Communication method, apparatus, and system

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system. In the method, at least two transmission resources are determined, wherein the at least two transmission resources include a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource, the first transmission resource comprises M first time-frequency units, the second transmission resource comprises N second time-frequency units, and the number of time-frequency resources that carry reference signals in the first time-frequency units is greater than the number of time-frequency resources that carry reference signals in the second time-frequency units; and reference signals are sent or received on the basis of the at least two transmission resources. In this way, transmission overhead can be reduced, channel estimation precision is improved, and the system throughput rate is increased.

Description

Communication methods, devices and systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510116825.8, filed on January 24, 2025, entitled "Communication Method, Apparatus and System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the continuous development of communication technology, data transmission capacity is increasing. Channel estimation can be used to estimate the quality and distortion of wireless channels, thereby adapting to and eliminating the influence of the channel, and improving the reliability and efficiency of data transmission.

[0004] Channel estimation is primarily achieved through a reference signal (RS). Current technologies typically require significant RS time-frequency resource overhead to ensure data transmission performance, thus reducing communication efficiency. How to reduce the resource overhead of channel estimation while improving its performance is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system aimed at reducing the resource overhead of channel estimation while improving the performance of channel estimation.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first communication device. The first communication device may be, for example, a network device, a component configured within the network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0007] For example, the method includes: a first communication device determining at least two transmission resources, including a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource. Each transmission resource may include at least one time-frequency unit, for example, the first transmission resource includes M first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource includes N second time-frequency units. The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit; that is, the number of time-frequency resources used to carry reference signals in the time-frequency units included in different transmission resources is different. The first communication device can transmit or receive reference signals based on the at least two transmission resources. This not only reduces transmission overhead but also improves channel estimation accuracy and increases system throughput.

[0008] The first time-frequency unit and the second time-frequency unit can be understood as two reference signal patterns. The number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal is different in different reference signal patterns, that is, the time-frequency density is different for different reference signal patterns.

[0009] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a second communication device. The second communication device may be, for example, a terminal, a component configured in the terminal (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal, etc. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0010] For example, the method includes: a second communication device determining at least two transmission resources, including a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource, each transmission resource including at least one time-frequency unit, for example, the first transmission resource including M first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource including N second time-frequency units, wherein the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency units is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency units, that is, the number of time-frequency resources used to carry reference signals in the time-frequency units included in different transmission resources is different; the second communication device transmits or receives reference signals based on the at least two transmission resources. This not only reduces transmission overhead but also improves channel estimation accuracy and increases system throughput.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect or the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, a first parameter of the data carried by the first transmission resource is greater than a first parameter of the data carried by the second transmission resource, the first parameter being used to characterize the importance of the data.

[0012] Different data have varying degrees of importance. For example, different data features extracted in semantic communication have different levels of importance, and data features of different importance require different levels of reliability and channel estimation accuracy during transmission. For instance, data with high importance requires higher channel estimation accuracy, while data with low importance requires lower channel estimation accuracy.

[0013] Compared to existing technologies that use the same reference signal pattern for each transmission resource (i.e., the reference signal is uniform across time-frequency resources), which cannot meet the differentiated requirements of data of varying importance for channel estimation performance and resource overhead, this paper proposes using reference signal patterns with different time-frequency densities for different transmission resources. Data of varying importance is then transmitted using these resources; that is, transmission resources with higher reference signal time-frequency densities can be used to carry more important data, while those with lower densities can be used to carry less important data.

[0014] In this way, the channel estimation overhead of low-importance data can be reduced, while the channel estimation accuracy of high-importance data can be improved. This satisfies the differentiated requirements of data of different importance for channel estimation performance and resource overhead, thereby improving system throughput.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit.

[0016] The first communication device can send first configuration information to the second communication device, informing the second communication device of the time-frequency density corresponding to the time-frequency units used by the at least two transmission resources, or in other words, informing the second communication device of the reference signal patterns used by the at least two transmission resources. That is, the distribution of reference signals on the first time-frequency unit and / or the distribution of reference signals on the second time-frequency unit can be known through the first configuration information.

[0017] This allows the first communication device to transmit or receive the reference signal on the time-frequency resources carrying the reference signal, so that the second communication device can receive or transmit the reference signal on the same time-frequency resources.

[0018] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit.

[0019] The second communication device can determine, based on the first configuration information, which time-frequency resources the reference signal is distributed on in the first time-frequency unit and / or the second time-frequency unit. That is, it can know the distribution of the reference signal on the first time-frequency unit, and / or the distribution of the reference signal on the second time-frequency unit.

[0020] This allows the second communication device to receive or transmit reference signals on time-frequency resources carrying reference signals.

[0021] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first or second aspect, the reference signal includes a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and the first configuration information includes a set of parameters corresponding to each time-frequency unit, the set of parameters including at least one of the following: DMRS length, DMRS additional position, or DMRS configuration type.

[0022] Different reference signals can be determined based on different sets of parameters, thus determining the number of time-frequency resources carrying the reference signal in a corresponding time-frequency cell. In other words, different time-frequency cells can be determined based on different sets of parameters. Taking a reference signal including a DMRS as an example, the number of time-frequency resources carrying the reference signal in a time-frequency cell can be determined based on three parameters: DMRS length, DMRS attachment location, and DMRS configuration type.

[0023] It should be noted that the set of parameters of this DMRS is only an example. For example, other reference signals can determine different time-frequency units based on different sets of parameters, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0024] It should be understood that one or more parameters in this set of parameters may be predefined or preconfigured by the protocol. For example, the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in a time-frequency unit can be determined by predefining any one parameter in this set of parameters by the protocol, and by using the other two parameters in the set of parameters included in the first configuration information.

[0025] It should also be understood that the above-described determination of the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the time-frequency unit based on at least one parameter predefined or preconfigured by the protocol and the first configuration information is merely an example, and the embodiments of this application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0026] This helps the first or second communication device determine, based on the first configuration information, which time-frequency resources carry reference signals, so that the first or second communication device can receive or transmit reference signals on the time-frequency resources carrying reference signals.

[0027] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first or second aspect, the first configuration information is further used to indicate the number M of the first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource, and / or the number N of the second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource; or, the first configuration information is further used to indicate the first resource percentage and / or the second resource percentage, wherein the first resource percentage is the ratio of the number of the first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources, and the second resource percentage is the ratio of the number of the second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources.

[0028] One possibility is that the first configuration information is used to configure M and / or N. The first and second communication devices can determine, based on the first configuration information, which time-frequency units among the plurality of time-frequency units included in the at least two transmission resources are first time-frequency units and which are second time-frequency units. That is, the number of first time-frequency units and / or the number of second time-frequency units can be determined, or the number of time-frequency units sharing a first reference signal pattern and / or the number of time-frequency units sharing a second reference signal pattern can also be determined based on the first configuration information.

