Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system The present application provides a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system. In the method, the communication apparatus can measure the signal quality of reference signals within a first time window; update a first count value of at least one first reference signal; update second count values of K second reference signals, wherein the first count value is the number of times that the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal ranks Q-th among the signal quality of N first reference signals, and each second count value is the number of times that the difference between the signal quality of one of M second reference signals and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold; and send a first message to a network device when any first count value and at least one second count value satisfy a preset condition. By means of the method, reference signals of which signal quality meets the preset condition can be screened out, which is conducive to subsequence beam replacement by the network device, thereby ensuring the signal quality of a link and reducing the possibility of beam failure.

Description

Communication methods, communication devices and communication systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510103768.X, filed on January 21, 2025, entitled "Communication Method, Communication Apparatus and Communication System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, communication devices and communication systems. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, in Release 19 (Rel-19) of 5G New Radio (5G NR), researchers are considering introducing user equipment (UE) triggered / event-driven beam management procedures into the communication protocol to reduce network latency and overhead. Rel-19 has identified three trigger event types for beam reporting: Event 1, Event 2, and Event 7. Event 1 is defined as: the signal quality of the current beam is below a threshold. Event 2 is defined as: the difference between the signal quality of at least one new beam and the signal quality of the current beam is greater than a threshold, where the current beam refers to the reference signal beam associated with the indicated Transmission Configuration Indicator State (indicated TCI state). Event 7 is defined similarly to Event 2, where the difference between the signal quality of at least one new beam and the signal quality of the current beam is greater than a threshold. The difference is that the current beam in Event 7 refers to the reference signal beam with the Qth best quality among the reference signal beams associated with the activated TCI state.

[0004] In existing technologies, when a UE detects a beam failure, it reports the beam failure event to the network (NW) via uplink transmission. The NW can instruct the UE to switch to certain beams for downlink (DL) reception and / or uplink (UL) transmission, or configure some aperiodic beam reports for the UE to obtain new beam reports. However, the above beam switching / update process suffers from significant latency and signaling overhead.

[0005] Therefore, how to enable the NW to obtain more information from the UE for beam management optimization before beam failure, based on the above UE-triggered / event-driven beam management process, thereby reducing latency and overhead, is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method, a communication device, and a communication system. The communication method can reduce the likelihood of beam failure and improve the robustness of the network link between the UE and the NW.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method, which can be executed by a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a module (e.g., a chip) in the terminal device. The method includes: starting a first time window; within the first time window, detecting the signal quality of N first reference signals and M second reference signals, where N and M are positive integers; updating a first count value of at least one first reference signal, where the first count value is the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal ranks Q-th among the signal quality of the N first reference signals, where Q ≤ N and Q is a positive integer; updating a second count value of K second reference signals, where the second count value is the number of times the difference between the signal quality of one of the M second reference signals and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, where 0 ≤ K ≤ M and K is an integer; and if the first count value of any first reference signal and the second count value of at least one second reference signal satisfy a preset condition, then sending a first message to a network device.

[0008] The first message includes first indication information, which can be used to request uplink channel resources for carrying beam reports from the network device, or to notify the network device to obtain beam reports on pre-configured uplink channel resources.

[0009] In existing technologies, when the beam connection between the UE (or the aforementioned terminal device) and the NW (or the aforementioned network device) is interrupted or its quality degrades, causing the UE (or the aforementioned terminal device) and the NW (or the aforementioned network device) to be unable to communicate normally, the UE (or the aforementioned terminal device) needs to report the beam failure event to the NW (or the aforementioned network device). Furthermore, the NW (or the aforementioned network device) can instruct the UE to switch to some beams for downlink (DL) reception and / or uplink (UL) transmission, or configure some non-periodic beam reports for the UE to obtain new beam reports. However, there are significant latency and signaling overhead issues during the aforementioned beam switching / update process. To ensure the stability of the network connection between the UE (or the aforementioned terminal device) and the NW (or the aforementioned network device), this application provides a communication method in which the terminal device can repeatedly detect the signal quality of multiple reference signals (such as N first reference signals and M reference signals) within a first time window, and update the first count value of at least one first reference signal and the second count values ​​of K second reference signals based on the signal quality of each reference signal. The first count value is the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal ranks Q-th among the signal quality of N first reference signals. The second count value is the number of times the difference between the signal quality of one of the M second reference signals and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold. By determining whether the first and second count values ​​of each first reference signal meet preset conditions, first and second reference signals with better signal quality are selected from the aforementioned N first reference signals and fed back to the network device. This helps the network device to perform beam replacement operations in the network connection, thereby improving the signal quality and stability of the network link, reducing the possibility of beam failure, and enhancing the robustness of the network connection.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the preset conditions may include a first condition and a second condition; the first condition is that the first count value reaches a second threshold; the second condition is that the second count value reaches a third threshold.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the method may further include: determining the first reference signal whose first count value first satisfies the first condition as the first target reference signal; and determining the second reference signal among K second reference signals whose second count value satisfies the second condition as the second target reference signal. In this embodiment, the terminal device may update the first count values ​​of multiple first reference signals within a first time window, and there may be a situation where the first count values ​​of multiple first reference signals reach a second threshold. In this case, the terminal device may determine the first reference signal whose first count value first satisfies the first condition or the first to reach the second threshold as the first target reference signal. Optionally, the terminal device may also determine the second reference signal among K second reference signals whose second count value satisfies the second condition as the second target reference signal, wherein the number of second target reference signals may be one or more.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the start time of the first time window is when the first reference signal whose signal quality ranks Qth among the signal quality of N first reference signals is first determined, or when the event instance corresponding to the first event is first determined, or when the second reference signal whose signal quality satisfies the second condition is first determined.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the first time window may include a second time window and a third time window. The second time window is related to the first count value, which is valid only when the second time window is active; the third time window is related to the second count value, which is valid only when the third time window is active. In this embodiment, the terminal device can divide the first time window into a second time window and a third time window, and can update and / or evaluate the first and second count values ​​respectively within the two time windows. This eliminates the need for the terminal device to use multiple threads to update and / or evaluate the first and second count values, thus reducing the operational burden on the terminal device.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the first count value is updated within a second time window; the first target reference signal is determined within the second time window.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the second count value is updated within a third time window; the second target reference signal is determined within the third time window.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the update condition for the second count value is: the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the first target reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold. In this embodiment, the terminal device can first determine the first target reference signal and then determine the second target reference signal. For example, the terminal device can determine the first reference signal whose first count value satisfies the first condition as the first target reference signal, and filter out the second count values ​​that satisfy the second condition from among the second count values ​​of K second reference signals, and determine the second reference signal corresponding to this (or these) second count values ​​as one or more second target reference signals. By determining the first target reference signal and the second target reference signal, it helps the network device to subsequently optimize the network link and reduce the possibility of beam failure; furthermore, the method in this embodiment adopts a "segmented" target reference signal determination method, which helps to reduce the operational burden on the terminal device.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the update condition for the second count value is: the signal quality of the first reference signal corresponding to the second count value ranks Qth among the signal qualities of N first reference signals, and the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold. In this embodiment, the terminal device can also update the first and second count values ​​within the same time window (such as the first time window described above). For example, if a first reference signal has its first count value updated after a single signal quality update, the second count value corresponding to that first reference signal can be updated based on the signal qualities of multiple second reference signals. It can be understood that when the signal quality of the first reference signal ranks Qth among the signal qualities of N first reference signals (which can be understood as when the first count value needs to be updated), the first count value and K second count values ​​of the first reference signal can be updated based on the signal qualities corresponding to M second reference signals, the signal quality of the first reference signal, and the first threshold. By updating the first and second count values ​​of the first reference signal within the same time window, the time required to determine the first and second target reference signals can be shortened. This helps network devices to understand the beam signal quality on the network link more promptly, enabling them to selectively perform beam switching and other operations, thereby ensuring the robustness of the network link and reducing the possibility of beam failure.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the update condition for the second count value is: the first time window is activated, and the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold. In this embodiment, the terminal device can immediately begin updating the K second count values ​​of each first reference signal after the first time window is activated and a signal quality detection is completed. For example, after each signal quality detection, the terminal device can update the K second count values ​​of each first reference signal based on the signal quality of each first reference signal, the signal quality of each second reference signal, and the first threshold, without considering whether the signal quality of the first reference signal itself ranks Qth among the signal quality of the N first reference signals. By simultaneously activating the update operations of the first and second count values ​​of each first reference signal, the terminal device does not need to consider the update of the first count value when updating the second count value. This helps to further shorten the time for determining the first and second target reference signals, and helps network devices to understand the beam signal quality on the network link more promptly, thereby enabling selective beam switching and other operations to ensure the robustness of the network link and reduce the possibility of beam failure.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the beam report may include an identifier corresponding to the first target reference signal. The beam report can be used to indicate the signal quality of the first target reference signal and at least one second target reference signal. In this embodiment, the beam report sent by the terminal device to the network device may include the identifier of the first target reference signal, which also helps the network device to perform subsequent beam switching and other operations.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, after sending signal resource request information to the network device, the method may further include: receiving a second message sent by the network device. The second message may include second indication information, which can be used to instruct the terminal device on uplink channel resources for sending beam reports. In this embodiment, the terminal device may also receive the second indication information sent by the network device to determine the uplink channel resources used for sending beam reports, which helps to ensure that beam reports can be transmitted smoothly and normally to the network device.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the method may further include: receiving a third message sent by a network device. The third message may include third indication information, which can be used to activate N Transmission Configuration Indicator states (TCI states), each activated TCI state being associated with a first reference signal. In this embodiment, the first reference signal is activated by the network device. Exemplarily, the network device can activate multiple TCI states using the third indication information. Since each activated TCI state is associated with a first reference signal, the purpose of specifying N first reference signals can be achieved.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the method may further include: receiving a fourth message sent by a network device. The fourth message may include fourth indication information, which can be used to configure a resource set containing M second reference signals. The resource set is one or more reference signal resource sets configured in a Channel State Information report (CSI report). In this embodiment, the second reference signals are specified by the network device. Exemplarily, the network device can configure a resource set for a terminal device using the fourth indication information. This resource set may include M second reference signals, thereby achieving the purpose of configuring the second reference signals. Exemplarily, the fourth indication information may be in the form of a CSI report.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the method may further include: receiving a fifth message sent by a network device, the fifth message including fifth indication information, which may be used to update one or more activated TCI states or to update the resource set; and resetting a first time window, a first count value, and a second count value in response to the fifth indication information. In this embodiment, the terminal device may also receive the fifth indication information sent by the network device, wherein the fifth indication information may be used to update one or more activated TCI states or to update the resource set. Further, after receiving the fifth indication information, the terminal device needs to reset the first time window, the first count value, and the second count value to ensure the accuracy of the subsequently selected first target reference signal and second target reference signal, which helps to correctly adjust the beam on the network link subsequently.

