Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: receiving Q reference signals, Q being an integer greater than or equal to 1; measuring the Q reference signals, and acquiring Q pieces of first information; and sending K pieces of reference channel information, wherein the K pieces of reference channel information correspond to K channel groups on a one-to-one basis, each of the K channel groups comprises one or more channels, different channel groups among the K channel groups correspond to different pieces of first information, and one channel in each of the K channel groups corresponds to one piece of first information, with K being an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q. By means of the method in the present application, communication overheads and the calculation complexity on a network device side can be reduced.

Description

A communication method and a communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510069933.4, filed on January 14, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] In communication systems, channel status information (CSI) is used to estimate the channel state. A typical way to obtain CSI is for the network device to send a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device obtains the CSI by measuring the reference signal and reporting it. In this way, the frequent reporting of CSI by the terminal device will generate a large communication overhead. At the same time, the network device will have a large computing burden when processing a large number of CSIs. Moreover, with the development of future communication systems, these problems will become more prominent.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that reduces communication overhead while also reducing the computational complexity on the network device side. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce communication overhead and computational complexity on the network device side.

[0006] Firstly, a method is provided that can be performed by a device (e.g., a communication device). The device can be an apparatus (such as a first terminal device), or it can be a component of the apparatus (e.g., a chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), a chip system, or a circuit), which is not limited in this application. The following description primarily uses a first terminal device as an example.

[0007] The method includes: receiving Q reference signals, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1; measuring the Q reference signals and acquiring Q first information; and sending K reference channel information, wherein the K reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with K channel groups (i.e., target channel groups), each of the K channel groups includes one or more channels, different channel groups in the K channel groups correspond to different first information, and one channel in each of the K channel groups corresponds to one piece of first information, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device obtains Q first information based on Q reference signals, groups the channels of the Q reference signals into K channel groups, and obtains reference channel information based on one or more first information corresponding to each channel group, and reports the K reference channel information. In this way, communication overhead is reduced. At the same time, for the network device, the network device performs subsequent operations based on the K reference channel information, thereby reducing computational complexity.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first criterion is satisfied between any two channels in a channel group.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device groups the channels of the Q reference signals according to the first criterion, so that multiple channels with high similarity are assigned to the same channel group, and multiple channels with low similarity are assigned to different channel groups. Since multiple channels with high similarity have similar channel environments, the terminal device does not need to report the channel information of all channels, thereby reducing communication overhead.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending one or more of the following: the number of channel groups K, and a first criterion.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device assists the network device in communication by reporting the above information. For example, the network device can determine the basis for the terminal device to divide the channel group based on the first criterion, thereby assisting the network device in further processing the K reference channel information.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, and channel basis.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the reference channel information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, channel basis, precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and multipath component (MPC).

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the reference channel information can be determined based on the first information in the corresponding channel group, and the terminal device can obtain and report the CSI based on actual application requirements, making the communication process more flexible and efficient.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the reference signal is a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); or, the reference signal is a demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

[0017] Based on the above scheme, this application does not limit the type of reference signal, which enables the scheme of this application to be applied to more communication scenarios.

[0018] Secondly, a method is provided that can be performed by a device (e.g., a communication device). This device can be an apparatus (such as a network device), or it can be a component of an apparatus (e.g., a chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) or a chip system or circuit), and this application does not limit this. The following description primarily uses a network device as an example.

[0019] The method includes: sending Q first reference signals to a first terminal device, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1; receiving K reference channel information from the first terminal device, wherein the K reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with K channel groups, each of the K channel groups includes one or more channels, different channel groups in the K channel groups correspond to different first information, and one channel in each of the K channel groups corresponds to one piece of first information, wherein the first information is obtained by measurement based on the first reference signals, and K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, the first terminal device acquires Q first information based on Q first reference signals, groups the channels of the Q first reference signals into K channel groups, acquires reference channel information based on one or more first information corresponding to each channel group, and reports the K reference channel information. The network device processes the K reference channel information, thereby reducing the computational complexity on the network device side.

[0021] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first criterion is satisfied between any two channels in a channel group.

[0022] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes receiving one or more of the following: the number of channel groups K, and a first criterion.

[0023] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, and channel basis.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the reference channel information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, channel basis, PMI, and MPC.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the reference signal is CSI-RS; or, the reference signal is DMRS.

[0026] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: determining L reference channel information based on K reference channel information, where L is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to K.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, the network device can further process the K reference channel information, for example, by merging the K reference channel information into L reference channel information to further reduce communication overhead. Alternatively, due to the high mobility of the terminal device, the channel group division is not fixed. The network device can further divide the channel group based on the second criterion and obtain the corresponding reference channel information, thereby making the channel group division more accurate.

