Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a related apparatus. In the method, a terminal device separately establishes communication with a first transmission reception point (TRP) and a second TRP, the first TRP being a TRP used for uplink transmission and downlink transmission, and the second TRP being a TRP used for uplink transmission. When a first transmission configuration indication state (TCI State) needs to be activated or deactivated, as the second TRP does not have a downlink transmission function, the first TRP sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the first TRP, wherein the first information is used for activating or deactivating the first TCI State. In the present application, after receiving the first information, the terminal device determines that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP, so that the terminal device can accurately activate or deactivate the TCI State of the first TRP or the second TRP, thereby improving performance of asymmetric TRPs.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510128401.3, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 27, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Related Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In wireless communication, the network side forms different spatial channels through multiple transmit reception points (TRPs), thereby improving beamforming gain or spatial diversity reliability gain to enhance coverage or reliability.

[0004] Multiple TRPs can employ an asymmetric architecture. For example, in an asymmetric architecture consisting of two TRPs, one of the TRPs disables its downlink (DL) function and only performs uplink (UL) functions. This uplink-only TRP is called a micro base station (also known as a UL-only TRP). The other TRP, which supports both downlink and uplink functions, is called a macro base station (also known as a DL-UL TRP).

[0005] Since DL-UL TRP supports both uplink and downlink transmission functions, while UL-only TRP only supports uplink transmission function, optimizing the design of these two different types of TRPs (DL-UL TRP and UL-only TRP) is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving the performance of asymmetric TRP.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal device, a communication module / processing module in the terminal device, or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, in an asymmetric TRP scenario, the terminal device establishes communication with a first TRP and a second TRP respectively. The first TRP is a TRP used for both uplink and downlink transmission (also known as a DL-UL TRP), and the second TRP is a TRP used for uplink transmission (also known as a UL-only TRP).

[0008] When it is necessary to activate or deactivate the first TCI State, since the second TRP does not have downlink transmission capabilities, the first TRP sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the first TRP. This first information is used to activate or deactivate the first TCI State.

[0009] In this application, after receiving the first information, the terminal device determines that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP, so that the terminal device can accurately activate or deactivate the TCI State of the first TRP or the second TRP, thereby improving the performance of the asymmetric TRP.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first TRP sends first indication information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the first TRP. The first indication information is used to indicate that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP. Thus, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal device can determine whether the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP based on the first indication information.

[0011] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first information is carried in the MAC CE. The first indication information can be carried in RRC information, or the first indication information can be carried in the MAC CE.

[0012] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the first indication information is included in the reserved bits of the MAC CE, and the first indication information indicates the association between the first TCI State and the first TRP or the second TRP. It should be understood that "reserved bits of the MAC CE" refers to bits that have not yet been assigned a specific function or meaning in the current standard or protocol. When a reserved bit is used in a future standard or protocol to indicate the association between the first TCI State and the first TRP or the second TRP in the MAC CE, then that reserved bit can also be referred to as a specific bit that has been assigned a specific function or meaning.

[0013] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, if a first condition is met, the first TCI State of the terminal device is associated with the second TRP, and the first condition includes one or more of the following:

[0014] The first TCI State is a Joint type TCI State, and the first TCI State is associated with the PL bias;

[0015] The first TCI State is a separate type TCI State, and the first TCI State is associated with the PL bias, wherein the first TCI State is the uplink TCI State.

[0016] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, if a second condition is met, the first TCI State of the terminal device is associated with the first TRP, and the second condition includes one or more of the following:

[0017] The first TCI State is a Joint type TCI State, and the first TCI State is not associated with a PL bias;

[0018] The first TCI State is a separate type TCI State, and the first TCI State is not associated with a PL bias, wherein the first TCI State is an uplink TCI State.

[0019] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as a first TRP, a communication module / processing module in the first TRP, or a circuit or chip in the first TRP responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the first TRP responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a first TRP as an example, in this method, the first TRP determines first information, which is used to activate or deactivate a first TCI State. The first TCI State is associated with a first transmission receiving point TRP or a second TRP, wherein the first TRP is a TRP used for uplink and downlink transmission, and the second TRP is a TRP used for uplink transmission; the first TRP sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0020] In this application, the first information is used by the terminal device to determine whether the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP, so that the terminal device can accurately activate or deactivate the TCI State of the first TRP or the second TRP, thereby improving the performance of the asymmetric TRP.

[0021] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the first TRP sends first indication information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the first TRP. The first indication information is used to indicate that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP. Thus, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal device can determine whether the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP based on the first indication information.

[0022] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, the first information is carried in the Media Access Control Controller (MAC CE), and the first indication information is carried in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) information or the MAC CE.