[0024] Secondly, this application provides a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a module (e.g., a chip) within a terminal device. The communication device is used to execute the methods of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The terminal device includes units having the ability to execute the methods of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0025] Thirdly, the aforementioned communication device may include a processing unit and a transceiver unit. For a detailed description of the processing unit and transceiver unit, please refer to the device embodiments shown below. The beneficial effects of the second and third aspects described above can be found in the relevant description of the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0026] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that may include a processor and an interface circuit connected together. The interface circuit is used for exchanging (or sending / receiving or inputting / outputting) information or data, and the processor is used to execute program instructions, causing the communication device to perform the method described in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect. The interface circuit may be a communication interface or a transceiver. The transceiver may be a radio frequency module in the communication device, or a combination of a radio frequency module and an antenna, or an input / output interface of a chip or circuit.

[0027] Fifthly, this application provides a readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect or any of the possible implementations thereof.

[0028] Sixthly, this application provides a program product containing program instructions that, when run, cause the method described in the first aspect or any of the possible implementations therein to be executed.

[0029] In a seventh aspect, this application provides an apparatus, which can be implemented as a chip or as a device, including a processor. The processor is used to read and execute a program stored in a memory to execute one or more of the methods described in the first aspect above, or one or more of the communication methods provided in any possible implementation of any aspect. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a memory connected to the processor via a circuit. Further optionally, the apparatus includes a communication interface to which the processor is connected. The communication interface is used to receive information to be processed, the processor obtains the information from the communication interface, processes the information, and outputs the processing result through the communication interface. The communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the processor and memory described above can be physically independent units, or the memory can be integrated with the processor.

[0031] Eighthly, this application provides a communication system including a network device and a terminal device; the terminal device is used to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect above, the network device can receive a first message sent by the terminal device, and the network device can also be used to send a second message, a third message, a fourth message and a fifth message to the terminal device.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the second message includes second indication information, which is used to indicate the uplink channel resources for the terminal device to send a beam report; the third message includes the second indication information, which is used to activate multiple TCI states, each activated TCI state being associated with a first reference signal; the fourth message includes the fourth indication information, which is used to configure a resource set containing M second reference signals, the resource set being one or more reference signal resource sets configured in the Channel State Information report (CSI report); the fifth message includes the fourth indication information, which is used to update one or more activated TCI states, or to update the resource set.

[0033] The technical effects achieved in the above aspects can be referred to each other or to the beneficial effects in the method embodiments shown below, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for updating a first count value and a second count value provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another scenario for updating the first and second count values ​​provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another scenario for updating the first count value and the second count value provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0039] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for merging and reporting multiple events according to an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 8 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 9 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in the text is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two.

[0044] It should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0045] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application can be combined with other embodiments.

[0046] Currently, in the protocol, only the beam failure recovery (BFR) process is initiated by the UE through beam reporting and handover / update procedures. The beam failure recovery process includes: the UE detecting a beam failure (e.g., detecting link signal quality below a certain threshold); the UE attempting to discover a new beam, or a new beam pair that can restore the connection; the UE sending a beam recovery request to the network side; and the network side responding to the beam recovery request.

[0047] When BFR occurs in a secondary cell (SCell), the UE triggers BFR via BFR MAC CE. Then, the UE selects a beam for the SCell and sends the signal to the base station via BFR MAC CE. The PDCCH receives the uplink scheduling grant from the UE for the new transmission via BFR MAC CE, and the SCell BFR is completed.

[0048] However, the aforementioned BFR procedure does not involve carrier switching, nor does it perform beam failure measurement and recovery on the same carrier component, which differs from the application scenario and technical field of this application. In other scenarios, beam reporting and beam switching / updates are primarily initiated by the network side, resulting in significant latency and signaling overhead.

[0049] In view of this, this application proposes a communication method in which a communication device selects first and second reference signals with better signal quality from the above N first reference signals by judging whether the first count value and the second count value of each first reference signal meet the preset conditions, and feeds them back to the network device. This helps the network device to perform beam replacement operation on the beam in the network connection, thereby helping to improve the signal quality and stability of the network link, reduce the possibility of beam failure, and improve the robustness of the network connection.

[0050] First, some of the terms used in this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0051] (1) Radio frequency signal (RS) refers to a signal in a specific electromagnetic frequency range used in wireless communication and electronic devices. The transmission process of radio frequency signals involves the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves, and usually includes stages such as signal transmission, propagation, reception and processing. Its purpose is to effectively transmit information and ensure the reliability and efficiency of the communication system.

[0052] (2) Layer 1 Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP) is the linear average power of the resource element (RE) carrying the reference signal, measured in watts (W). In communication systems, L1-RSRP is used to measure the power intensity of the received reference signal and is an important parameter for evaluating downlink transmission performance.

[0053] (3) Layer 1 Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (L1-SINR) L1-SINR (Layer 1 Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio) refers to the ratio of the received signal power to the sum of the received interference and noise power in a wireless communication system. L1-SINR is an important parameter for measuring the quality of received signals, especially in 5G NR (New Radio) technology, where the measurement and reporting of L1-SINR is crucial for optimizing network performance and improving user experience.