[0028] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending M second reference signals to the second terminal device, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; receiving N reference channel information from the second terminal device, where the N reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with N channel groups, each of the N channel groups includes one or more channels, different channel groups in the N channel groups correspond to different second information, and one channel in each of the N channel groups corresponds to one piece of second information, where the second information is obtained by measuring the second reference signals, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M; and determining P reference channel information based on K reference channel information and N reference channel information, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (K+N).

[0029] Based on the above scheme, when there are multiple terminal devices, the network device can centrally integrate and process the reference channel information reported by different terminal devices. For example, it can further divide the (K+N) channel groups and obtain the corresponding reference channel information to assist communication.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and its possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0031] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in either the first or second aspect. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above-described implementations of the first or second aspect, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0032] In one implementation, the device is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device). When the device is a communication device, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0033] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a communication device. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a communication device, the communication unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0034] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the device comprising: a memory for storing a program; and at least one processor for executing the computer program or instructions stored in the memory to perform the method provided by any of the above implementations of the first or second aspect.

[0035] In one implementation, the device is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device).

[0036] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a communication device.

[0037] Fifthly, this application provides a processor for performing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0038] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and input operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0039] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for program code executed by a device, the program code including a method for performing any of the above-described implementations of the first or second aspect.

[0040] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed by a processor on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by any of the above-described implementations of the first or second aspect.

[0041] Eighthly, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reading instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executing the method provided by any of the above implementations of the first or second aspect.

[0042] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions. The processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by any of the above implementations of the first or second aspect.

[0043] A ninth aspect provides a communication system, including a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is used to execute the method provided in any implementation of the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to execute the method provided in any implementation of the second aspect.

[0044] The beneficial effects of aspects three through nine and their possible implementations can be found in the description of aspect one, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an ORAN system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an access network device applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device providing an embodiment of this application grouping the target channel.

[0050] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Before introducing the scheme of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0055] (1) In this application, "instruction" can include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, implicit instruction, etc. When describing an instruction information as indicating A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, carries the identifier of A, carries B which is associated with A, carries the identifier of B which is associated with A, etc. In other words, if the receiving side of an instruction information can determine A based on the instruction information, it can be described as the instruction information indicating A, and the specific method of determination is not limited. When it is understood that the instruction information carries A, "instruction" can be replaced with "includes". In this case, a statement such as "send / receive instruction information, the instruction information indicates A" can be replaced with "send / receive A".

[0056] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, 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 a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. Furthermore, the information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information pieces, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information pieces can be the same or different.

[0057] (2) In this application, the expression " / " is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can mean: A or B. The expression "and / or" is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in a relationship of either "and" or "or"; for example, A and / or B can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be single or multiple. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions are used to indicate any combination of the listed items; for example, at least one of A, B and / or C can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, C exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, B and C exist simultaneously, A and C exist simultaneously, A, B and C exist simultaneously, where A, B, and C can be single or multiple.

[0058] (3) In 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 direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission by other units or modules via the air interface. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY by other units or modules via the air interface. "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. 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 a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0059] (4) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0060] (5) In this application, "first," "second," and "#1," "#2," and "#A" are merely for descriptive convenience and are used to distinguish objects, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. They are not used to describe the order or sequence of features. It should be understood that such described objects can be interchanged where appropriate in order to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application.

[0061] (6) In this application, "predefined" can mean a standard protocol predefined, or it can mean a pre-agreed or pre-negotiated agreement between devices. Here, "protocol" can refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include fourth-generation (4G) protocols. th Generation 4G network, fifth generation (5G) network th This application does not limit the scope of network protocols such as generation (5G), new radio (NR) protocols, and related protocols applied in future communication networks.

[0062] (7) In this application, the words “exemplary,” “for example,” etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an “example” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the term “example” is used to present concepts in a specific manner.

[0063] (8) In this application, “of”, “corresponding, relevant”, “corresponding”, and “related” can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction is not emphasized, they have the same meaning.

[0064] (9) In this application, “when…”, “if” and “if” all refer to the device making a corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0065] (10) In this application, the term "division" is frequently used by terminal devices or network devices. It should be understood that "division" is introduced for ease of understanding and explanation only, and does not imply that the network device or terminal device will necessarily perform the division operation. For example, when a terminal device divides multiple target channels according to a first criterion, it aims to express that multiple target channels identified as a target channel group have a high degree of similarity, that is, multiple target channels with a high degree of similarity are grouped into one target channel group. The multiple target channels in this target channel group may correspond to the same reference channel, may use the same pattern to transmit reference signals, etc., without emphasizing that a division operation has been performed.

[0066] Next, we will introduce the communication system to which this application applies.

[0067] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, and LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication networks. Furthermore, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as inter-satellite communication and satellite communication.