[0029] Another possibility is that the first configuration information is used to configure a first resource allocation and / or a second resource allocation. The first and second communication devices can determine, based on the first and / or second resource allocation, the number of first time-frequency units included in the first transmission resource, and / or the number of second time-frequency units included in the second transmission resource.

[0030] This helps the first and second communication devices determine the number of time-frequency units included in each of the at least two transmission resources.

[0031] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first or second aspect, the first configuration information is a radio resource control (RRC) message, a media access control element (MAC CE), or downlink control information (DCI).

[0032] One possibility is that the first configuration information is an RRC message. This RRC message can be RRC signaling related to the reference signal or newly added RRC signaling, which can be used to configure the time-frequency density of different time-frequency units.

[0033] One possible scenario is that the first configuration information is MAC CE or DCI. Since the information source changes in real time, the importance of the corresponding data to be transmitted may also change. The first or second communication device can configure the first time-frequency unit and / or the second time-frequency unit in real time based on the first configuration information, according to the changes in the importance of the data.

[0034] For example, at least one of the following can be configured in real time via MAC CE or DCI: M and / or N, first resource percentage and / or second resource percentage, number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit. Other parameters can be sent via RRC messages.

[0035] It should be understood that the above-mentioned RRC message, MAC CE or DCI are only examples. For example, the first configuration information can also be other signaling, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this in any way.

[0036] In this way, the real-time characteristics of the information source can be satisfied, resulting in non-uniform time-frequency density of the reference signals of the first and second transmission resources, thereby improving the system throughput.

[0037] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first or second aspect, the first time-frequency unit is a resource block (RB) or a resource block group (RBG), and the second time-frequency unit is an RB or an RBG.

[0038] For example, if both the first and second time-frequency units are RBs, then based on the position of the first RB and the number of consecutive RBs, it can be determined which RBs are occupied by the at least two transmission resources, or in other words, which time-frequency resources can be used to transmit data and reference signals.

[0039] For example, if both the first and second time-frequency units are RBGs, then the RBGs occupied by the at least two transmission resources can be determined based on the bitmap of the RBGs.

[0040] This helps the first and second communication devices to determine the at least two transmission resources.

[0041] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first or second aspect, the first transport resource corresponds to a first virtual resource block (VRB), the second transport resource corresponds to a second VRB, the data carried by the first transport resource is mapped to the first VRB, and the data carried by the second transport resource is mapped to the second VRB; the method further includes: mapping the data in the first VRB and the second VRB to a physical resource block (PRB) based on non-interleaved mapping.

[0042] During the construction of the VRB, data of high importance is filled into time-frequency cells with high reference signal time-frequency density, while data of low importance is filled into time-frequency cells with low reference signal time-frequency density. Furthermore, all OFDM symbols in the time-frequency cells with low reference signal time-frequency density are filled before filling the time-frequency cells with high reference signal time-frequency density. In this way, when filling data into the VRB, data of high importance is prioritized, and data of equal importance can be filled into the same VRB.

[0043] Furthermore, during the mapping from VRB to PRB, data in the VRB can be mapped to the PRB using a non-interleaved mapping method. This mapping method not only simplifies the mapping process but also prevents the importance of the data filling the PRB from being disrupted, ensuring that more important data is carried by the PRB, which has a higher time-frequency resource density of the reference signal.

[0044] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some possible implementations of the first or second aspect, the method further includes: determining a first parameter of the first data to be transmitted; and / or receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate the first parameter of the second data to be transmitted; wherein the first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

[0045] In one possible scenario, such as in a downlink scenario, the first communication device can determine the importance of the first data to be transmitted, and then dynamically configure the transmission resources used to carry the first data based on the importance of the first data.

[0046] In another possible scenario, such as in an uplink scenario, the second communication device can determine the importance of the second data to be transmitted, and then report the importance of the second data to the first communication device through the first information, so that the first communication device can configure the transmission resources to carry the second data based on the importance of the second data.

[0047] This allows the first or second communication device to carry high-importance data on high-time-frequency density transmission resources and low-importance data on low-time-frequency density transmission resources. This not only reduces transmission overhead but also improves channel estimation accuracy and increases system throughput.

[0048] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device, including modules or units for implementing the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Each module or unit can implement its corresponding function by executing a computer program.

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

[0050] The device 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. The device may also include a communication interface for communicating with other devices; exemplary, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0051] For example, the device in the third or fourth aspect is a first communication device, or a component in the first communication device, such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.

[0052] Fifthly, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, such as receiving or processing information involved in the above methods.

[0053] 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.

[0054] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0055] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device, including modules or units for implementing the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Each module or unit can implement its corresponding function by executing a computer program.

[0056] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device, including a processor, the processor being configured to execute the communication method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0057] The device 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. The device may also include a communication interface for communicating with other devices; exemplary, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0058] For example, the device in the sixth or seventh aspect is a second communication device, or a component in the second communication device, such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.

[0059] Eighthly, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, such as receiving or processing information involved in the above methods.

[0060] 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.

[0061] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0062] Ninthly, 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 of the first or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0063] In a tenth aspect, 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 the first or second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0064] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, including the aforementioned first communication device and second communication device.

[0065] The third to eleventh aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first and second aspects of this application. The beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in this application;

[0067] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the RAN architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the time-frequency resource distribution of a DMRS within a resource block provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the semantic communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the first time-frequency unit and the second time-frequency unit provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0072] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the non-interleaved mapping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the chip system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 10 is another schematic block diagram of the device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0076] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the network device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0078] The technical solution provided in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained first:

[0080] First, in this application, the indication includes explicit indication (also known as direct indication) and implicit indication (also known as indirect indication). Explicit indication information A means including information A; implicit indication information A means indicating information A through the correspondence between information A and information B, and direct indication information B. The correspondence between information A and information B can be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured; or it can refer to indicating information A through information B and preset rules.

[0081] Second, in this application, information C is used to determine information D, which includes both determining information D based solely on information C and determining it based on information C and other information. Furthermore, information C can also be used to determine information D indirectly, for example, in the case where information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C.

[0082] Third, in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates 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 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 mean: 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.

[0083] Fourth, the use of prefixes such as "first" and "second" in this application is solely 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 configuration information" and "second configuration information" are simply different pieces of information, and there is no temporal sequence, size, or priority relationship between them.

[0084] Fifth, in this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to a terminal device" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from a network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which may include direct reception from the network device via the air interface or indirect reception from the network device via the air interface from 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.

[0085] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between terminal devices and network devices; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0086] 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, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems, or new radio access technology (NR). Among these, 5G mobile communication systems can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networking. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as 6th Generation (6G) mobile communication systems. This application does not limit these applications.

