Communication method, apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, an apparatus, and a storage medium, facilitating reduction of interference generated by an RIS at a terminal device in an adjacent-frequency cell, and improving the communication performance of the terminal device. The method comprises: receiving first information, the first information being used for indicating that a first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether the first network device has a terminal device accessing thereto; determining second information on the basis of the first information, the second information comprising an index of a first beam or a first time difference, the first beam being a beam having the highest signal quality among at least one beam sent by the reflector, and the first time difference being a time difference between a frame header of a data frame of the first network device and a frame header of a data frame of a second network device, wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is a network device accessed by a first terminal device; and sending the second information.

Description

Communication methods, devices and storage media

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510082931.9, filed on January 16, 2025, entitled "Communication Method, Apparatus and Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is a low-cost technique for enhancing weak coverage. RIS can comprise a reconfigurable surface composed of an array of passive reflective elements, each of which can adjust the phase, amplitude, frequency, and even polarization of the incident signal under the control of a controller.

[0004] Because the RIS operates on a wide frequency band, when the RIS performs beam scanning, it may interfere with terminal equipment in adjacent frequency cells, affecting the communication performance of the terminal equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium, which helps to reduce the interference of RIS to terminal equipment in adjacent frequency cells and improve the communication performance of terminal equipment.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal device or a communication module in the terminal device, or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for communication functions. The following description uses the application of this method to a first terminal device as an example.

[0007] The method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating that a first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether a terminal device has been connected to the first network device; determining second information based on the first information, the second information including an index of a first beam or a first time difference, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector, the first time difference being the time difference between the frame header of a data frame of the first network device and the frame header of a data frame of the second network device, wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is a network device connected to by the first terminal device; and sending the second information.

[0008] As an example, the reflector is a RIS.

[0009] The first network device and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, for example, in adjacent frequency bands.

[0010] When the first network device has a reflector configured and no terminal device is connected to the first network device, in order to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the first terminal device, the first terminal device can activate a beam management scheme for the reflector, making the reflector available for its own use. Specifically, when the reflector performs beam scanning, the first terminal device identifies the first beam with better signal quality and sends the index of the first beam to the first network device. In this way, the first network device can fix the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam, and the signal sent by the second network device can be sent to the first terminal device through the first beam. This helps to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the first terminal device and improves the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0011] When a first network device is configured with a reflector and a terminal device is connected to the first network device, in order to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the first terminal device, the first terminal device can initiate a data frame alignment scheme. Specifically, the first terminal device measures the synchronization signal block (SSB) sent by the first network device, determines the time difference between the frame header of the first network device's data frame and the frame header of the second network device's data frame, and sends this time difference to the second network device. The second network device can then adjust the frame header of its data frame to align with the frame header of the first network device's data frame based on this time difference. Thus, without affecting the communication of the first network device, since the frame headers of the second network device's data frames are aligned with those of the first network device, the beam of the reflector is fixed when the second network device transmits data with the first terminal device. This means the beam scanning of the reflector has ended, thus avoiding the beam scanning of the reflector. Therefore, this helps reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the transmitter to the first terminal device and improves the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, determining the second information based on the first information includes: based on the first information, switching the center frequency of the first terminal device from the first center frequency to the second center frequency; performing adjacent channel measurement to obtain measurement results, the measurement results including the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, or, the index of the first SSB, the first SSB being one of the at least one SSBs transmitted by the first network device; determining the second information based on the measurement results; wherein the first center frequency is the center frequency of the second network device, and the second center frequency is the center frequency of the first network device.

[0013] In this application, the first terminal device can determine the second information through adjacent channel measurement. The measurement results include the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, or the index of the first SSB. Such adjacent channel measurement provides richer information.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when no terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, and the second information includes the index of the first beam.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold, which is beneficial to improving the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when a terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the index of the first SSB and the second information includes the first time difference, wherein the index of the first SSB is used to determine the time domain location of the frame header of the data frame of the first network device.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information is system information.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information is the master information block (MIB).

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before receiving the first information, the method further includes: sending third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflective endpoint.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information is message information.

[0021] It should be understood that the first network device and the second network device can transmit this message information through the Xn interface.

[0022] Secondly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to the network side, such as a network device or a communication module in a network device, or a circuit or chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions. The following description uses the application of this method to a second network device as an example.

[0023] The method includes: sending first information to a first terminal device, the first information indicating that a first network device has been configured with a reflector and that a terminal device has been connected to the first network device; receiving second information from the first terminal device; if the second information includes an index of a first beam, sending the second information, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector; or, if the second information includes a first time difference, adjusting the frame header of the data frame of the second network device to be aligned with the frame header of the data frame of the first network device based on the first time difference, the first time difference being the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device, the second network device being the network device connected to by the first terminal device; wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, and the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands.

[0024] As an example, the reflector is a RIS.

[0025] The first network device and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, for example, in adjacent frequency bands.

[0026] In this process, the reflector transmits at least one beam during the beam scanning phase, and the first beam is the beam with the highest signal quality among the at least one beam.