[0023] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal device, a communication module / processing module in the terminal device, or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the terminal device receives second information, which includes second indication information and third indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate at least one TCI State, and the third indication information is used to indicate at least one PL bias. After receiving the second information, the terminal device updates the PL bias corresponding to at least one TCI State to the PL bias indicated by the third indication information, thereby realizing the update of the PL bias of the TCI State in the asymmetric TRP scenario.

[0024] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, one of the at least one PL bias is associated with a TCI State. That is, a PL bias indicated by the third indication information can be used to update a TCI State.

[0025] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, one of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State group, which includes one or more TCI States. That is, a PL bias indicated by the third indication information can be used to update one or more TCI States in a TCI State group.

[0026] Based on the third aspect, in an alternative implementation, where one of the PL biases is associated with a TCI State group in at least one PL bias, the second indication information may be used to indicate at least one TCI State group, wherein one of the TCI State groups includes one or more TCI States among at least one TCI State.

[0027] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes at least one fourth indication information. One of the at least four fourth indication information is associated with a PL offset, and the fourth indication information is used to indicate whether the PL offset associated with the fourth indication information is the last PL offset in the second information. If not, the terminal device still needs to search for the remaining PL offsets in the second information, and the TCI State corresponding to those PL offsets; if yes, it indicates that the terminal device has traversed all TCI States and all PL offsets in the second information.

[0028] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes at least one fourth indication information and at least one fifth indication information.

[0029] At least one of the fourth indication messages is associated with a PL offset, and the fourth indication message is used to indicate whether the PL offset associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL offset in the second information. If not, the terminal device still needs to search for the remaining PL offsets in the second information; if yes, it means that the terminal device has traversed all the PL offsets in the second information.

[0030] At least one of the fifth indication messages is associated with a TCI State. The fifth indication message is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication message is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs. If not, the terminal device still needs to find the remaining TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs; if yes, it means that the terminal device has traversed all the TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

[0031] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes at least one fifth indication information. One of the at least one fifth indication information is associated with a TCI State, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication information is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs. If not, the terminal device still needs to search for the remaining TCI States in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs; if yes, it indicates that the terminal device has traversed all the TCI States in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

[0032] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, the terminal device determines the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset in the second information. Then, the terminal device determines the PL offset corresponding to at least one TCI State based on the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset; or, the terminal device determines the correspondence between the TCI State indicated by the second indication information and the PL offset indicated by the third indication information based on the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset; or, the terminal device determines the PL offset indicated by the third indication information based on the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset, for updating which TCI State(s) indicated by the second indication information.

[0033] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes sixth indication information, which is used to indicate the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias.

[0034] Based on the third aspect, in an optional implementation, the method further includes:

[0035] Receive third information, which indicates the maximum number of PL biases updated by the second information.

[0036] Fourthly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as a TRP, a communication module / processing module in the TRP, or a circuit or chip in the TRP responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the TRP responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to TRP as an example, in this method, TRP determines first information, which is used to activate or deactivate the first Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State). The first TCI State is associated with the first Transmission Receiver Point (TRP) or the second TRP. The first TRP is used for both uplink and downlink transmission, and the second TRP is used for uplink transmission. TRP sends the first information to the terminal device so that after receiving the second information, the terminal device updates the PL offset corresponding to at least one TCI State to the PL offset indicated by the third indication information, thereby realizing the update of the PL offset of the TCI State in the asymmetric TRP scenario.

[0037] Based on the fourth aspect, in an optional implementation, second information is determined, the second information including second indication information and third indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate at least one Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State), the third indication information being used to indicate at least one Path Loss (PL) offset, and the second information being used to update the PL offset corresponding to one of the at least one TCI State.

[0038] Send the second message.

[0039] Based on the fourth aspect, in an alternative implementation, one of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State.

[0040] Based on the fourth aspect, in an alternative implementation, one of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State group, the TCI State group comprising one or more TCI States.

[0041] Based on the fourth aspect, in an optional implementation, the second indication information is specifically used to indicate at least one TCI State group, wherein one of the at least one TCI State groups includes one or more TCI States among the at least one TCI State.

[0042] Based on the fourth aspect, in one optional implementation, the second information further includes at least one fourth indication information;

[0043] One of the at least four indication messages is associated with a PL bias, and the fourth indication message is used to indicate whether the PL bias associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL bias in the second information.

[0044] Based on the fourth aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes at least one fourth indication information and at least one fifth indication information;

[0045] One of the at least four indication messages is associated with a PL bias, and one of the four indication messages is used to indicate whether the PL bias associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL bias in the second information;

[0046] One of the at least five indication messages is associated with a TCI State, and the fifth indication message is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication message is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

[0047] Based on the fourth aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes at least one fifth indication information. One of the at least one fifth indication information is associated with a TCI State, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication information is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs. If not, the terminal device still needs to search for the remaining TCI States in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs; if yes, it indicates that the terminal device has traversed all the TCI States in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

[0048] Based on the fourth aspect, in an optional implementation, the second information further includes sixth indication information, which is used to indicate the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias, and the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias is used to determine the PL bias corresponding to the at least one TCI State.