[0068] As an example, a satellite communication system includes a satellite base station and terminal equipment. The satellite base station provides communication services to the terminal equipment. Satellite base stations can also communicate with each other. A satellite can act as a base station or as a terminal device. Here, "satellite" can refer to drones, hot air balloons, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, high-Earth orbit satellites, etc. "Satellite" can also refer to non-terrestrial base stations or non-terrestrial equipment.

[0069] As an example, V2X communication can include: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, and vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0070] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The device can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This application uses a device as an example for description.

[0071] The terminal device in this application embodiment can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. The terminal device can include various devices with wireless communication capabilities, which can be used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D, V2X, end-to-end, M2M, MTC, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, etc. The terminal device can be a terminal in any of the above scenarios, such as an MTC terminal, an IoT terminal, etc. Terminal equipment can be user equipment (UE), terminal, fixed equipment, mobile station equipment or mobile equipment, subscriber unit, handheld device, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, cellular phone, smartphone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, wireless modem, handset, laptop computer, computer with wireless transceiver capability, smart book, vehicle, satellite, global positioning system (GPS) device, target tracking device, aircraft (e.g., drone, helicopter, multiple helicopters, four helicopters, or airplanes), ship, remote control device, smart home device, industrial equipment, transportation vehicle with wireless communication capability, communication module, or roadside unit with terminal function, all conforming to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard. The device may be a wireless communication unit (RSU), or a device built into the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip in the aforementioned device), or other processing devices connected to the wireless modem.

[0072] It should be understood that in certain scenarios, a UE can also be used as a base station. For example, a UE can act as a scheduling entity, providing sidelink signaling between UEs in scenarios such as V2X, D2D, or end-to-end.

[0073] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of a terminal device, i.e., the terminal device, can be the terminal device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, chip, circuit, or communication module (i.e., a communication module that performs communication functions). This device can be installed in the terminal device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. Furthermore, the device can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0074] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device or module with corresponding communication functions. The network device can be a device used to communicate with terminal devices; it can also be called an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. In this application embodiment, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitter point, master station, auxiliary station, motor slide retainer (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the network equipment.

[0075] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0076] In some deployments, the network devices mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be devices including CU, or DU, or devices including CU and DU, or devices with control plane CU nodes (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and user plane CU nodes (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and DU nodes.

[0077] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0078] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, a radio access network can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) architecture. In an O-RAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (open CU, O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (open RU, O-RU). Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0079] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself, or a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, chip, circuit, or communication module (i.e., a communication module that performs communication functions). This device can be installed within the network device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. Furthermore, the device can be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions. This embodiment only uses a network device as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the functions of a network device, and does not limit the solution of this embodiment.

[0080] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0081] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication system includes a wireless access network 100. The wireless access network 100 can be a future or higher version of the wireless access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) wireless access network. One or more terminal devices (120a-120j, collectively referred to as 120) can be interconnected or connected to one or more network devices (110a, 110b, collectively referred to as 110) in the wireless access network 100. Network elements in the wireless communication system are connected through interfaces (e.g., NG, Xn) or air interfaces.

[0082] When network devices and terminal devices communicate, the network device can manage one or more cells, and a cell can include at least one terminal device. A cell can be understood as an area within the wireless signal coverage range of the network device.

[0083] Figure 1 is just a schematic diagram. The wireless communication system may also include other devices, such as core network devices, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0084] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an ORAN system applicable to an embodiment of this application. The ORAN system includes a core network, access network equipment, and UE. As an example, the ORAN system may also include other components besides those shown in Figure 2, and this application does not limit the specific components.

[0085] Access network equipment can communicate with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link. Access network equipment can also communicate with the UE via an air interface. Specifically, the BBU in the access network equipment communicates with the core network via a backhaul link. The RU in the access network equipment communicates with at least one UE via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link; the BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. A BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, and the CU and DU can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0086] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an access network device applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0087] Optionally, the access network equipment includes a CU. The CU is a logical node that carries the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU can connect to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, such as the E2 interface. The CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and / or higher layers of the CU) connects to the DU (e.g., the radio link control (RLC) layer and lower layers of the DU) through interfaces, such as the F1 interface. Optionally, the F1 interface can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, defining the signaling procedures of F1 in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0088] As an example, a CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is a logical node carrying the control plane (PDCP-C) layer, which carries the RRC layer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer, and is used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the user plane (PDCP-U) layer, which carries the SDAP layer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer, and is used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in terminal devices. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples. In practical applications, the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements. For example, based on latency, functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0089] Optionally, the access network equipment includes a DU. As shown in Figure 3, the DU is a logical node carrying the RLC layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, the DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0090] Optionally, the access network equipment includes an RU. As shown in Figure 3, the RU is a logical node that carries lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU may be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0091] The DU and RU may or may not be co-located. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through a lower-layer split CUS-plane (LLS-CUS) interface. The LLS-CUS may include a lower-layer split control (LLS-C) interface and a lower-layer split user (LLS-U) interface, respectively providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane). In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0092] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0093] Figures 1 to 3 above are illustrative examples, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0094] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terms used in this application will be briefly explained.