[0027] When the first network device has a reflector configured and no terminal device is connected to the first network device, in order to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the data transmission of the first terminal device, the second network device, after receiving the index of the first beam, sends the index of the first beam to the first network device. In this way, the first network device can fix the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam, and the signal sent by the second network device can then be sent to the first terminal device through the first beam. This helps to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the first terminal device and improves the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0028] When the first network device is configured with a reflector and a terminal device is connected to the first network device, in order to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the first terminal device, the second network device, after receiving the time difference between the headers of the data frames of the first and second network devices, adjusts the headers of the data frames of the second network device to align with the headers of the data frames of the first network device based on this time difference. Thus, without affecting the communication of the first network device, since the headers of the data frames of the second and first network devices are aligned, the beam of the reflector is fixed when the second network device transmits data with the first terminal device; that is, the beam scanning of the transmitting end has ended. This avoids the beam scanning of the reflector, which helps reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the transmitting end to the first terminal device and improves the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0029] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than the first threshold, which is beneficial to improving the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0030] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information from the first terminal device, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflective end; sending the third information to the first network device; and receiving first information from the first network device.

[0031] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information is message information.

[0032] It should be understood that the second aspect of this application corresponds to the technical solution of the first aspect of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here.

[0033] Thirdly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to the network side, such as a network device or a communication module in a network device, or a circuit or chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions. The following description uses the application of this method to a first network device as an example.

[0034] Send first information, which indicates that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether a terminal device has been connected to the first network device; receive second information, which includes an index of a first beam, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector; and fix the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam; wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is the network device connected to by the first terminal device.

[0035] When the first network device has a reflector configured and no terminal device is connected to the first network device, the second information received by the first network device includes the index of the first beam. To reduce interference from the beam scanning of the reflector on the data transmission of the first terminal device, after receiving the index of the first beam, the first network device fixes the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam. This allows the signal sent by the second network device to be transmitted to the first terminal device through the first beam, thus reducing interference from the beam scanning of the reflector and improving the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0036] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than the first threshold, which is beneficial to improving the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0037] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first information is system information.

[0038] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first information is the MIB.

[0039] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflective end; and sending first information, including: sending the first information based on the third information.

[0040] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first information is message information.

[0041] It should be understood that the third aspect of this application corresponds to the technical solution of the first aspect of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, so they will not be repeated here.

[0042] Fourthly, a communication apparatus is provided for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above. Specifically, the apparatus includes a transceiver module and a processing module for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0043] The transceiver module is configured to: receive first information, which indicates that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether a terminal device has been connected to the first network device; the processing module is configured to: determine second information based on the first information, which includes the index of a first beam or a first time difference, wherein the first beam is the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector, and the first time difference is the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device, wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is the network device connected to the first terminal device; the transceiver module is also configured to: transmit the second information.

[0044] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the processing module is configured to: switch the center frequency of the first terminal device from the first center frequency to the second center frequency based on the first information; perform adjacent channel measurement to obtain measurement results, the measurement results including the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, or the index of the first SSB, the first SSB being one of the at least one SSBs transmitted by the first network device; and determine the second information based on the measurement results. Wherein, the first center frequency is the center frequency of the second network device, and the second center frequency is the center frequency of the first network device.

[0045] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, when no terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, and the second information includes the index of the first beam.

[0046] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0047] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, when a terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the index of the first SSB, and the second information includes the first time difference, wherein the index of the first SSB is used to determine the time domain location of the frame header of the data frame of the first network device.

[0048] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information is system information.

[0049] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information is the MIB.

[0050] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver module is used to: send third information, which is used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflector.

[0051] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information is message information.

[0052] Fifthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above. Specifically, the apparatus includes a transceiver module and a processing module for performing the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0053] The transceiver module is configured to: send first information to a first terminal device, the first information indicating that a first network device has been configured with a reflector and that a terminal device has been connected to the first network device; and receive second information from the first terminal device. If the second information includes an index of a first beam, the transceiver module is further configured to: send the second information, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector; or, if the second information includes a first time difference, the processing module is configured to: adjust the frame header of the data frame of the second network device to be aligned with the frame header of the data frame of the first network device based on the first time difference, the first time difference being the time difference between the frame headers of the data frames of the first and second network devices, the second network device being the network device connected to the first terminal device. The reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, and the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands.

[0054] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than the first threshold.

[0055] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the transceiver module is used to: receive third information from the first terminal device, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflector; send the third information to the first network device; and receive first information from the first network device.

[0056] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the first information is message information.

[0057] Sixthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method in any possible implementation of the third aspect described above. Specifically, the apparatus includes a transceiver module and a processing module for performing the method in any possible implementation of the third aspect described above.

[0058] The transceiver module is configured to: send first information, which indicates that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether a terminal device has been connected to the first network device; and receive second information, which includes an index of a first beam, wherein the first beam is the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector; the processing module is configured to: fix the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam; wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is the network device connected to the first terminal device.

[0059] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than the first threshold.

[0060] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first information is system information.

[0061] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first information is the MIB.

[0062] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the transceiver module is used to: receive third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflector; and, based on the third information, send the first information.

[0063] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising at least one processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, such that the device performs a method in any possible implementation of any of the preceding aspects.

[0064] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, which, when executing the instructions stored in the memory, can implement the methods described in the foregoing aspects.

[0065] Optionally, the device may also include a transmitter and a receiver, which may be separate or integrated together and referred to as a transceiver.

[0066] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when run, causes a computer to perform a method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0067] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods in any possible implementation of any of the preceding aspects.

[0068] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects, such as receiving or processing data involved in the above methods.

[0069] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, which may be located within or outside the processor.

[0070] Optionally, the chip system may consist of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0071] In one aspect, this application provides a communication system, including a first terminal device for implementing the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, a second network device for implementing the method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, and a first network device for implementing the method described in the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0072] It should be understood that the fourth to eleventh aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first to third aspects of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0073] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a RIS;

[0074] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an aligned data frame header provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a capability identification method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the transmission of message information between network devices through the Xn interface according to an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of another capability identification method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic block diagrams of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0082] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] Before introducing the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, the following points should be made first.