[0087] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in this application. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting system architecture. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 also includes an Internet 300. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0088] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems (such as 6G mobile communication systems). RAN 100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0089] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, is part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0090] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0091] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CU), distributed units (DU), CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), or radio units (RU), etc.

[0092] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the RAN architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0093] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0094] A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc.

[0095] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal and network device can be hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., cloud platform), or entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal and network device.

[0096] In current communication systems, channel estimation is primarily achieved through reference signals, such as demodulation reference signals (DMRS), channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RS), or sounding reference signals (SRS). Taking DMRS as an example, it can be mapped to a series of predefined signal sequences that experience channel fading and noise interference during transmission. The receiving device can use the known DMRS sequences to perform correlation operations with the received signal, and estimate the channel by comparing the differences between the two.

[0097] The density of DMRS on time-frequency resources has a significant impact on communication system performance. Higher density leads to better channel estimation performance, but reduces the resources available for data transmission. The location of DMRS on time-frequency resources can be configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Parameters related to DMRS density and their functions mainly include: DMRS length, DMRS additional locations, and DMRS configuration type.

[0098] Here, DMRS Length represents the maximum number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the preceding DMRS, which can be 1 or 2. DMRS Additional Position represents additional DMRSs besides the preceding DMRS, supporting 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 groups. DMRS Configuration Type represents the density of DMRS in the frequency domain, including two types: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 represents 6 subcarriers / resource blocks (RBs) / ports, and Type 2 represents 4 subcarriers / RBs / ports. For relevant information on parameters related to DMRS density, please refer to existing technologies, such as the relevant descriptions in 3GPP technical specification (TS) 38.211, which will not be detailed here.

[0099] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the time-frequency resource distribution of a DMRS within a resource block provided in an embodiment of this application. As can be seen, in the example of the time-frequency resource distribution of DMRS shown in Figure 3, DMRSLength = 2, DMRSAdditionalPosition = 1, and DMRSConfigurationType is type 1.

[0100] In existing communication systems, a common reference signal configuration is used. For example, based on the same set of parameters of the aforementioned DMRS, the distribution of DMRS on each RB can be determined, and the distribution of DMRS on each RB is the same. That is, each RB is a reference signal pattern, and all RBs share the same reference signal pattern, making the time-frequency density of the reference signal the same on all time-frequency resources. In other words, the number of time-frequency resources carrying the reference signal on each RB is the same, and these time-frequency resources can be, for example, resource elements (REs).

[0101] A higher time-frequency density of the reference signal, meaning more time-frequency resources are used to carry the reference signal, results in better channel estimation performance, but correspondingly fewer time-frequency resources are used for data transmission. Thus, while ensuring good channel estimation performance, it may lead to greater transmission overhead.

[0102] In view of this, this application provides a communication method that can transmit data and reference signals through at least two transmission resources. Each transmission resource includes at least one time-frequency unit. The number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal is the same in each time-frequency unit of the same transmission resource, while the number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal is different in the time-frequency units of different transmission resources. This not only reduces transmission overhead but also improves channel estimation accuracy and increases system throughput.

[0103] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0104] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 illustrates the method provided in this application from the perspective of the interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, but this should not constitute any limitation on this application. Furthermore, the first communication device in Figure 4 can be replaced by components in the second communication device, such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc., or it can be replaced by a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of its functions; similarly, the second communication device in Figure 4 can be replaced by components in the second communication device, such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc., or it can be replaced by a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of its functions. This application embodiment does not limit this in any way.

[0105] The first communication device may be a network device, and the second communication device may be a terminal.

[0106] The method 400 shown in Figure 4 may include steps 410 to 420, and the steps in method 400 are described in detail below.

[0107] In step 410, the first communication device or the second communication device determines at least two transmission resources, which include a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource. The first transmission resource includes M first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource includes N second time-frequency units. The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency units is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency units.

[0108] The at least two transmission resources can be used to carry data and reference signals, such as DMRS, CSI-RS, or SRS. Different transmission resources include different time-frequency units, and each transmission resource can include at least one time-frequency unit. The number of time-frequency resources carrying the reference signal in each time-frequency unit is different, that is, the time-frequency density of the reference signal carried in each time-frequency unit is different.

[0109] A time-frequency unit can also be called a reference signal pattern, and different reference signal patterns have different time-frequency densities. For example, the first time-frequency unit can be denoted as the first reference signal pattern, and the corresponding time-frequency density can be denoted as the first time-frequency density; the second time-frequency unit can be denoted as the second reference signal pattern, and the corresponding time-frequency density can be denoted as the second time-frequency density.

[0110] In the first transmission resource comprising M first time-frequency units and the second transmission resource comprising N second time-frequency units, M and N may be equal or unequal, for example, M is greater than N or M is less than N, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0111] In this embodiment, the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit; in other words, the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit is less than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit. That is, the first time-frequency density corresponding to the first time-frequency unit is greater than the second time-frequency density corresponding to the second time-frequency unit.

[0112] Optionally, the first time-frequency unit is RB or RBG, and the second time-frequency unit is RB or RBG.

[0113] In one example, both the first and second time-frequency units are RBs, meaning that both the first and second transmission resources are divided into frequency domain resources at the RB level, or in other words, the at least two transmission resources are divided into frequency domain resources at the RB level, with one RB being one time-frequency unit. In this case, by indicating the position of the starting RB and the number of consecutive RBs, it is possible to determine which RBs are occupied by the at least two transmission resources.

[0114] In another example, both the first and second time-frequency units are RBGs, meaning that both the first and second transmission resources are divided into frequency domain resources using RBGs as the granularity. In other words, the at least two transmission resources are obtained by partitioning the frequency domain into RBGs, with one RBG representing one time-frequency unit. In this case, the RBGs occupied by the at least two transmission resources can be determined by the bitmap indicating the RBGs. For example, if the bitmap indicated by the information is "00111001", it can indicate that RBG#2, RBG#3, RBG#4, and RBG#7 are the time-frequency resources occupied by the at least two transmission resources, while RBG#0, RBG#1, RBG#5, and RBG#6 are not.

[0115] It should be understood that the aforementioned first time-frequency unit, and / or second time-frequency unit, can be RB or RBG, which are merely examples. For example, the first transmission resource and / or the second transmission resource can also be based on other time-frequency resources, etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0116] Optionally, the at least two transmission resources may further include a third transmission resource, which includes K third time-frequency units. The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the third time-frequency unit. The third time-frequency unit can be denoted as a third reference signal pattern, and the third time-frequency density corresponding to the third time-frequency unit is less than the second time-frequency density corresponding to the second time-frequency unit.

[0117] It should be understood that the aforementioned first transmission resource, second transmission resource, and third transmission resource included in the at least two transmission resources are merely examples. For example, more transmission resources may be included, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0118] Optionally, the first parameter of the data carried by the first transmission resource is greater than the first parameter of the data carried by the second transmission resource, and the first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

[0119] One possibility is that the importance of data can be determined based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms (or AI capabilities or functions).