[0049] Based on the fourth aspect, in an optional implementation, the method further includes:

[0050] Send a third message, which indicates the maximum number of PL biases updated by the second message.

[0051] A fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to cause the device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. Optionally, the communication device may include the memory.

[0052] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to second aspects described above.

[0053] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes the first communication device and the second communication device described above.

[0054] An eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0055] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0056] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the methods described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. For example, the chip may be a baseband chip, a modem chip, a SoC chip (such as an SoC chip containing a modem core), a SIP chip, or a communication module, etc.

[0057] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0058] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects two through ten can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of the TRP architecture;

[0060] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of a possible MAC CE in this application;

[0061] Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of possible, non-limiting systems used in the communication methods and related devices of this application;

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a possible communication method in this application;

[0063] Figures 8 to 10 are schematic diagrams of the MAC CE in this application;

[0064] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another possible communication method in this application;

[0065] Figures 12 to 17 are schematic diagrams of the MAC CE in this application;

[0066] Figures 18 and 19 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0067] The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in the embodiments section is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0068] First, some of the nouns or terms used in this application will be explained, and these nouns or terms are also part of the content of the invention.

[0069] (1) The terms “system” and “network” in this application are used interchangeably. “Multiple” refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an “or” relationship. “At least one of the following” or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, “at least one of A, B and C” includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. Unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” mentioned in this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0070] (2) In this application, “sending information” can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, “terminal device sending information” can be understood as a terminal device sending information to another device (such as a network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0071] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "terminal device receiving information" can be understood as a terminal device receiving information from another device (such as a network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0072] In this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a network device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being a network device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a network device. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information sent (e.g., by a network device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being a network device. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a network device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, encoding, modulation, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0073] (3) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device or server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal device via messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0074] It should be understood that these values ​​and parameters can change or be updated.

[0075] (4) In this application, “instruction” may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, and may also include explicit instruction and implicit instruction. When a certain instruction information is used to instruct A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly instructs A, or indirectly instructs A.

[0076] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon, for example, by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-predefined) arrangement of various information to indicate specific information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0077] (5) Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO): MIMO technology utilizes spatial resources to enable signals to achieve array gain, multiplexing and diversity gain, and interference cancellation gain in space without increasing system bandwidth, thereby multiplying the capacity and spectral efficiency of the communication system. Therefore, since its inception, it has been favored by wireless communication researchers as one of the most typical and effective solutions to overcome non-ideal characteristics such as fading and inter-symbol interference caused by the increasing complexity and diversity of communication environments. For example, in new radio (NR) systems, the system can use multiple antennas at the transmitting and receiving ends to support transmission up to 12 layers. However, with the continuous improvement of people's requirements for high-speed, high-reliability, and low-latency communication, modern communication systems will continue to face challenges of greater capacity, wider coverage, and lower latency. These requirements will also become key requirements for the next generation of communication systems.

[0078] (6) Transmission configuration indicator state (TCI State): TCI State can be used to indicate the transmission beam of uplink or downlink signals by indicating the quasi-colocation (QCL) type between the reference signal and the data channel antenna port.

[0079] TCI states can be categorized into joint and separate types. In joint TCI states, the uplink and downlink share the same TCI state, meaning that the uplink and downlink use paired beams. This helps simplify configuration and improve system efficiency, especially in time division duplex (TDD) systems.

[0080] In Separate TCI State, uplink and downlink each use independent TCI State. This allows for more precise adaptation to the needs of different links, especially in frequency division duplex (FDD) systems or situations requiring differentiated configurations.

[0081] (7) A medium access control element (MAC CE) is a special type of protocol data unit (PDU) in a wireless communication system. The MAC CE is used to transmit control information, not user data. This control information is crucial for managing and optimizing the operation of the wireless link. For example, the main functions of a MAC CE include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following.

[0082] Configuration Update: Used to activate or deactivate certain configurations, such as discontinuous reception (DRX) parameters, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, etc.

[0083] Status reports include buffer status report (BSR) and power headroom report (PHR).

[0084] Auxiliary information: such as CSI-RS activation, TCI State update, etc.

[0085] Mobility management: Supports the transmission of control information required during handover or reselection between cells.

[0086] Next, we will introduce the possible, non-limiting scenarios involved in this application.

[0087] In wireless communication systems, the antenna ports involved in multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transmission are quasi-co-located by default. Specifically, on the one hand, terminal devices can observe consistent large-scale channel characteristics (such as delay spread, Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average gain, and average delay) at different antenna ports; on the other hand, the antenna arrays use the same clock source, which can maintain almost ideal synchronization.