[0054] (4) The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) is a physical downlink channel in Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, primarily used to carry main user data. The base station can use the PDSCH to inform the terminal which time-frequency resources to transmit data on (i.e., allocate resource blocks). Furthermore, the PDSCH supports various modulation schemes (such as QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, and 256QAM), allowing the base station to select the appropriate modulation scheme based on link quality. More importantly, the resource allocation of the PDSCH directly determines the terminal's RF receiving power consumption, as more resource blocks mean more processing requirements.

[0055] (5) The Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) is an important physical signal in 5G communication. Its main function is to support coherent demodulation of various physical channels and ensure accurate data transmission. DMRS has specific mapping methods in both the frequency and time domains to adapt to different physical channels and communication scenarios.

[0056] The working principle of DMRS is mainly to provide demodulation references for each physical channel in the frequency and time domains through specific mapping methods. In the frequency domain, DMRS is typically mapped onto subcarriers at certain intervals; in the time domain, DMRS is mapped onto specific symbol positions. These mapping methods are adjusted according to different physical channels and communication scenarios. For example, in PBCH, the mapping position of DMRS may be related to Physical Cell Identity (PCI); and the mapping method of DMRS also differs in different PUCCH formats. In addition, DMRS undergoes power adjustment and precoding processing to achieve orthogonal processing of multiple antenna ports, improving the performance of the communication system.

[0057] (6) The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is one of the physical channels in the LTE system. It is mainly used to transmit downlink control information, such as resource allocation, activation, stop, restart, release, etc.

[0058] The main application scenarios of PDCCH include: 1. Resource allocation: PDCCH can be used to transmit resource allocation information, allocating system resources to various users to achieve efficient resource utilization. 2. Activation, stop, restart, and release: PDCCH can be used to transmit control information such as activation, stop, restart, and release to achieve effective system control. 3. Downlink information transmission: PDCCH can be used to transmit downlink information, such as scheduling information, modulation information, and encoding information, to achieve efficient system transmission. 4. Signal retransmission: PDCCH can be used to transmit signal retransmission control information to achieve effective signal retransmission.

[0059] (7) The control resource set (CORESET) is a set of physical resources within a specific area of ​​the downlink resource grid used to carry the PDCCH (DCI). The NR PDCCH is specifically designed to be transmitted within a configurable control resource set (CORESET). The CORESET is similar to a control area in LTE, and its RB set and OFDM symbol set can be configured through the corresponding PDCCH search space.

[0060] To better understand the communication method, communication device, and communication system proposed in this application, the network architecture applied in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0061] For example, the communication system can be: Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), LTE system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) system, Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (EDGE) system, and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) system. The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be applied to other communication systems, such as public land mobile network (PLMN) systems, LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), 5G (5th generation), new radio (NR), machine-to-machine (M2M) systems, or other future evolution communication systems, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit them. The technical solutions provided by this application embodiment can also be applied to other communication systems in which entities can send control information and send (and / or receive) transport blocks, and other entities in the communication system can receive control information and receive (and / or send) transport blocks.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the network architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0063] As shown in Figure 1, a network device and one or more terminal devices constitute a communication system.

[0064] In this embodiment of the application, the network device may send a second message to the terminal device, wherein the second message may include second indication information, which may be used to instruct the terminal device to send uplink channel resources for beam reporting.

[0065] Optionally, the network device may also receive a first message sent by the terminal device, wherein the first message includes first indication information, which may be used to request uplink channel resources for carrying beam reports from the network device, or to notify the network device to obtain beam reports on pre-configured uplink channel resources.

[0066] Optionally, the network device may also send a third message to the terminal device, wherein the third message includes third indication information for activating multiple TCI states, each activated TCI state being associated with a first reference signal.

[0067] Optionally, the network device may also send a fourth message to the terminal device, wherein the fourth message includes fourth indication information, which can be used to configure a resource set containing M second reference signals, wherein the resource set is one or more reference signal resource sets configured in the Channel State Information report (CSI report).

[0068] Optionally, the network device may also send a fifth message to the terminal device, wherein the fifth message includes fifth indication information, which may be used to update one or more activated TCI states, or to update the resource set.

[0069] The network device in this application embodiment is an entity used to transmit or receive signals. It can be a device used to communicate with terminal devices. The network device can be a base station (BTS) in a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a base station (NodeB, NB) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Alternatively, the network device can be a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, or a network device in a 5G network or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc. The embodiments of this application are not limited to these.

[0070] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device in a wireless network, such as a radio access network (RAN) node that connects a terminal device to the wireless network. Examples of RAN nodes include: base stations, next-generation base stations (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), evolved Node Bs (eNBs), home base stations, baseband units (BBUs), or access points (APs) in a WiFi system. In a network architecture, the network device may include a centralized unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device comprising both CU and DU nodes.

[0071] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can implement the methods corresponding to Figures 2-6 and their corresponding embodiments, which will not be elaborated here. In some possible implementations, the terminal device in the embodiments of this application is a user-side entity used for receiving or transmitting signals, such as user equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal device can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication function, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in a 5G network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0072] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a terminal in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important component of future information technology development, and its main technical feature is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. In this embodiment, IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low terminal power consumption through technologies such as narrowband (NB).

[0074] In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal device may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Its main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from network devices, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to network devices.

[0075] The terminal equipment and network equipment may each include a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling interaction module, a MAC signaling interaction module, and a physical layer (PHY) signaling and data interaction module. The RRC signaling interaction module is used by the base station and UE to send and receive RRC signaling; the Media Access Control (MAC) signaling interaction module is used by the base station and UE to send and receive MAC Control Element (MAC-CE) signaling; and the PHY signaling and data interaction module is used by the base station and UE to send and receive uplink / downlink control signaling and uplink / downlink data. Specifically, it can be used to send and receive downlink control signaling through the physical downlink control channel, send and receive the aforementioned downlink control signaling through the physical uplink control channel, send and receive downlink data through the physical downlink shared channel, and send and receive uplink data through the physical uplink shared channel.

[0076] In this embodiment, the terminal device or network device includes a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on top of the hardware layer, and an application layer running on top of the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also called main memory). The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as Linux, Unix, Android, iOS, or Windows. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software. Furthermore, this embodiment does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution entity of the method provided in this embodiment, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in this embodiment by running a program that records the code of the method provided in this embodiment. For example, the execution entity of the method provided in this embodiment can be a terminal device or a network device, or a functional module in the terminal device or network device that can call and execute a program.

[0077] Furthermore, various aspects or features of this application can be implemented as methods, apparatus, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein encompasses a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). Additionally, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0078] It should be noted that the number and types of terminal devices included in the network architecture shown in Figure 1 are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. For example, it may also include more or fewer terminal devices communicating with network devices; for the sake of simplicity, they are not described one by one in the figures. Furthermore, although network devices and terminal devices are shown in the network architecture shown in Figure 1, the application scenario is not limited to including network devices and terminal devices. For example, it may also include core network nodes or devices used to carry virtualized network functions, etc. These are obvious to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0079] Based on the network architecture described above, a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application will be described below.

[0080] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The functions performed by the terminal device in this embodiment can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) within the terminal device, and the functions performed by the network device in this application can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) within the network device.

[0081] As shown in Figure 2, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0082] S201: The network device sends a fourth message to the terminal device.

[0083] The fourth message may include fourth indication information, which can be used to configure a resource set containing M second reference signals. This resource set is one or more reference signal resource sets configured in the Channel State Information (CSI) report. Understandably, the network device can configure a resource set for the terminal device, which may include M second reference signal resources (corresponding to M second reference signals). The terminal device can perform signal quality detection on the aforementioned M first reference signals and ultimately select a suitable target reference signal to meet the conditions for triggering beam reporting. Here, M is a positive integer. Specifically, the fourth indication message can be any one of RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, and DCI signaling.

[0084] S202: The network device sends a third message to the terminal device.

[0085] The third message may include third indication information, which can be used to activate N Transmission Configuration Indicator states (TCI states). Each activated TCI state is associated with a first reference signal. Understandably, the network device can activate N first reference signals for the terminal device. The terminal device can perform signal quality detection on these N first reference signals and ultimately select a suitable target reference signal so that the network device can subsequently improve the communication quality of the network link. Here, N is a positive integer. Specifically, the third indication information may be Medium Access Control-Control Element (MAC CE) signaling.

