing communication latency and further improving communication performance. Optionally, the communication performance can be characterized by the signal transmission rate (or data transmission rate, or user-perceived rate, etc.), i.e., the faster the signal transmission rate, the higher the communication performance, and vice versa. For example, for services in a real network, assuming the size of the service packet can be fixed (denoted as B), the following is an example. The time from when the service packet arrives at the network device (e.g., the second communication device is the network device) to when the terminal device (e.g., the first communication device is the terminal device) sends a confirmation that it has received all the service packets is denoted as T. It satisfies: User perceived rate = B / T; it can be seen that the smaller T is, the higher the user perceived rate is.

[0020] Optionally, the above N signals can be replaced with N pieces of information, which can be sent via broadcast, i.e., the N pieces of information can be called N broadcast information.

[0021] Optionally, the broadcasting involved in this application may be replaced by multicast, multi-cast, or other forms defined by the future network.

[0022] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, N and M are equal, and the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels, where i takes values ​​from 1 to N and j takes values ​​from 1 to M. For example, there may be a one-to-one correspondence between the N signals and the M reference channels.

[0023] Based on the above scheme, N signals and M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence. That is, the first communication device can determine the first signal with higher signal quality (e.g., above a threshold) or the highest signal quality based on the signal quality information of the N signals, and determine the reference channel associated with the first signal as the first reference channel, so as to realize the determination of the first reference channel.

[0024] Optionally, i and j are equal; for example, the index of the i-th signal in the N signals is the same as the index of the j-th reference channel in the M reference channels. Alternatively, at least one i and at least one j are not equal; for example, the index of the i-th signal in the N signals can be different from the index of the j-th reference channel in the M reference channels.

[0025] Optionally, when there is a one-to-one correspondence between N signals and M reference channels, the transmission channels of different signals among the N signals also correspond one-to-one with the different reference channels among the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the transmission channel of the i-th signal among the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0026] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate that the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can determine the correlation between N signals and M reference channels by receiving the second information, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the correlation indicated by the second information.

[0028] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving third information, wherein the third information and signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the third information is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0029] The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or,

[0030] The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or,

[0031] The rules for determining the first reference channel.

[0032] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by receiving the instruction of the third information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the third information as the first reference channel.

[0033] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the third information through a pre-configured or pre-defined method.

[0034] Optionally, the aforementioned third and second information can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the aforementioned third and second information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0035] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first reference channel is associated with a first signal among the N signals; wherein the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries an identifier or index of the first reference channel), and / or, the first information is used to indicate the first signal (e.g., the first information carries an identifier or index of the first signal).

[0036] Based on the above scheme, the first information can be used to indicate the first reference channel in a variety of ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the scheme implementation.

[0037] Optionally, since the N signals and M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence, the first information can indicate one of the first reference channel and the first signal, so that the receiver of the first information can determine the other based on the first one, thereby reducing transmission overhead.

[0038] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, N is less than M, and at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels. For example, the N signals and M reference channels can be one-to-many.

[0039] Based on the above scheme, N signals and M reference channels can be one-to-many. For example, the first communication device can determine the signal quality of signals on at least two reference channels based on the signal quality information of at least one of the N signals. It can reuse the same signal to determine the transmission quality of at least two reference channels, thereby reducing overhead and improving resource utilization.

[0040] Optionally, in the case of a one-to-many relationship between N signals and M reference channels, the transmission channel of at least one of the N signals corresponds to at least two of the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the transmission channel of at least one of the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of at least two of the M reference channels.

[0041] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate that at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels.

[0042] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can determine the correlation between N signals and M reference channels by receiving the fourth information, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the correlation indicated by the fourth information.

[0043] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving fifth information, the fifth information and signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine the first reference channel, the fifth information being used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0044] The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or,

[0045] The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or,

[0046] Determine the rules for determining the first reference channel; or,

[0047] The number of reference channels associated with at least one signal; or,

[0048] The time-domain location of each reference channel associated with at least one signal; or,

[0049] The frequency domain location of each reference channel associated with at least one signal.

[0050] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by receiving the instruction of the fifth information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the fifth information as the first reference channel.

[0051] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the fifth information through a pre-configured or pre-defined method.

[0052] Optionally, the fifth and fourth pieces of information mentioned above can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the fifth and fourth pieces of information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0053] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first reference channel and K reference channels are associated with a second signal among the N signals, where K is a positive integer; wherein the first information is used to indicate the second signal and the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the second signal, and the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel); or, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel).

[0054] Based on the above scheme, the first information can be used to indicate the first reference channel in a variety of ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the scheme implementation.

[0055] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, N is greater than M, and at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels. For example, the N signals and M reference channels can be many-to-one.

[0056] Based on the above scheme, the N signals and M reference channels can be many-to-one. For example, the first communication device can determine the signal quality of a signal on the same reference channel based on the signal quality information of at least two of the N signals, thus enabling the determination of the transmission quality of the same reference channel through at least two signals. Therefore, the first communication device can obtain more channel characteristic information through these at least two signals and determine the reference channel matching the more channel characteristic information as the first reference channel, thereby improving the communication performance of subsequent communication based on the first reference channel.

[0057] Optionally, when there is a many-to-one relationship between the N signals and the M reference channels, the transmission channels of at least two of the N signals correspond to one of the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of the transmission channels of at least two of the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of one of the M reference channels.

[0058] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving sixth information, the sixth information being used to indicate that at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0059] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can determine the correlation between N signals and M reference channels by receiving the sixth information, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the correlation indicated by the sixth information.

[0060] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving seventh information, the seventh information and signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine the first reference channel, the seventh information being used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0061] The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or,

[0062] The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or,

[0063] Determine the filtering parameters of the first reference channel; or,

[0064] The number of signals associated with the same reference channel; or,

[0065] The index of the signal associated with the same reference channel; or,

[0066] The measurement reference value of the signal associated with the same reference channel.

[0067] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by receiving the seventh information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the seventh information as the first reference channel.

[0068] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the seventh information through a pre-configured or pre-defined method.

[0069] Optionally, the seventh and sixth pieces of information mentioned above can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the seventh and sixth pieces of information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0070] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first reference channel is associated with P signals out of the N signals, where P is an integer greater than 1 and P is less than or equal to N; wherein the first information is used to indicate the signal quality information of the P signals (e.g., the first information carries the signal quality information of the P signals, or the first information carries the identifier or index of the signal quality information of the P signals), or the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel).

[0071] Based on the above scheme, the first information can be used to indicate the first reference channel in a variety of ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the scheme implementation.

[0072] A second aspect of this application provides a communication method applied to a second communication device. For example, the second communication device may be a communication equipment (such as a terminal device or network device), or it may be a component of a communication equipment (such as a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system responsible for communication functions, including but not limited to a modem chip, a baseband chip, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip, etc.). Alternatively, the second communication device may also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a communication equipment. The following description uses a second communication device as an example.

[0073] In this method, the second communication device sends N signals associated with M reference channels, and the signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels. N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. The second communication device receives first information used to determine the first reference channel.