[0088] With the development of wireless networks, antenna manufacturers tend to adopt modular antenna structures based on more compact integrated antenna arrays and integrated RF devices. If the distance between these antenna arrays is large, the antenna ports will not be co-located, which will cause the following problems:

[0089] 1. Terminal devices may observe completely different large-scale characteristics of the channel from different antenna arrays;

[0090] 2. Each antenna array is driven by its own clock, making it difficult to synchronize antenna arrays.

[0091] Furthermore, for high-frequency bands, due to the high frequency and short wavelength, the diffraction capability is extremely poor, and the signal strength will be significantly attenuated when encountering obstacles. The transmission link is more easily blocked by obstacles such as cars or people. Therefore, if a large, highly directional antenna array is used, it may cause congestion interference. To address the issues of non-co-located antenna ports and signal impact caused by obstacles in high-frequency base station applications, the network side uses multiple transmit reception points (TRPs) as shown in Figure 1 to form different spatial channels, thereby improving beamforming gain or spatial diversity reliability gain to enhance coverage or reliability.

[0092] Optionally, multiple TRPs can also adopt an asymmetric architecture. As shown in Figure 2, taking an asymmetric architecture TRP consisting of two TRPs as an example, one of the TRPs disables its downlink (DL) function and only performs uplink (UL) function. This TRP that only supports uplink function is called a micro base station (also known as a UL-only TRP). The other TRP that supports both downlink and uplink functions is called a macro base station (also known as a DL-UL TRP).

[0093] In multi-TRP scenarios, two enhanced TCI State activation or deactivation MAC CE formats are defined.

[0094] When the TCI State is a joint type TCI State (i.e., a joint TCI State), the maximum number of joint TCI States that can be activated by the MAC CE for activation or deactivation is 16. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of a possible MAC CE in this application. As shown in Figure 3, the MAC CE includes the following fields: a reserved bit, represented as R in Figure 3, with a length of 1 bit; the serving cell ID applied to the MAC CE (Serving Cell ID in Figure 3), with a length of 5 bits; the downlink BWP ID applied to the MAC CE (DL BWP ID in Figure 3), with a length of 2 bits; F i,j This indicates whether the j-th (j=1 or 2) joint TCI State exists at the i-th (1≤i≤8) code point. 1 indicates existence and 0 indicates non-existence. The length is 1 bit. The TCI State ID is the ID corresponding to the activated / deactivated joint TCI State. The length is 7 bits.

[0095] When the TCI State is a separate TCI State, the maximum number of joint TCI States that can be activated or deactivated by the MAC CE is 32. Please refer to Figure 4, which is a possible MAC CE schematic diagram in this application. As shown in Figure 4, the UL BWP ID represents the uplink BWP ID of this MAC CE application, with a length of 2 bits; F i,j This indicates whether the j-th (j=1 or 2) DL TCI State exists at the i-th (1≤i≤8) code point, where 1 indicates existence and 0 indicates non-existence, with a length of 1 bit; S i,j It indicates whether the j-th (j=1 or 2) UL TCI State of the i-th (1≤i≤8) code point exists, 1 indicates existence, 0 indicates non-existence, and the length is 1 bit; TCI State ID is the ID corresponding to the activated or deactivated DL / UL TCI State, and the length is 7 bits.

[0096] However, the MAC CE format for activating or deactivating TCI states, as shown in Figure 4, is only applicable to symmetric TRP architectures (as shown in Figure 1), and not to asymmetric TRP architectures. Therefore, a MAC CE format for activating or deactivating TCI states applicable to asymmetric TRP architectures is urgently needed.

[0097] On the other hand, in asymmetric TRP scenarios, the terminal device can calculate the path loss (PL) between the DL-UL TRP and the terminal device using the downlink reference signal. However, due to the lack of downlink functionality in UL-only TRPs, the terminal device cannot obtain the PL value between the UL-only TRP and the terminal device. Therefore, the path loss offset (PL-offset) can be used to represent the difference between the PL of the DL-UL TRP and the PL of the UL-only TRP, with the unit of PL-offset being dB. This value is carried by the downlink signal of the DL-UL TRP, enabling the terminal device to calculate the PL value with the UL-only TRP.

[0098] Currently, for asymmetric TRP scenarios:

[0099] The PL offset is calculated by network devices (e.g., base stations) and each PL offset is associated with a joint / UL TCI State of a UL-only TRP via Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

[0100] The network device (e.g., a base station) instructs the terminal device to update the PL bias.

[0101] The PL bias ranges from -12 to 60 dB, with a step size of 4 dB.

[0102] MAC CE can update the PL offset of any RRC-configured TCI state, regardless of whether the TCI state is active or inactive.