[0086] S203: Terminal device starts the first time window.

[0087] The start time of the first time window can be the time when the signal quality of the first reference signal is first determined to be Qth among the signal quality of N first reference signals. Optionally, the start time of the first time window can also be the time when the terminal device first determines the event instance corresponding to the first event, where the first event can be understood as event 7 mentioned above. Optionally, the start time of the first time window can also be the time when the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is first determined to be greater than or equal to the first threshold. This application does not limit the duration of the first time window. If the duration of the first time window is a positive number, the duration can be predefined or configured by downlink signaling.

[0088] For example, the network architecture of a terminal device may include a physical layer and a media access control (MAC) layer. The terminal device can detect the signal quality of the aforementioned reference signals based on the physical layer and determine whether the signal quality of each reference signal meets corresponding conditions (such as determining a first reference signal ranked Q in signal quality, a second reference signal whose signal quality differs from the corresponding first reference signal by a value greater than or equal to a first threshold, etc.). Further, when the physical layer detects a reference signal that meets the corresponding conditions, it can send an indication of a trigger event instance to the MAC layer. Upon receiving the indication, the MAC layer updates the relevant counters and / or time windows to update the first count value and / or K second count values ​​corresponding to the first reference signal.

[0089] For example, after receiving the fourth and third messages and completing a signal quality detection, when the terminal device first determines that the signal quality of the first reference signal ranks Qth among the N first reference signals, the terminal device may start a first time window (which can be understood as starting a timer corresponding to the first time window). For example, when the terminal device first detects that the reference signal quality meets the conditions of event 7 above, the terminal device starts a first time window (which can be understood as starting a timer corresponding to the first time window). For example, after receiving the fourth and third messages and completing a signal quality detection, when the terminal device first determines that the difference between the first determined signal quality and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the terminal device may start a first time window (which can be understood as starting a timer corresponding to the first time window).

[0090] S204: Within the first time window, the terminal device detects the signal quality of N first reference signals and M second reference signals.

[0091] For example, the terminal device can detect the signal quality of N first reference signals and M second reference signals multiple times within a first time window. The number of times the terminal device detects the signal quality depends on the number of times the network device sends the reference signals. For instance, if the network device sends 10 reference signal beams to the terminal device within the first time window, the terminal device will perform 10 signal quality checks on the reference signals. This can be understood as the terminal device performing a signal quality check every time it receives a reference signal beam.

[0092] Optionally, the reference signal beam transmitted by the network device each time may include A first reference signals and B second reference signals, where A ≤ N, B ≤ M, and A and B are non-negative integers. Understandably, the network device may not necessarily transmit a reference signal beam containing N first reference signals and M second reference signals to the terminal device every time. For example, the network device may transmit all reference signals traversally (i.e., transmit the aforementioned N first reference signals and M second reference signals), or the network device may select a portion of the reference signals to transmit; this is not limited here.

[0093] For example, the signal quality of the reference signal can be L1-RSRP, L1-SINR, or L1-RSRQ, etc.

[0094] For example, the signal quality of the reference signal may also be at least one of the following: the signal quality of the DMRS associated with the PDSCH, the signal quality of the reference signal included in the TCI state associated with the PDSCH, the signal quality of the DMRS associated with the PDCCH, the signal quality of the DMRS quasi-co-located reference signal of the PDCCH, and the signal quality of the reference signal included in the TCI state associated with the coreset.

[0095] For example, a method for a terminal device to obtain signal quality may include: (1) obtaining it through PDSCH, such as obtaining the signal quality of the DMRS associated with the PDSCH. Further, if the PDSCH transmission has more than one layer, the signal quality needs to take into account the common measurement results of multiple layers; (2) obtaining the signal quality of the reference signal contained in the TCI state associated with the PDSCH. Further, the PDSCH is scheduled by a specific search space, such as the lowest search space ID; (3) obtaining it through PDCCH. Further, the PDCCH is transmitted in a UE-specific search space, i.e., a UE-specific search space; (4) the reference signal can be the signal quality of the DMRS associated with the PDCCH; (5) the reference signal can be a quasi-co-located reference signal of the DMRS associated with the PDCCH; (6) the reference signal can be the signal quality of the reference signal contained in the TCI state associated with the control resource set. Further, only the signal quality of the reference signal contained in the TCI state associated with a partial control resource set, such as the lowest control resource set ID.

[0096] S205: Update the first count value of at least one first reference signal.

[0097] Wherein, the first count value is the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal ranks Qth among the signal quality of N first reference signals (which can be understood as the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is Qth best among the signal quality of N first reference signals, or the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is Qth best quality among the signal quality of N first reference signals), Q≤N, and Q is a positive integer.

[0098] S206: Update the second count value of the K second reference signals.

[0099] The second count value is the number of times the difference between the signal quality of one of the M second reference signals and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold, where 0≤K≤M and K is an integer.

[0100] Understandably, each of the N first reference signals can have at most one first count value and M second count values. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the M second count values ​​of each first reference signal and the M second reference signals. For example, suppose there are 3 first reference signals (RS1, RS2, and RS3) and 4 second reference signals (RS4, RS5, RS6, and RS7), then each first reference signal can have at most 4 second count values, and the meaning of each second count value can be found in the table below:

[0101] Table 1

[0102] It should be noted that the meaning of the K second count values ​​of at least one first reference signal mentioned above can also be found in Table 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0103] Optionally, the terminal device may use different update schemes to update the first count value and K second count values ​​of at least one first reference signal.

[0104] For example, the terminal device can divide the first time window into a second time window and a third time window, wherein the start time of the second time window is the same as the start time of the first time window. The start time of the third time window is when the first target reference signal is determined, or when the signal quality of one or more second reference signals is first detected to meet a fourth condition. Optionally, the fourth condition may be that the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal and the signal quality of the first target reference signal reaches a first threshold.

[0105] Understandably, the start time of the third time window is no earlier than the start time of the second time window, and the duration of the first time window can be the sum of the duration of the second time window and the duration of the third time window. For example, the terminal device can update the first count value of at least one first reference signal within the second time window, and update the second count values ​​of K second reference signals within the third time window. This eliminates the need for the terminal device to perform multi-threaded updates and / or evaluations of the first and second count values, helping to reduce the operational burden on the communication device. The specific update methods for the first and second count values ​​can be referred to Figure 3 below and its related embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0106] For example, the terminal device updates the first count value of at least one first reference signal and the second count values ​​of K second reference signals within a single time window (which can be understood as the aforementioned first time window). For example, after each signal quality detection, the terminal device can update the first count value of the first reference signal whose signal quality ranks Qth among the N first reference signals, and determine whether the difference between the signal quality of the multiple second reference signals and the signal quality of the first reference signal whose first count value is updated meets the aforementioned fourth condition. If the determination is yes, the second count values ​​of the K second reference signals are updated. The specific updating methods for the first and second count values ​​can be found in Figure 4 and its related embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0107] For example, within a single time window (which can be understood as the aforementioned first time window), the terminal device updates the first count value of at least one first reference signal based on the signal quality ranking of N first reference signals. Furthermore, the terminal device can also update K second count values ​​of each first reference signal based on the signal quality of each of the M second reference signals, the signal quality of each of the N first reference signals, and a first threshold. The specific updating methods for the first and second count values ​​can be found in Figure 5 and its related embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0108] Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the specific form of updating the first count value and the second count value can be "+1". It can be understood that each time the first count value / second count value is updated, the first count value / second count value is incremented by one, and the initial / reset value of the counter is 0.

[0109] S207: If the first count value of any first reference signal and the second count value of at least one second reference signal satisfy the preset condition, the terminal device sends a first message to the network device.

[0110] The preset conditions may include a first condition and a second condition. Specifically, the first condition may be that a first count value reaches a second threshold, and the second condition may be that a second count value reaches a third threshold. For example, if the first count value of any first reference signal reaches the second threshold, and at least one second count value reaches the third threshold, the terminal device may send a first message to the network device. Optionally, the second and third thresholds may be configured by the network device sending RRC signaling to the terminal device, or predefined by a technician on the terminal device. Optionally, the second and third thresholds may be the same or different.