[0074] Based on the above scheme, the N signals sent by the second communication device to the first communication device are associated with M reference channels. The first communication device can then determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels based on the signal quality information of the N signals. Subsequently, the first communication device can send first information, enabling the second communication device to determine the first reference channel based on this first information. In this way, the first communication device can use the signal quality information of the N signals to determine the channel associated with the signal with higher transmission quality among the M reference channels as the first reference channel. The first communication device can then transmit signals through this first reference channel to obtain high-quality channel transmission and improve communication performance.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above process, N signals are associated with M reference channels, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. In this way, one or more signals can be associated with at least two reference channels, and / or at least two signals can be associated with one or more reference channels, which can further improve communication performance.

[0076] For example, when M is greater than 1, the above scheme can associate one or more signals with at least two reference channels, wherein the signal transmission quality on a reference channel can be determined by the signal quality information of the signal associated with that reference channel. In this way, the first communication device can determine the channel associated with the signal with higher signal transmission quality among at least two reference channels as the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of one or more signals (for example, the first communication device may not determine the channel associated with the signal with lower signal transmission quality as the first reference channel), enabling the first communication device to communicate based on the reference channel associated with the signal with higher signal quality among the at least two reference channels, thereby improving communication performance.

[0077] For example, when N is greater than 1, the above scheme can associate at least two signals with one or more reference channels. Different reference channels can indicate the reference channels between the same signal transmitter and different signal receivers. These different signal receivers can be determined by the different signal quality information of the at least two signals; for example, the locations or areas of these different signal receivers may both be within the signal coverage range of the at least two signals. Therefore, the relative relationship between the signal quality information of the at least two signals is different for different reference channels, allowing this relative relationship to be used to determine the channel quality information of the reference channel associated with the signal. In this way, the first communication device can determine a first reference channel with the same or similar relative relationship among one or more reference channels based on the relative relationship between the signal quality information of the at least two signals, thereby improving communication performance.

[0078] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the N signals are broadcast signals.

[0079] Based on the above scheme, the above N signals can be broadcast signals transmitted by broadcasting, so that one or more first communication devices can use the N signals to indicate their respective first reference channels, thereby enabling multi-user multiplexing, reducing transmission overhead and improving resource utilization.

[0080] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, N and M are equal, and the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels, where i takes values ​​from 1 to N and j takes values ​​from 1 to M. For example, there can be a one-to-one correspondence between the N signals and the M reference channels.

[0081] Based on the above scheme, N signals and M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence. That is, the first communication device can determine the first signal with higher signal quality (e.g., above a threshold) or the highest signal quality based on the signal quality information of the N signals, and determine the reference channel associated with the first signal as the first reference channel, so as to realize the determination of the first reference channel.

[0082] Optionally, when there is a one-to-one correspondence between N signals and M reference channels, the transmission channels of different signals among the N signals also correspond one-to-one with the different reference channels among the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the transmission channel of the i-th signal among the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0083] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device transmitting second information, the second information being used to indicate that the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0084] Based on the above scheme, after the second communication device sends the second information, the first communication device can determine the correlation between N signals and M reference channels through the received second information, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the correlation indicated by the second information.

[0085] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device transmitting third information, wherein the third information and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the third information is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0086] The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or,

[0087] The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or,

[0088] The rules for determining the first reference channel.

[0089] Based on the above scheme, after the second communication device sends the third information, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by means of the instruction of the received third information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the third information as the first reference channel.

[0090] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the third information through a pre-configured or pre-defined method.

[0091] Optionally, the aforementioned third and second information can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the aforementioned third and second information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0092] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first reference channel is associated with a first signal among the N signals; wherein the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries an identifier or index of the first reference channel), and / or, the first information is used to indicate the first signal (e.g., the first information carries an identifier or index of the first signal).

[0093] Based on the above scheme, the first information can be used to indicate the first reference channel in a variety of ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the scheme implementation.

[0094] Optionally, since the N signals and M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence, the first information can indicate one of the first reference channel and the first signal, so that the receiver of the first information can determine the other based on the first one, thereby reducing transmission overhead.

[0095] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, N is less than M, and at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels. For example, the N signals and M reference channels can be one-to-many.

[0096] Based on the above scheme, N signals and M reference channels can be one-to-many. For example, the first communication device can determine the signal quality of signals on at least two reference channels based on the signal quality information of at least one of the N signals. It can reuse the same signal to determine the transmission quality of at least two reference channels, thereby reducing overhead and improving resource utilization.

[0097] Optionally, in the case of a one-to-many relationship between N signals and M reference channels, the transmission channel of at least one of the N signals corresponds to at least two of the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the transmission channel of at least one of the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of at least two of the M reference channels.

[0098] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device transmitting fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate that at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels.

[0099] Based on the above scheme, after the second communication device sends the fourth information, the first communication device can determine the correlation between N signals and M reference channels through the received fourth information, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the correlation indicated by the fourth information.

[0100] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device transmitting fifth information, the fifth information and signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine the first reference channel, the fifth information being used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0101] The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or,

[0102] The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or,

[0103] Determine the rules for determining the first reference channel; or,

[0104] The number of reference channels associated with at least one signal; or,

[0105] The time-domain location of each reference channel associated with at least one signal; or,

[0106] The frequency domain location of each reference channel associated with at least one signal.

[0107] Based on the above scheme, after the second communication device sends the fifth information, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by means of the instruction of the received fifth information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the fifth information as the first reference channel.

[0108] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the fifth information through a pre-configured or pre-defined method.

[0109] Optionally, the fifth and fourth pieces of information mentioned above can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the fifth and fourth pieces of information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0110] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first reference channel and K reference channels are associated with the second signal among the N signals, where K is a positive integer; wherein the first information is used to indicate the second signal and the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the second signal, and the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel); or, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel).

[0111] Based on the above scheme, the first information can be used to indicate the first reference channel in a variety of ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the scheme implementation.

[0112] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, N is greater than M, and at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels. For example, the N signals and M reference channels can be many-to-one.

[0113] Based on the above scheme, the N signals and M reference channels can be many-to-one. For example, the first communication device can determine the signal quality of a signal on the same reference channel based on the signal quality information of at least two of the N signals, thus enabling the determination of the transmission quality of the same reference channel through at least two signals. Therefore, the first communication device can obtain more channel characteristic information through these at least two signals and determine the reference channel matching the more channel characteristic information as the first reference channel, thereby improving the communication performance of subsequent communication based on the first reference channel.

[0114] Optionally, when there is a many-to-one relationship between the N signals and the M reference channels, the transmission channels of at least two of the N signals correspond to one of the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of the transmission channels of at least two of the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of one of the M reference channels.

[0115] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device transmitting sixth information, the sixth information being used to indicate that at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0116] Based on the above scheme, after the second communication device sends the sixth information, the first communication device can determine the correlation between N signals and M reference channels through the received sixth information, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the correlation indicated by the sixth information.

[0117] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second communication device transmitting seventh information, the seventh information and signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine the first reference channel, the seventh information being used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0118] The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or,

[0119] The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or,

[0120] Determine the filtering parameters of the first reference channel; or,

[0121] The number of signals associated with the same reference channel; or,

[0122] The index of the signal associated with the same reference channel; or,

[0123] The measurement reference value of the signal associated with the same reference channel.

[0124] Based on the above scheme, after the second communication device sends the seventh information, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by means of the instruction of the received seventh information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the seventh information as the first reference channel.

[0125] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the seventh information through a pre-configured or pre-defined method.

