Communication method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can obtain an accurate TB size when a terminal is configured with a ZP-DMRS, thereby enabling interference cancellation at a network side. The method comprises: a network-side apparatus determines whether a terminal-side apparatus is to be configured with a ZP-DMRS; and when determining that the ZP-DMRS is to be configured, the network-side apparatus sends first information to the terminal-side apparatus, wherein the first information is used for determining the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in a first time-frequency resource. Correspondingly, the terminal-side apparatus receives the first information from the network-side apparatus, and determines the size of a first TB on the basis of the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource. The first time-frequency resource is a resource configured by the network-side apparatus for the terminal-side apparatus for transmitting the first TB, and the first time-frequency resource comprises a time unit in a time domain.

Description

Communication methods, devices and computer-readable storage media

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510103831.X, filed on January 21, 2025, entitled "Communication Method, Apparatus and Computer-Readable Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] In uplink transmission of mobile communication systems, interference can occur between multiple terminals when they send signals to network devices using non-orthogonal port allocation methods. To resolve this interference, the network side can employ interference null-space projection. This projection requires obtaining the interference feature space, which is derived by calculating the autocorrelation matrix of the received interference signals.

[0004] To enable the network side to collect interference signals, one approach proposes configuring a zero-power-demodulation reference signal (ZP-DMRS) for each data stream to collect these signals. However, if the existing method for calculating transport block (TB) size is still used, it is impossible to enable null-spatial projection of interference on the network side for interference cancellation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium to achieve a TB-sized computing method, enabling network-side interference measurement and cancellation.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions within the terminal. The method is described below using a terminal as an example.

[0007] For example, the method includes: receiving first information from a network device, the first information being used to determine the number of resource elements (REs) occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each resource block (RB) in a first time-frequency resource; and determining the size of a first TB based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0008] The first time-frequency resource is a resource configured by the network device for the terminal device to transmit the first transport block TB. The first time-frequency resource includes a time unit in the time domain.

[0009] Based on this technical solution, the terminal device determines the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource based on the first information from the network device, and then determines the first TB size of the first time-frequency resource transmission based on the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource. This method of determining the first TB size by considering the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB enables interference measurement and interference cancellation on the network side, thereby effectively improving the performance of uplink communication.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information is used to indicate the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured.

[0011] Optionally, the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the combing method of the ZP-DMRS in the frequency domain. Based on this, the terminal device can determine the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS on each RB based on the combing method of the ZP-DMRS in the frequency domain.

[0012] The combing method includes no combing, two-comb combing, three-comb combing, or four-comb combing.

[0013] Optionally, the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS on the first RB. Based on this, the terminal device can determine the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS on each RB based on the REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS on the first RB.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information is also used to determine whether ZP-DMRS is configured.

[0015] In other words, when the first information indicates the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on an RB, or indicates the pattern of the ZPDMRS to be configured, the terminal device determines to configure the ZP-DMRS.

[0016] This implicit instruction to configure ZP-DMRS on terminal devices can effectively reduce resource consumption.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before determining the size of the first TB, the method further includes: receiving second information from a network device for determining whether ZP-DMRS is configured.

[0018] Optionally, the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS.

[0019] Optionally, the second information instructs the network device to enable the interference null space projection method based on ZP-DMRS.

[0020] Optionally, the second information is used to indicate the port number of the ZP-DMRS.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before determining the size of the first TB, the method further includes: receiving third information from a network device, the third information being used to determine one or more time units to be configured for ZP-DMRS, the one or more time units including a first time unit corresponding to a first time-frequency resource.

[0022] In the time unit for configuring ZP-DMRS based on the third information, the configuration information such as ZP-DMRS pattern and port number of all terminal devices connected to the same network device (which is the network device that sends the third information) remains unchanged in that time unit.

[0023] Optionally, the third information is used to indicate the configuration of ZP-DMRS at each time unit.

[0024] Optionally, the third information is used to indicate the configuration of ZP-DMRS every N time intervals, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0025] Optionally, the third information is used to indicate a time unit in each time unit group that is configured with ZP-DMRS. Each time unit group may include one or more time units, and any two time unit groups may include the same or different number of time units.

[0026] Based on this, the terminal device does not need to receive ZP-DMRS configuration information on the time-frequency resources of each time unit, effectively reducing resource overhead.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, determining the size of the first TB based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB includes: determining the number of REs used for data transmission within each RB of the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB of the first time-frequency resource; determining the number of REs used for data transmission within the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs used for data transmission within each RB of the first time-frequency resource; and determining the size of the first TB based on the number of REs used for data transmission within the first time-frequency resource.

[0028] Optionally, the number of REs used for data transmission in the first RB in the first time-frequency resource is the number of first REs minus the number of REs in the DMRS in the first RB, minus the overhead of the higher-layer parameter xOverhead configuration in the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) ServingCellConfig, and minus the number of REs in the ZP-DMRS in the first RB.

[0029] The first RE quantity is obtained by multiplying the number of symbols allocated to PUSCH within a time unit by the number of subcarriers in the first RB.

[0030] For example, the first time unit is a time slot, and the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on the first time-frequency resource. The number N' of REs used for data transmission in the first time-frequency resource RE The following relationship exists between them:

[0031] in, It is the number of subcarriers in a physical resource block (PRB); It is the number of symbols allocated to PUSCH within a time slot; It is the number of REs in DMRS in each PRB during the predetermined duration; This is the overhead of the xOverhead configuration, a higher-level parameter in PUSCH ServingCellConfig; The number of REs in ZP-DMRS for each PRB. The value is obtained based on the first information.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before receiving the first information from the network device, the method further includes: receiving fourth information from the network device, the fourth information being used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS; and sending fifth information to the network device, the fifth information being used to instruct whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS.