[0095] To facilitate a better understanding of the technical solution of this application, some related technologies involved in the technical solution of this application are introduced.

[0096] 1. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology: Utilizing spatial resources, MIMO can increase the capacity and spectral efficiency of a communication system by leveraging array gain, multiplexing and diversity gain, and interference cancellation gain in space without increasing system bandwidth. For example, in LTE systems, MIMO systems can support up to eight layers of transmission using multiple antennas at both the transmitting and receiving ends.

[0097] 2. Reference signal (RS): This refers to the physical signal that transmits a sequence to achieve a specific function. Specifically, the reference signal is a physical signal generated by mapping a specific sequence onto corresponding resources according to a pre-defined resource mapping method. The reference signal can also be called a pilot, reference sequence, or reference signal.

[0098] In this application, the reference signal, as an example, can be any of the following: channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), sounding reference signal (SRS), demodulation reference signal (DMRS), phase track reference signal (PT-RS), cell reference signal (CRS), etc. Among them, DMRS can be used for demodulation of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). CSI-RS can be used for channel information measurement and to report channel state information (CSI), which includes at least one of the following: precoding matrix indicator (PMI), rank indication (RI), and channel quality indicator (CQI).

[0099] It should be understood that the reference signals listed above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other reference signals in future agreements to achieve the same or similar functions.

[0100] 3. Channel status information (CSI): This refers to information that reflects the characteristics and quality of the channel.

[0101] CSI (Channel Signal Indication) characterizes channel characteristics, specifically the effects a signal experiences as it travels from the transmitter through the channel to the receiver, such as scattering, fading, and energy attenuation with distance. This information allows data transmission to adapt to the channel environment, thereby achieving high bit rates and reliable communication in multi-antenna systems.

[0102] Taking network devices and terminal devices as examples, the current way for network devices to obtain CSI is by sending a reference signal to the terminal device. The terminal device then measures the reference signal to obtain CSI and reports it. In this way, the frequent reporting of CSI by the terminal device will generate a relatively large communication overhead. At the same time, the network device will have a large computing burden when processing a large number of CSIs. Moreover, these problems will become more prominent as the communication system develops in the future.

[0103] In view of this, this application proposes a scheme in which the terminal device obtains CSI by measuring the reference signal and processes the obtained CSI, thereby reducing communication overhead and reducing the computational complexity on the network device side.

[0104] The methods provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments provided by this application can be applied to the scenarios shown in the above figures and are not limited thereto. Furthermore, the terms used below are as explained above and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0105] In the following embodiments, for ease of understanding and explanation, examples are mainly given of a terminal device (i.e., an example of a first terminal device) and a network device (i.e., an example of a network device). The terminal device can also be replaced by components of a terminal device, such as a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module. Similarly, the network device can be replaced by components of a network device, such as a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module. Furthermore, the steps described below as being performed by a single execution entity can also be divided into steps performed by multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated.

[0106] In the following embodiments, the channels mentioned repeatedly (such as reference channels and target channels) can be channels corresponding to frequency domain units or channels corresponding to time units. A time unit can be a symbol, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a mini-slot, a slot, a partial slot, a subframe, or a radio frame, etc. A frequency domain unit can be a resource block (RB), a subcarrier, a resource block group (RBG), a predefined subband, a precoding resource block group (PRG), a bandwidth part (BWP), a resource element (RE) (also called a resource cell or resource particle), a carrier, or a serving cell.

[0107] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 400 shown in Figure 4 may include the following steps.

[0108] It should be understood that the step numbers shown in Figure 4 are only used to indicate different steps and do not impose any restrictions on the order in which the steps are executed. For example, S406 can be executed simultaneously with S401, or S406 can be executed before S401, without any restriction.

[0109] S401, the network device sends Q reference signals, and correspondingly, the terminal device (i.e., an example of the first terminal device) receives Q reference signals, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0110] The reference signal can be CSI-RS; or, the reference signal can be DMRS, without limitation.

[0111] S402, the terminal device determines Q pieces of first information.

[0112] Specifically, the terminal device measures Q reference signals to determine Q first pieces of information, wherein the Q reference signals correspond one-to-one with the Q first pieces of information.

[0113] The following introduces Q pieces of first information.

[0114] Specifically, the terminal device measures Q reference signals and can determine Q first information corresponding to the channel (e.g., the target channel) used to transmit the Q reference signals.