[0111] The first message may include first indication information, which can be used to request uplink channel resources for carrying beam reports from the network device, or to notify the network device to acquire beam reports on pre-configured uplink channel resources. For example, by sending the first message to the network device, the terminal device can acquire uplink channel resources for carrying beam reports, or notify the network device to acquire beam reports on pre-configured uplink channel resources. This ensures that beam reports can be transmitted smoothly and normally to the network device, enabling the network device to promptly understand the signal quality of each beam in the network link and perform beam switching and other operations as needed, ensuring the robustness of the network link and reducing the possibility of beam failure.

[0112] Optionally, the terminal device may determine the first reference signal whose first count value first reaches the second threshold (or satisfies the first condition) as the first target reference signal, and determine the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value among the K second count values ​​of the first target reference signal that reaches the third threshold (or satisfies the second condition) as the second target reference signal; or, the terminal device may determine the second reference signal among the K second reference signals whose second count value satisfies the second condition as the second target reference signal. For example, if one or more of the K second count values ​​corresponding to the first target reference signal reach the third threshold (or satisfy the second condition), then all of the aforementioned one or more second count values ​​can be determined as the second target reference signal, i.e., one or more second target reference signals may exist.

[0113] Optionally, the beam report may include signal quality and / or identification for Z second reference signals, where Z can be set by the network device based on downlink signaling. For example, assuming Z=4, if the terminal device determines 4 second target reference signals, the beam report sent by the terminal device to the network device may include the signal quality and / or identity identifiers corresponding to the 4 second target reference signals; if the terminal device determines 3 second target reference signals, the terminal device also needs to select one second reference signal (denoted as second reference signal A) from the remaining second reference signals. In this case, the beam report not only includes the signal quality and / or identity identifiers corresponding to the 3 second target reference signals, but also the signal quality and / or identity identifiers corresponding to second reference signal A. The remaining second reference signals can be understood as the second reference signals among the M second reference signals that have not been identified as second target reference signals; if the terminal device determines 5 second target reference signals, the terminal device needs to select 4 second target reference signals from the 5 second target reference signals (for example, select the 4 second target reference signals with the best signal quality. It should be noted that the selection method of the terminal device is not limited in this embodiment), and record the signal quality and / or identity identifiers corresponding to the 4 selected second target reference signals in the beam report.

[0114] Optionally, the network device may indicate the first target reference signal via downlink signaling, or may set the first target reference signal in a predefined manner. This application does not limit the predefined execution subject and method.

[0115] Optionally, the beam report may include an identification identifier corresponding to the first target reference signal, such as a Channel Resource Indicator (CRI) or a Synchronization Signal Block Resource Indicator (SSBRI). The beam report can also be used to indicate the signal quality of the first target reference signal and at least one second target reference signal, which helps the network equipment to perform beam switching and other operations in the future.

[0116] Correspondingly, the terminal device can also receive a second message sent by the network device. The second message may include second indication information, which can be used to instruct the terminal device to send uplink channel resources for beam reports.

[0117] In some possible implementations, the terminal device may also receive a fifth message sent by the network device. This fifth message may include fifth indication information, which can be used to update one or more activated TCI states or to update the resource set. In response to the fifth indication information, the terminal device may reset the first time window (or the timer corresponding to the first time window), the first count value, and the second count value. It should be noted that resetting may include zeroing or resetting. Specifically, the fourth indication message may be any one of RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, and DCI signaling.

[0118] For example, suppose a network device has four first reference signals and five second reference signals configured based on a resource set. If the network device replaces one or more of the four first reference signals with other first reference signals different from the four first reference signals based on the fifth indication information, it can be considered that the fifth indication information has updated the identity of the first reference signals. The terminal device then needs to reset the first time window, the first count value, and the second count value, and start a new round of counting at an appropriate time. For example, if the network device replaces one or more of the five second reference signals with other second reference signals different from the five second reference signals based on the fifth indication information, it can be considered that the fifth indication information has updated the resource set. The terminal device then needs to reset the first time window, the first count value, and the second count value, and start a new round of counting at an appropriate time. Here, the appropriate time can be understood as the start time of the first time window.

[0119] As can be seen, in this embodiment of the application, the terminal device can select the first reference signal and the second reference signal with better signal quality from the above N first reference signals by judging whether the first count value and the second count value of each first reference signal meet the preset conditions, and feed them back to the network device. This helps the network device to perform beam replacement operation on the beam in the network connection, thereby helping to improve the signal quality and stability of the network link, reduce the possibility of beam failure, and improve the robustness of the network connection.

[0120] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of a scenario for updating a first count value and a second count value according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, suppose the network device activates N first reference signals and configures M second reference signals. It should be noted that the identity identifiers of each first reference signal and each second reference signal shown in Figure 3 are different. As shown in Figure 3, the first time window may include a second time window and a third time window, and the duration of the first time window is the sum of the durations of the second time window and the third time window.

[0121] Optionally, the second time window is related to the first count value. Specifically, the first count value is updated only within the second time window and is only valid when the second time window is in effect. Further, the first target reference signal is determined within the second time window. For example, within the second time window, after each signal quality detection by the terminal device, the terminal device can update the first count value of the first reference signal whose signal quality ranks Qth among the signal quality of N first reference signals. Further, within the second time window, the terminal device can determine the first reference signal whose first count value first reaches the second threshold (or satisfies the first condition) as the first target reference signal.

[0122] Optionally, the third time window is related to the second count value. Specifically, the second count value is updated only within the third time window and is only valid when the third time window is in effect. Further, the second target reference signal is determined within the third time window. For example, within the third time window, after each signal quality detection by the terminal device, the terminal device can update the second count value corresponding to the second reference signal whose signal quality is greater than or equal to the signal quality of the first target reference signal. For example, assuming the signal quality of the first target reference signal is α after completing one signal quality detection, it is necessary to determine which second count values ​​of the first target reference signal need to be updated based on the difference between the signal quality of each second target reference signal and α (which can be understood as needing to update the K second count values ​​corresponding to the K second reference signals whose signal quality difference with α reaches the first threshold). Furthermore, within the third time window, if one or more second count values ​​reach the second threshold (or meet the second condition) after multiple updates, then the second reference signal corresponding to each of the above one or more second count values ​​can be determined as the second target reference signal (which can be understood as finally determining one or more second target reference signals).

[0123] As can be seen, in this embodiment of the application, by determining the first target reference signal and the second target reference signal, the terminal device helps the network device to subsequently optimize the network link and reduce the possibility of beam failure; and the method of this embodiment of the application adopts a "segmented" target reference signal determination method, which helps to reduce the operating burden of the terminal device.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of another scenario for updating the first and second count values ​​provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, suppose the network signal activates N first reference signals and configures M second reference signals. It should be noted that the identity identifiers of the first reference signals and the identity identifiers of the second reference signals shown in Figure 4 are different.

[0125] For example, within the first time window, after each signal quality detection by the terminal device, the terminal device can update the first count value of the first reference signal whose signal quality ranks Qth among the N first reference signals. Simultaneously, the terminal device can determine, based on the signal quality of the Qth first reference signal (denoted as β), the signal quality of each of the M second reference signals, and a first threshold, which second count values ​​of the Qth first reference signal need to be updated (this can be understood as needing to update the K second count values ​​corresponding to the K second reference signals whose signal quality differs from β by the first threshold).

[0126] Optionally, within the first time window, the terminal device may determine the first reference signal that first reaches the second threshold (or satisfies the first condition) as the first target reference signal.

[0127] Optionally, if, at the same time as determining the first target reference signal, one or more of the K second count values ​​corresponding to the first target reference signal have reached the third threshold (or meet the second condition), the terminal device can determine the second reference signal corresponding to each of the above one or more second count values ​​as the second target reference signal (which can be understood as, finally determining one or more second target reference signals).