[0033] Optionally, the terminal device may proactively send information to the network device indicating whether it supports configuring ZP-DMRS. That is, the terminal device may proactively send a fifth piece of information to the network device without receiving the fourth piece of information.

[0034] For example, the method includes: sending capability information to a network device, the capability information indicating whether the terminal device supports ZP-DMRS.

[0035] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as access network equipment, modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) within the access network equipment, or logical nodes, logical modules, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network equipment. The method is described below using a network device as an example.

[0036] For example, the method includes: determining whether a terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS; if it is determined that the terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS, sending first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to determine the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource being a resource configured by the network device for the terminal device to transmit a first transport block TB, the first time-frequency resource including a time unit in the time domain.

[0037] Based on this technical solution, when the network device determines that a terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS, it sends first information to the terminal device. This allows the terminal device to determine the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource based on the first information, and then determine the first TB size of the first time-frequency resource transmission based on the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB. This method of determining the first TB size by considering the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB enables interference measurement and cancellation on the network side, thereby effectively improving uplink communication performance.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information is used to indicate the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured.

[0039] Optionally, the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the combing method of the ZP-DMRS in the frequency domain.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information is also used to determine whether ZP-DMRS is configured.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to determine whether to configure the ZP-DMRS.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to determine one or more time units to be configured for ZP-DMRS, the one or more time units including the first time unit corresponding to the first time-frequency resource.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before sending the first information to the terminal device, the method further includes: sending a fourth piece of information to the terminal device, the fourth piece of information being used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS; and receiving a fifth piece of information from the terminal device, the fifth piece of information being used to instruct whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS.

[0044] For a description of any possible implementation of the second aspect, please refer to the description in the first aspect; it will not be repeated here.

[0045] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device, including modules or units for implementing the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0046] It should be understood that each module or unit can achieve its corresponding function by executing a computer program.

[0047] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, including a module or unit for implementing the methods in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0048] It should be understood that each module or unit can achieve its corresponding function by executing a computer program.

[0049] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device including a processor, the processor being configured to perform the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0050] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication device including a processor, the processor being configured to perform the methods described in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0051] In conjunction with the apparatus shown in aspects five and six, the apparatus may further include a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, which, when executing the instructions stored in the memory, can implement the methods described in the foregoing aspects.

[0052] In conjunction with the apparatus shown in the fifth and sixth aspects, the apparatus may further include a communication interface for communicating with other devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations of any of the above aspects, such as receiving or processing data and / or information involved in the above methods.

[0054] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, which may be located within or outside the processor.

[0055] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0056] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to implement the methods in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible implementations of any of the foregoing aspects.

[0057] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run, causes a computer to perform the methods of any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0058] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a communication system including the aforementioned terminal device and network device. The terminal device is used to execute the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the network device is used to instruct the methods described in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0059] Alternatively, the communication system may include the apparatus described in the third aspect and the apparatus described in the fourth aspect.

[0060] Alternatively, the communication system may include the apparatus described in the fifth aspect and the apparatus described in the sixth aspect.

[0061] It should be understood that the third to tenth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first and second aspects of this application, and the beneficial effects obtained by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0062] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the network element function division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device;

[0065] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of this application using interference null space projection;

[0066] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the resource mapping of ZP-DMRS provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the time unit to be configured for ZP-DMRS in the uplink transmission resources provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 9 is another schematic block diagram of the device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0071] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points are explained first:

[0073] First, in the embodiments of this application, the use of prefixes such as "first" and "second" is merely for the purpose of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same name category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first information" and "second information" are simply different pieces of information, and there is no temporal sequence, size, or priority relationship between them.

[0074] Second, in the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send first information to the terminal device" can be understood as the destination of the first information being the terminal device, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive fifth information from the terminal device" can be understood as the source of the fifth information being the terminal device, which may include direct reception from the network device via the air interface or indirect reception from the terminal device via the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0075] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0076] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, before being sent from the source to the destination. Similarly, the destination, upon receiving information from the source, can also perform corresponding processing, such as decoding and demodulation, to interpret the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0077] Third, in the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it does not exclude the possibility of indicating an "and" relationship. The specific meaning can be understood in conjunction with the context. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0078] Fourth, in the embodiments of this application, "instruction" can include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (the first information described below) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly instructing the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly instruct the information to be instructed by instructing other information, where there is a correlation between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only instruct a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement order of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction.

[0079] It is understandable that, for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be indicated, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be indicated.

[0080] Fifth, the tables in the embodiments of this application are merely examples. The values ​​of the information in each table are only examples and can be configured to other values; this application is not limited thereto. The tables do not limit the scope of protection of this application. For example, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the tables described above, such as splitting, merging, etc. Furthermore, the parameter names shown in the headings of each table can also use other names understandable to the communication device, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters can also be other values ​​or representations understandable to the communication device. Moreover, in the implementation of the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables, etc.

[0081] Sixth, in the embodiments of this application, descriptions such as "when," "under the circumstances," "if," and "if" all refer to the fact that the device (e.g., network device or terminal device) will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device (e.g., network device or terminal device) to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0082] Seventh, the predefined terms in this application can be understood as: definition, pre-defined, storage, pre-storage, pre-negotiation, pre-configuration, solidification, or pre-firing.

[0083] Eighth, the term "storage" in this application can refer to storage in one or more memory devices. These memory devices can be separate installations or integrated into an encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memory devices can be separately installed, while others can be integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0084] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, sidelink (SL) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, new radio access technology (NR) systems, satellite communication systems, etc. Among them, 5G mobile communication systems can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networks.