[0115] The first information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, and channel basis.

[0116] Optionally, the channel information can be channel information in one or more of the following domains (or dimensions): frequency domain, spatial domain (or antenna domain), time domain, user domain, and physical space domain, without limitation.

[0117] S403, the terminal device obtains K reference channel information based on Q first information, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

[0118] Specifically, the terminal device groups (or clusters) the Q pieces of first information to obtain K groups of first information (or K clusters of first information). Each group of first information in the K groups includes one or more pieces of first information, and each group of first information is associated with (or corresponds to) a reference channel information, or in other words, the group of first information is associated with the same reference channel information. The number of pieces of first information contained in each group of first information in the K groups may be the same or different, and this is not limited.

[0119] The Q first information groups can also be replaced by grouping (or clustering) the Q target channels to obtain K target channel groups (or K clusters of target channels, or K clusters). Each of the K target channel groups includes one or more target channels, and each target channel group is associated with (or corresponds to) a reference channel. In other words, the K target channel groups are associated with K reference channels. The number of target channels contained in each of the K target channel groups may be the same or different, and this is not limited.

[0120] In this embodiment, the reference channel is relative to the target channel. The target channel, also called a channel or MIMO channel, can represent the channel carrying data during transmission, or the channel where the terminal device is located, or the channel where the data is located, or the transmission resources included in the data. The reference channel can represent a channel similar to the target channel. When the terminal device on the target channel transmits data, because the reference channel and the target channel have a certain similarity, the terminal device on the target channel can perform some operations based on the reference channel, such as CSI acquisition, auxiliary demodulation of data, etc. Assuming H1 is the reference channel and H2 is the target channel, as an example, the reference channel H1 and the target channel H2 can be at least one of the following: two channels that are similar in space (or spatial domain), two channels that are similar in time domain, or two channels that are similar in frequency domain. Assuming a set of target channels corresponds to a reference channel H... A As an example, the H A This refers to the centroid channel (channel of the group centroid / channel of the clustering centroid / centroid channel) of the target channels. The centroid channel is defined as a channel (e.g., channel #1) selected from a set of channels (e.g., channel set #1, which includes one or more channels) that, under the condition of spatial consistency, has the highest average similarity to the target channels in the group. This application does not limit the similarity measurement criteria; as an example, the similarity measurement criterion is the cosine similarity between channel #1 and one or more target channels. Assume H... centroid If it is a centroid channel, then H centroid =argmax( Among them, H #1 It belongs to channel set #1, i.e., H #1 ∈{H a H b ,…},H n1 cs(H) represents the n1-th target channel among one or more target channels (denoted as N target channels). #1 H n1 Characterization calculation of H #1 and H n1 The cosine similarity is used, and argmax() represents taking the maximum value.

[0121] The embodiments of this application are mainly described using target channel and reference channel as examples. The names of target channel and reference channel do not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0122] The following section describes the packet operation of the target channel in conjunction with Figure 5.

[0123] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device grouping target channels according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, assuming Q = 4, that is, the network device sends 4 reference signals to the terminal device (e.g., UE1), and the target channels used to transmit the 4 reference signals are denoted as H1, H2, H3, and H4, respectively. Then, the terminal device can determine 4 pieces of first information based on the 4 reference signals. Further, the terminal device groups the 4 target channels based on the first criterion (or, the terminal device groups the 4 pieces of first information). As shown in Figure 5, assuming K = 2, the 2 groups of target channels are associated with 2 reference channels, that is, H1 and H2 are one group (e.g., denoted as group A), and group A is associated with reference channel H. A As an example, H A These are the centroid channels of H1 and H2. H3 and H4 form a group (e.g., denoted as group B), and group B is associated with the reference channel H. B As an example, H B For the centroid channels of H3 and H4.

[0124] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific content of the first criterion, but the following provides an exemplary description.

[0125] Optionally, the first criterion is the correlation between any two target channels. In other words, the terminal device groups the Q target channels based on their correlation.

[0126] As one possible implementation, if the correlation between two target channels is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the two target channels are grouped together. This application does not limit the first threshold; optionally, the first threshold may be indicative, pre-configured, or predefined, and is not limited thereto.

[0127] This application does not limit the specific method for measuring the correlation between two target channels. Several examples are introduced below.

[0128] For example, the correlation between target channels can be determined by one or more of the following: the multipath parameters corresponding to the target channels, the location of the terminal devices corresponding to the target channels, and the deviation between the target channels.

[0129] (1) The terminal device determines the correlation between target channels based on the multipath parameters corresponding to the target channels.

[0130] Specifically, due to the high mobility of terminal devices, when terminal devices in different locations receive reference signals, the multipath parameters of terminal devices in different locations also differ because the target channels the signals pass through are different. Therefore, the target channels can be grouped based on the multipath parameters.