[0128] Optionally, if the first target reference signal has not yet reached the second count value of the third threshold (or satisfies the second condition) when the first target reference signal is determined, the terminal device needs to update the second count value when the first target reference signal becomes the first reference signal with signal quality at the Q-bit again, until one or more second count values ​​reach the third threshold (or satisfy the second condition). Further, the terminal device can determine the second reference signal corresponding to each of the aforementioned one or more second count values ​​as the second target reference signal (which can be understood as ultimately determining one or more second target reference signals).

[0129] As can be seen, the terminal device in this application embodiment can update the first count value and the second count value of the first reference signal within the same time window, which helps to shorten the time for determining the first target reference signal and the second target reference signal. This helps the network device to understand the beam signal quality on the network link more timely, thereby enabling selective beam switching and other operations to ensure the robustness of the network link and reduce the possibility of beam failure.

[0130] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of another scenario for updating the first and second count values ​​provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, suppose the network signal activates N first reference signals and configures M second reference signals. It should be noted that the identity identifiers of the first reference signals and the identity identifiers of the second reference signals shown in Figure 5 are different.

[0131] For example, within the first time window, after each signal quality detection by the terminal device, the terminal device can update the first count value of the first reference signal whose signal quality ranks Qth among the N first reference signals. Simultaneously, the terminal device can update the K second count values ​​corresponding to each of the N first reference signals.

[0132] For example, the terminal device can determine which second count values ​​of any of the N first reference signals (denoted as γ), the signal quality of each of the M second reference signals, and a first threshold need to be updated (this can be understood as needing to update the K second count values ​​of the K second reference signals whose signal quality differs from γ by the first threshold). It is understood that in the embodiment method corresponding to Figure 5, the terminal device does not need to consider whether the signal quality of the first reference signal ranks Qth among the signal qualities of the N first reference signals when updating the second count values ​​of the first reference signal.

[0133] Optionally, within the first time window, the terminal device may determine the first reference signal that first reaches the second threshold (or satisfies the first condition) as the first target reference signal.

[0134] Optionally, if, at the same time as determining the first target reference signal, one or more of the K second count values ​​corresponding to the first target reference signal have reached the third threshold (or meet the second condition), the terminal device can determine the second reference signal corresponding to each of the aforementioned one or more second count values ​​as the second target reference signal (which can be understood as, ultimately determining one or more second target reference signals).

[0135] Optionally, if the first target reference signal has not yet reached the second count value of the third threshold (or meets the second condition) when the first target reference signal is determined, the terminal device needs to update the second count value after each signal quality detection is completed, until one or more second count values ​​reach the third threshold (or meet the second condition). Further, the terminal device can determine the second reference signal corresponding to each of the aforementioned one or more second count values ​​as the second target reference signal (which can be understood as ultimately determining one or more second target reference signals).

[0136] As can be seen, in this embodiment of the application, the terminal device can simultaneously initiate the update operation of the first count value and the second count value of each first reference signal. When updating the second count value, the terminal device does not need to consider the update of the first count value, which helps to further shorten the time for determining the first target reference signal and the second target reference signal. This helps the network device to understand the beam signal quality on the network link more timely, thereby enabling selective beam switching and other operations to ensure the robustness of the network link and reduce the possibility of beam failure.

[0137] Referring to Figures 2-6, the method of this application embodiment will describe the process of merging and reporting multiple events. Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method for merging and reporting multiple events provided by an embodiment of this application. Here, the first reference signal is assumed to be related to the first event, and the resource set configured by the aforementioned third indication information is the first resource set. In this application embodiment, the functions performed by the terminal device can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the terminal device, and the functions performed by the network device in this application can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the network device.

[0138] As shown in Figure 6, the method may include:

[0139] S601: The terminal device receives the fourth message sent by the network device.

[0140] The specific function of the fourth message can be found in Figure 2 and its related embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0141] S602: The terminal device receives a third message sent by the network device.

[0142] The specific function of the third message can be found in Figure 2 and its related embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0143] S603: The terminal device receives the sixth message sent by the network device.

[0144] The sixth message includes a sixth indication information, which can be used to indicate a third reference signal. The third reference signal is related to the second event and is the same as one of the N first reference signals. It can be understood that the N first reference signals include the aforementioned third reference signal.

[0145] S604: The terminal device receives the seventh message sent by the network device.

[0146] The seventh message includes a seventh indication information, which can be used to configure a resource set containing Y second reference signals, where Y is a positive integer.

[0147] S605: The terminal device starts the fourth time window.

[0148] S606: Within the fourth time window, the terminal device detects the signal quality of multiple reference signals.

[0149] Among them, the above-mentioned multiple reference signals may include N first reference signals and X second reference signals, |MY|≤X≤M+Y, where X is an integer.

[0150] S607: Update the first count value of at least one first reference signal.

[0151] S608: Update the second count value of the K second reference signals.

[0152] S609: Update the third count value of H second reference signals.

[0153] Where H ≤ Y, and H is a positive integer.

[0154] Optionally, the third count value is the number of times the difference between the signal quality of one of the Y second reference signals and the signal quality of the third reference signal reaches the fourth threshold.

[0155] The specific methods for updating the first and second count values ​​can be found in Figures 2-5 and their corresponding embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0156] Optionally, the update condition for the third count value can be: the difference between the signal quality of the corresponding second reference signal and the signal quality of the third reference signal is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold.

[0157] S610: If the first count value of the first reference signal that is the same as the third reference signal, the second count value of at least one second reference signal satisfies the preset condition, and the third count value of at least one second reference signal satisfies the third condition, the terminal device sends an eighth message to the network device.

[0158] The specific details of the first count value and at least one second count value satisfying the preset conditions can be found in Figures 2-5 and their corresponding embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0159] The eighth message may include the seventh indication information, which may be used to inform the network device of the uplink channel resources for carrying the beam-combining report, or to notify the network device to obtain the beam-combining report on the pre-configured uplink channel resources.

[0160] Optionally, the beamforming report can be used to indicate to the network device the occurrence of a first event and a second event, a first reference signal corresponding to the first event and one or more second reference signals, and one or more second reference signals corresponding to the second event.

[0161] For example, if the terminal device determines the third reference signal as the aforementioned first target reference signal during the evaluation process of the first event (which can be understood as the execution process corresponding to Figures 2-5 and their corresponding embodiments), the terminal device can indicate the occurrence of the first and second events to the network device by means of combined reporting. Specifically, the terminal device can first request uplink channel resources from the network device for sending combined beam reports.

[0162] The terminal device can receive a seventh message sent by the network device. This seventh message may include seventh indication information, which can be used to instruct the terminal device to send the uplink channel resources for the beam report.

[0163] In some possible implementations, the terminal device may send the aforementioned eighth message to the network device via a first PUCCH resource, which is a channel resource agreed upon by the terminal device and the network device for transmitting messages / information of multiple event merging reporting types.

[0164] Optionally, the terminal device can also provide beam quality feedback to the network device through a combined beam report. The combined beam report is equipped with an indicator bit, which can be used to indicate that the combined beam report is a beam report that combines multiple events.

[0165] Optionally, if among the one or more second reference signals corresponding to one or more second count values ​​that satisfy the preset conditions of the third reference signal, there are P identical second reference signals to the one or more second reference signals corresponding to one or more third count values ​​that satisfy the third conditions of the third reference signal, the terminal device needs to use an identifier in the beam report to distinguish the second reference signal that is only related to the first event, the second reference signal that is only related to the second event, and the second reference signal that is related to both the first and second events, so that the network device can correctly understand the true beam status of the network link and help the network device to take appropriate adjustment measures for the network link in the future.

[0166] Optionally, the terminal device can set a first identifier, a second identifier, and a third identifier in the beam report. The first identifier can be used to identify a second reference signal that corresponds to both the first event and the second event; the second identifier can be used to identify a second reference signal that corresponds to the first event but not to the second event; and the third identifier can be used to identify a second reference signal that corresponds to the second event but not to the first event.

[0167] Optionally, the first identifier, second identifier, and third identifier may be in the form of fields or numerical values. For example, when the first identifier, second identifier, and third identifier are numerical values, the numerical values ​​corresponding to these identifiers may be the sequence numbers of the second reference signals after being sorted based on signal quality. Optionally, the second reference signals may be sorted in ascending or descending order based on signal quality.