[0085] The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to future communication networks.

[0086] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 100 applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a wireless access network 10 and a core network 20. Optionally, the communication system 100 may also include an Internet 30. The wireless access network 10 may include at least one wireless access network device (110a and 110b in Figure 1) and at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1).

[0087] Terminal devices can connect to radio access network (RAN) devices wirelessly, and RAN devices can connect to the core network wirelessly or via wired connections. Core network devices and RAN devices can be independent, separate physical devices, or they can integrate the functions of core network devices and the logical functions of RAN devices onto a single physical device. Alternatively, a single physical device can integrate some core network device functions and some RAN device functions. Terminal devices and RAN devices can be interconnected via wired or wireless connections.

[0088] Communication between wireless access network devices and terminal devices, between wireless access network devices, and between terminal devices can all be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or a combination of both. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or a combination of both. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0089] Among them, the wireless access network equipment can be a base station deployed in the air, such as a satellite base station 110a; or it can be a base station deployed indoors, such as a micro base station or an indoor station 110b.

[0090] The terminal equipment can be terminal equipment deployed in the air, such as the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1; or it can be terminal equipment deployed on the ground, such as mobile phones 120a, 120e, 120f and 120j, vehicle 120b, computer 110b, printer 120h, etc. in Figure 1.

[0091] Wireless access network equipment and terminals can be fixed or mobile. For example, wireless access network equipment and terminal equipment can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites.

[0092] The roles of wireless access network devices and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For those 120j accessing the wireless access network 10 via 120i, 120i is a base station; but for 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via an interface protocol between wireless access network devices. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both wireless access network devices and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a, 110b, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with their respective corresponding functions, such as communication devices with base station functions or communication devices with terminal functions.

[0093] It should be understood that Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram. The communication system may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0094] It should also be understood that in the communication system shown in Figure 1, multiple wireless access network devices can simultaneously transmit data or control signaling to a single terminal device.

[0095] In this application, the network device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The network device can provide wireless communication services, enabling terminals to access the wireless network. The network device may include radio access network (RAN) equipment (also called access network equipment) and core network equipment. The radio access network equipment can be a node in the radio access network, referred to as a RAN node.

[0096] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station (BS), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a home evolved NodeB (or home Node B, HNB), an access point (AP) for wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), a mobile switching center, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can also be a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, and internet-to-things (IoT) communication systems. A RAN node can also be a RAN node in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), meaning that a RAN node can be deployed on a high-altitude platform or a satellite. RAN nodes can be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, etc., or radio controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios, nodes in O-RAN scenarios, etc. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, RAN nodes can be roadside units (RSUs). Of course, RAN nodes can also be nodes in the core network.

[0097] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the O-RAN system includes access network equipment, core network (CN) equipment, and terminals. The access network equipment communicates with the core network equipment via a backhaul link, and communicates with the terminals via an air interface.

[0098] Specifically, the baseband unit (BBU) in the access network equipment communicates with the core network equipment via a backhaul link, and the radio unit (RU) in the access network equipment communicates with at least one terminal via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU includes at least one central unit (CU) and at least one distributed unit (DU). The CU and DU can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0099] In other words, in a wireless communication system, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the functions of a base station. Referring to the example in Figure 2, RAN nodes can be CU, DU, and RU. RAN nodes can also be CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), etc. It can be understood that CU and DU can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), or remote radio head (RRH).

[0100] Figure 3 shows the network element function partitioning and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device. As shown in Figure 3, the access network device is divided into CU, DU, and RU. In the example shown in Figure 3, the CU is a logical node that carries the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network device.

[0101] The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as the E2 interface. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as the F1 interface. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, which defines the F1 signaling procedures in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0102] Specifically, the CU can be divided into CU-CP (control unit-control plane) and CU-UP (control unit-user plane). CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the (control plane part of PDCP, PDCP-C) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the AMF network element in a 5G system. This AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover.

[0103] The CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. The CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements, such as the user plane function (UPF) network elements in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For instance, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency, placing functions that need to meet low latency requirements in the DU and functions that do not need to meet this latency requirement in the CU.

[0104] In the example shown in Figure 3, the DU is a logical node carrying the radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. The Higher PHY layer may include PHY layer processing functions such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation. Optionally, the DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which may be fronthaul interfaces.

[0105] In the example shown in Figure 3, the RU is a logical node carrying both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. This Low-PHY may include PHY processing components such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a wireless link. Optionally, the RU may be a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities.

[0106] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a lower-layer split-control, user, and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface through a fronthaul link. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces that provide the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0107] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0108] It is understood that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in the ORAN system, CU can also be called open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called open RU (O-RU).

[0109] Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU units can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. That is, the wireless access network device can be a virtualized device, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or through dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0110] The terminal equipment in this application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user apparatus. The terms "terminal" and "terminal equipment" may be used interchangeably below.

[0111] Terminal devices can be devices that provide voice / data connectivity to users, such as handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, etc. Currently, examples of terminal devices include: mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities (such as laptops and PDAs), mobile internet devices (MIDs), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, drones, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future evolution of public terrestrial mobile communication networks. Terminal equipment in a land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0112] 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 worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices; they achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly defined, wearable smart devices include those with comprehensive functions, large sizes, and the ability to perform complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses. They also include devices focused on a specific application function that require the use of other devices, such as smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0113] Furthermore, terminal devices can also be terminal devices within IoT systems. IoT is a crucial component of future information technology development, its main technological characteristic being the connection of objects to networks via communication technologies, thereby achieving intelligent networks that enable human-machine and machine-to-machine interconnection. IoT technology, for example, can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low power consumption at the terminal level through narrowband (NB) technology.