[0131] The multipath parameters represent the relevant information of each path when the reference signal is transmitted through the channel, such as the multipath component parameters of the transmitting antenna and / or the multipath component parameters of the receiving antenna. Multipath parameters can also be called multipath information or multipath component (MPC) information. In this embodiment, for simplicity, MPC information is used for description.

[0132] As an example, MPC information includes at least one of the following: angle, delay, power, polarization, Doppler, phase, etc. The angle may include at least one of the following: AOA, AOD, ZOA, ZOD. AOA and ZOA refer to the azimuth angle of arrival and elevation angle of arrival of the signal at the receiving antenna via the wireless channel, respectively. AOD and ZOD refer to the azimuth angle of departure and elevation angle of departure of the signal from the transmitting antenna via the wireless channel, respectively.

[0133] (2) The terminal device determines the correlation between target channels based on the location of the terminal device corresponding to the target channel.

[0134] Specifically, due to the high mobility of terminal devices, when terminal devices in different locations receive reference signals, the weighting coefficients corresponding to the channel matrix determined by the terminal devices in different locations will also be different because the target channels the signals pass through are different. Therefore, the target channels can be grouped based on the location of the terminal devices.

[0135] This application does not limit the specific representation of the location of the terminal device. As an example, the location of the terminal device may include the azimuth angle of departure (AoD) and / or the zenith angle of departure (ZoD) and / or the angle of arrival (AOA) and / or the zenith angle of arrival (ZOA). Alternatively, the location of the terminal device may be represented by coordinates, such as geospatial coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates, geospatial coordinates relative to a base station, grid coordinates, etc.), or signal space coordinates (e.g., coordinates corresponding to the signal space divided according to the signal strength of the terminal device relative to multiple base stations).

[0136] (3) The terminal device determines the correlation between target channels based on the deviation between target channels.

[0137] Specifically, the deviation between target channels can be characterized by distance. Taking target channels H1 and H2 as examples, assuming that the channel matrix of H1 is h1 and the channel matrix of H2 is h2, the terminal device can calculate the distance between the weighted coefficients corresponding to channel matrix h1 and the weighted coefficients corresponding to channel matrix h2, such as Euclidean distance, to determine whether target channels H1 and H2 are similar.

[0138] It is understood that Euclidean distance is merely one possible implementation for calculating the distance between the weighted coefficients corresponding to the channel matrices of two target channels, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. This distance could also be, for example, Wasserstein distance (also known as earth mover's distance), Jensen-Shannon divergence (JS divergence), cosine similarity, normalized cross-correlation coefficient, F-norm, etc., and this application does not limit it to these. Other examples of the above distances and their possible implementations can be found in existing technologies, and will not be detailed here.

[0139] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can divide the target channels according to their correlation, so that multiple target channels with high correlation are grouped into the same group, and multiple target channels with low correlation are grouped into different groups. Since multiple target channels with high correlation have similar channel environments, the terminal device can determine the reference channel corresponding to a group based on the target channels in that group. Furthermore, the terminal device can determine the corresponding reference channel information from the reference channel.

[0140] The following describes the reference channel information.

[0141] Optionally, the reference channel information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, channel basis, PMI, and MPC.

[0142] As one possible implementation, the reference channel information is determined based on the first information. For example, the terminal device can merge the first information corresponding to the target channels in a group to obtain the reference channel information corresponding to that group.

[0143] Referring again to Figure 5, for example, UE1 merges the first information corresponding to target channel H1 and the first information corresponding to target channel H2 to obtain the reference channel information corresponding to group A; for another example, UE1 merges the first information corresponding to target channel H3 and the first information corresponding to target channel H4 to obtain the reference channel information corresponding to group B.

[0144] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific implementation method of the terminal device merging multiple first information to obtain reference channel information.

[0145] For example, the terminal device performs a weighted average of multiple pieces of first information to obtain reference channel information.

[0146] Referring again to Figure 5, for example, the terminal device performs a weighted average of the channel information corresponding to target channel H1 and the channel information corresponding to target channel H2 to obtain the channel information corresponding to group A.

[0147] S404, the terminal device sends K reference channel information, and correspondingly, the network device receives K reference channel information.

[0148] Optionally, the terminal device may also send one or more of the following: the number K of target channel groups, and the method by which the terminal device divides the target channels (i.e., the first criterion).

[0149] S405, the network device determines L reference channel information based on K reference channel information.

[0150] Where L is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to K.

[0151] Specifically, network devices can further divide the K reference channel information based on the second criterion to obtain L reference channel information.

[0152] The embodiments of this application do not limit the second criterion. In one possible implementation, the second criterion is the same as the first criterion.