[0168] For example, if W second count values ​​of the third reference signal reach the third threshold, S third count values ​​reach the fifth threshold (or satisfy the third condition), and P second reference signals among the W second count values ​​are identical to P second reference signals among the S second reference signals corresponding to the S third count values, then a flag bit is required. Where W≤K, S≤H, P≤W or S, and W, S, and P are all positive integers. Optionally, the terminal device can identify the P second reference signals in the aforementioned beam combining report using a first identifier; the terminal device can identify second reference signals other than the P second reference signals among the W second reference signals in the aforementioned beam combining report using a second identifier; and the terminal device can identify second reference signals other than the P second reference signals among the S second reference signals in the aforementioned beam combining report using a third identifier.

[0169] In some other possible implementations, if the start time of the time window corresponding to the first event (such as the first time window mentioned above) is different from the start time of the time window corresponding to the second event (set as the fifth time window), the time window that starts earlier can be used as the fourth time window mentioned above, and the count value corresponding to the time window that starts earlier can be used; or, the time window that starts later can be used as the fourth time window mentioned above, and the count value corresponding to the time window that starts earlier can be reset.

[0170] For example, if the first time window is started first, the first time window can be used as the fourth time window mentioned above. While using and continuously updating the first and second count values ​​corresponding to the first time window, the third count value can be started. Alternatively, the terminal device can close the first time window, reset the first and second count values, use the fifth time window that is started later as the fourth time window, and update the first, second, and third count values ​​within the fifth time window.

[0171] For example, if the fifth time window is started first, the fifth time window can be used as the fourth time window mentioned above. While using and continuously updating the third count value corresponding to the fifth time window, the first count value and the second count value mentioned above will be updated. Alternatively, the terminal device can close the fifth time window, reset the third count value, use the first time window that is started later as the fourth time window mentioned above, and update the first count value, the second count value and the third count value within the first time window.

[0172] It can be seen that by adopting a merged reporting method, it is helpful to reduce signaling overhead while enabling network devices to accurately understand the beam status in the network link.

[0173] It should be noted that there is no correlation between the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, and the fifth threshold in the embodiments of this application.

[0174] The embodiments also provide corresponding devices or equipment.

[0175] This application divides network devices and terminal devices into functional modules according to the above-described method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The communication device of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0176] Referring to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device may include a processing unit 10 and a transceiver unit 20.

[0177] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device may be the terminal device shown above or a chip or circuit disposed in the terminal device. That is, the communication device may be used to perform the steps or functions performed by the terminal device in the method embodiments described above.

[0178] In one design, the processing unit 10 can be used to initiate a first time window; within the first time window, the signal quality of N first reference signals and M second reference signals is detected, where N and M are positive integers; after each signal quality detection, based on the signal quality detection result, the first count value of at least one first reference signal and the second count value of K second reference signals are updated, where the first count value is the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal ranks Qth among the signal quality of the N first reference signals, and the second count value is the number of times the difference between the signal quality of one of the M second reference signals and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, where 0≤K≤M, Q≤N, K is an integer, and Q is a positive integer.

[0179] In some possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 may be used to send a first message to the network device when a first count value of any first reference signal and at least one second count value satisfy a preset condition. The first message includes first indication information, which may be used to request uplink channel resources carrying beam reports from the network device, or to notify the network device to obtain beam reports on pre-configured uplink channel resources.

[0180] Optionally, the preset conditions may include a first condition and a second condition; the first condition is that the first count value reaches a second threshold; the second condition is that the second count value reaches a third threshold.

[0181] In other possible implementations, the processing unit 10 may further be used to determine the first reference signal whose first count value satisfies the first condition as the first target reference signal; and to determine the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value that satisfies the second condition among the K second count values ​​of the first target reference signal as the second target reference signal. Alternatively, the second reference signal among the K second reference signals whose second count value satisfies the second condition may be determined as the second target reference signal.

[0182] Optionally, the start time of the first time window is when the first reference signal whose signal quality ranks Qth among the signal quality of N first reference signals is first determined, or when the event instance corresponding to the first event is first determined, or when the second reference signal whose signal quality satisfies the second condition is first determined.

[0183] Optionally, the first time window may include a second time window and a third time window, wherein the second time window is related to the first count value, and the first count value is only valid when the second time window is in effect; the third time window is related to the second count value, and the second count value is only valid when the third time window is in effect.

[0184] Optionally, the first count value is updated within the second time window; the first target reference signal is determined within the second time window.

[0185] Optionally, the second count value is updated within the third time window; the second target reference signal is determined within the third time window.

[0186] Optionally, the update condition for the second count value is: the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the first target reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0187] Optionally, the update condition for the second count value is: the signal quality of the first reference signal corresponding to the second count value ranks Qth among the signal quality of N first reference signals, and the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0188] Optionally, the update condition for the second count value is: the first time window is started, and the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0189] Optionally, the beam report may include an identification identifier corresponding to the first target reference signal, and the beam report may be used to indicate the signal quality of the first target reference signal and at least one second target reference signal.

[0190] In some other possible implementations, after sending a signal resource request message to the network device, the transceiver unit 20 can also be used to receive a second message sent by the network device. The second message may include second indication information, which can be used to instruct the terminal device to send uplink channel resources for beam reporting.

[0191] In some other possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 may also be used to receive a third message sent by the network device. This third message may include third indication information, which can be used to activate N Transmission Configuration Indicator States (TCI states), each activated TCI state being associated with a first reference signal.

[0192] In some other possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 may also be used to receive a fourth message sent by the network device. The fourth message may include fourth indication information, which may be used to configure a resource set containing M second reference signals. The resource set is one or more reference signal resource sets configured in the Channel State Information report (CSI report).

[0193] In some other possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 may also be used to receive a fifth message sent by the network device. This fifth message may include fifth indication information, which may be used to update one or more activated TCI states, or to update the resource set.

[0194] In some other possible implementations, the processing unit 10 may also be used to reset the first time window, the first count value, and the second count value in response to the fifth indication information.

[0195] In this application embodiment, the description of the first reference signal, the second reference signal, and the first message can be referred to the description in the method embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0196] It is understood that the specific descriptions of the processing unit 10 and the transceiver unit 20 shown in the embodiments of this application are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the processing unit 10 and the transceiver unit 20, please refer to the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, which will not be described in detail here. In addition, the technical effects of the embodiments of this application are the same as those in the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0197] Reusing Figure 7, in some other embodiments of this application, the communication device may be the network device shown above or a chip or circuit disposed in the network device. That is, the communication device may be used to perform the steps or functions performed by the network device in the method embodiments above.

[0198] In one design, the transceiver unit 20 can be used to receive a first message sent by a terminal device. The first message includes first indication information, which can be used to request uplink channel resources from the network device for carrying a beam report, or to notify the network device to acquire a beam report on pre-configured uplink channel resources. The beam report can include an identifier corresponding to a first target reference signal, and the beam report can be used to indicate the signal quality of the first target reference signal and at least one second target reference signal.

[0199] In some possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 may also send a second message to the terminal device based on a channel resource request instruction. The second message may include second indication information, which can be used to instruct the terminal device on the uplink channel resources for sending beam reports.

[0200] In some other possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 can also be used to send a third message to the terminal device. This third message may include third indication information, which can be used to activate N TCI states, each activated TCI state being associated with a first reference signal.

[0201] In some other possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 may also be used to send a fourth message to the terminal device. The fourth message may include fourth indication information, which may be used to configure a resource set containing M second reference signals. The resource set is one or more reference signal resource sets configured in the Channel State Information report (CSI report).

[0202] In some other possible implementations, the transceiver unit 20 can also be used to send a fifth message to the terminal device. This fifth message may include fifth indication information, which can be used to update one or more activated TCI states, or to update the resource set.