[0126] Optionally, the seventh and sixth pieces of information mentioned above can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the seventh and sixth pieces of information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0127] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first reference channel is associated with P signals out of the N signals, where P is an integer greater than 1 and P is less than or equal to N; wherein the first information is used to indicate the signal quality information of the P signals (e.g., the first information carries the signal quality information of the P signals, or the first information carries the identifier or index of the signal quality information of the P signals), or the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel).

[0128] Based on the above scheme, the first information can be used to indicate the first reference channel in a variety of ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the scheme implementation.

[0129] A third aspect of this application provides a communication apparatus, comprising a transceiver unit; the transceiver unit is configured to receive N signals associated with M reference channels, the signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels, where N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1; the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit first information used to determine the first reference channel. Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a processing unit configured to determine the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of the N signals.

[0130] In the third aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0131] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication apparatus, which is a second communication apparatus. The apparatus includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is used to transmit N signals associated with M reference channels. The signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels. N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. The transceiver unit is also used to receive first information used to determine the first reference channel. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a processing unit used to determine the first reference channel based on the first information.

[0132] In the fourth aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to perform the steps executed in various possible implementations of the second aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0133] A fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to cause the device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. Optionally, the communication device may include the memory.

[0134] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to second aspects described above.

[0135] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes the first communication device and the second communication device described above.

[0136] An eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0137] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0138] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the methods described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. For example, the chip may be a baseband chip, a modem chip, a SoC chip (such as an SoC chip containing a modem core), a SIP chip, or a communication module, etc.

[0139] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0140] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through ten can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0141] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the communication system provided in this application;

[0142] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the acquisition of channel information involved in this application;

[0143] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a reference channel provided in this application;

[0144] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the communication method provided in this application;

[0145] Figures 5a to 5c are some schematic diagrams of the communication method provided in this application;

[0146] Figures 6 to 9 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0147] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0148] (1) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "Multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0149] (2) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0150] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0151] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0152] (3) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (as described below, the instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only indicate a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0153] (4) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal device via messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0154] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0155] This application can be applied to long-term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or future communication systems. These communication systems include at least one network device and / or at least one terminal device.

[0156] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0157] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0158] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, radio access equipment, or access nodes, are used to help terminal devices access the communication system wirelessly. Furthermore, multiple RAN nodes 110 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN nodes 110 and terminal devices 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN nodes 110 and terminal devices 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal device functions.

[0159] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), or a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0160] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminal devices achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU performs the functions of the base station's radio resource control (RRC) protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's radio link control layer and MAC layer, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0161] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0162] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminal devices can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminal devices, etc. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal devices.

[0163] Base stations and terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminal equipment.

[0164] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal device can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal device, or by a device that includes terminal device functions.

[0165] Optionally, the scenario shown in Figure 1 is one implementation example. The solution provided in this application can also be applied to other scenarios, such as sidelink (SL), where both the data sender and the data receiver can be terminal devices.

[0166] In addition, a typical application of sidelinks is V2X communication, which utilizes and enhances current cellular network functions and elements to achieve low-latency and high-reliability communication between various nodes in the vehicle network, including vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-network (V2N).

[0167] In wireless communication systems (as shown in Figure 1), different communication devices can communicate using multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technology. During this communication process, the acquisition of channel information can meet the demands of high-speed transmission. For example, communication devices can use precoding information corresponding to the channel information to perform high-speed data transmission. Furthermore, communication devices can use channel information to allocate resources among multiple users, reducing interference between different users and improving the overall system performance. MIMO technology utilizes spatial resources to enable signals to achieve array gain, multiplexing and diversity gain, and interference cancellation gain in space without increasing system bandwidth, thus significantly improving the capacity and spectral efficiency of the communication system.

[0168] Generally, channel information can be obtained through channel estimation. For example, channel estimation can be the process of reconstructing or recovering the received signal to compensate for signal distortion caused by channel fading and noise fading. It uses a reference signal known to the transmitter and receiver to track the time and frequency domain changes of the channel. The aforementioned reference signal is also called a pilot signal or reference signal (RS). It can be distributed in different resource elements (REs) in the time-frequency two-dimensional space within the time-domain symbol and has known amplitude and phase.

[0169] Taking an NR system as an example, reference signals used for channel estimation can include: channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), DMRS, and sounding reference signal (SRS). CSI-RS can be used for downlink channel measurement corresponding to an antenna port. The receiver performs channel estimation for the antenna port from which the network device transmits CSI-RS and uses the estimation results to provide feedback on channel state information (CSI). CSI includes, but is not limited to, precoding matrix indicator (PMI), rank indicator (RI), channel quality indicator (CQI), and layer indicator (LI). During uplink channel measurement, the network device estimates the uplink channel using the received SRS and can, based on this information, perform one or more of the following: frequency selection resource scheduling, power control, timing estimation and modulation / coding scheme order selection, and downlink precoding generation.

[0170] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of traditional channel estimation to obtain channel information, which includes the following steps.

[0171] Step 1. The network device sends a reference signal configuration. For example, after a terminal device accesses the network via random access, the network device can send a reference signal configuration via an RRC message.

[0172] Step 2. The network device sends a reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS), and the terminal device can be configured to receive the reference signal based on the reference signal in Step 1.

[0173] Step 3. The terminal device sends the measurement results of the reference signal, which indicate the channel information (such as CSI as described above) measured by the terminal device.

[0174] Step 4. The network device sends DMRS and downlink data based on the measurement results.

[0175] Step 5. The terminal device can demodulate the downlink data using the channel information obtained from DMRS.

[0176] In the method shown in Figure 2, the channel information used for data transmission is determined through the measurement and feedback of a reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS), and the channel information used for data reception is also determined through the measurement of a reference signal (e.g., DMRS). This method of determining channel information incurs significant overhead (which increases further with the number of ports). Furthermore, during data reception, demodulation can only be performed after DMRS reception, which also leads to increased data processing latency. Therefore, alternative methods for obtaining channel information are currently being sought to address these issues.

[0177] In one possible implementation, communication devices can obtain channel information through radio frequency maps (RF maps). This reduces the difficulty of acquiring channel information, lowers overhead, and avoids the increased latency caused by DMRS demodulation. For example, in a given RF map, if different communication devices are located in the same area and / or belong to the same device cluster, the channels between these different communication devices and a certain communication device (e.g., a network device) can be the same or approximately the same. Therefore, it can be assumed that different communication devices in adjacent locations (e.g., located in the same area and / or belonging to the same device cluster) correspond to the same channel, and communication with the network device is based on the channel information of this same channel. This same channel can be called a reference channel (also known as a centroid channel), and the channel information of this same channel can be called reference channel information (also known as centroid channel information). For example, the reference channel information can be the channel information between a communication device and a network device at a reference point location in the same area. The reference point location can be the geometric center point or centroid of the same area, or it can be selected or determined by the network device. Alternatively, the reference channel information can be the channel information between a communication device and a network device within the same device cluster. This communication device can be a device selected by the network device within the same device cluster, or it can be a communication device with strong communication capabilities within the same device cluster (e.g., a communication device with more than a threshold number of antennas or a communication bandwidth greater than a threshold).

[0178] Figure 3 illustrates an application example of the RF mapping process described above. In Figure 3, the network device can communicate with one or more UEs (using the UE as an example of a terminal device). The network device can obtain the area range and reference channel information corresponding to each cluster through various methods (such as pre-configuration or measurement (e.g., offline or online measurement)). The figure uses elliptical areas as an example; however, it should be understood that any area range can also be rectangular, circular, or other regular or irregular shapes. This is merely one implementation example.