[0114] In addition, terminal devices may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Their 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.

[0115] The terminal device in this application can be a virtualized device, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0116] It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific form of wireless access network equipment and terminal equipment.

[0117] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terminology involved in this application will be introduced below.

[0118] 1. Demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

[0119] DMRS is used to estimate the equivalent channel matrix experienced by data channels (such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)) or control channels (such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) for data detection and demodulation.

[0120] Generally, when using orthogonal resource mapping, one DMRS port corresponds to one stream of data. Currently, 3GPP release R15 supports two DMRS resource mapping types: type 1 and type 2.

[0121] Type 1: Single symbol supports a maximum of 4 ports, dual symbol supports a maximum of 8 ports. Type 2: Single symbol supports a maximum of 6 ports, dual symbol supports a maximum of 12 ports.

[0122] Based on the DMRS resource mapping type, it can be determined that NR can support a maximum of 12 streams of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. In other words, NR can support up to 12 terminals simultaneously sending information to the network device using orthogonal port allocation, thus avoiding interference between multiple terminals.

[0123] 2. Interference null space.

[0124] Taking uplink communication as an example, in a multi-terminal communication system, the signal y received by the receiver can be expressed as the following formula (1):

[0125] Where, x i H is the useful signal from the i-th terminal. i x is the channel between the i-th terminal and the receiver. j H is the interference signal from the j-th terminal. j It is the channel between the j-th terminal and the receiving end.

[0126] By combining the interference signals from multiple terminals, the above formula (1) can be equivalent to the following formula (2): y = H i x i +Hx; (2)

[0127] Where H is the equivalent interference channel and x is the equivalent interference signal.

[0128] Singular value decomposition (SVD) is performed on the interference channel H, and the resulting H satisfies the following formula (3): H=UΣV * (3)

[0129] Where U is an orthogonal matrix, and is the left singular matrix of H. Σ is a diagonal matrix, containing all the singular values ​​of H; the diagonal elements of Σ are arranged in descending order. V is an orthogonal matrix, and is the right singular matrix of H. * This represents the transpose of V.

[0130] The aforementioned U matrix can be considered as a set of orthogonal vector bases, representing a distribution space of the interference signal at the receiver. When the interference signal is projected onto this distribution space, the interference signal projected onto the orthogonal bases corresponding to larger singular values ​​has a larger power, while the interference signal projected onto the bases corresponding to smaller singular values ​​has a smaller power. This distribution space composed of orthogonal bases corresponding to smaller singular values ​​is called the interference null space.

[0131] In uplink transmission of mobile communication systems, when multiple terminal devices simultaneously send signals to network devices, the reference signal ports need to maintain good orthogonality in the time, frequency, or code domains to avoid inaccurate channel estimation caused by interference between terminals. However, in the future, the number of streams and terminals supported by uplink communication may increase. If the orthogonal port configuration is still used to send reference signals, it will lead to increased resource overhead, thereby reducing the overall throughput of the system.

[0132] To address this issue, given a fixed amount of time-frequency resources, non-orthogonal port allocation can be used for redundant users, followed by interference cancellation techniques to suppress interference from non-orthogonal sequences. For example, network devices can employ interference null-spatial projection to suppress interference between multiple users.

[0133] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an interference null space projection provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4(a), the signals received by the network device from the terminal device all include interference signals. After receiving the signals from the terminal device, the network device obtains the interference channel based on the received signals, performs singular value decomposition on the obtained interference channel, and selects the singular vectors corresponding to smaller singular values ​​to form the interference null space. The received signals are then projected onto the interference null space to obtain the signal shown in Figure 4(b). As shown in Figure 4(b), the signal projected onto the interference null space has very little interference energy, thus achieving interference suppression.

[0134] In summary, when using a non-orthogonal DMRS port configuration method for multiple users, if the interference null space projection method is adopted, the spatial distribution characteristics of the interference must be obtained in advance in order to construct the interference null space and then project the received signal. The spatial distribution characteristics of the interference (or interference feature space) are obtained by calculating the autocorrelation matrix based on the received interference signal; therefore, network devices need to collect the interference signal first.

[0135] The collection of interference signals can be achieved by configuring a zero-power-demodulation reference signal (ZP-DMRS) for each data stream, thereby obtaining the spatial distribution of the interference signals based on the collected interference signals. This is because ZP-DMRS differs from normal-power demodulation reference signals; ZP-DMRS does not carry any user data.

[0136] However, if ZP-DMRS is configured for each data stream, ZP-DMRS will consume some resources. As a result, the existing calculation method based on transport block (TB) size will no longer be applicable.

[0137] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a method for determining the transport block size. This method considers the resource overhead occupied by ZP-DMRS when calculating the number of REs used for data transmission in the RB, so that it can adapt to the resource mapping pattern configured with ZP-DMRS, thereby enabling an interference cancellation scheme based on interference null projection.

[0138] The communication method and related apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the method provided in this application can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG1, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0139] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. In method 500, the terminal-side device is described as a terminal device and the network-side device as a network device, but this application does not limit the subject executing the method. For example, the terminal device in method 500 can be replaced by a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the implementation of the method on the terminal device, or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. Similarly, the network device in method 500 can be replaced by a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the implementation of the method on the network device, or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0140] As shown in Figure 5, method 500 may include steps S501 to S507. The steps in method 500 are described in detail below.

[0141] S501, the network device determines whether the terminal device needs to be configured with ZP-DMRS.

[0142] For example, a network device can determine whether a terminal device needs to be configured with ZP-DMRS based on the number of connected terminals (hereinafter referred to as Quantity 1) and the maximum number of orthogonal ports supported by the network device (hereinafter referred to as Quantity 2).