[0084] First, in the embodiments shown below, the terms and English abbreviations, such as reflector, RIS, SSB, etc., are exemplary examples given for ease of description and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0085] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations are merely for descriptive convenience to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. For example, the first threshold and the second threshold are only used to distinguish different thresholds and do not limit their order, nor are they used to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first," "second," etc., are not necessarily different.

[0086] Third, "at least one" means one or more, while "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects 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 can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0087] Fourth, in this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, explicit and implicit instructions, and instructions used for determination. When describing certain instruction information to indicate A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A. In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, 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 correlation 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 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 to be sent separately, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information can be the same or different. 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 indicated, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be indicated.

[0088] The information in this application is used to indicate one or more contents, or it may be replaced with the information indicating one or more contents, or the information including one or more contents.

[0089] Fifth, in this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, not to a time limit, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action, nor do they imply any other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" are interchangeable, and "when" and "under the circumstances" are interchangeable. "When" is interchangeable with "if" / "if."

[0090] Sixth, in this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0091] Seventh, "Sending information / data" only indicates the direction of information / data transmission, including direct transmission via the device's communication interface (such as an air interface). "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the module interface. "Sending" can include indirect transmission by the processing unit through the communication interface, that is, after the processing unit outputs information / data through the module interface, it is transmitted to the device's communication interface and then sent out. "Receiving information / data" only indicates the direction of information / data transmission, including direct reception via the communication interface. "Receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the module interface. "Receiving information / data" can include indirect reception by the processing unit through the communication interface, that is, after the communication interface receives information / data, it is transmitted to the module interface of the processing unit and then input to the processing unit. "Sending information / data to… (such as a terminal device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device. It can include sending information / data directly or indirectly to the terminal device. "Receiving information / data from… (such as a terminal device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal device, and can include receiving information / data directly or indirectly from the terminal device. Information / data may undergo necessary processing, such as format changes, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information / data from the source. Similar statements in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be repeated here.

[0092] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between terminal devices and network devices; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0093] Eighth, in this application, the solutions in each embodiment can be used in a reasonable combination, and the explanations or descriptions of various terms, similar operations, or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the various embodiments, without limitation.

[0094] The reflective end in this application will now be described.

[0095] Specifically, the reflecting end can adjust the phase, amplitude, frequency, and even polarization of the incident signal under the action of the controller.

[0096] In phase adjustment, the reflecting end can adjust the phase of the incident signal under the control of a controller, thereby controlling the phase of the signal after reflection. Alternatively, it can be understood that the reflecting end can adjust the phase of the transmitted signal (the incident signal from the reflecting end) under the control of a controller, thus controlling the phase of the signal reflected by the reflecting end. In this way, when the transmitted signal reaches the surface of the reflecting end, the phase of the reflected signal changes after reflection. By adjusting the phase of the incident signal, the reflecting end can create a specific angular distribution of the reflected signal in space. In other words, the reflecting end can precisely control the angle of the reflected signal towards the receiving end by adjusting the phase of the incident signal.

[0097] For example, the reflector could be a RIS.

[0098] Referring to Figure 1, the RIS, also known as an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS), comprises a reconfigurable surface composed of an array of passive reflecting units. Each passive reflecting unit can adjust the phase, amplitude, frequency, and even polarization of the incident signal of the RIS under the control of a controller. For example, by changing the resistance value of the passive reflecting unit, the signal amplitude of the reflected signal of the RIS can be made to be in the range [0, 1].

[0099] Specifically, for phase adjustment, each passive reflector can adjust the phase of the transmitted signal (i.e., the incident signal for the RIS) under the control of the controller. When the transmitted signal reaches the surface of the passive reflector, its phase changes after reflection. In one implementation, the phase shift can take a finite number of discrete values, such as 1 bit corresponding to 2 phases, i.e., 0 and π. Through phase adjustment of the passive reflector, the reflected signal can form a specific angular distribution in space. That is, each passive reflector in the RIS can adjust the phase of the transmitted signal (i.e., the incident signal for the RIS) under the control of the controller, thereby precisely controlling the angle of the reflected signal from the RIS to the receiver. In implementation, the controller can calculate the required angle of the reflected signal based on the receiver's location information and communication requirements, and then precisely control the direction of the reflected signal towards the receiver by adjusting the phase. This angle control capability is similar to a dynamically adjustable smart reflector, which can accurately focus the signal to the receiver, improving the signal reception strength and quality.

[0100] RIS does not use an active transmitter and can adjust the phase of the reflected signal, generating no additional power consumption and significantly improving energy and spectral efficiency in various network scenarios. Through passive reflective element arrays, intelligent reflective surfaces can provide various special functions, such as anomalous reflection, perfect absorption, and beam adjustment, enabling RIS to be widely used in different application scenarios.

[0101] However, because the reflector operates over a wide frequency band, it may interfere with terminal equipment in adjacent cells. The following explanation uses a RIS reflector as an example.

[0102] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, network device #1, RIS #1, and terminal device #1 operate in frequency band #1, while network device #2 and terminal device #2 operate in frequency band #2. In this scenario, terminal device #2 is located within the coverage area of ​​RIS #1. Because RIS #1 has a wide bandwidth, it can reflect the signal transmitted by network device #2 to terminal device #2, causing rapid changes in the channel of terminal device #2 and affecting its communication performance.