[0179] For example, the result of network device clustering can be represented as: f(H1,H2,H3,H4,…,H…) K )={H A H B H C};

[0180] Among them, H1, H2, H3, H4, ..., H K This represents the channel information between K UEs and network devices, f(·) represents the clustering rule, and H A H represents the channel information of the reference channel for cluster A. B H represents the channel information of the reference channel of cluster B. C This represents the channel information of the reference channel for cluster C.

[0181] Alternatively, clustering rules can be implemented in various ways, including but not limited to agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) and K-means clustering.

[0182] As an example, clustering can be implemented in various ways. For instance, network devices can be clustered based on the correlation of specific parameters. These specific parameters include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: the UE's location, the UE's initial multipath component (MPC) measurement results, and the UE's MIMO channel information (including frequency domain channels and / or the channel's delay power spectrum).

[0183] Optionally, the correlation involved in this application can be determined in a variety of ways, including but not limited to one or more of the following: mean square error (MSE), normalized mean square error (NMSE), Kullback-Leibler divergence (KL) divergence, Jensen-Shannon divergence (JS) divergence, cosine similarity, Euclidean norm (also known as L2 norm), and Frobenius norm (also known as F norm).

[0184] In the above-mentioned RF map-based communication process, since there may be one or more reference channels in the communication network, how to determine which reference channel to use for communication is a problem that needs to be solved for the communication device.

[0185] In one possible approach, the communication device can determine one of the three reference channels for communication through the configuration and measurement reporting process of the reference signal. Taking the scenario shown in Figure 3, which includes three reference channels (i.e., the reference channel of cluster A, the reference channel of cluster B, and the reference channel of cluster C), as an example: After a UE (e.g., any UE from UE1 to UE6) establishes a network connection with the network device through a random access procedure, the network device can send a reference signal configuration via an RRC message, enabling the UE to receive the reference signal and report the measurement results of the reference signal based on the reference signal configuration (refer to steps 1 to 3 in Figure 2 for implementation details). Subsequently, the network device can determine the reference channel used by the UE as one of the three reference channels based on the measurement results and indicate this reference channel to the UE, enabling communication between the UE and the network device based on this reference channel.

[0186] However, in the above process, the receiver of the reference signal needs to measure and feedback the reference signal, and then the receiver determines one of the reference channels for communication based on the measurement results. This method will inevitably increase the communication delay and affect the communication performance.

[0187] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0188] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of an implementation of the communication method provided in this application. The method includes the following steps.

[0189] It should be noted that in Figures 4, 5a, 5b, and 5c and related implementation examples below, the method is illustrated using a first communication device and other communication devices (such as a second communication device) as the execution subjects of this interaction illustration. However, this application does not limit the execution subjects of this interaction illustration. For example, the communication device can be a communication equipment, or a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software in the communication equipment. Optionally, the communication equipment can be a terminal device or a network device.

[0190] As an example, the first communication device can be a terminal device and the second communication device can be a network device. Optionally, the network device can be an access network device or a communication device in an ORAN system (e.g., at least one of CU, DU, RU).

[0191] S401. The second communication device sends N signals, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the N signals. The N signals are associated with M reference channels, and the signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine the first reference channel among the M reference channels. N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1.

[0192] S402. The first communication device sends first information, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first information. The first information is used to determine the first reference channel.

[0193] Optionally, in the above scheme, N signals are associated with M reference channels. Taking the example of one of the N signals being associated with one of the M reference channels, a signal being associated with one reference channel can be understood as follows: the reference channel indicates channel A between two communication devices (e.g., a first communication device and a second communication device), the transmission channel of the signal between the two communication devices is channel B, and the channel characteristic information on channel A and the channel characteristic information on channel B are the same or similar (e.g., the difference in channel characteristics is less than a threshold). Similarly, two or more signals being associated with the same channel can be understood as follows: the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of the two or more signal transmission channels is the same or similar to the channel characteristic information of the same reference channel.

[0194] For example, the aforementioned channel characteristic information can indicate one or more of the following: time delay, number of paths, path power, path loss, angle (e.g., direction of departure (DoD), direction of arrival (DoA), etc.), and the departure angle of the path, such as the azimuth angle of departure (AOD) and the zenith angle of departure (ZOD).

[0195] Optionally, the first communication device can determine the association of N signals with M reference channels in various ways. For example, the first communication device can determine the association of N signals with M reference channels using any one of the second, fourth, and sixth information described below. Alternatively, the first communication device can determine the association of N signals with M reference channels in a pre-configured or pre-defined manner.

[0196] Based on the scheme shown in Figure 4, the N signals received by the first communication device in step S401 are associated with M reference channels. Furthermore, the first communication device can determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels based on the signal quality information of the N signals. Subsequently, the first communication device can send first information in step S402, enabling the receiver of the first information to determine the first reference channel based on this first information. In this way, the first communication device can determine the channel associated with the signal with higher signal transmission quality among the M reference channels using the signal quality information of the N signals as the first reference channel. The first communication device can then transmit signals through this first reference channel to obtain high-quality channel transmission and improve communication performance.

[0197] Furthermore, in the above process, N signals are associated with M reference channels, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. In this way, one or more signals can be associated with at least two reference channels, and / or at least two signals can be associated with one or more reference channels, which can further improve communication performance.

[0198] For example, when M is greater than 1, the above scheme can associate one or more signals with at least two reference channels, wherein the signal transmission quality on a reference channel can be determined by the signal quality information of the signal associated with that reference channel. In this way, the first communication device can determine the channel associated with the signal with higher signal transmission quality among at least two reference channels as the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of one or more signals (for example, the first communication device may not determine the channel associated with the signal with lower signal transmission quality as the first reference channel), enabling the first communication device to communicate based on the reference channel associated with the signal with higher signal quality among the at least two reference channels, thereby improving communication performance.

[0199] For example, when N is greater than 1, the above scheme can associate at least two signals with one or more reference channels. Different reference channels can indicate the reference channels between the same signal transmitter and different signal receivers. These different signal receivers can be determined by the different signal quality information of the at least two signals; for example, the locations or areas of these different signal receivers may both be within the signal coverage range of the at least two signals. Therefore, the relative relationship between the signal quality information of the at least two signals is different for different reference channels, allowing this relative relationship to be used to determine the channel quality information of the reference channel associated with the signal. In this way, the first communication device can determine a first reference channel with the same or similar relative relationship among one or more reference channels based on the relative relationship between the signal quality information of the at least two signals, thereby improving communication performance.

[0200] In one possible implementation, the N signals are broadcast signals. Traditional reference signals used for channel measurement include CSI and SRS, but the configuration process for these reference signals can introduce problems. For example, the resources configured in the configuration information of these reference signals are generally used by a single UE (per-UE). Consequently, for different UEs, the network device needs different resources to determine the specific reference channel for each UE, which can lead to significant resource overhead.

[0201] In the above scheme, the N signals can be broadcast signals transmitted by broadcasting, so that one or more first communication devices can use the N signals to indicate their respective first reference channels, thereby enabling multi-user multiplexing, reducing transmission overhead and improving resource utilization.

[0202] Optionally, the broadcast signal involved in this application may be a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB or S-SS / PSBCH block), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) PBCH block (or PBCH signal, PBCH signal block, etc.), a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB), a sidelink (SL) SSB (for example, the SL SSB can be a broadcast signal used for synchronization in sidelink communication, such as including synchronization signals and / or broadcast channels), a low power SSB (LP-SSB), or other information / message / signaling names defined by the future network.