[0153] It should be understood that S405 is an optional step. When there are multiple terminal devices, the network device can further process the K reference channel information in conjunction with the reference channel information reported by other terminal devices. This is briefly described below.

[0154] When there are multiple terminal devices, method 400 further includes S406-S410, wherein the case of multiple terminal devices is described using terminal device #1 (i.e., an example of the second terminal device) as an example.

[0155] It should be understood that terminal device #1 is only an example and may include more terminal devices in actual applications, without limitation.

[0156] S406, the network device sends M reference signals #1 (i.e., an example of the second reference signal), and correspondingly, the terminal device #1 receives M reference signals #1, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0157] The reference signal can be CSI-RS; or, the reference signal can be DMRS, without limitation.

[0158] S407, Terminal device #1 determines M pieces of second information.

[0159] In S407, the content of the Q first pieces of information can be determined by referring to the terminal device in S402, which will not be elaborated here.

[0160] S408, Terminal device #1 determines N reference channel information based on M pieces of second information, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M.

[0161] S408 can refer to the content of S403 in which the terminal device determines K reference channel information based on Q first information, which will not be repeated here.

[0162] S409, terminal device #1 sends N reference channel information, and correspondingly, network device receives N reference channel information.

[0163] Optionally, terminal device #1 may also send one or more of the following: the number N of target channel groups, and the method by which terminal device #1 divides the target channels (e.g., denoted as the third criterion).

[0164] The third criterion may be the same as the first criterion; or the third criterion may be different from the first criterion, which is not specified.

[0165] S410, the network device determines P reference channel information based on K reference channel information and N reference channel information, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (K+N).

[0166] Specifically, network devices can further divide the reference channel information sent by multiple terminal devices based on the second criterion, thereby obtaining P reference channel information.

[0167] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device includes a transceiver unit 610. The transceiver unit 610 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 610 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit. Optionally, the device 600 further includes a processing unit 620. The processing unit 620 can be used to implement processing operations.

[0168] Optionally, the device 600 may further include a storage unit for storing instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 620 may read the instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the device to implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0169] Optionally, the transceiver unit 610 includes a sending unit and / or a receiving unit, wherein the sending unit is used to perform the sending operation in the above embodiments, and the receiving unit is used to perform the receiving operation in the above embodiments.

[0170] It should be noted that the communication device 600 may include a transmitting unit but not a receiving unit; or, the communication device 600 may include a receiving unit but not a transmitting unit. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by the communication device 600 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. For example, the communication device 600 is used to execute the actions performed by the network device, the first terminal device, or the second terminal device in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0171] For example, communication device 600 is used to execute the following scheme.

[0172] In one possible design, the device 600 can be a first terminal device, or a component of a first terminal device (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit). The transceiver unit and processing unit can be used to implement the relevant operations of the first terminal device.

[0173] One possible implementation is as follows: a transceiver unit 610 is used to receive Q reference signals, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1; a processing unit 620 is used to measure the Q reference signals and acquire Q first information; the transceiver unit 610 is also used to send K reference channel information, wherein the K reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with K channel groups (i.e., target channel groups), each of the K channel groups includes one or more channels, different channel groups in the K channel groups correspond to different first information, and one channel in each of the K channel groups corresponds to one piece of first information, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

[0174] Optionally, any two channels in a channel group satisfy the first criterion.

[0175] Optionally, the transceiver unit 610 is also used to transmit one or more of the following: the number of channel groups K, and the first criterion.

[0176] Optionally, the first information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, and channel basis.

[0177] Optionally, the reference channel information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, channel basis, PMI, and MPC.

[0178] Optionally, the reference signal is CSI-RS; or, the reference signal is DMRS.

[0179] In a second possible design, the device 600 can be a network device, or a component of a network device (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit). The transceiver unit and processing unit can be used to implement the relevant operations of the network device.

[0180] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 610 is configured to send Q first reference signals to the first terminal device, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the transceiver unit 610 is also configured to receive K reference channel information from the first terminal device, wherein the K reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with K channel groups, each of the K channel groups includes one or more channels, different channel groups in the K channel groups correspond to different first information, and one channel in each of the K channel groups corresponds to one piece of first information, the first information being obtained by the first terminal device by measuring the first reference signals, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

[0181] Optionally, any two channels in a channel group satisfy the first criterion.

[0182] Optionally, the transceiver unit 610 is also used to receive one or more of the following: the number of channel groups K, and a first criterion.

[0183] Optionally, the first information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, and channel basis.

[0184] Optionally, the reference channel information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, channel basis, PMI, and MPC.

[0185] Optionally, the reference signal is CSI-RS; or, the reference signal is DMRS.

[0186] Optionally, the processing unit 620 is used to determine L reference channel information based on K reference channel information, where L is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to K.