[0143] In practice, network devices can determine whether a terminal device needs to be configured with ZP-DMRS if the number of devices is greater than the number of terminals. This is because when the number of devices is greater than the number of terminals, multiple terminal devices may use non-orthogonal port configurations for uplink communication, requiring interference cancellation.

[0144] S502, if it is determined that the terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS, the network device sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the network device and determines the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource. That is, the first information is used to determine the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0145] The first time-frequency resource is the resource configured by the network device for the terminal device to transmit the first TB, which is the TB sent by the terminal device to the network device. That is, the first time-frequency resource is the resource configured by the network device for uplink transmission of the first TB.

[0146] The first time-frequency resource can be any time-frequency resource corresponding to any time unit among the resources allocated by the network device to the terminal device for uplink transmission. That is, the first time-frequency resource includes one time unit in the time domain.

[0147] For example, the time unit in this application can be a symbol, time slot, mini-time slot, subframe, or frame, etc. This application does not limit the number of RBs included in the first time-frequency resource in the frequency domain. One RB includes 12 subcarriers in the frequency domain.

[0148] In a specific implementation, the number of ZP-DMRS patterns to be configured on all RBs in the first time-frequency resource, or the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS, is the same. Based on this, the aforementioned first information can be replaced with: the first information is used by the terminal device to determine the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on the first RB in the first time-frequency resource. This first RB can be any RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0149] S503, the terminal device determines the size of the first TB based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0150] Regarding the above description, when the terminal device determines the ZP-DMRS configuration based on the first information, the mapping method of ZP-DMRS under one RB length can be specifically as shown in Figure 6: One RB includes 12 subcarriers in the frequency domain. When the first time-frequency resource includes 14 symbols in the time domain, one RB length includes 168 REs. These 168 REs are mapped to PUCCH, DMRS, ZP-DMRS, and PUSCH, respectively. Among them, ZP-DMRS occupies 1 symbol in the time domain and 12 subcarriers in the frequency domain, so ZP-DMRS occupies 12 REs in the first time-frequency resource. The mapping method of ZP-DMRS shown in Figure 6 is only an example and does not limit this application.

[0151] In this embodiment, when the network device determines that a terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS, it sends first information to the terminal device. This allows the terminal device to determine the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource based on the first information, and then determine the first TB size of the first time-frequency resource transmission based on the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource. This method of determining the first TB size by considering the number of ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB enables interference measurement and cancellation on the network side, thereby effectively improving uplink communication performance.

[0152] One specific implementation of S503 above may include the following steps one to three:

[0153] Step 1: The terminal device determines the number of REs used for data transmission in each RB of the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB of the first time-frequency resource.

[0154] The following section uses the first RB in the first time-frequency resource as an example to illustrate the number of REs used for data transmission within each RB in the first time-frequency resource. It can be understood that this first RB is any RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0155] Specifically, the number of REs used for data transmission within the first RB is the number of first REs minus the number of REs for the DMRS within the first RB, minus the overhead of the higher-level parameter xOverhead configured in PUSCH ServingCellConfig, and minus the number of REs for the ZP-DMRS within the first RB.

[0156] The first RE quantity is obtained by multiplying the number of symbols allocated to the PUSCH within a time unit by the number of subcarriers in the first RB. Alternatively, the first RE quantity is the product of the number of symbols allocated to the PUSCH within a time unit and the number of subcarriers in the first RB.

[0157] Step 2: The terminal device determines the number of REs used for data transmission within the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs used for data transmission within each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0158] Specifically, when the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS is the same on all RBs included in the first time-frequency resource, one specific implementation of step two is: the terminal device determines the number of REs used for data transmission in the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs used for data transmission in one RB of the first time-frequency resource and the number of RBs included in the first time-frequency resource.

[0159] Step 3: The terminal device determines the size of the first TB based on the number of REs used for data transmission within the first time-frequency resource.

[0160] For details on the implementation of step three, please refer to the relevant description in 3GPP technical specification (TS) 38.214. It will not be elaborated upon here.

[0161] For example, when the first time unit is a time slot, the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on the first RB in the first time-frequency resource. The number N' of REs used for data transmission in the first RB RE The relationship between them satisfies the following formula (4):

[0162] in, This refers to the number of subcarriers in a physical resource block (PRB), for example... It is the number of symbols allocated to PUSCH within a time slot; It is the number of REs in DMRS in each PRB during the predetermined duration; This is the overhead of the xOverhead configuration, a higher-level parameter in PUSCH ServingCellConfig; The number of REs in ZP-DMRS for each PRB. The value is obtained based on the first piece of information mentioned above.

[0163] Alternatively, when the first time unit is one time slot, the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on the first RB in the first time-frequency resource. The number N' of REs used for data transmission in the first RB RE The relationship between them satisfies the following formula (5):

[0164] Where, γ ZP_DMRS The value of γ is either 0 or 1. When the terminal device needs to be configured with ZP-DMRS, γ... ZP_DMRS The value of γ is 0, meaning that ZP-DMRS does not need to be configured on the terminal device. ZP_DMRS The value of γ is 1; or conversely, if the terminal device needs to be configured with ZP-DMRS, γ ZP_DMRS The value of γ is 1, meaning that γ is used when the terminal device does not need to be configured with ZP-DMRS. ZP_DMRS The value of is 0. Other parameters can be referred to the description in formula (4) above, and will not be repeated here.

[0165] Optionally, the first information mentioned above is specifically used to indicate the number of REs occupied by a ZP-DMRS to be configured on an RB.