[0103] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method in which a first terminal device (e.g., terminal device #2 in FIG2) first determines whether a first network device (e.g., network device #1 in FIG2) is configured with a reflector (e.g., RIS#1 in FIG2). If it is determined that the first network device is configured with a reflector, the first terminal device obtains second information, and then the first terminal device sends the second information to the first network device or the second network device (e.g., network device #2 in FIG2). The first network device or the second network device can then perform interference management based on the second information to reduce the interference caused by the beam scanning of the reflector to the first terminal device, thereby improving the communication performance of the first terminal device.

[0104] Among them, adjacent channel measurement technology defines the processing method and process of the measurement results of the reference signal from the physical layer to the higher layers in a standardized way, so that the measurement reports output by each terminal device to the network device are as uniform as possible and truly reflect the quality of the cell or beam.

[0105] Referring to Figure 2, terminal device #2 can initiate adjacent channel measurement of network device #1. During the adjacent channel measurement process, network device #2 sends adjacent channel measurement information of network device #1 to terminal device #2. The adjacent channel measurement information includes one or more of the following: center frequency, subcarrier spacing, measurement window configuration, measurement reference signal configuration, and measurement period configuration. Based on the adjacent channel measurement information, terminal device #2 switches the center frequency to the center frequency of network device #1 and measures the strength of the reference signal sent by network device #1.

[0106] The network equipment in this application can be a node deployed in a radio access network (RAN), referred to as an RAN node. The radio access network can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4th generation mobile communication technology (4G) system (also known as a long term evolution (LTE) system), a 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G) system (also known as a new radio (NR) system), or it can be applied to future mobile communication systems or other similar communication systems, etc., without specific limitations. The radio access network can also be an open radio access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (CRAN). The radio access network can also be a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a satellite communication network, a high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication network, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) communication network, a RIS communication network, etc. A wireless access network can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0107] In one possible scenario, RAN nodes can be base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), base stations in future mobile communication systems, access points (APs) in satellites, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, and access network equipment in mobile switching center non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems. These can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites. Access network equipment can be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or radio controllers in CRAN scenarios. Access network equipment can also function as base stations in device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, drone communication, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. Optionally, access network equipment can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network equipment can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0108] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that RAN nodes can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices that include both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, CUs can be classified as access network equipment within the RAN or as access network equipment within the core network; no restrictions are placed here.

[0109] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an O-RAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0110] Terminal equipment is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from RAN nodes. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as a terminal, terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc.

[0111] For example, terminal devices include handheld devices and in-vehicle devices with wireless connectivity. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, smart glasses, etc.), in-vehicle devices (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), satellite terminals, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, point-of-sale (POS) machines, customer-premises equipment (CPE), light user equipment (UE), reduced capability user equipment (REDCAP UE), wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (such as refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, and flying equipment (such as intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), etc. Terminal devices can also be vehicle devices, such as vehicle devices, vehicle modules, vehicle chips, on-board units (OBUs) or telematics boxes (T-BOXs). Terminal devices can also be other devices with terminal functions. For example, a terminal device can also be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication.

[0112] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. All or part of the functions of the terminal device in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0113] Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc.

[0114] Network devices and terminal devices can be fixed in location 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 artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the network devices and terminal devices.

[0115] Communication between network devices and terminal devices, between network devices, and between terminal devices can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can also be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication. As an example, in an NR architecture, network devices transmit message information through the Xn interface.

[0116] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the network device can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the network device, or by a control subsystem that includes network device functions. This control subsystem, including network device 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 functions.

[0117] In this application, the network device sends downlink (DL) signals or downlink information to the terminal device, which are carried on the downlink channel; the terminal device sends uplink (UL) signals or uplink information to the network device, which are carried on the uplink channel. To communicate with the network device, the terminal device can establish a wireless connection on a cell controlled by the network device. The cell with which the terminal device has established a wireless connection is called the serving cell of the terminal device. When the terminal device communicates with the serving cell, it may also be subject to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0118] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The steps of method 300 can be interactively executed by a terminal device (or modules in the terminal device, such as processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, etc.) and a network device (or modules in the network device, such as processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, etc.). The following description uses a terminal device and a network device as examples. Furthermore, the processing performed by a single execution entity can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, RU, etc.

[0119] Method 300 includes, but is not limited to, S301 and S305. Optionally, method 300 also includes S306 and S307. Each step will be described in detail below.

[0120] In step S301, the first terminal device receives first information, which indicates that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether any terminal devices have been connected to the first network device. Optionally, step S301 can be executed by the first terminal device or by a device in the first terminal device (e.g., a baseband chip, baseband module, signal processing chip or module, etc.).

[0121] In this embodiment, the reflector operates in the same frequency band as the first network device, but in a different frequency band than the first terminal device. When the reflector performs beam scanning, the channel between the first terminal device and the network device it accesses changes rapidly within a short period, affecting the demodulation performance of the first terminal device. In this application, the network device accessed by the first terminal device is a second network device, and the reflector operates in a different frequency band than the second network device.

[0122] In one possible implementation, if the first terminal device detects that the throughput is less than or equal to a second threshold for a period of time, the first terminal device determines whether the first network device is configured with a reflection endpoint, and / or whether any terminal devices are connected to the first network device. Whether the first network device is configured with a reflection endpoint can also be described as whether the first network device supports reflection, or whether the first network device has reflection capabilities.

[0123] The reflective end is, for example, the RIS or IRS described above.