[0203] For example, traditional reference signals used for channel measurement include CSI, SRS, etc. The configuration information for these reference signals is generally configured after the random access procedure, which can lead to increased communication latency. In the above scheme, the N signals can be used for synchronization (e.g., the N signals can be SSB). In this case, the first communication device can obtain synchronization information through these N signals, and simultaneously determine and indicate the first reference channel, reducing transmission overhead and improving resource utilization. Furthermore, the first communication device can initiate random access using the synchronization signals, enabling it to determine the reference channel (i.e., the first reference channel) used for subsequent communication during the random access process. Compared to determining the reference channel through resource configuration and measurement reporting of reference signals after random access, this method allows the first communication device to determine and / or indicate the reference channel earlier, thereby reducing communication latency and further improving communication performance. Optionally, the communication performance can be characterized by the signal transmission rate (or data transmission rate, or user perception rate, etc.), i.e., the faster the signal transmission rate, the higher the communication performance, and vice versa. For example, for services in a real network, assuming the size of the service packet can be fixed (denoted as B), the following is an example. The time from when the service packet arrives at the network device (e.g., the second communication device is the network device) to when the terminal device (e.g., the first communication device is the terminal device) sends a confirmation that it has received all the service packets is denoted as T. It satisfies: User perceived rate = B / T; it can be seen that the smaller T is, the higher the user perceived rate is.

[0204] As an implementation example, taking the first communication device as the terminal device and the second communication device as the network device as an example, when the above N signals are SSBs, the above scheme can be applied to the situation where the first communication device is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state (RRC_IDLE) or the Radio Resource Control (RRC_INACTIVE) inactive state. That is, the first communication device can determine the reference channel through the signal quality information of the SSBs when it is in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state. Optionally, the first communication device can also determine the reference signal in other ways. For example, the N signals are not limited to SSBs, but can also be other signals defined for the future network.

[0205] Optionally, the above N signals can be replaced with N pieces of information, which can be sent via broadcast, i.e., the N pieces of information can be called N broadcast information.

[0206] Optionally, the broadcasting involved in this application may be replaced by multicast, multi-cast, or other forms defined by the future network.

[0207] In one possible implementation, the correlation between N signals and M reference channels can be achieved in various ways, which will be described below in conjunction with some possible implementations.

[0208] Example 1: N and M are equal, and the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels, where i takes values ​​from 1 to N. For example, the N signals and M reference channels can have a one-to-one correspondence.

[0209] In Example 1, the N signals and M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence. That is, the first communication device can determine the first signal with higher signal quality (e.g., above a threshold) or the highest signal quality based on the signal quality information of the N signals, and determine the reference channel associated with the first signal as the first reference channel, so as to realize the determination of the first reference channel.

[0210] Optionally, when there is a one-to-one correspondence between N signals and M reference channels, the transmission channels of different signals among the N signals also correspond one-to-one with the different reference channels among the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the transmission channel of the i-th signal among the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

[0211] As an example, as shown in Figure 5a, one possible implementation of Example 1, compared to the process shown in Figure 4, also includes:

[0212] Step A. The second communication device sends second information, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the second information. The second information indicates that the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels. Therefore, the first communication device can determine the association between the N signals and the M reference channels through the received second information, enabling the first communication device to determine the first reference channel based on the association indicated by the second information.

[0213] It should be noted that step A is an optional step. For example, the first communication device can determine, through pre-configuration or pre-definition, that the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels, or determine that the N signals and the M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence.

[0214] As an example, as shown in Figure 5a, one possible implementation of Example 1, compared to the process shown in Figure 4, also includes:

[0215] Step B. The second communication device sends third information, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the third information. The third information and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the third information is used to indicate one or more of the following information A to information C.

[0216] Information A. Signal quality information includes one or more measurements.

[0217] For example, the measurement indicated by information A may include one or more of the following: reference signal received power (RSRP), block error rate (BLER), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and received signal strength indicator (RSSI); or, the measurement may include other implementations defined by the future network. In this way, the first communication device can measure N received signals to obtain the measured values ​​of one or more of the measurements indicated by information A.

[0218] Information B. Signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities. Optionally, a threshold can be understood as a threshold value.

[0219] For example, the measurement threshold indicated by information B can indicate the threshold of the measurement quantity indicated by information A, including but not limited to the RSRP threshold, BLER threshold, RSRQ threshold, RSSI threshold, or other implementations defined by the future network. In this way, the first communication device can measure N received signals, and after obtaining the measured values ​​of one or more measurement quantities indicated by information A, the first communication device can determine the signals that meet the measurement threshold requirements based on the measurement threshold indicated by information B. For example, taking the measurement threshold as the RSRP threshold, the first communication device can determine one or more signals whose RSRP measurement values ​​are greater than the RSRP threshold based on the signal quality information of the N signals, and determine the aforementioned first reference channel based on the one or more signals.

[0220] Information C. Rules for determining the first reference channel.

[0221] The rules for determining the first reference channel can be implemented in various ways, including but not limited to exponentially weighted moving average filtering (EWMA), geometric mean, weighted average, arithmetic mean, or nearest neighbor.

[0222] For example, taking the rule for determining the first reference channel as EWMA as an example, it satisfies: F n =α·F n-1 +(1-α)·f n ;

[0223] Among them, F n Let F be the filtered value at the nth (n > 1) time step, α be the filter coefficient, and F be the filter value at the nth (n > 1) time step. n-1 f is the filtered value of the metric at time n-1. n Let C be the measurement value at time n. In the above process, information C can indicate the filter coefficient (i.e., α).

[0224] For example, taking the rule for determining the first reference channel as geometric mean or arithmetic mean as an example, in the above process, information C can indicate the average number of samples.

[0225] For example, taking the rule for determining the first reference channel as a weighted average as an example, in the above process, information C can indicate the weight of the weighted average.

[0226] Thus, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by receiving the instruction of the third information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the third information as the first reference channel.

[0227] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the third information in a pre-configured or pre-defined manner. For example, at least one of information A, information B, and information C may be pre-configured.

[0228] Optionally, the aforementioned third and second information can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the aforementioned third and second information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0229] In one possible implementation of Example 1, the first reference channel is associated with a first signal among the N signals; wherein the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries an identifier or index of the first reference channel), and / or, the first information is used to indicate the first signal (e.g., the first information carries an identifier or index of the first signal). Thus, the first information can indicate the first reference channel in multiple ways to improve the flexibility of the implementation.

[0230] Optionally, since the N signals and M reference channels can be in one-to-one correspondence, the first information can indicate one of the first reference channel and the first signal, so that the receiver of the first information can determine the other based on the first one, thereby reducing transmission overhead.

[0231] Optionally, in Implementation Example 1, N and M have the same value, and the index of the i-th signal among the N signals can be the same as the index of the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels. For example, taking N and M both as 4, the indices of the N signals (e.g., the indices of the N SSBs) can be #0, #1, #2, #3; the indices of the M reference channels can be #0, #1, #2, #3. That is, signal #0 is associated with reference channel #0, signal #1 is associated with reference channel #1, signal #2 is associated with reference channel #2, and signal #3 is associated with reference channel #3.