[0166] Optionally, the aforementioned first information is specifically used to indicate the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured.

[0167] Example 1: The pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on the first RB. Accordingly, based on the first information, the terminal device can determine the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0168] Example 2: The pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the combing method of the ZP-DMRS in the frequency domain. The combing method includes: no combing (also known as zero combing), two-comb method, three-comb method, or four-comb method, etc. Accordingly, the terminal device determines the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource based on the first information and the first mapping relationship.

[0169] The first mapping relationship indicates that various combing methods correspond to the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS on a single RB. This first mapping relationship can be predefined or indicated by the network device.

[0170] Table 1 below illustrates one type of mapping relationship.

[0171] Table 1

[0172] The number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS on one RB for different combing methods shown in Table 1 is based on the example of ZP-DMRS occupying one symbol in the time domain (i.e., ZP-DMRS using a single-symbol resource mapping type). Of course, ZP-DMRS can also occupy two symbols in the time domain (i.e., ZP-DMRS using a double-symbol resource mapping type).

[0173] It is understood that Table 1 is merely an example, and in specific implementations, the first mapping relationship may include more or fewer sorting methods than those shown in Table 1. It should be noted that under each sorting method, the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS included in any two RBs is the same.

[0174] One possible implementation is that the first information is also used to determine the configuration of ZP-DMRS.

[0175] In other words, when the first information indicates the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on an RB, or indicates the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured, the terminal device determines that ZP-DMRS needs to be configured.

[0176] In one possible implementation, between S501 and S503, method 500 further includes: S504, whereby the network device sends second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to determine whether ZP-DMRS is configured. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information from the network device.

[0177] Optionally, the second information is specifically used to indicate whether the terminal device is configured with ZP-DMRS, or specifically to indicate whether the network device enables the interference null-space projection method based on ZP-DMRS. Accordingly, the terminal device determines whether to configure ZP-DMRS based on the second information.

[0178] For example, when the second information instructs the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS, or instructs the activation of the interference null space projection method based on ZP-DMRS, the terminal device determines to configure ZP-DMRS based on the second information.

[0179] In practical implementation, the second information can be carried by adding a new extended field 1 to the downlink control information (DCI). The value of extended field 1 can be 0 or 1. Alternatively, extended field 1 can be left blank, as the terminal device is not configured with ZP-DMRS by default.

[0180] Where 0 indicates that the terminal device is not configured with ZP-DMRS, and 1 indicates that the terminal device is configured with ZP-DMRS; or, 0 indicates that the terminal device is configured with ZP-DMRS, and 1 indicates that the terminal device is not configured with ZP-DMRS.

[0181] Optionally, the second information is specifically used to indicate the port number on which the terminal device sends ZP-DMRS. Accordingly, the terminal device determines the ZP-DMRS configuration based on the second information.

[0182] The port number used by the terminal device to send ZP-DMRS messages can be, for example, 1000, 1001, 1002, etc.

[0183] In one possible implementation, between S501 and S503, method 500 further includes: S505, whereby the network device sends third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to determine one or more time units for configuring ZP-DMRS. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information from the network device.

[0184] Among them, one or more time units include the first time unit corresponding to the first time-frequency resource.

[0185] In the first possible implementation, the third information is used to indicate the configuration of ZP-DMRS at each time unit.

[0186] Accordingly, based on the third information, the terminal device determines to configure ZP-DMRS on each time unit included in the uplink transmission resources.

[0187] The uplink transmission resources in this application are the resources configured by the network device for the terminal device for uplink transmission.

[0188] In the second possible implementation, the third information is used to indicate the configuration of ZP-DMRS every N time intervals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0189] Accordingly, based on the third information, the terminal device determines to configure ZP-DMRS on the nth time unit in every N consecutive time units in the uplink transmission resources, where n is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0190] For the first and second possible implementations, in a specific implementation, the third information can be carried through an extended field 2 added to the DCI. The value of extended field 2 can be 0 or N. Where 0 indicates that ZP-DMRS is configured every 0 time units, and N indicates that ZP-DMRS is configured every N time units.

[0191] The third possible implementation is that the third information is used to indicate the configuration of a time unit of ZP-DMRS in each time unit group. Each time unit group may include one or more time units, and any two time unit groups may include the same or different number of time units.

[0192] The time unit group is obtained by grouping uplink transmission resources in the time domain. This time unit group is determined by the network device. In a specific implementation, the network device can include multiple values ​​in the DCI, each of which represents the number of time units included in a time unit group.

[0193] Accordingly, based on the third information, the terminal device determines to configure ZP-DMRS on one time unit of each time unit group included in the uplink transmission resources.

[0194] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the time units to be configured for ZP-DMRS in the uplink transmission resources provided in the embodiments of this application. Assuming that the uplink transmission resources include 12 time units in the time domain, i.e., M = 12, based on the first possible implementation described above, the time units determined by the terminal device for configuring ZP-DMRS are shown in Figure 7(a). That is, the time units to be configured for ZP-DMRS are each of the M time units.

[0195] Based on the second possible implementation described above, the time units for configuring ZP-DMRS determined by the terminal device are shown in Figure 7(b). That is, the time unit for configuring ZP-DMRS occurs once every two time units in M ​​time units.

[0196] Based on the third possible implementation described above, the time units determined by the terminal device for configuring ZP-DMRS are shown in Figure 7(c). That is, M time units are divided into 5 time unit groups. Among them, time unit group 1 includes 1 time unit, time unit group 2 includes 4 time units, time unit group 3 includes 2 time units, and time unit group 4 includes 3 time units. ZP-DMRS is configured on the first time unit in each time unit group.