[0103] Assuming that at time t1, the network device configures the PL bias of the UL-only TRP via an RRC message, then the PL values ​​of the DL-UL TRP and the UL-only TRP at time t1 satisfy the following: PL UL-only TRP (t1)=PL DL-UL TRP (t1)+PL_offset RRC

[0104] Among them PL DL-UL TRP (t1) represents the PL value of DL-UL TRP at time t1, and PowerTx DL-UL TRP represents the transmit power of the DL-UL TRP reference signal. This represents the downlink reference signal received power (RSRP) of the DL-UL TRP received by the terminal device at time t1; PL UL-only TRP (t1) represents the PL value of the UL-only TRP at time t1, PL_offset RRC This indicates the PL offset value of the UL-only TRP configured by RRC.

[0105] Suppose that at time t2, the network device instructs the terminal device to update the PL offset value of the UL-only TRP, then the PL values ​​of the DL-UL TRP and the UL-only TRP at time t2 satisfy: PL UL-only TRP (t2)=PL DL-UL TRP (t2)+PL_offset MAC CE

[0106] Among them PL sTRP (t2) represents the PL value of DL-UL TRP at time t2. This represents the RSRP value of the DL-UL TRP received by the terminal device at time t2; PL mTRP (t2) represents the PL value of the UL-only TRP at time t2, PL_offset MAC_CE This indicates the PL bias of the UL-only TRP updated by MAC CE.

[0107] Currently, how to design a MAC CE structure for updating PL bias is one of the hot research topics.

[0108] In view of this, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving the performance of asymmetric TRP. The communication method and related apparatus provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, future communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, industrial internet communication systems, or satellite communication systems, etc. The wireless communication systems involved in this application also include, but are not limited to, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems.

[0109] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which is a possible, non-limiting system diagram of the communication method and related apparatus used in this application. As shown in Figure 5, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 5, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 5, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 5). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via a 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 integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0110] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication system, a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a future communication system. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0111] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as network equipment, access network equipment, RAN device, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminal equipment 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 equipment 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 5 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal equipment 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 equipment. RAN node 110 and terminal equipment 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 5 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal equipment functions.

[0112] In one possible scenario, RAN node 110 can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. Optionally, RAN node 110 can also be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 5, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 5, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, RAN node 110 can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of RAN node 110 in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node 110 may also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node 110 may also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions, as well as corresponding program instructions. The RAN node 110 in this application may also be a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110.

[0113] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0114] 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.

[0115] Terminal equipment can be any device or module that connects to the communication system shown above and has corresponding communication functions. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), fixed wireless access (FWA), or customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. Terminal equipment includes wireless communication functions (providing voice / data connectivity to users). Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving (e.g., drones, vehicles), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in self-driving can be drones, helicopters, or airplanes. For example, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, or ships. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, or robotic arms. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes. Terminal devices typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions, and they also contain program instructions for performing those functions.

[0116] Optionally, the communication method and related apparatus of this application can also be applied to open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN). Please refer to Figure 6, which is another possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram of the communication method and related apparatus applied in this application. As shown in Figure 6, the communication system includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). The RIC includes a near-real-time RIC (near-RT RIC) and a non-real-time RIC (non-RT RIC). The near-real-time RIC is used for model training and inference. For example, it is used to train an AI model and then use that AI model for inference. The near-real-time RIC can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and / or RU) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data. Optionally, the near-real-time RIC can deliver the inference results to the RAN nodes and / or terminals. Optionally, inference results can be exchanged between CU and DU, and / or between DU and RU. For example, the near real-time RIC delivers the inference results to the DU, which then forwards them to the RU. This enables near real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources are achieved.

[0117] The non-real-time RIC is used for model training and inference. For example, it is used to train an AI model and then use that model for inference. The non-real-time RIC can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and / or RU) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Optionally, inference results can be exchanged between CU and DU, and / or between DU and RU; for example, the non-real-time RIC delivers the inference results to the DU, which then forwards them to the RU.

[0118] The near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can also be set up as separate network elements. Optionally, the near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can also be part of other devices. For example, the near real-time RIC can be set in the RAN node (e.g., in CU, DU), while the non-real-time RIC can be set in the OAM, cloud server, core network device, or other network device.

[0119] O-RAN Central Unit (O-CU): Used to implement the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, and other control functions in the 3GPP standard.

[0120] O-RAN Central Unit Control Plane (O-CU-CP): Similar to the CU-CP in the NR system, it is used to implement the functions of the RRC layer and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer. It is part of the O-CU.

[0121] O-RAN Central Unit User Plane (O-CU-UP): Similar to the CU-UP in the NR system, it is used to implement the functions of the SDAP layer and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer. It is part of the O-CU.

[0122] O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU): Based on low-layer function partitioning, it is used to implement the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and Higher Physical Layer (Higher PHY) layer in the 3GPP standard. The Higher Physical Layer functions include one or more of the following: Forward Error Correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, or modulation / demodulation.