[0232] Alternatively, the index of the i-th signal among N signals can be different from the index of the j-th reference channel among M reference channels. For example, taking N and M as both 4, the indices of the N signals (e.g., the indices of the N SSBs) can be #0, #1, #2, #3; the indices of the M reference channels can be #2, #3, #4, #5. That is, signal #0 is associated with reference channel #2, signal #1 with reference channel #3, signal #2 with reference channel #4, and signal #3 with reference channel #5.

[0233] Optionally, when there are N signals and N SSBs, in the conventional communication process, the first communication device can measure the N SSBs and select one of them (denoted as the first SSB) to initiate random access. The measurement quantities and thresholds for determining the first SSB can be the same as those for determining the first reference channel to reduce processing complexity. Alternatively, the measurement quantities and thresholds for determining the first SSB can be different from those for determining the first reference channel to improve the flexibility of the solution implementation.

[0234] Example 2: N is less than M, and at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels. For example, the N signals and M reference channels can be one-to-many.

[0235] In Example 2, the N signals and M reference channels can be one-to-many. For example, the first communication device can determine the signal quality of the signals on at least two reference channels based on the signal quality information of at least one of the N signals. It can reuse the same signal to determine the transmission quality of at least two reference channels, thereby reducing overhead and improving resource utilization.

[0236] Optionally, in Implementation Example 2, each of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels. The reference channels associated with different signals can be different.

[0237] Optionally, at least one of the N signals can be associated with at least two of the M reference channels in various ways, including but not limited to time division or frequency division.

[0238] For example, consider signal #0 out of N signals as being associated with reference channel #0 and reference channel #1 out of M reference channels.

[0239] For example, in the time-division case, the time-domain resources occupied by signal #0 may include a first time-domain resource and a second time-domain resource. Signal #0 transmitted on the first time-domain resource is associated with reference channel #0, and signal #0 transmitted on the second time-domain resource is associated with reference channel #1. Optionally, if signal #0 is an SSB, the number of symbols occupied by the SSB can be 4. The aforementioned first time-domain resource can be the second symbol occupied by the SSB, and the second time-domain resource can be the fourth symbol occupied by the SSB; or, the aforementioned first time-domain resource can be the first and second symbols occupied by the SSB, and the second time-domain resource can be the third and fourth symbols occupied by the SSB.

[0240] For example, in the case of frequency division, the frequency domain resources occupied by signal #0 may include first frequency domain resources and second frequency domain resources. Signal #0 transmitted on the first frequency domain resources is associated with reference channel #0, and signal #0 transmitted on the second frequency domain resources is associated with reference channel #1. Optionally, if signal #0 is an SSB, the number of subcarriers occupied by the SSB can be 240. The aforementioned first frequency domain resources can be the 0th to 119th subcarriers occupied by the SSB, and the second frequency domain resources can be the 120th to 239th subcarriers occupied by the SSB.

[0241] Optionally, in the case of a one-to-many relationship between N signals and M reference channels, the transmission channel of at least one of the N signals corresponds to at least two of the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the transmission channel of at least one of the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of at least two of the M reference channels.

[0242] As an example, as shown in Figure 5b, one possible implementation of Example 2, compared to the process shown in Figure 4, also includes:

[0243] Step C. The second communication device sends fourth information, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the fourth information. The fourth information indicates that at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels. Therefore, the first communication device can determine the association between the N signals and the M reference channels based on the received fourth information, enabling the first communication device to determine the first reference channel based on the association indicated by the fourth information.

[0244] It should be noted that step C is an optional step. For example, the first communication device can determine, through pre-configuration or pre-definition, that at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels, or that the N signals and the M reference channels can be one-to-many.

[0245] As an example, as shown in Figure 5b, one possible implementation of Example 2, compared to the process shown in Figure 4, also includes:

[0246] Step D. The second communication device sends the fifth information, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the fifth information. The fifth information and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the fifth information is used to indicate one or more of the following information D to information I:

[0247] Information D. Signal quality information includes one or more measurements.

[0248] Information E. Signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities.

[0249] Information F. Determines the rules for determining the first reference channel.

[0250] Among them, information D to information F can be implemented with reference to information A to information C mentioned above.

[0251] Information G. The number of reference channels associated with at least one signal.

[0252] For example, if each of N signals is associated with at least two of M reference channels, information G can indicate N quantity information about the reference channels associated with each of the N signals. For instance, the first quantity information among the N quantity information indicates the number of reference channels associated with the first signal among the N signals... and so on, with the Nth quantity information indicating the number of reference channels associated with the Nth signal among the N signals.

[0253] Optionally, if the number of reference channels associated with different signals among the N signals is the same (i.e., the values ​​of the above N quantity information are the same), then information G can indicate the number of reference channels associated with the N signals by indicating only one quantity information, thereby reducing overhead.

[0254] Information H. The time-domain location of each reference channel associated with at least one signal.

[0255] For example, if at least one signal is associated with at least two reference channels in a time-division manner, the at least one signal may occupy one or more time-domain resources. Information H may indicate one or more of the following: the start time-domain position, duration, and end time-domain position of the signal associated with each of the at least two reference channels. In this way, during the measurement of signals carried by one or more time-domain resources, the first communication device can determine the signal quality information of the signal associated with each reference channel, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel using this signal quality information.

[0256] Information I. The frequency domain location of each reference channel associated with at least one signal.

[0257] For example, taking at least one signal associated with at least two reference channels via frequency division as an example, the at least one signal may occupy one or more frequency domain resources, and information I may indicate one or more of the following: the starting frequency domain position, the frequency domain bandwidth, and the ending frequency domain position of the signal associated with each of the at least two reference channels. In this way, during the measurement of signals carried by one or more frequency domain resources, the first communication device can determine the signal quality information of the signal associated with each reference channel, so that the first communication device can determine the first reference channel through this signal quality information.

[0258] Thus, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by receiving the instruction of the fifth information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the fifth information as the first reference channel.

[0259] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the fifth information in a pre-configured or pre-defined manner. For example, at least one of information D to information I may be pre-configured.

[0260] Optionally, the fifth and fourth pieces of information mentioned above can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the fifth and fourth pieces of information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0261] In one possible implementation of Example 2, the first reference channel and K reference channels are associated with the second signal among the N signals, where K is a positive integer; wherein the first information is used to indicate the second signal and the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the second signal, and the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel); or, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel). Thus, the first information can indicate the first reference channel in multiple ways to improve the flexibility of the implementation.

[0262] As an example, consider that signal #0 out of N signals is associated with at least two reference channels, namely reference channel A and reference channel B, and signal #1 out of N signals is associated with at least two reference channels, namely reference channel C and reference channel D.

[0263] For example, the indices of the reference channels associated with different signals among the N signals can be the same. For instance, the indices of reference channels A and C are both #0, and the indices of reference channels B and D are both #1. In Implementation Example 2, the first information can indicate the second signal and the first reference channel. For example, the first information can carry the index of the second signal and the index of the first reference channel. In this way, the four reference channels can be distinguished using the first information. For example, taking N signals as N SSBs, the first information can carry the SSB index of the second signal and the index of the first reference channel, satisfying:

[0264] The value of the first information is equal to the SSB index plus the index of the reference channel within the SSB.

[0265] For example, the SSB index occupies the high bits of the first information, while the index of the reference channel within the SSB occupies the low bits of the first information. Or, for another example, the SSB index occupies the low bits of the first information, while the index of the reference channel within the SSB occupies the high bits of the first information.