[0197] Combining the above three possible implementations: when it is determined that ZP-DMRS needs to be configured, the terminal device uses the above formula (4) to calculate the number of REs for data transmission; when it is determined that ZP-DMRS does not need to be configured, the terminal device uses the method provided in 3GPP TS 38.214 to calculate the number of REs for data transmission.

[0198] Alternatively, the terminal device may use the above formula (5) to calculate the number of REs used for data transmission in each time unit, where γ in formula (5) ZP _ DMRS The value is determined based on the third piece of information.

[0199] In one possible implementation, prior to S501, method 500 may further include: S506, whereby the network device sends fourth information to the terminal device, the fourth information being used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the fourth information from the network device.

[0200] Optionally, when executing S506, the network device may continue to execute the steps in S501 to S505 even if it does not receive information indicating that the terminal device does not support configuring ZP-DMRS.

[0201] Optionally, if S506 is executed, then after S506, the method 500 may further include: S507, the terminal device sends fifth information to the network device, the fifth information being used to indicate whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS. Correspondingly, the network device receives the fifth information from the terminal device.

[0202] If the fifth information indicates that the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS, then the steps in S501 to S505 can continue to be executed after S507.

[0203] If the fifth information indicates that the terminal device does not support configuring ZP-DMRS, the terminal device shall determine the size of the first TB using the method for calculating the TB size in 3GPP TS 38.214.

[0204] One possible implementation is that the terminal device can proactively send information to the network device indicating whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS. That is, before S501, S506 can be skipped and S507 can be executed directly.

[0205] Figures 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams of possible apparatuses provided in embodiments of this application. These apparatuses can be used to implement the functions of terminal devices or network devices in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0206] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the device 800 includes a transceiver module 810 and a processing module 820.

[0207] One possible design is that the device 800 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5 above.

[0208] For example, the transceiver module 810 is configured to: receive first information from the network device, the first information being used to determine the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource being the resource configured by the network device for the terminal device to transmit the first TB, the first time-frequency resource including a time unit in the time domain; the processing module 820 is configured to: determine the size of the first TB based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

[0209] Optionally, the transceiver module 810 is further configured to: receive second information from the network device, the second information being used to determine whether to configure the ZP-DMRS.

[0210] Optionally, the transceiver module 810 is further configured to: receive third information from the network device, the third information being used to determine one or more time units to be configured for ZP-DMRS, the one or more time units including the first time unit corresponding to the first time-frequency resource.

[0211] Optionally, the transceiver module 810 is further configured to: receive fourth information from the network device, the fourth information being used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS; and send fifth information to the network device, the fifth information being used to instruct whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS.

[0212] Optionally, the processing module 820 is specifically configured to: determine the number of REs used for data transmission in each RB of the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB of the first time-frequency resource; determine the number of REs used for data transmission in the first time-frequency resource based on the number of REs used for data transmission in each RB of the first time-frequency resource; and determine the size of the first TB based on the number of REs used for data transmission in the first time-frequency resource.

[0213] A more detailed description of the transceiver module 810 and the processing module 820 can be obtained directly from the relevant description in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, and will not be repeated here.

[0214] Another possible design is that the device 800 is used to implement the functions of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5 above.

[0215] For example, the processing module 820 is configured to: determine whether the terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS; the transceiver module 810 is configured to: if it is determined that the terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS, send first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to determine the number of resource units (REs) occupied by ZP-DMRS to be configured on each resource block (RB) in the first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource being the resource configured by the network device for the terminal device to transmit a first TB, the first time-frequency resource including a time unit in the time domain.

[0216] Optionally, the transceiver module 810 is further configured to: send second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to determine whether to configure the ZP-DMRS.

[0217] Optionally, the transceiver module 810 is further configured to: send fourth information to the terminal device, the fourth information being used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS; and receive fifth information from the terminal device, the fifth information being used to instruct whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS.

[0218] A more detailed description of the transceiver module 810 and the processing module 820 can be obtained directly from the relevant description in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, and will not be repeated here.

[0219] It should be noted that device 800 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, device 800 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by device 800 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. It is understood that because device 800 has communication capabilities, it can also be called a communication device.

[0220] Figure 9 is another schematic block diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910. The processor 910 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the device (e.g., terminal device, network device, or chip, etc.), execute software programs, and process data of the software programs.

[0221] Alternatively, in one design, the processor 910 may include a program (also referred to as code or instructions) that can be executed on the processor 910, causing the device 900 to perform the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments. In yet another possible design, the device 900 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG9) for implementing the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0222] For example, the processor 910 can be used to execute computer programs or instructions in memory to implement the steps performed by the terminal device or network device in any of the embodiments shown in FIG5.

[0223] Optionally, the device 900 may include one or more memories 920 storing computer programs (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that can be run on the processor 910, causing the device 900 to perform the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in the above embodiments.

[0224] Optionally, the processor 910 and / or memory 920 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0225] Optionally, the device 900 may further include a communication interface 930. The processor 910, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the device (e.g., a terminal device or network device). The communication interface 930, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the device's transceiver functions. The communication interface 930 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna.

[0226] In a specific implementation, when the device 900 is a terminal device, the receiver can be used to receive transmission control information via an antenna, and the transmitter can be used to send transmission feedback information to the network device via an antenna. When the device 900 is a network device, the transmitter can be used to send transmission control information to the terminal device via an antenna, and the receiver can be used to receive transmission feedback information sent by the terminal device via an antenna.

[0227] Optionally, the device 900 also includes a communication interface 930. The processor 910 and the communication interface 930 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the communication interface 930 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0228] It is understandable that since device 900 has communication capabilities, it can also be called a communication device.