[0120] For example, the data carried by the first transmission resource or the data carried by the second transmission resource may be image data, or it may also be audio data, video data, etc., which is not limited in this application. Taking image data as an example, after encoding and decoding the image data based on a neural network, different key features can be extracted, and the original image can be recovered after decoding the key features. The neural network may include convolutional neural network (CNN), autoencoder (AE), etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0121] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the semantic communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. Input data typically first undergoes an AI-based semantic encoder to extract key semantic features relevant to the task. These features can be in the form of vectors, matrices, or tensors, etc., and this embodiment does not limit their representation. Taking image recognition as an example, these features can represent the contours, textures, etc., of objects in an image. After channel coding, modulation, and other steps, these features are transmitted to the receiving end via a wireless channel. Correspondingly, after demodulation and channel decoding at the receiving end, an intelligent task can be executed based on the semantic features using a semantic decoder. In a semantic communication system, different source features or feature combinations extracted based on AI typically have different impacts on task performance; that is, different features or different feature combinations have different levels of importance.

[0122] For example, after an image data is processed by a neural network, feature extraction can yield feature 1, feature 2, and feature 3. The importance of these three features decreases sequentially. Feature combinations can include: feature 1 superimposed on feature 2, feature 1 superimposed on feature 3, and feature 1 superimposed on feature 2 and feature 3. The importance of these three feature combinations is higher than that of the aforementioned three features, and the importance of these three feature combinations increases sequentially.

[0123] The codec can determine which of these three features has a greater impact on the reconstructed image data; the higher the importance of that feature, the greater its significance. The first parameter of each feature is its task performance. Task performance can be understood as the influence factor of different features on the reconstructed image data; the higher the task performance, the higher the importance of the corresponding feature, and thus the larger its first parameter. In other words, the first parameter characterizes the task performance of the data.

[0124] Another possibility is that the importance of data can be determined based on the different business types of the data.

[0125] For example, data of different business types have different priorities, with higher priority data corresponding to greater importance. Therefore, the first parameter for different data types is also the priority of the data of different business types. In other words, the first parameter is used to characterize the priority of the data.

[0126] It should be understood that the two methods for determining the importance of data described above are merely examples. For instance, other possible methods can also be used to determine the importance of data, etc. This application does not limit the scope of these methods.

[0127] Optionally, the method further includes: a first communication device determining first parameters of first data to be transmitted; and / or, the first communication device receiving first information, the first information indicating first parameters of second data to be transmitted. Accordingly, the second communication device sends the first information.

[0128] One possible scenario is that the first communication device determines the first parameters of the first data to be transmitted. For example, in a downlink scenario, the first data to be transmitted is usually related to the information source. After determining the encoding and decoding neural network, the first communication device can extract features from the first data to be transmitted based on the information source, analyze it in real time, and obtain the importance of the first data to be transmitted.

[0129] The first communication device can then adjust the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in at least one time-frequency unit included in the transmission resources used to transmit the first data based on the importance of the first data to be transmitted. In other words, it can dynamically adjust the reference signal pattern or dynamically adjust the time-frequency density of the time-frequency unit.

[0130] Another possible scenario is that after the second communication device determines the first parameter of the second data to be transmitted, it reports the first parameter of the second data to be transmitted to the first communication device through the first information.

[0131] For example, in an uplink scenario, the second communication device can obtain the importance of the second data to be transmitted, or the first parameters of the second data to be transmitted, through a codec. Then, based on newly added MAC CE or uplink control information (UCI), the second communication device can report the importance of the second data to be transmitted, or report the first parameters of the second data to be transmitted, to the first communication device. For example, it can report to the first communication device through a buffer status report (BSR), etc. This application embodiment does not limit this to specific cases.

[0132] Optionally, the method further includes: a first communication device sending first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit. Correspondingly, a second communication device receives the first configuration information.

[0133] Based on the first configuration information, the first or second communication device can determine the distribution of reference signals on the first and / or the second time-frequency unit; or, based on the first configuration information, it can determine which time-frequency resources on the first and / or the second time-frequency unit can be used to carry reference signals and which time-frequency resources can be used to carry data.

[0134] For example, the first configuration information includes a set of parameters corresponding to each time-frequency unit, which can be used to determine the number of time-frequency resources carrying the reference signal in each time-frequency unit.

[0135] As an example, the reference signal includes a DMRS, and the set of parameters includes at least one of the following: DMRS length, DMRS attachment location, or DMRS configuration type. By using at least one of these parameters, the time-frequency density corresponding to different time-frequency units can be determined, and thus the amount of time-frequency resources used to carry CSI-RS on different time-frequency units can be determined.

[0136] For example, the protocol predefines the DMRS length in this set of parameters, meaning that the DMRS length of each time-frequency unit is the same. The first communication device can determine the amount of time-frequency resources that each time-frequency unit in the first and second time-frequency units carries for the reference signal by using the DMRS additional position and DMRS configuration type in the set of parameters corresponding to the first time-frequency unit, the DMRS additional position and DMRS configuration type in the set of parameters corresponding to the second time-frequency unit, and the DMRS length predefinen by the protocol, which are included in the first configuration information.

[0137] In another example, the reference signal includes CSI-RS, and the set of parameters includes parameter density, which may be, for example, the parameter density in the information element (IE) CSI-RS Resource Mapping or the information element CSI-RS Cell Mobility.

[0138] The time-frequency density corresponding to different time-frequency cells can be determined by the density parameter, which in turn determines the amount of time-frequency resources used to carry CSI-RS on different time-frequency cells. For relevant content on IE CSI-RS-ResourceMapping and IE CSI-RS-CellMobility, please refer to existing technologies, such as the relevant descriptions in 3GPP TS 38.211, which will not be detailed in this article.

[0139] It should be understood that different reference signals can be determined based on different parameters, thus determining the amount of time-frequency resources on the time-frequency unit used to carry the reference signal. The DMRS and CSI-RS described above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application.

[0140] Optionally, the first configuration information may also be used to indicate the number M of the first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource, and / or the number N of the second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource.

[0141] For example, the first configuration information may carry M and N. The first communication device and the second communication device may determine, based on M and N carried in the first configuration information, that the number of first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource is M, and the number of second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource is N.

[0142] That is, based on M and N carried in the first configuration information, it is possible to determine from the multiple time-frequency units included in the at least two transmission resources which are the first time-frequency units and which are the second time-frequency units.

[0143] For example, the first configuration information may carry M. The first communication device and the second communication device may determine the number of first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource as M based on the M carried in the first configuration information, and then determine that the remaining time-frequency units other than the first M time-frequency units among the multiple time-frequency units included in the at least two transmission resources are the second time-frequency units, that is, the number of second time-frequency units can be determined.