[0124] In step S302, the first terminal device determines second information based on the first information. The second information includes the index of the first beam or a first time difference. The first beam is the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflecting end. The first time difference is the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device. Optionally, step S302 can be executed by the first terminal device or by a device in the first terminal device (e.g., a baseband chip, baseband module, signal processing chip or module, etc.).

[0125] In one possible implementation, the first terminal device first determines whether the first network device is configured with a reflector based on first information. If it is determined that the first network device is configured with a reflector, the first terminal device then determines whether any terminal devices are connected to the first network device. If no terminal devices are connected to the first network device, the first information includes the index of the first beam; if a terminal device is connected to the first network device, the second information includes the first time difference. Optionally, in this embodiment, "the first network device is configured with a reflector" can be understood as having a reflector associated with the first network device.

[0126] In one possible implementation, the first terminal device determines second information based on first information, including: the first terminal device switches its center frequency from a first center frequency to a second center frequency based on the first information; then, the first terminal device performs adjacent-channel measurement on the second center frequency and obtains measurement results. These measurement results include the signal quality of each beam in at least one beam transmitted by the reflecting end, or the measurement results include the index of a first SSB. Here, the first center frequency is the center frequency of the second network device, or the center frequency of the frequency band to which the second network device belongs; the second center frequency is the center frequency of the first network device, or the center frequency of the frequency band to which the first network device belongs; and the first SSB is one of at least one SSB transmitted by the first network device.

[0127] It should be understood that, given that the first network device has been configured with a reflector, the first terminal device may obtain different measurement results depending on whether a terminal device is connected to the first network device.

[0128] When the first network device has been configured with a reflector and no terminal device is connected to the first network device, the first terminal device initiates a scheme to manage the beam of the reflector (hereinafter referred to as Scheme 1). In Scheme 1, the first terminal device measures the signal quality of each beam in at least one beam transmitted by the reflector during beam scanning. That is, the measurement result includes the signal quality of each beam in at least one beam transmitted by the reflector. Then, the first terminal device determines the index of the beam with the highest signal quality in the at least one beam, that is, the index of the first beam.

[0129] As an example, metrics for measuring the signal quality of a beam can be reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0130] In one possible implementation, the first terminal device determines whether there is a beam among the at least one beam with a signal quality greater than or equal to a first threshold. If no beam has a signal quality greater than or equal to the first threshold, the first terminal device terminates the process of managing the beam at the reflecting end and continues to detect the system throughput. If one or more beams have a signal quality greater than or equal to the first threshold, the first terminal device determines the beam with the highest signal quality among the one or more beams as the first beam. The signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0131] When the first network device has been configured with a reflector and the second network device has a terminal device connected, the first terminal device initiates a frame boundary alignment scheme (hereinafter referred to as Scheme 2). In Scheme 2, the first terminal device measures the information of at least one SSB sent by the first network device. Based on the index of the first SSB it receives, it can determine the time domain position of the frame header of the data frame of the first network device. Thus, the first terminal device can determine the time difference between the data frame of the first network device and the data frame of the second network device, i.e., the first time difference.

[0132] It should be understood that the at least one SSB has different directions. The first terminal device can receive the first SSB covering its location. After the first terminal device receives the first SSB, since the first terminal device knows the transmission time of each of the at least one SSB, the first terminal device can determine the frame header position of the data frame of the first network device.

[0133] It should be noted that in Scheme 2, the data frames of the first network device (hereinafter referred to as data frame #1) and the data frames of the second network device (hereinafter referred to as data frame #2) have the same format. For example, the length of data frame #1 and data frame #2 is T milliseconds, where the first m milliseconds are used for beam scanning and the last Tm milliseconds are used for data transmission. The following explanation, with reference to Figure 4, uses T = 10 milliseconds as an example to illustrate the time difference between the headers of data frame #1 and data frame #2.

[0134] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the length T of data frames #1 and #2 is 10 milliseconds, where the first m milliseconds are used for beam scanning and the last Tm milliseconds are used for data transmission. When the first terminal device detects at least one SSB of the first network device, it can reserve a period of time for switching the center frequency point, i.e., switching from the first center frequency point to the second center frequency point, in preparation for starting adjacent channel measurement. The reserved time is, for example, 0.5 milliseconds. After switching to the second center frequency point, the first terminal device starts adjacent channel measurement, detecting the SSB sent by the first network device within a frame of 10 milliseconds. After detecting the first SSB, the first terminal device obtains the index of the first SSB and determines the frame header position of data frame #1 based on the index of the first SSB. Since the first terminal device knows the frame header position of data frame #2, it can determine the time difference between the frame headers of data frame #1 and data frame #2. After detecting the first SSB, the first terminal device can reserve a period of time for switching the center frequency point, i.e., switching from the second center frequency point to the first center frequency point, in preparation for ending adjacent channel measurement. After switching to the first center frequency, the first terminal device ends the adjacent frequency measurement.

[0135] In step S303, the first terminal device sends second information to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the second information. If the second information includes the index of the first beam, then the second network device executes step S304-A; if the second information includes the first time difference, then the second network device executes step S305. Optionally, step S303 can be executed by the first terminal device or by a device within the first terminal device (e.g., a baseband chip, baseband module, signal processing chip, or module).

[0136] If the second information includes the index of the first beam, the second information can be regarded as a request from the first terminal device to manage the beam of the reflector. Since the reflector is configured by the first network device, the first terminal device can first send the second information to the second network device it is connected to, and then send the second information to the first network device through the second network device.

[0137] S304-A, the second network device sends second information to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the second information.