[0229] When device 900 is used to implement the method of FIG. 5, processor 910 is used to execute the functions of the aforementioned processing unit, and communication interface 930 is used to execute the functions of the aforementioned transceiver module. Whether communication interface 930 is used for sending or receiving depends on whether the scheme executed by device 900 is used to perform a sending action or a receiving action.

[0230] When the aforementioned device 900 is a chip applied to a terminal device, the chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the terminal device receives signals from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal device, and these signals may be sent to the terminal device by the network device; or, the chip of the terminal device sends signals to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal device, and these signals may be sent to the network device by the terminal device.

[0231] When the aforementioned device 900 is a chip applied to a network device, the chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the network device receives signals from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, and these signals may be sent from the terminal device to the network device; or, the chip of the network device sends signals to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, and these signals may be sent from the network device to the terminal device.

[0232] It is understood that when the device 900 is a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 930 can be a transceiver, specifically including a transmitter and a receiver, with the transmitter used to send signals and the receiver used to receive signals. When the device 900 is a chip applied to a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 930 can be an input / output circuit, wherein the input circuit can be used for receiving and the output interface can be used for sending.

[0233] It should be noted that the above method embodiments can be applied to a processor, or implemented by a processor. A processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by software instructions.

[0234] The aforementioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0235] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0236] The memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0237] The methods provided in the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product may include one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic disk), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0238] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a processor, can implement the methods shown in the above method embodiments.

[0239] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium containing computer instructions that, when executed on a processor, can implement the methods shown in the above-described method embodiments.

[0240] This application also provides a chip, including a processor, for reading instructions stored in a memory. When the processor executes the stored instructions, the chip can implement the method shown in the above method embodiments.

[0241] This application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned terminal device and network device.

[0242] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0243] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0244] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0245] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0246] In addition, 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.

[0247] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0248] 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 terminal-side device, the method includes: The system receives first information from a network-side device. The first information is used to determine the number of resource units (REs) occupied by the zero-power demodulation reference signal (ZP-DMRS) to be configured on each resource block (RB) in the first time-frequency resource. The first time-frequency resource is a resource configured by the network-side device for the terminal-side device to transmit the first transport block (TB). The first time-frequency resource includes a time unit in the time domain. The size of the first TB is determined based on the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the combing method of the ZP-DMRS in the frequency domain.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first information is also used to determine whether ZP-DMRS is configured.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information from the network-side device, the second information being used to determine whether to configure the ZP-DMRS.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third information received from the network-side device is used to determine one or more time units to be configured for ZP-DMRS, wherein the time units included in the first time-frequency resource in the time domain belong to the one or more time units.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Determining the size of the first TB based on the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource includes: Based on the number of REs occupied by ZP-DMRS to be configured on each RB in the first time-frequency resource, the number of REs used for data transmission in each RB in the first time-frequency resource is determined; The number of REs used for data transmission within each RB in the first time-frequency resource is determined based on the number of REs used for data transmission within the first time-frequency resource. The size of the first TB is determined based on the number of REs used for data transmission within the first time-frequency resource.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The number of REs used for data transmission in the first RB in the first time-frequency resource is the number of first REs minus the number of REs in the first RB, minus the overhead of the higher-layer parameter xOverhead configuration in the Physical Uplink Shared Channel PUSCH ServingCellConfig, and minus the number of REs in the ZP-DMRS in the first RB. The first RE quantity is obtained by multiplying the number of symbols allocated to the PUSCH in a time unit by the number of subcarriers in the first RB.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first time unit is a time slot, and the number of REs occupied by the ZP-DMRS to be configured on the first RB. The number N' of REs used for data transmission within the first RB RE The following relationship exists between them: in, It is the number of subcarriers in a physical resource block (PRB); It is the number of symbols allocated to PUSCH within a time slot; It is the number of REs in DMRS in each PRB during the predetermined duration; This is the overhead of the xOverhead configuration, a higher-level parameter in PUSCH ServingCellConfig; The number of REs in ZP-DMRS for each PRB. The value is obtained based on the first information.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information from the network-side device, the fourth information being used to instruct the terminal-side device to configure ZP-DMRS; A fifth message is sent to the network-side device, the fifth message being used to indicate whether the terminal-side device supports configuring ZP-DMRS.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a network-side device, the method includes: Determine whether the terminal-side device should be equipped with a zero-power demodulation reference signal (ZP-DMRS). When it is determined that the terminal device needs to configure ZP-DMRS, first information is sent to the terminal device. The first information is used to determine the number of resource units (REs) occupied by ZP-DMRS to be configured on each resource block (RB) in the first time-frequency resource. The first time-frequency resource is the resource configured by the network device for the terminal device to transmit the first transport block (TB). The first time-frequency resource includes a time unit in the time domain.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The pattern of the ZP-DMRS to be configured is used to determine the combing method of the ZP-DMRS in the frequency domain.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The first information is also used to determine whether ZP-DMRS is configured.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message to the terminal device, the second message being used to determine whether to configure the ZP-DMRS.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third information is sent to the terminal device to determine one or more time units of the ZP-DMRS to be configured, wherein the time units included in the first time-frequency resource in the time domain belong to the one or more time units.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fourth message to the terminal device, the fourth message being used to instruct the terminal device to configure ZP-DMRS; The terminal device receives a fifth piece of information, which indicates whether the terminal device supports configuring ZP-DMRS.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor for causing the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17 by executing a computer program and / or by logic circuitry.

20. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a terminal-side device and a network-side device, wherein the terminal-side device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, and the network-side device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 17.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method of any one of claims 1 to 17 is performed.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program, and when the computer program is run, the method of any one of claims 1 to 17 is performed.

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