[0144] Similarly, the first configuration information can carry N. The first communication device and the second communication device can determine the number of second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource as N based on the N carried in the first configuration information. Then, they can determine that the remaining time-frequency units, excluding the last N time-frequency units, among the multiple time-frequency units included in the at least two transmission resources are the first time-frequency units, and thus determine the number of first time-frequency units.

[0145] Alternatively, the first configuration information may also be used to indicate a first resource percentage and / or a second resource percentage, wherein the first resource percentage is the proportion of the number of first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources, and the second resource percentage is the proportion of the number of second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources.

[0146] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the first time-frequency unit and the second time-frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application. For example, the at least two transmission resources are 5 RBGs, that is, the at least two transmission resources are in RBG granularity, and one RBG is one time-frequency unit. The 5 RBGs can be determined based on the RBG bitmap as RBG#1, RBG#3, RBG#4, RBG#7 and RBG#8 respectively.

[0147] Of these, the first resource accounts for 60%, and the second resource accounts for 40%. That is, the allocated 5 RBGs are divided into two parts at a ratio of 60% and 40%, with the first 3 RBGs using the first time-frequency unit (i.e., the first reference signal pattern) of the first time-frequency density, and the latter 2 RBGs using the second time-frequency unit (i.e., the second reference signal pattern) of the second time-frequency density. In other words, the first transmission resource of these at least two transmission resources includes 3 first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource includes 2 second time-frequency units.

[0148] One possibility is that the first configuration information could be an RRC message.

[0149] Example 1: The RRC message can be RRC signaling associated with a reference signal. For example, the first communication device can send multiple sets of RRC messages, each set of RRC messages can be used to carry first configuration information including a set of parameters corresponding to each time-frequency unit, and a set of parameters can determine the time-frequency density of a time-frequency unit.

[0150] Example 2: This RRC message is a newly added RRC signaling, which can be used to configure the time-frequency density of different time-frequency units.

[0151] The first configuration information includes a set of parameters corresponding to each time-frequency unit, which may be predefined or preconfigured by the protocol. The aforementioned M and / or N may be predefined or preconfigured by the protocol. Alternatively, the first resource ratio and / or the second resource ratio may be predefined or preconfigured by the protocol, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0152] For example, by predefining or preconfiguring M and / or N in the protocol, and by adding RRC signaling to configure a set of parameters corresponding to the first time-frequency unit and a set of parameters corresponding to the second time-frequency unit, the number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal in each of the first and second time-frequency units can be determined based on this RRC signaling. Furthermore, based on the predefined M and / or N in the protocol, it can be determined that the first transmission resource includes M first time-frequency units and the second transmission resource includes N second time-frequency units.

[0153] For example, by predefining or preconfiguring a first resource allocation and / or a second resource allocation through the protocol, and by adding RRC signaling to configure a set of parameters corresponding to the first time-frequency unit and a set of parameters corresponding to the second time-frequency unit, the number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal in each of the first and second time-frequency units can be determined based on this RRC signaling. Furthermore, based on the predefined first and / or second resource allocations, it can be determined how many first time-frequency units the first transmission resource includes, and / or how many second time-frequency units the second transmission resource includes.

[0154] In practical applications, the importance of the data to be transmitted may change over time. Therefore, the first communication device can dynamically or in real-time configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit, and can also dynamically or in real-time configure M and N, or the proportion of the first resource and the proportion of the second resource.

[0155] In other words, the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit, M and N, or the proportion of the first resource and the proportion of the second resource can be called variables. These variables can change with the importance of the data to be transmitted.

[0156] The first communication device can, based on the real-time characteristics of the information source, send at least one of the aforementioned variables included in the first configuration information to the second communication device in a dynamic or semi-static manner via MAC CE or DCI. The dynamic method means indicating all variables via MAC CE or DCI, while the semi-static method means dynamically indicating some variables via MAC CE or DCI, with the remaining variables configured via RRC messages.

[0157] One possibility is that the first configuration information could be MAC CE or DCI.

[0158] Example 1: The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit and the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit, as well as M and N, or the proportion of the first resource and the proportion of the second resource, can be dynamically indicated to the second communication device through MAC CE or DCI (i.e., first configuration information).

[0159] In other words, by dynamically adjusting the first reference signal pattern corresponding to the first time-frequency unit and the second reference signal pattern corresponding to the second time-frequency unit through MAC CE or DCI, the division ratio of the first transmission resource and the second transmission resource in the at least two transmission resources can also be dynamically configured.

[0160] Example 2: Configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit via RRC messages; dynamically indicate M and N via MAC CE or DCI, or dynamically indicate the proportion of the first resource and the proportion of the second resource.

[0161] In other words, the first reference signal pattern corresponding to the first time-frequency unit and the second reference signal pattern corresponding to the second time-frequency unit can be determined through the RRC message; the division ratio of the first transmission resource and the second transmission resource in the at least two transmission resources can be dynamically configured through MAC CE or DCI.

[0162] Example 3: Configure M and N, or the first resource percentage and the second resource percentage, through RRC messages; dynamically indicate the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit, through MAC CE or DCI.

[0163] In other words, the division ratio of the first transmission resource and the second transmission resource in the at least two transmission resources can be determined through RRC messages; the first reference signal pattern corresponding to the first time-frequency unit and the second reference signal pattern corresponding to the second time-frequency unit can be dynamically configured through MAC CE or DCI.

[0164] It should be understood that the RRC message may be RRC signaling related to DMRS as shown above, or it may be new signaling used to configure the time-frequency density of different time-frequency units, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0165] It should also be understood that the above-mentioned RRC message, MAC CE or DCI are only examples. For example, the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit can also be configured based on other signaling, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0166] In step 420, the first communication device transmits or receives a reference signal based on the at least two transmission resources. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives or transmits a reference signal based on the at least two transmission resources.

[0167] For example, the second communication device can receive data and a reference signal on the at least two transmission resources. For instance, the second communication device can receive the reference signal on the at least two transmission resources and perform channel estimation based on the received reference signal to obtain a channel estimation result. The first or second communication device can then demodulate the data on the time-frequency resources occupied by the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) or Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) data based on the channel estimation result, i.e., demodulate the data carried on the at least two transmission resources.

[0168] Optionally, the first communication device transmits or receives data based on the at least two transmission resources. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives or transmits data based on the at least two transmission resources.

[0169] The first communication device can send high-importance data through a first transmission resource and low-importance data through a second transmission resource. That is, high-importance data can be transmitted on M first time-frequency units with high time-frequency density, and low-importance data can be transmitted on N second time-frequency units with low time-frequency density.