[0138] If the second information includes the index of the first beam, the second network device can forward the second information to the first network device, which then performs interference management based on the second information. Optionally, S304-A can be executed by the second network device or by a device within the second network device (e.g., a baseband chip, baseband module, signal processing chip, or module).

[0139] In step S304-B, the first network device fixes the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam. Optionally, step S304-B ​​can be executed by the first network device or by a device in the first network device (e.g., a baseband chip, baseband module, signal processing chip or module, etc.).

[0140] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application. The first network device is, for example, network device #1 in Figure 5, the second network device is, for example, network device #2 in Figure 5, the first terminal device is, for example, terminal device #2 in Figure 5, and the reflector is, for example, RIS#1 in Figure 5.

[0141] In Figure 5, network device #1 is configured with RIS#1, and no terminal device is connected to network device #1. Terminal device #2 is connected to network device #2. The link between network device #2 and RIS#1 is link #1, and the link between RIS#1 and terminal device #2 is link #2. When no terminal device is connected to network device #1, meaning there is no terminal device that needs to be served by network device #1, to avoid the beam scanning of RIS#1 affecting the data transmission of terminal device #2, terminal device #2 can activate the above-mentioned scheme one, making RIS#1 available for terminal device #2. Specifically, when RIS#1 performs beam scanning, terminal device #2 determines the first beam with the best signal quality and sends the index of the first beam to network device #1. After receiving the index of the first beam, network device #1 fixes the beam on link #2 as the first beam. RIS#1 can then send the signal sent by network device #2 to terminal device #2 through the first beam, thereby improving the throughput of terminal device #2.

[0142] In one possible implementation, when a terminal device connects to the first network device, the first network device cancels the fixed state of the beam on the link from the reflector to the first terminal device and executes the beam scanning process.

[0143] In one possible implementation, when multiple terminal devices send requests for a fixed beam to the first network device, in order to meet the needs of as many terminal devices as possible, the first network device can make a compromise. For example, if one terminal device requests a fixed 30° beam and another terminal device requests a fixed 40° beam, the first network device can choose to fix a 35° beam.

[0144] In step S305, the second network device adjusts the header of its data frame to align with the header of the first network device's data frame based on the first time difference. Optionally, step S305 can be executed by the second network device or by a device within the second network device (e.g., a baseband chip, baseband module, signal processing chip, or module).

[0145] When a terminal device connects to the first network device, meaning the first network device has a terminal device requiring service, to avoid the beam scanning at the reflector affecting the data transmission of the first terminal device, the first terminal device can activate the second scheme described above. It determines a first time difference by measuring the SSB information sent by the first network device and sends this first time difference to the second network device. After receiving the first time difference, the second network device adjusts the header of its data frames to align with the header of the first network device's data frames. Thus, without affecting the communication of the first network device, since the headers of the second and first network device's data frames are aligned, the beam at the reflector is fixed during data transmission between the second network device and the first terminal device. This means the beam scanning at the transmitting end has ended, thus avoiding interference with the data transmission of the first terminal device.

[0146] In one possible implementation, when multiple terminal devices send requests to the second network device to adjust the frame header of data frames, in order to meet the needs of as many terminal devices as possible, the second network device can make a compromise. For example, if one terminal device requests an adjustment of 2 milliseconds and another terminal device requests an adjustment of 3 milliseconds, the second network device can choose to adjust to 2.5 milliseconds.

[0147] This application also provides a capability identification method 600. In method 600, a first terminal device can identify whether a neighboring cell is configured with a reflector and / or whether a terminal device is connected to the neighboring cell based on system information. The system information can be a MIB or a system information block (SIB). This application describes the method using MIB as an example.

[0148] As shown in Figure 6, in method 600, the second network device sends adjacent channel measurement information to the first terminal device. The first terminal device receives the adjacent channel measurement information and, based on the adjacent channel measurement information, initiates adjacent channel measurement of the first network device to obtain the MIB of the first network device. A description of the first terminal device and the second network device can be found in the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0149] The adjacent channel measurement information includes one or more of the following: center frequency, subcarrier spacing, measurement window configuration, measurement reference signal configuration, and measurement period configuration.

[0150] In one possible implementation, the first terminal device can obtain the SSB of the first network device through adjacent channel measurement. The first terminal device sequentially searches for the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and demodulation reference signal (DMRS) on the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) in the SSB. Then, the first terminal device demodulates the PBCH to obtain the MIB of the first network device.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the MIB includes a first bit and a second bit, which can transmit two bits of information. The first bit is used to indicate whether the first network device is configured with a reflector, and the second bit is used to indicate whether the first network device has a terminal device accessing it.

[0152] For example, the first bit and the second bit are bits that are not defined in the MIB, or reserved bits, such as the 23rd bit and the 24th bit.

[0153] For example, the first bit and the second bit can be extended / added bits in the MIB.

[0154] For example, if the bit state of the first bit is "1", it indicates that the first network device has been configured with a reflection terminal; if the bit state of the first bit is "0", it indicates that the first network device has not been configured with a reflection terminal.

[0155] For example, if the bit state of the second bit is "1", it means that the first network device has a terminal device connected; if the bit state of the second bit is "0", it means that the first network device has no terminal device connected.

[0156] It should be understood that method 600 can be implemented in conjunction with method 300 above. For example, in method 300, the first terminal device receives first information, including: the first terminal device receives first information from the first network device, where the first information is system information or the first information is a MIB.

[0157] As shown in Figure 7, in the 5G NR architecture, the first network device and the second network device can transmit message information through the Xn interface. Based on this, this application embodiment also provides another capability identification method 800. In method 800, the first terminal device can identify whether the neighboring cell is configured with a reflector and / or whether there is a terminal device connected to the neighboring cell based on the Xn interface.