[0266] For example, the indices of the reference channels associated with different signals among N signals can be the same. For instance, the index of reference channel A is #0, the index of reference channel B is #1, the index of reference channel C is #2, and the index of reference channel D is #3. In Example 2, the first information can indicate the first reference channel (e.g., the first information can carry the index of the first reference channel), thus enabling the differentiation of the four reference channels.

[0267] In Example 3, N is greater than M, and at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels. For example, the relationship between the N signals and the M reference channels can be many-to-one.

[0268] In Example 3, the N signals and M reference channels can be many-to-one. For example, the first communication device can determine the signal quality of a signal on the same reference channel based on the signal quality information of at least two of the N signals, thus enabling the determination of the transmission quality of the same reference channel through at least two signals. Therefore, the first communication device can obtain more channel characteristic information through these at least two signals and determine the reference channel matching the more channel characteristic information as the first reference channel, thereby improving the communication performance of subsequent communication based on the first reference channel.

[0269] Optionally, in Implementation Example 3, each of the M reference channels is associated with at least two of the N signals. The at least two signals associated with different reference channels can be the same or different.

[0270] Optionally, when there is a many-to-one relationship between the N signals and the M reference channels, the transmission channels of at least two of the N signals correspond to one of the M reference channels. For example, the channel characteristic information of the joint channel of the transmission channels of at least two of the N signals is the same as or similar to the channel characteristic information of one of the M reference channels.

[0271] As an example, as shown in Figure 5c, one possible implementation of Example 3, compared to the process shown in Figure 4, also includes:

[0272] Step E. The second communication device sends a sixth message, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the sixth message, which indicates that at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels. Thus, the first communication device can determine the association between the N signals and the M reference channels through the received sixth message, enabling the first communication device to determine the first reference channel based on the association indicated by the sixth message.

[0273] It should be noted that step E is an optional step. For example, the first communication device can determine, through pre-configuration or pre-definition, that at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels, or that the N signals and the M reference channels can be many-to-one.

[0274] As an example, as shown in Figure 5c, one possible implementation of Example 3, compared to the process shown in Figure 4, also includes:

[0275] Step F. The second communication device sends the seventh information, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the seventh information. The seventh information and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel. The seventh information is used to indicate one or more of the following information J to information O.

[0276] Information J. Signal quality information includes one or more measurements.

[0277] Information K. Signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities.

[0278] Information L. Determines the filtering parameters for the first reference channel.

[0279] Among them, information J to information L can be implemented with reference to information A to information C mentioned above.

[0280] Information M. The number of signals associated with the same reference channel.

[0281] For example, if each of the M reference channels is associated with at least two of the N signals, the information M can indicate M quantity information about the signals associated with each of the M reference channels. For instance, the first quantity information in the M quantity information indicates the number of signals associated with the first reference channel in the M reference channels... and so on, with the Mth quantity information indicating the number of signals associated with the Mth reference channel in the M reference channels.

[0282] Optionally, the number of signals associated with different reference channels in the M reference channels is the same (i.e., the values ​​of the above M quantity information are the same). In this case, information M can indicate the number of signals associated with the M reference channels by indicating a single quantity information, thereby reducing overhead.

[0283] Information N. The index of the signal associated with the same reference channel.

[0284] For example, if each of the M reference channels is associated with at least two of the N signals, the information N can indicate the index of one or more signals associated with each of the M reference channels. In this way, the first communication device can determine the signals associated with each reference channel based on the indices indicated by these information N, and determine the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of these signals.

[0285] Optionally, in the M reference channels, the indices of the signals associated with different reference channels can be the same or different.

[0286] Information O. Measurement reference value of the signal associated with the same reference channel.

[0287] For example, consider a scenario where each of M reference channels is associated with at least two of N signals, where at least two different reference channels are associated with the same signal index. In this case, to distinguish between two reference signals, information O can indicate a measurement reference value, allowing the first communication device to determine the reference channel corresponding to the most correlated measurement value as the first reference channel based on the correlation between the measurement values ​​of signals #0, #1, and #2 and the measurement reference values ​​of the reference channels. For example, this correlation may include, but is not limited to, MSE, NMSE, KL, etc.

[0288] For example, taking M reference channels including reference channel A and reference channel B, (the aforementioned information N can indicate) reference channel A is associated with signal #0, signal #1, and signal #2, and reference channel B is associated with signal #0, signal #1, and signal #2. Information O can indicate that the measurement reference value of reference channel A is [a, b, c], and that the measurement reference value of reference channel B is [d, e, f]. The first communication device can measure signal #0, signal #1, and signal #2 to obtain measurement values ​​(e.g., RSRP measurement values) of [x, y, z]. Subsequently, the first communication device can determine the correlation between [x, y, z] and [a, b, c], and the correlation between [x, y, z] and [d, e, f], and determine the reference channel corresponding to the measurement reference value with higher correlation as the first reference channel.

[0289] Thus, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel by receiving the seventh information, so that the first communication device can determine the reference channel that satisfies the seventh information as the first reference channel.

[0290] Optionally, the first communication device may obtain the seventh information in a pre-configured or pre-defined manner. For example, at least one of information J to information O may be pre-configured.

[0291] Optionally, the seventh and sixth pieces of information mentioned above can be carried in the same message / information / signaling to reduce transmission overhead. Alternatively, the seventh and sixth pieces of information can be carried in different messages / information / signaling, allowing for flexible configuration / indication of these two pieces of information.

[0292] In one possible implementation of Example 3, the first reference channel is associated with P signals out of the N signals, where P is an integer greater than 1 and less than or equal to N; wherein the first information is used to indicate the signal quality information of the P signals, or the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel. Thus, the first information can indicate the first reference channel in multiple ways to improve the flexibility of the implementation.

[0293] For example, when the first information is used to indicate the signal quality information of the P signals, the first information may carry the signal quality information of the P signals, or the first information may carry an identifier or index of the signal quality information of the P signals. This enables the receiver of the first information to determine the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of the P signals.

[0294] For example, the first communication device can determine the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of P signals, and indicate the first reference channel through first information (e.g., the first information carries the identifier or index of the first reference channel), so that the receiver of the first information can determine the first reference channel through the first information, thereby reducing transmission overhead.

[0295] Please refer to Figure 6. This application embodiment provides a communication device 600, which can realize the functions of the second communication device or the first communication device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In this application embodiment, the communication device 600 can be the first communication device (or the second communication device), or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the first communication device (or the second communication device), such as a chip.

[0296] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 602 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are used to perform transmitting and receiving respectively.

[0297] In one possible implementation, when the device 600 is used to execute the method performed by the first communication device in the foregoing embodiments, the device 600 includes a transceiver unit 602; the transceiver unit 602 is used to receive N signals, the N signals being associated with M reference channels, and the signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels, where N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1; the transceiver unit 602 is also used to transmit first information, the first information being used to determine the first reference channel. Optionally, the device 600 further includes a processing unit 601, the processing unit 601 being used to determine the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of the N signals.

[0298] In one possible implementation, when the device 600 is used to execute the method performed by the second communication device in the foregoing embodiments, the device 600 includes a transceiver unit 602; the transceiver unit 602 is used to transmit N signals, the N signals being associated with M reference channels, and the signal quality information of the N signals being used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels, where N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1; the transceiver unit 602 is also used to receive first information, the first information being used to determine the first reference channel. Optionally, the device 600 further includes a processing unit 601, the processing unit 601 being used to determine the first reference channel based on the first information.