[0170] For example, the time-frequency units included in the at least two transmission resources are arranged in ascending order of their serial numbers. The smaller the serial number of the time-frequency unit, the more time-frequency resources it carries for the reference signal, and the larger the serial number of the time-frequency unit, the fewer time-frequency resources it carries for the reference signal. In other words, the smaller the serial number of the time-frequency unit, the greater the time-frequency density, and the larger the serial number of the time-frequency unit, the smaller the time-frequency density.

[0171] During resource mapping, the first communication device sorts the data to be transmitted in descending order of importance. Thus, when assembling PUSCH or PDSCH data into a transport block (TB), data of higher importance appears first within the TB. This ensures that when filling data into the VRB, data of higher importance is filled preferentially.

[0172] Furthermore, when constructing a VRB, the first communication device can allocate an appropriate number of VRBs to the TB based on a determined TB size.

[0173] For example, a first transmission resource corresponds to at least one first VRB, and a second transmission resource corresponds to at least one second VRB. Data carried by the first transmission resource can be mapped to the at least one first VRB, and data carried by the second transmission resource can be mapped to the at least one second VRB.

[0174] In existing technologies for constructing VRBs, PDSCH data fills all REs corresponding to the previous OFDM symbol before filling the next OFDM symbol, and so on. This results in data of equal importance potentially being filled into time-frequency cells with different time-frequency densities.

[0175] Compared to existing technologies, in this application embodiment, as a possible implementation, the VRB can be constructed by filling in the data sequentially according to the arrangement number of different time-frequency units. That is, the data is first filled into the time-frequency units with smaller sequence numbers, and after all OFDM symbols in the time-frequency units with smaller sequence numbers have been filled, the time-frequency units with larger sequence numbers are then filled.

[0176] When filling the same time-frequency cell, PDSCH data can be filled with all OFDM symbols corresponding to REs on the same subcarrier, and then filled with all OFDM symbols corresponding to REs on the next subcarrier, and so on. In this way, data of the same importance can be filled with time-frequency cells with the same time-frequency density.

[0177] For example, taking RB as an example, the first and second time-frequency units include a first subcarrier and a second subcarrier, where the frequency of the first subcarrier is lower than the frequency of the second subcarrier. In this case, when constructing the VRB, the PDSCH data can fill all OFDM symbols under the first subcarrier, and then fill all OFDM symbols under the second subcarrier, and so on.

[0178] It is understandable that by placing important data at the beginning of the TB and prioritizing the filling of time-frequency cells with smaller sequence numbers, it can be ensured that important data can be filled into time-frequency cells with high reference signal time-frequency density.

[0179] In the process of mapping from VRB to PRB, the method may optionally further include: a first communication device mapping data in at least one first VRB and at least one second VRB to at least one PRB based on a non-interleaved mapping.

[0180] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the non-interleaved mapping provided in an embodiment of this application. It can be seen that Figure 7(a) shows the data distribution in the VRB, and Figure 7(b) shows the data distribution in the PRB. Data in the VRB can be mapped to the PRB in a continuous and sequential manner; that is, the location of the data on the VRB is the same as the location of the data on the PRB. The PRB with a smaller sequence number carries data of higher importance, while the PRB with a larger sequence number carries data of lower importance. This prevents the importance of the data filled in the PRB from being disrupted.

[0181] Based on the above scheme, data and reference signals can be transmitted using at least two transmission resources. Each transmission resource includes at least one time-frequency unit, and the number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal is the same in each time-frequency unit. However, the number of time-frequency resources used to carry the reference signal varies among different transmission resources. This not only reduces transmission overhead but also improves channel estimation accuracy and increases system throughput.

[0182] Furthermore, transmission resources with a higher number of reference signals in the time-frequency unit can be used to carry data of higher importance; conversely, transmission resources with a lower number of reference signals can be used to carry data of lower importance. In other words, data of different importance can be transmitted or received using time-frequency resources with different reference signal densities. This reduces the channel estimation overhead for low-importance data and improves the channel estimation accuracy for high-importance data, thereby increasing system throughput.

[0183] Due to the real-time nature of the signal source, the importance of the data may change. Therefore, the time-frequency density of the time-frequency units used to carry the data to be transmitted can be adjusted in real time based on different signaling. In this way, the amount of time-frequency resources of the reference signals carried by different time-frequency units can be dynamically changed, thereby better adapting to the real-time characteristics of the signal source and improving system throughput.

[0184] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components. It can be seen that the first or second communication device may include a processor, memory, transceiver, and antenna. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver circuit, transceiver, input / output interface, etc., and can be used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the first or second communication device through the antenna.

[0185] The following describes the chip system of the first communication device or the second communication device, taking a first communication device as a base station and a second communication device as a terminal, with the reference signal including DMRS, based on the method 400 provided in the embodiments of this application. The steps related to the processor chip and transceiver / antenna of the base station and terminal include the following:

[0186] Step 1: The base station's processor chip can generate RRC signaling to configure DMRS. This RRC signaling can be used to configure the time-frequency density of DMRS in the time-frequency unit.

[0187] Optionally, the DMRS configured based on the RRC signaling can be used for channel estimation or data demodulation, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0188] Step 2: The base station's transceiver and antenna can send RRC signaling for configuring DMRS, and can also send or receive PDSCH data or PUSCH data.

[0189] Step 3: The terminal's transceiver and antenna can receive RRC signaling for configuring DMRS, and can also be used to send or receive data or PUSCH data.

[0190] Step 4: The terminal's processor chip can parse the RRC signaling used to configure DMRS, which can be used to configure the time-frequency density of DMRS in the time-frequency unit.

[0191] Optionally, the DMRS configured based on the RRC signaling can be used for channel estimation or data demodulation, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0192] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to several accompanying drawings. The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0193] Figures 9 to 12 are schematic block diagrams of possible devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These devices can be used to implement the functions of the second communication device or the first communication device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the device can be the second communication device or the first communication device in the method embodiments shown in Figure 4, or it can be a component (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.) configured in the second communication device or the first communication device, or it can be a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the second communication device or the first communication device. For example, the first communication device is a network device, and the second communication device is a terminal device.

[0194] The device provided in this application is shown in FIG9. The device 900 includes a transceiver unit 910 and a processing unit 920.

[0195] One possible design is that device 900 is used to implement the function of the first communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 above. For example, device 900 may correspond to the first communication device in FIG4.

[0196] For example, the processing unit 920 is used to determine at least two transmission resources, including a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource. The first transmission resource includes M first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource includes N second time-frequency units. The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency units is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency units. The transceiver unit 910 is used to send or receive reference signals based on the at least two transmission resources.

[0197] Optionally, the first parameter of the data carried by the first transmission resource is greater than the first parameter of the data carried by the second transmission resource, and the first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

[0198] Optionally, the transceiver unit 910 can also be used to send first configuration information, which is used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit.

[0199] One possible design is that device 900 is used to implement the function of the second communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 above. For example, device 900 may correspond to the second communication device in FIG4.