[0123] The O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) is based on low-layer function partitioning and is used to implement the lower physical layer (Lower PHY) functions and radio frequency (RF) functions in the 3GPP standard. The lower physical layer functions include one or more of the following: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT) transformation, digital beamforming, or extraction and filtering of the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). It is similar to the Transmission Reception Point (TRP) or Remote Radio Head (RRH) in 3GPP, but includes lower physical layer functions such as FFT / iFFT or PRACH extraction.

[0124] The communication method and related apparatus of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0125] In this application, the RAN node shown in Figure 5 can be replaced with other terms, such as "TRP". For ease of description, "TRP" will be used throughout this application unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to other different expressions or types of "TRP" (e.g., base stations or network equipment).

[0126] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the communication method in this application. It should be understood that this application uses a terminal device and a TRP (including a first TRP and a second TRP) as examples to illustrate the method, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the terminal device shown in Figure 7 can also be implemented as a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software within the terminal device; similarly, the TRP shown in Figure 7 can also be implemented as a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software within the TRP. In this application, when referring to a terminal device, it may refer to the terminal device itself, or to the chip, communication module, integrated circuit, processor, logic module, or software in the terminal device used to implement the communication method provided in this application, and this application does not make any specific limitation; when referring to a TRP, it may refer to the TRP itself, or to the chip, communication module, integrated circuit, processor, logic module, or software in the TRP used to implement the communication method provided in this application, and this application does not make any specific limitation.

[0127] On one hand, this application provides a communication method for activating or deactivating the TCI State of an asymmetric TRP. As shown in Figure 7, the communication method includes, but is not limited to, steps 401 to 402.

[0128] 401. The terminal device receives the first information.

[0129] In asymmetric TRP scenarios, the terminal device establishes communication with both the first TRP and the second TRP. The first TRP is used for both uplink and downlink transmission (also known as a DL-UL TRP), and the second TRP is used for uplink transmission (also known as a UL-only TRP).

[0130] When it is necessary to activate or deactivate the first TCI State, since the second TRP does not have downlink transmission capabilities, the first TRP sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the first TRP. This first information is used to activate or deactivate the first TCI State.

[0131] Optionally, the initial information can be carried in the MAC CE.

[0132] It should be understood that the asymmetric TRP architecture of this application includes a first TRP and a second TRP. Optionally, the asymmetric TRP architecture may also include more TRPs, such as a third RTP, a fourth TRP, or a fifth TRP. The third RTP, the fourth TRP, and / or the fifth TRP may be TRPs used for both uplink and downlink transmission, or they may be TRPs used only for uplink transmission.

[0133] 402. The terminal device determines that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0134] In this application, after receiving the first information, the terminal device determines that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP, so that the terminal device can accurately activate or deactivate the TCI State of the first TRP or the second TRP, thereby improving the performance of the asymmetric TRP.

[0135] Optionally, the first information can be used to activate or deactivate a TCI State (e.g., the first TCI State in this application) with respect to a first TRP or a second TRP.

[0136] Optionally, the first information can also be used to simultaneously activate or deactivate multiple TCI states, meaning the first TCI state is one of the multiple TCI states activated or deactivated by the first information. These multiple TCI states can all be associated with the first TRP, or all of them can be associated with the second TRP, or some of the multiple TCI states can be associated with the first TRP, and another portion can be associated with the second TRP.

[0137] In this application, only the first TCI State is used as an example to illustrate the activation or deactivation of the TCI State of the asymmetric TRP. It should be understood that the communication method provided in this application is also applicable to the activation or deactivation scenarios of other TCI States (e.g., the TCI States corresponding to each TCI State ID in MAC CE).

[0138] In one possible implementation, this application provides several ways to implement step 402. These are described below.

[0139] Implementation Method 1: The first TRP sends a first indication message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first indication message from the first TRP. The first indication message is used to indicate whether the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP. Thus, after receiving the first indication message, the terminal device can determine whether the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP based on the first indication message.

[0140] Optionally, the first information is carried in the MAC CE. The first indication information can be carried in the RRC information, or the first indication information can be carried in the MAC CE.