[0158] As shown in Figure 8, in method 800, the first terminal device sends third information to the second network device. The third information is used to confirm whether the first network device has configured a reflection terminal. The second network device sends the third information to the first network device through the Xn interface. After receiving the third information, the first network device sends a message to the second network device through the Xn interface, and then the second network device sends the message to the first terminal device.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the message includes a first indication and a second indication. The first indication indicates whether the first network device is configured with a reflector, and the second indication indicates whether the first network device has a terminal device connected.

[0160] For example, the length of the first indication information is 1 bit. If the first indication information is "1", it means that the first network device has been configured with a reflection terminal. If the first indication information is "0", it means that the first network device has not been configured with a reflection terminal.

[0161] For example, the length of the second indication information is 1 bit. If the second indication information is "1", it means that the first network device has a terminal device connected. If the second indication information is "0", it means that the first network device has no terminal device connected.

[0162] It should be understood that method 800 can be implemented in conjunction with method 300 described above. For example, before S301, method 300 further includes S306: the first terminal device sends third information to the second network device, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device has configured a reflection endpoint, and correspondingly, the second network device receives the third information. Further, method 300 also includes S307: the second network device sends third information to the first network device, and correspondingly, the first network device receives the third information. Based on the third information, the first network device sends first information to the second network device, and the second network device forwards the first information to the first terminal device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first network device has configured a reflection endpoint and whether the first network device has a terminal device connected. The first information is message information.

[0163] It should be understood that the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0164] The communication method according to an embodiment of the present application has been described in detail above with reference to FIG3. The communication device according to an embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG9 and FIG10.

[0165] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic block diagrams of communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of terminal devices or network devices in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0166] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 includes a transceiver module 910 and a processing module 920. The transceiver module 910 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication module.

[0167] The device 900 can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the device 900 can be a component (e.g., a chip) configured in the terminal device or network device. The processing module 920 is used to perform processing-related operations of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 910 is used to perform receiving and transmitting-related operations of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0168] Optionally, the transceiver module 910 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0169] It should be noted that device 900 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, device 900 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by device 900 includes both transmitting and receiving actions.

[0170] Optionally, the device 900 is used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device or network device in the embodiment shown in FIG3 above. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the embodiment shown in FIG3 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0171] Optionally, the device 900 may further include a storage module, which can be used to store data and / or to store computer programs or instructions. The processing module 920 can read the computer programs / instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device 900 can implement the above-described method embodiments.

[0172] When device 900 is used to implement the function of the first terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3, transceiver module 910 is used to: receive first information, the first information being used to indicate that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether the first network device has a terminal device connected; processing module 920 is used to: determine second information based on the first information, the second information including the index of a first beam or a first time difference, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflector, the first time difference being the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device, wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is the network device connected to by the first terminal device; transceiver module 910 is also used to: send the second information.

[0173] Optionally, the processing module 920 is configured to: switch the center frequency of the first terminal device from the first center frequency to the second center frequency based on the first information; perform adjacent channel measurement to obtain measurement results, the measurement results including the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, or the index of the first SSB, the first SSB being one of the at least one SSBs transmitted by the first network device; and determine second information based on the measurement results. Wherein, the first center frequency is the center frequency of the second network device, and the second center frequency is the center frequency of the first network device.

[0174] Optionally, if no terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the signal quality of each of the at least one beam, and the second information includes the index of the first beam.

[0175] Optionally, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0176] Optionally, when a terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the index of the first SSB and the second information includes the first time difference, wherein the index of the first SSB is used to determine the time domain location of the frame header of the data frame of the first network device.

[0177] Optionally, the first information is system information.

[0178] Optionally, the first information is the MIB.

[0179] Optionally, the transceiver module 910 is used to: send third information, which is used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with the reflector.

[0180] Optionally, the first information is message information.

[0181] When device 900 is used to implement the function of the first network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3, transceiver module 910 is used to: send first information, the first information being used to indicate that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and whether the first network device has a terminal device connected; and receive second information, the second information including the index of a first beam, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam sent by the reflector; processing module 920 is used to: fix the beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device as the first beam; wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands, and the second network device is the network device connected to by the first terminal device.

[0182] Optionally, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0183] Optionally, the transceiver module 910 is configured to: receive third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflector; and, based on the third information, send the first information.

[0184] Optionally, the first information is message information.

[0185] When device 900 is used to implement the function of the second network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3, transceiver module 910 is used to: send first information to first terminal device, the first information indicating that the first network device has been configured with a reflector and that the first network device has a terminal device connected; and receive second information from the first terminal device; if the second information includes the index of a first beam, transceiver module 910 is further used to: send the second information, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam sent by the reflector; or, if the second information includes a first time difference, processing module 920 is used to: adjust the frame header of the data frame of the second network device to be aligned with the frame header of the data frame of the first network device based on the first time difference, the first time difference being the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device, the second network device being the network device connected to by the first terminal device; wherein the reflector and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, and the reflector and the second network device operate in different frequency bands.

[0186] Optionally, the signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0187] Optionally, the first information is system information.

[0188] Optionally, the first information is the MIB.

[0189] Optionally, the transceiver module 910 is configured to: receive third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflector; send the third information; and receive the first information.

[0190] Optionally, the transceiver module 910 is configured to: receive third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with a reflector; and, based on the third information, send the first information.

[0191] For a more detailed description of the transceiver module 910 and the processing module 920, please refer to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] It is understandable that the above processing module can be replaced by a processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit.