[0200] For example, the processing unit 920 is used to determine at least two transmission resources, including a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource. The first transmission resource includes M first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource includes N second time-frequency units. The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency units is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency units. The transceiver unit 910 is used to send or receive reference signals based on the at least two transmission resources.

[0201] Optionally, the first parameter of the data carried by the first transmission resource is greater than the first parameter of the data carried by the second transmission resource, and the first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

[0202] Optionally, the transceiver unit 910 can also be used to receive first configuration information, which is used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit.

[0203] Optionally, the reference signal includes a DMRS, and the first configuration information includes a set of parameters corresponding to each time-frequency unit, the set of parameters including at least one of the following: DMRS length, DMRS additional position, or DMRS configuration type.

[0204] Optionally, the first configuration information is further used to indicate the number M of the first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource, and / or the number N of the second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource; or, the first configuration information is further used to indicate the first resource percentage and / or the second resource percentage, wherein the first resource percentage is the ratio of the number of the first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources, and the second resource percentage is the ratio of the number of the second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources.

[0205] Optionally, the first configuration information is an RRC message, MAC CE, or DCI.

[0206] Optionally, the first time-frequency unit is RB or RBG, and the second time-frequency unit is RB or RBG.

[0207] Optionally, the first transmission resource corresponds to a first VRB, the second transmission resource corresponds to a second VRB, the data carried by the first transmission resource is mapped to the first VRB, and the data carried by the second transmission resource is mapped to the second VRB; the method further includes: mapping the data in the first VRB and the second VRB to a PRB based on a non-interleaved mapping.

[0208] Optionally, it further includes: determining a first parameter of the first data to be transmitted; and / or receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate a first parameter of the second data to be transmitted; wherein the first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

[0209] A more detailed description of the transceiver unit 910 and the processing unit 920 can be obtained directly from the relevant description in any of the embodiments shown in Figure 4, and will not be repeated here.

[0210] In one possible design, when the device 900 is a network device or a communication module within a network device, the functionality of the processing unit 920 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core. The functionality of the transceiver unit 910 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0211] In one possible design, when the device 900 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a network device, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 920 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the transceiver unit 910 can be implemented by interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0212] It should also be understood that the transceiver unit in the communication device 900 can also be called a communication unit. This transceiver unit 910 may include a transmitting unit but not a receiving unit. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 910 may include a receiving unit but not a transmitting unit. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme performed by the device 900 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. The receiving unit can be used to perform the receiving action in the above-described scheme, and the transmitting unit can be used to perform the transmitting action in the above-described scheme.

[0213] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0214] Figure 10 is another schematic block diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010. The processor 1010 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, etc. For example, it can 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., a vehicle or a chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0215] Optionally, in one design, the processor 1010 may include a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that can be executed on the processor 1010, causing the device 1000 to perform the methods performed by the second or first communication device in the above method embodiments. In yet another possible design, the device 1000 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG10) for implementing the functions of the second or first communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0216] For example, the processor 1010 can be used to execute a computer program in memory to implement the steps performed by the second communication device or the first communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG4.

[0217] Optionally, the device 1000 may include one or more memories 1020 storing computer programs (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that can be run on the processor 1010, causing the device 1000 to perform the methods performed by the second communication device or the first communication device in the above embodiments.

[0218] Optionally, the processor 1010 and / or memory 1020 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0219] Optionally, the device 1000 may also include a communication interface 1030. The processor 1010, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the device (e.g., a second communication device or a first communication device). The communication interface 1030, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the transceiver function of the device; for example, the communication interface 1030 can be used to receive reference signals.

[0220] Optionally, the device 1000 also includes a communication interface 1030. The processor 1010 and the communication interface 1030 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the communication interface 1030 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0221] When device 1000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG4, processor 1010 can be used to execute the functions of processing unit 1020, and communication interface 1030 can be used to execute the functions of transceiver unit 1010. Whether communication interface 1030 is used for sending or receiving depends on whether the scheme executed by device 1000 is used to perform a sending action or a receiving action.

[0222] When the aforementioned device 1000 is a chip applied to the first communication device, the chip implements the functions of the first communication device in the above method embodiment. The chip of the first communication device receives signals from other modules in the first communication device, and these signals may be sent to the first communication device by the second communication device; or, the chip of the first communication device sends signals to other modules in the first communication device, and these signals may be sent to the second communication device by the first communication device.

[0223] When the aforementioned device 1000 is a chip applied to a second communication device, the chip implements the functions of the second communication device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the second communication device receives signals from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the second communication device, and these signals may be sent from the first communication device to the second communication device; or, the chip of the second communication device sends signals to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the second communication device, and these signals may be sent from the second communication device to the first communication device.

[0224] It is understood that when the device 1000 is a second communication device or a first communication device, the communication interface 1030 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 1000 is a chip applied to a second communication device or a first communication device, the communication interface 1030 can be an input / output circuit, wherein the input circuit can be used for receiving and the output interface can be used for sending.

[0225] Optionally, the device 1000 also includes a power supply circuit for supplying power to the device 1000.

[0226] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the terminal device 1100 can be applied to the system shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, and performs the function of the second communication device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. As shown, the terminal device 1100 includes a processor 1101 and a transceiver 1102. Optionally, the terminal device 1100 also includes a memory 1103. The processor 1101, transceiver 1102, and memory 1103 can communicate with each other through an internal connection path to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 1103 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 1101 is used to call and run the computer programs from the memory 1103 to control the transceiver 1102 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the terminal device 1100 may also include an antenna 1104 for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 1102 via wireless signals.

[0227] The processor 1101 and the memory 1103 can be combined into a single processing device. The processor 1101 executes the program code stored in the memory 1103 to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, the memory 1103 can be integrated into the processor 1101 or be independent of the processor 1101. The processor 1101 can correspond to the processing unit in FIG9 or the processor in FIG10.

[0228] The transceiver 1102 described above can correspond to the transceiver unit in Figure 9 or the communication interface in Figure 10. The transceiver 1102 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0229] It should be understood that the terminal device 1100 shown in FIG11 can implement the various processes involving the second communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG4. The operation and / or function of each module in the terminal device 1100 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiment; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0230] The processor 1101 described above can be used to execute the actions implemented internally by the second communication device or the first communication device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the transceiver 1102 can be used to execute the actions described in the preceding method embodiments of sending data from the first communication device to the second communication device or receiving data from the second communication device. For details, please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments; they will not be repeated here.

[0231] Optionally, the terminal device 1100 may also include a power supply 1105 for providing power to various devices or circuits in the terminal device.

[0232] In addition, to make the terminal device more functional, the terminal device 1100 may also include one or more of the following: an input unit 1106, a display unit 1107, an audio circuit 1108, a camera 1109, and a sensor 1110. The audio circuit may also include a speaker 1108a, a microphone 1108b, etc.