[0141] In a scenario where the first indication information is carried within RRC information, the first TRP sends RRC information to the terminal device for configuring the TCI State. This RRC information includes first indication information, which indicates the association between the first TCI State and either the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0142] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the MAC CE structure used to activate or deactivate the joint TCI State. As shown in Figure 8, F i,j This is a flag indicating whether the MAC CE is activated or deactivated in the j-th joint TCI state of the i-th code point. For example, flag F i,j A value of 1 indicates that the MAC CE activates or deactivates the j-th joint TCI State of the i-th code point, and the flag bit F i,j A value of 0 indicates that the MAC CE is either not activated or not deactivated at the j-th joint TCI State of the i-th code point. For example, the first indication information in the RRC information indicates that the flag bit with index 1 (i.e., j=1) (i.e., F...) i,1 The corresponding joint TCI State is associated with the second TRP, and the flag bit with index 2 (i.e., j=2) is F. i,2 The joint TCI State corresponding to the shaded identifier in Figure 8 is associated with the first TRP. In this example, the joint TCI State corresponding to the shaded identifier in Figure 8 is associated with the second TRP; or, the first indication information in the RRC information indicates that the identifier with index 1 (i.e., j = 1) (i.e., F...) i,1 The corresponding joint TCI State is associated with the first TRP, and the flag bit with index 2 (i.e., j=2) is F. i,2 The joint TCI State corresponding to the first TRP is associated with the second TRP. In this example, the joint TCI State corresponding to the shaded identifier in Figure 8 is associated with the first TRP.

[0143] The phrase "the MAC CE does not activate or deactivate the j-th joint TCI State of the i-th code point" mentioned above can be replaced with other descriptions, such as the j-th joint TCI State of the i-th code point not participating in the activation or deactivation of the MAC CE, or in other words, the activation or deactivation command of the MAC CE does not take effect on the j-th joint TCI State of the i-th code point.

[0144] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the MAC CE structure used to activate or deactivate the separate TCI State. As shown in Figure 9, F i,j and S i,j This is a flag bit. Specifically, flag bit F... i,j This indicates whether the MAC CE is activated or deactivated in the j-th DL TCI State of the i-th code point. For example, the flag bit F i,j A value of 1 indicates that the MAC CE activates or deactivates the j-th DL TCI State of the i-th code point, and the flag bit F i,j A value of 0 indicates that the MAC CE is either not activated or not deactivated in the j-th DL TCI State of the i-th code point. Flag bit S i,j This indicates whether the MAC CE is activated or deactivated in the j-th UL TCI State of the i-th code point. For example, the flag bit S i,j A value of 1 indicates that the MAC CE activates or deactivates the j-th UL TCI State of the i-th code point, and the flag bit S i,j A value of 0 indicates that the MAC CE is either not activated or not deactivated in the j-th UL TCI State of the i-th code point. For example, the first indication information in the RRC information indicates that the flag bit (F) with index 1 (i.e., j=1)... i,1 or S i,1 The corresponding DL / UL TCI State is associated with the second TRP, and the flag bit (F) with index 2 (i.e., j=2) is used. i,2 or S i,2 The corresponding DL / UL TCI State is associated with the first TRP. In this example, since the second TRP does not have downlink transmission capabilities, it does not have a DL TCI State. Therefore, the values ​​of the flag bits in the shaded area in Figure 9 are all 0, i.e., F. i,1 (i = 1, 2, ..., 8) = 0; or, the first indication information in the RRC information indicates that the flag bit (F) with index 1 (i.e., j = 1) is... i,1 or S i,1The corresponding DL / UL TCI State is associated with the first TRP, and the flag bit (F) with index 2 (i.e., j=2) is... i,2 or S i,2 The corresponding DL / UL TCI State is associated with the second TRP.

[0145] In scenarios where the first indication information is carried within the MAC CE, the first TRP can carry the first indication information within the MAC CE. That is, the first indication information is included in the reserved bits of the MAC CE. The first indication information indicates the association between the first TCI State and the first TRP or the second TRP. It should be understood that "reserved bits of the MAC CE" refers to bits that have not yet been assigned a specific function or meaning in the current standard or protocol. When a reserved bit is used in a future standard or protocol to indicate the association between the first TCI State and the first TRP or the second TRP in the MAC CE, then that reserved bit can also be considered a specific bit that has been assigned a specific function or meaning. This scenario applies to joint and separate TCI State types. The following explanation uses activating or deactivating a joint type TCI State as an example.

[0146] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of the MAC CE structure used to activate or deactivate a TCI State. As shown in Figure 10, in the MAC CE, a reserved bit is used as the identifier bit of the TCI State (M / S in Figure 10). This identifier bit is the first indication information, indicating whether the TCI State (e.g., the first TRP) corresponding to the identifier bit is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP. For example, when the identifier bit is 1, it indicates that the TCI State is associated with the first TRP, and when the identifier bit is 0, it indicates that the TCI State is associated with the second TRP; or, when the identifier bit is 1, it indicates that the TCI State is associated with the second TRP, and when the identifier bit is 0, it indicates that the TCI State is associated with the first TRP.

[0147] Implementation Method Two: As described above, the network device (e.g., the first TRP) calculates the PL offset and associates each PL offset with a TCI State of a second TRP via RRC messages. Therefore, after receiving the first information, the terminal device queries whether the first TCI State is associated with a PL offset using the RRC configuration corresponding to that first TCI State. If the RRC configuration indicates that the first TCI State is associated with a PL configuration, the terminal device determines that the first TCI State is associated with the second TRP; if the first TCI State is not associated with a PL configuration, the terminal device determines that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP.