[0193] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010 and an interface circuit 1020. The one or more processors 1010 and the interface circuit 1020 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the device 1000 may also include a memory 1030 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1010, or for storing input data required by the processor 1010 to execute instructions, or for storing data generated after the processor 1010 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 1020 can also be understood as part of the one or more processors 1010, in which case the device 1000 includes the one or more processors 1010.

[0194] The one or more processors 1010 and memory 1030 can be configured separately or integrated, and this application does not limit this.

[0195] When the device 1000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG3, the one or more processors 1010 are used to implement the functions of the processing module 920, and the interface circuit 1020 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver module 910.

[0196] When the aforementioned device 1000 is a chip applied to a terminal device, the chip of the terminal device implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the terminal device receiving information from a network device can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal device, and then sent to the chip of the terminal device by these modules. The chip of the terminal device sending information to a network device can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal device, and then sent to the network device by these modules.

[0197] When the aforementioned device 1000 is a chip applied to a network device, the chip of the network device implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the network device receives information from the terminal device, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, and then sent to the chip of the network device by these modules. The chip of the network device sends information to the terminal device, which can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, and then sent to the terminal device by these modules.

[0198] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. Alternatively, the computer program includes instructions for implementing the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0199] This application also provides a computer program product, including: a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0200] This application also provides an apparatus, which can be a chip, including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the methods in the above embodiments, such as receiving or processing data involved in the methods in the above embodiments.

[0201] This application also provides a communication system, including a first terminal device, a first network device, and a second network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 above.

[0202] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor can be a central processing unit, or it can be 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. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0203] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware processor, or as a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, combining them with its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0204] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented 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.

[0205] 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 modules described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0206] 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 modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules 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 through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or modules may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0207] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0208] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module.

[0209] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they 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 to the prior art, or a portion 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, external hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0210] 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 scope of the technology 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 applied to a first terminal device or a device in the first terminal device, characterized in that, include: Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate that the first network device has been configured with a reflective end, and whether the first network device has a terminal device connected; Based on the first information, second information is determined, which includes the index of the first beam or the first time difference. The first beam is the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflecting end. The first time difference is the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device. The reflecting end and the first network device operate in the same frequency band, and the reflecting end and the second network device operate in different frequency bands. The second network device is the network device accessed by the first terminal device. Send the second message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of determining the second information based on the first information includes: Based on the first information, the center frequency of the first terminal device is switched from the first center frequency to the second center frequency; Perform adjacent channel measurements and obtain measurement results, the measurement results including the signal quality of each beam in the at least one beam, or the index of the first synchronization signal block (SSB), the first SSB being one of the at least one SSBs sent by the first network device; Based on the measurement results, the second information is determined; Wherein, the first center frequency point is the center frequency point of the second network device, and the second center frequency point is the center frequency point of the first network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, When no terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the signal quality of each of the at least one beam, and the second information includes the index of the first beam.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The signal quality of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, When a terminal device is connected to the first network device, the measurement result includes the index of the first SSB, and the second information includes the first time difference, wherein the index of the first SSB is used to determine the time domain location of the frame header of the data frame of the first network device.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The first piece of information is system information.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The first information is the main information block (MIB).

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, Before receiving the first information, the method further includes: A third message is sent, which is used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with the reflector.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first piece of information is message information.

10. A communication method characterized by comprising: A means for use in a second network device or a second network device, comprising: Send first information to the first terminal device, the first information being used to indicate that the first network device has been configured with a reflective end, and that the first network device has a terminal device connected; Receive second information from the first terminal device; If the second information includes the index of the first beam, the second information is sent, wherein the first beam is the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflecting end; or, If the second information includes a first time difference, based on the first time difference, the frame header of the data frame of the second network device is adjusted to be aligned with the frame header of the data frame of the first network device. The first time difference is the time difference between the frame header of the data frame of the first network device and the frame header of the data frame of the second network device. The second network device is the network device accessed by the first terminal device. The reflector operates in the same frequency band as the first network device, while the reflector operates in a different frequency band than the second network device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The signal quality of the first beam is greater than the first threshold.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein, The method further includes: Receive third information from the first terminal device, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with the reflector; Send the third information to the first network device; Receive the first information from the first network device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The first piece of information is message information.

14. A communication method, comprising: An apparatus for use in or in a first network device, comprising: Send first information, which is used to indicate that the first network device has been configured with a reflection terminal and whether the first network device has a terminal device connected. Receive second information, the second information including the index of the first beam, the first beam being the beam with the highest signal quality among at least one beam transmitted by the reflecting end; The beam on the link between the reflector and the first terminal device is fixed as the first beam. The reflector operates in the same frequency band as the first network device, while the reflector operates in a different frequency band than the second network device, which is the network device accessed by the first terminal device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The signal quality of the first beam is greater than the first threshold.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein, The first piece of information is system information.

17. The method of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein, The first information is the main information block (MIB).

18. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein, The method further includes: Receive third information, the third information being used to confirm whether the first network device is configured with the reflector; The sending of the first information includes: Based on the third information, the first information is sent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first piece of information is message information.

20. A communications device, characterized by It includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 13, or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 19.

21. A communications device, characterized by The device includes a processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be executed, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13 to be executed, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19 to be executed.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 13 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 19 to be performed.

23. A computer program product, characterised in that, include: A computer program or instruction that, when executed, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 13 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 19 to be performed.

24. A chip system, characterized by It includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, or being configured to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13, or being configured to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19.

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