[0233] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the network device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as a schematic diagram of a base station. The base station 1200 can be applied to the system shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, performing the functions of the network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. As shown, the base station 1200 may include one or more of the following: one or more (DU+RU) 1210s and one or more CUs 1220s. The CU 1220 can communicate with the next-generation core (NG core). The DU may include at least one antenna 1211, at least one radio frequency unit 1212, at least one processor 1213, and at least one memory 1214. The DU is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, converting radio frequency signals to baseband signals, and performing some baseband processing. The CU 1220 may include at least one processor 1222 and at least one memory 1221. The CU 1220 and the DU can communicate through an interface. The control plane (CP) interface can be Fs-C, such as F1-C, and the user plane (UP) interface can be Fs-U, such as F1-U. DUs and RUs can work together to implement the functions of the physical (PHY) layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DUs and RUs 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 and RF functions in the PHY layer. Higher-level functions in the PHY layer may include a portion of the PHY layer's functions, which are closer to the medium access control (MAC) layer, while lower-level functions in the PHY layer may include another portion of the PHY layer's functions, which are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0234] The CU 1220 is mainly used for baseband processing and base station control. The DU and CU 1220 can be physically installed together or separately, i.e., a distributed base station. The CU 1220 is the control center of the base station, corresponding to the processing unit in Figure 9 or the processor in Figure 10, and can also be called a processing unit, mainly used to complete baseband processing functions. For example, the CU 1220 can be used to control the base station to execute the network device operation procedures described in the above method embodiments.

[0235] Specifically, baseband processing on the CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above are set in the CU, while the functions of protocol layers below PDCP, such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer and the MAC layer, are set in the DU. Alternatively, the CU may implement the functions of the RRC and PDCP layers, while the DU may implement the functions of the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers.

[0236] Alternatively, the base station 1200 may include one or more radio frequency units (RUs), one or more DUs, and one or more CUs. A DU may include at least one processor 1213 and at least one memory 1214, an RU may include at least one antenna 1211 and at least one radio frequency unit 1212, and a CU may include at least one processor 1222 and at least one memory 1221.

[0237] In one example, the CU 1220 can be composed of one or more single boards. These boards can collectively support a single access-indicating radio access network (such as a 5G network), or they can each support radio access networks with different access standards (such as LTE, 5G, or other networks). The memory 1221 and processor 1222 can serve one or more single boards. That is, each single board can have its own memory and processor, or multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. Furthermore, each single board can also have necessary circuitry. Similarly, the DU can be composed of one or more single boards. These boards can collectively support a single access-indicating radio access network (such as a 5G network), or they can each support radio access networks with different access standards (such as LTE, 5G, or other networks). The memory 1214 and processor 1213 can serve one or more single boards. That is, each single board can have its own memory and processor, or multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. Furthermore, each single board can also have necessary circuitry.

[0238] It should be understood that the base station 1200 shown in Figure 12 can implement the various processes involving the first device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. The operation and / or function of each module in the base station 1200 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiment; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0239] It should be understood that the base station 1200 shown in Figure 12 is only one possible architecture for network devices and should not be construed as limiting this application in any way. The method provided in this application can be applied to network devices with other architectures, such as network devices including CU, DU, and AAU. This application does not limit the specific architecture of the network device.

[0240] It should be understood that Figure 12 is merely an example and not a limitation, and the network device may not depend on the structure shown in Figure 12. For example, the network device may also include an AAU, a CU and / or a DU, or a BBU and an adaptive radio unit (ARU). This application does not limit this.

[0241] The aforementioned CU and / or DU can be used to perform the actions implemented internally by the network device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the AAU can be used to perform the actions described in the preceding method embodiments whereby the network device sends data to the terminal device or the terminal device receives data from the network device. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0242] 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.

[0243] The processors mentioned above can be general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. General-purpose processors can be microprocessors or any conventional processor.

[0244] 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.

[0245] 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.

[0246] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions of the terminal device or network device involved in any of the above method embodiments, such as sending, receiving, or processing the information involved in the above methods.

[0247] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing computer program instructions and data, which may be located inside or outside the processor.

[0248] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0249] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), wherein when the computer program is run, the method executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG4 is executed, or the method executed by the second communication device is executed.

[0250] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, the method executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG4 is executed, or the method executed by the second communication device is executed.

[0251] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned first communication device and second communication device.

[0252] 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. This computer program product may include one or more computer instructions. When these 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 accessible to a computer 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)).

[0253] 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.

[0254] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] 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.

[0256] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separate. The component shown as a unit may or may not be a physical unit; that is, it 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.

[0257] 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.

[0258] If this function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or part of it, 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.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: At least two transmission resources are determined, including a first transmission resource and a second transmission resource. The first transmission resource includes M first time-frequency units, and the second transmission resource includes N second time-frequency units. The number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit is greater than the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit. Based on the at least two transmission resources, a reference signal is sent or received.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first parameter of the data carried by the first transmission resource is greater than the first parameter of the data carried by the second transmission resource, and the first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first configuration information, which is used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency unit.

4. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first configuration information, which is used to configure the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the first time-frequency unit, and / or the number of time-frequency resources carrying reference signals in the second time-frequency resource.

5. The method as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The reference signal includes a demodulation reference signal DMRS, and the first configuration information includes a set of parameters corresponding to each time-frequency unit. The set of parameters includes at least one of the following: DMRS length, DMRS additional position, or DMRS configuration type.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The first configuration information is further used to indicate the number M of the first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource, and / or the number N of the second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource; or, The first configuration information is also used to indicate a first resource ratio and / or a second resource ratio, wherein the first resource ratio is the proportion of the number of first time-frequency units in the first transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources, and the second resource ratio is the proportion of the number of second time-frequency units in the second transmission resource to the total number of time-frequency units in the at least two transmission resources.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The first configuration information is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Media Access Control (MAC) CE message, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first time-frequency unit is a resource block RB or a resource block group RBG, and the second time-frequency unit is a resource block RB or a resource block group RBG.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first transmission resource corresponds to at least one first virtual resource block (VRB), the second transmission resource corresponds to at least one second VRB, the data carried by the first transmission resource is mapped to the at least one first VRB, and the data carried by the second transmission resource is mapped to the at least one second VRB. The method further includes: Based on non-interleaved mapping, data in at least one first VRB and at least one second VRB are mapped to at least one physical resource grid (PRB).

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Also includes: Determine the first parameter of the first data to be transmitted; And / or, Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate the first parameter of the second data to be transmitted; The first parameter is used to characterize the importance of the data.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors, said one or more processors being configured to execute computer programs or instructions in memory, causing the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 is performed.

14. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when run, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 to be performed.

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