[0203] In the embodiments of this application, the description of the first carrier, the first reference signal, etc. can be referred to the description in the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0204] It is understood that the specific descriptions of the processing unit 10 and the transceiver unit 20 shown in the embodiments of this application are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the processing unit 10 and the transceiver unit 20, please refer to the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, which will not be described in detail here. In addition, the technical effects of the embodiments of this application are the same as those in the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0205] The network device and terminal device of the embodiments of this application have been described above. The possible product forms of the network device and terminal device are described below. It should be understood that any product with the functions of the network device or terminal device described in FIG4 above falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. It should also be understood that the following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product form of the communication device of the embodiments of this application to this.

[0206] In one possible implementation, the communication device shown in FIG7 may further include a processing unit, which may be one or more processors; the transceiver unit 20 and the processing unit 10 are integrated into a single device, such as a transceiver, or the transceiver unit 20 may be a transmitter and the processing unit 10 may be a receiver. In this embodiment, the processor and the transceiver may be coupled, etc., and the connection method between the processor and the transceiver is not limited in this embodiment. During the execution of the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that the transceiver can transmit it. After the above information is output by the processor, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor receiving the input above information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to undergo other processing before being input into the processor.

[0207] Referring to Figure 8, which is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device provided in this application embodiment can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and the description in the above method embodiments can be referred to. The communication device can be a network device, a terminal device, or a chip therein. Exemplarily, the communication device includes one or more processors 1001 and transceivers 1002. The communication device may further include a memory 1003. In one implementation, the communication device also includes an input / output device (not shown in Figure 8).

[0208] The processor 1001 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 1003 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1002 may include control circuitry and an antenna. The control circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0209] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1001 can read the software program in the memory 1003, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1001 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0210] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0211] The processor 1001, transceiver 1002, and memory 1003 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0212] For example, when the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods or functions performed by the terminal device in the embodiment shown in FIG2, the processor 1001 may be used to perform steps S203, S204 and S205 in FIG2, the transceiver 1002 may be used to perform S206 in FIG2, and / or other processes of the technology described herein.

[0213] For example, when the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG2, the transceiver 1002 may be used to perform steps S201 and S202 in FIG2, and / or other processes of the technology described herein.

[0214] In any of the above implementations, the processor 1001 may include a transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing code / data, or it can be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0215] In any of the above implementations, the processor 1001 may store instructions, which may be computer programs. These computer programs, running on the processor 1001, cause the communication device to execute the methods described in the above method embodiments. The computer program may be embedded in the processor 1001; in this case, the processor 1001 may be implemented in hardware.

[0216] In one implementation, the communication device may include circuitry capable of performing the functions of transmitting, receiving, or communicating as described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented on integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), n-metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), positive channel metal oxide semiconductors (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0217] It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of this application may have more components than those in FIG8, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this. The methods executed by the processor and transceiver shown above are only examples, and the specific steps executed by the processor and transceiver can be referred to the description of the method embodiments above.

[0218] In another possible implementation, in the communication device shown in Figure 7, the processing unit 10 can be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver unit 20 can be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 20 can also be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, where the transmitting unit can be an output interface and the receiving unit can be an input interface, and the transmitting unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one unit, such as an input / output interface.

[0219] Referring to Figure 9, which is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device shown in Figure 9 includes a logic circuit 901 and an interface 902. That is, the aforementioned processing unit can be implemented using the logic circuit 901, and the transceiver unit 20 and the processing unit 10 can be implemented using the interface 902. The logic circuit 901 can be a chip, processing circuit, integrated circuit, or system-on-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 902 can be a communication interface, input / output interface, pins, etc. For example, Figure 9 illustrates the communication device as a chip, which includes the logic circuit 901 and the interface 902.

[0220] In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment.

[0221] For example, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG2 above, the logic circuit 901 can be used to detect the signal quality of N first reference signals and M second reference signals within a first time window; the interface 902 can be used to send a first message, etc.

[0222] For example, when the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the network device in the above-described method embodiment of Figure 2 and its corresponding method, the interface 902 can be used to receive a first message, etc.

[0223] In this embodiment, the description of the first indication information and the second indication information, etc., can be referred to the description in the method embodiment shown in Figure 2 above, and will not be described in detail here. It is understood that the specific description of the logic circuit 901 and the interface 902 can also be referred to the description of the processing unit, transceiver unit and processing unit shown in Figure 8, and will not be repeated here.

[0224] It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of this application can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in hardware form or in software form, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit it in this way.

[0225] For specific implementation methods of the various embodiments shown in Figure 9, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0226] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a network device and a terminal device, which can be used to execute the methods in any of the foregoing method embodiments (Figures 2 to 6).

[0227] In addition, this application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by a network device in the method provided in this application.

[0228] This application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by a terminal device in the method provided in this application.

[0229] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations and / or processes performed by a network device in the method provided in this application.

[0230] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations and / or processes performed by a terminal device in the method provided in this application.

[0231] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by a network device in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0232] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by a terminal device in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0233] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or units, or it may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection.

[0234] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0235] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0236] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable 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 readable storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0237] 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, characterized in that, Applied to a communication device, the method includes: Launch the first time window; Within the first time window, the signal quality of N first reference signals and M second reference signals is detected, where N and M are positive integers; Update the first count value of at least one first reference signal, where the first count value is the number of times the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal ranks Q-th among the signal quality of the N first reference signals, where Q≤N and Q is a positive integer; Update the second count value of K second reference signals. The second count value is the number of times that the difference between the signal quality of one of the M second reference signals and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, where 0≤K≤M and K is an integer. If a first count value of any first reference signal and a second count value of at least one second reference signal satisfy a preset condition, a first message is sent to the network device. The first message includes first indication information, which is used to request uplink channel resources for carrying beam reports from the network device, or to notify the network device to acquire beam reports on pre-configured uplink channel resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset conditions include a first condition and a second condition; The first condition is that the first count value reaches the second threshold; The second condition is that the second count value reaches the third threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first reference signal whose first count value satisfies the first condition is determined as the first target reference signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Among the K second reference signals, the second reference signal whose second count value satisfies the second condition is determined as the second target reference signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The start time of the first time window is when the signal quality of the first reference signal ranked Qth among the signal quality of the N first reference signals is first determined, or when the event instance corresponding to the first event is first determined, or when the signal quality of the second reference signal satisfies the second condition is first determined.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first time window includes a second time window and a third time window, wherein, The second time window is related to the first count value, and the first count value of the first reference signal is only valid when the second time window is in effect; The third time window is related to the second count value, and the second count value of the second reference signal is only valid when the third time window is in effect.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first count value is updated within the second time window; The first target reference signal is determined within the second time window.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second count value is updated within the third time window; The second target reference signal is determined within the third time window.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The update condition for the second count value is: The second count value corresponds to a difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal and the signal quality of the first target reference signal that is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

10. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The update condition for the second count value is: The signal quality of the second count value corresponding to the first reference signal ranks Qth among the signal quality of the N first reference signals, and the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

11. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The update condition for the second count value is: The first time window is activated, and the difference between the signal quality of the second reference signal corresponding to the second count value and the signal quality of the corresponding first reference signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

12. The method according to any one of claims 3-11, characterized in that, The beam report includes an identification identifier corresponding to the first target reference signal, and the beam report is used to indicate the signal quality of the first target reference signal and at least one second target reference signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, After sending the signal resource request information to the network device, the method further includes: The communication device receives a second message sent by the network device, the second message including second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the communication device to send the uplink channel resources of the beam report.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device receives a third message, which includes third indication information. The third indication information is used to activate N Transmission Configuration Indication States (TCI states), and each activated TCI state is associated with a first reference signal.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device receives a fourth message, which includes fourth indication information. The fourth indication information is used to configure a resource set containing the M second reference signals. The resource set is one or more reference signal resource sets configured in the Channel State Information (CSI) report.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device receives a fifth message, which includes fifth indication information. The fifth indication information is used to update one or more activated TCI states, or to update the resource set. In response to the fifth indication information, the first time window, the first count value, and the second count value are reset.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices or network devices and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices or network devices, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 16 through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

19. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes network equipment and the communication device as described in claim 17 or 18; The network device is used to receive the first message sent by the communication device.

Images