[0187] Optionally, the transceiver unit 610 is further configured to send M second reference signals to the second terminal device, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the transceiver unit 610 is further configured to receive N reference channel information from the second terminal device, wherein the N reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with N channel groups, each channel group in the N channel groups includes one or more channels, different channel groups in the N channel groups correspond to different second information, one channel in each channel group in the N channel groups corresponds to one piece of second information, the second information is obtained by measurement based on the second reference signals, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M; the processing unit 620 is further configured to determine P reference channel information based on K reference channel information and N reference channel information, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (K+N).

[0188] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0189] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0190] In one example, the storage unit may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0191] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 700 includes a processor 710, which is coupled to a memory 720. The memory 720 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 710 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 720, or to read the data stored in the memory 720, in order to execute the methods in the above method embodiments.

[0192] Optionally, there may be one or more processors 710.

[0193] Optionally, the memory 720 may be one or more.

[0194] Alternatively, the memory 720 may be integrated with the processor 710, or the memory 720 may be built into the processor 710, or the memory 720 may be separate from the processor 710.

[0195] Optionally, as shown in FIG7, the device 700 further includes a transceiver 730 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 710 is used to control the transceiver 730 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0196] For example, processor 710 is used to execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory 720 to implement the relevant operations of terminal devices or network devices in the various method embodiments described above.

[0197] Optionally, the transceiver 730 includes a transmitter (or a transmitter module, a transmitting circuit, etc.) and / or a receiver (or a receiver module, a receiving circuit, etc.), wherein the transmitter is used to perform the transmitting operation in the above embodiments, and the receiver is used to perform the receiving operation in the above embodiments.

[0198] It should be noted that the communication device 700 may include a transmitter but not a receiver; or, the communication device 700 may include a receiver but not a transmitter. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme performed by the communication device 700 includes both sending and receiving actions. For example, the communication device 700 is used to perform the actions performed by the network device, the first terminal device, or the second terminal device in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0199] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0200] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0201] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0202] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0203] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 800 (or may also be referred to as a processing system) includes logic circuitry 810 and an input / output interface 820.

[0204] The logic circuit 810 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 800. The logic circuit 810 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 800 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 820 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 800, outputting processed information from the chip system 800, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 800 for processing.

[0205] As one approach, the chip system 800 is used to implement the operations performed by the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0206] For example, logic circuit 810 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above method embodiments; input / output interface 820 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0207] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above-described method embodiments.

[0208] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to implement the methods described in the embodiments of the above methods, which are executed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device).

[0209] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods described above as being performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device).

[0210] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal devices and / or network devices described in the above embodiments.

[0211] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0212] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of 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 mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of apparatus or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0213] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs). For example, the aforementioned available media include, but are not limited to, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks, and other media capable of storing program code.

[0214] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first terminal device, the method includes: Receive Q reference signals, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The Q reference signals are measured to obtain Q pieces of first information; K reference channel information is sent, and the K reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with K channel groups. Each channel group in the K channel groups includes one or more channels. Different channel groups in the K channel groups correspond to different first information. One channel in each channel group in the K channel groups corresponds to one first information. K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: The first criterion is satisfied between any two channels in the one or more channels.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send one or more of the following: the number of channel groups K, and the first criterion.

4. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a network device, the method includes: Send Q first reference signals to the first terminal device, where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The system receives K reference channel information from the first terminal device. The K reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with K channel groups. Each channel group in the K channel groups includes one or more channels. Different channel groups in the K channel groups correspond to different first information. One channel in each channel group in the K channel groups corresponds to one piece of first information. The first information is obtained by measurement based on the first reference signal. K is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to Q.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, include: The first criterion is satisfied between any two channels in the one or more channels.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive one or more of the following: the number of channel groups K, and the first criterion.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the K reference channel information, L reference channel information is determined, where L is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to K.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send M second reference signals to the second terminal device, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The system receives N reference channel information from the second terminal device. The N reference channel information corresponds one-to-one with N channel groups. Each channel group in the N channel groups includes one or more channels. Different channel groups in the N channel groups correspond to different second information. One channel in each channel group in the N channel groups corresponds to one piece of second information. The second information is obtained by measurement based on the second reference signal. N is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. Based on the K reference channel information and the N reference channel information, P reference channel information is determined, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (K+N).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, include: The first information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, and channel basis.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, include: The reference channel information includes one or more of the following: channel information, precoded channel information, channel basis, precoded matrix indicator (PMI), and multipath component (MPC).

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, include: The reference signal is the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS). Alternatively, the reference signal may be a demodulation reference signal DMRS.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor for executing a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes programs or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A chip system, characterized in that, Includes: a processor for retrieving and running computer programs or instructions from memory, causing a communication device on which the chip system is installed to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, include: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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