[0299] It should be noted that the information execution process of the unit of the above-mentioned communication device 600 can be specifically described in the method embodiments shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0300] Please refer to Figure 7, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 700 provided in this application. The communication device 700 includes a logic circuit 701 and an input / output interface 702. The communication device 700 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0301] In Figure 6, the transceiver unit 602 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 702 in Figure 7, and the input / output interface 702 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0302] Optionally, the input / output interface 702 is used to receive N signals associated with M reference channels. The signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels, where N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. The input / output interface 702 is also used to transmit first information used to determine the first reference channel. Optionally, the device 700 further includes a logic circuit 701 used to determine the first reference channel based on the signal quality information of the N signals.

[0303] Optionally, the input / output interface 702 is used to transmit N signals associated with M reference channels. The signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine a first reference channel among the M reference channels. N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. The input / output interface 702 is also used to receive first information used to determine the first reference channel. Optionally, the device 700 further includes a logic circuit 701 used to determine the first reference channel based on the first information.

[0304] The logic circuit 701 and the input / output interface 702 can also perform other steps performed by the first or second communication device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0305] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 601 shown in FIG6 can be the logic circuit 701 in FIG7.

[0306] Optionally, the logic circuit 701 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0307] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0308] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0309] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0310] Please refer to Figure 8, which shows the communication device 800 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 800 can be the communication device as a terminal device in the above embodiments. The communication device shown in Figure 8 is implemented through a terminal device (or a component in the terminal device).

[0311] The present invention is a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 800, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 801 and a communication port 802.

[0312] In Figure 6, the transceiver unit 602 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 802 in Figure 8. The communication port 802 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 802 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0313] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 803 and a bus 804. In the embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 801 is used to control the operation of the communication device 800.

[0314] Furthermore, the processor 801 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0315] It should be noted that the communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. The specific implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 9 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0316] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 900 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 900 can be a communication device as a network device in the above embodiments. The communication device shown in Figure 9 is implemented through a network device (or a component in a network device). The structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 9.

[0317] The communication device 900 includes at least one processor 911 and at least one network interface 914. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 912, at least one transceiver 913, and one or more antennas 915. The processor 911, memory 912, transceiver 913, and network interface 914 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 915 is connected to the transceiver 913. The network interface 914 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 914 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface, or a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0318] In Figure 6, the transceiver unit 602 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 914 in Figure 9. The network interface 914 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 914 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0319] The processor 911 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from these programs, for example, to support the actions described in the embodiments of the communication device. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process data from these programs. The processor 911 in Figure 9 can integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0320] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 912 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 911. Optionally, the memory 912 can be integrated with the processor 911, for example, integrated into a single chip. The memory 912 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 911. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 911.

[0321] Figure 9 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual terminal devices, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0322] Transceiver 913 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 913 can be connected to antenna 915. Transceiver 913 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 915 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 913 receives the RF signals from the antennas, converts the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provides the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 911 so that processor 911 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. Furthermore, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 913 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 911, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 915. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0323] The transceiver 913 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0324] It should be noted that the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0325] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method described in the possible implementations of the first or second communication device in the foregoing embodiments.

[0326] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, executes the method described above for the possible implementation of the first or second communication device.

[0327] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the functions involved in the possible implementations of the communication device described above. Optionally, the chip system further includes an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing the program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device may specifically be the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0328] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device in any of the above embodiments.

[0329] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0330] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0331] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive N signals, which are associated with M reference channels. The signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine the first reference channel among the M reference channels. N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. Send first information, which is used to determine the first reference channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, N and M are equal, and the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels, where i takes values ​​from 1 to N and j takes values ​​from 1 to M.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information, which indicates that the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information, wherein the third information and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or, The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or, The rules for determining the first reference channel are as follows.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The first reference channel is associated with the first signal among the N signals; Wherein, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel, and / or, the first information is used to indicate the first signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, N is less than M, and at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate that at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fifth information, which, together with the signal quality information of the N signals, is used to determine the first reference channel. The fifth information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or, The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or, Determine the rules for determining the first reference channel; or, The number of reference channels associated with the at least one signal; or, The time-domain location of each reference channel associated with the at least one signal; or, The frequency domain location of each reference channel associated with the at least one signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The first reference channel and the K reference channels are associated with the second signal among the N signals, where K is a positive integer; Wherein, the first information is used to indicate the second signal and the first reference channel; or, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, N is greater than M, and at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a sixth message, which indicates that at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive seventh information, which, together with the signal quality information of the N signals, is used to determine the first reference channel. The seventh information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or, The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or, Determine the filtering parameters of the first reference channel; or, The number of signals associated with the same reference channel; or, The index of the signals associated with the same reference channel; or, The measurement reference value of the signal associated with the same reference channel.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The first reference channel is associated with P signals out of the N signals, where P is an integer greater than 1 and P is less than or equal to N; Wherein, the first information is used to indicate the signal quality information of the P signals, or the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The N signals are broadcast signals.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, include: N signals are transmitted, and the N signals are associated with M reference channels. The signal quality information of the N signals is used to determine the first reference channel among the M reference channels. N and M are positive integers, and at least one of N and M is greater than 1. Receive first information, which is used to determine the first reference channel.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, N and M are equal, and the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels, where i takes values ​​from 1 to N and j takes values ​​from 1 to M.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message, which indicates that the i-th signal among the N signals is associated with the j-th reference channel among the M reference channels.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending third information, wherein the third information and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or, The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or, The rules for determining the first reference channel are as follows.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The first reference channel is associated with the first signal among the N signals; Wherein, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel, and / or, the first information is used to indicate the first signal.

20. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, N is less than M, and at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fourth message, which indicates that at least one of the N signals is associated with at least two of the M reference channels.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a fifth message, wherein the fifth message and the signal quality information of the N signals are used to determine the first reference channel, and the fifth message is used to indicate one or more of the following: The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or, The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or, Determine the rules for determining the first reference channel; or, The number of reference channels associated with the at least one signal; or, The time-domain location of each reference channel associated with the at least one signal; or, The frequency domain location of each reference channel associated with the at least one signal.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that, The first reference channel and the K reference channels are associated with the second signal among the N signals, where K is a positive integer; Wherein, the first information is used to indicate the second signal and the first reference channel; or, the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel.

24. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, N is greater than M, and at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The method further includes: A sixth message is sent, which indicates that at least two of the N signals are associated with the same reference channel among the M reference channels.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that, The method further includes: A seventh message is sent, which, along with the signal quality information of the N signals, is used to determine the first reference channel. The seventh message indicates one or more of the following: The signal quality information includes one or more measurements; or, The signal quality information includes measurement thresholds corresponding to one or more measured quantities; or, Determine the filtering parameters of the first reference channel; or, The number of signals associated with the same reference channel; or, The index of the signals associated with the same reference channel; or, The measurement reference value of the signal associated with the same reference channel.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that, The first reference channel is associated with P signals out of the N signals, where P is an integer greater than 1 and P is less than or equal to N; Wherein, the first information is used to indicate the signal quality information of the P signals, or the first information is used to indicate the first reference channel.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, characterized in that, The N signals are broadcast signals.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

31. The communication device according to claim 30, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

33. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

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