[0148] Optionally, if the first condition is met, the first TCI State of the terminal device is associated with the second TRP. The first condition includes one or more of the following:

[0149] The first TCI State is a Joint type TCI State, and the first TCI State is associated with the PL bias;

[0150] The first TCI State is a separate type TCI State, and the first TCI State is associated with the PL bias, wherein the first TCI State is the uplink TCI State.

[0151] Optionally, if the second condition is met, the terminal device's first TCI State is associated with the first TRP. The second condition includes one or more of the following:

[0152] The first TCI State is a Joint type TCI State, and the first TCI State is not associated with a PL bias;

[0153] The first TCI State is a separate type TCI State, and the first TCI State is not associated with a PL bias, wherein the first TCI State is an uplink TCI State.

[0154] Implementation Method 3: Define the association between the flag bit in the MAC CE and the first TRP / second TRP through the protocol. For example, the protocol defines the flag bit (F) with index 1 (j=1). i,1 The corresponding TCI State is associated with the second TRP, and the flag bit (F) with index 2 (j=2) is assigned to it. i,2The TCI State corresponding to the shaded flag in Figure 8 is associated with the first TRP. In this example, the joint TCI State corresponding to the shaded flag in Figure 8 is associated with the second TRP; for example, the protocol specifies that the flag with index 1 (j=1) (F...) i,1 The corresponding TCI State is associated with the first TRP, and the flag bit (F) with index 2 (j=2) is assigned to it. i,2 The corresponding TCI State is associated with the second TRP.

[0155] On the other hand, this application provides a communication method for updating the PL bias of the TCI State of an asymmetric TRP. As shown in FIG11, the communication method includes, but is not limited to, steps 501 to 502.

[0156] 501. The terminal device receives the second information.

[0157] The second information includes a second indication information and a third indication information, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate at least one TCI State and the third indication information is used to indicate at least one PL bias.

[0158] Optionally, the second information can be carried in the MAC CE.

[0159] Optionally, in an asymmetric TRP scenario, the terminal device establishes communication with both a first TRP and a second TRP. The first TRP is used for both uplink and downlink transmission (also known as a DL-UL TRP), and the second TRP is used for uplink transmission (also known as a UL-only TRP). When a PL bias of the TCI State of the asymmetric TRP is required, since the second TRP does not have downlink transmission capabilities, the first TRP sends second information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information from the first TRP.

[0160] It should be understood that the asymmetric TRP architecture of this application includes a first TRP and a second TRP. Optionally, the asymmetric TRP architecture may also include more TRPs, such as a third RTP, a fourth TRP, or a fifth TRP. The third RTP, the fourth TRP, and / or the fifth TRP may be TRPs used for both uplink and downlink transmission, or they may be TRPs used only for uplink transmission.

[0161] 502. The terminal device updates the PL bias corresponding to at least one TCI State based on the second information.

[0162] After receiving the second information, the terminal device updates the PL bias corresponding to at least one TCI State to the PL bias indicated by the third indication information, thereby realizing the update of the PL bias of the TCI State in the asymmetric TRP scenario.

[0163] Optionally, the phrase "the terminal device updates the PL bias corresponding to at least one TCI State" can be understood as the terminal device updating the PL bias corresponding to some or all of the TCI State in at least one TCI State.

[0164] Optionally, prior to step 501, the first TRP can configure the TCI State to the terminal device via RRC information. In this application, the at least one TCI State indicated by the second indication information can be a TCI State pre-configured via RRC. Thus, the terminal device can update the PL bias of the configured TCI State. The at least one TCI State can be activated or inactive.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the first TRP can send third information to the terminal device, which in turn receives the third information indicating the maximum number of PL biases updated by the second information. Optionally, the third information is carried in RRC information.

[0166] During the process of updating the PL bias corresponding to at least one TCI State by the terminal device, the terminal device first determines the correspondence between the TCI State indicated by the second indication information and the PL bias indicated by the third indication information. In other words, the terminal device first determines which TCI State(s) indicated by the third indication information will be used to update the TCI State(s) indicated by the second indication information.

[0167] Optionally, a PL offset is used to update a TCI State whose byte position is contiguous with that of the PL offset. In other words, when the terminal device determines that a PL offset is used to update one or more TCI States, the byte position of the TCI State is contiguous with the byte position of the PL offset.

[0168] In this application, the terminal device can determine the TCI State updated by the PL bias through various implementation methods. These will be described below.

[0169] Implementation Method A: The second information also includes at least one fourth indication. One of the fourth indications is associated with a PL offset, and the fourth indication indicates whether the PL offset associated with the fourth indication is the last PL offset in the second information. If not, the terminal device needs to search for the remaining PL offsets in the second information, and the TCI State corresponding to those PL offsets; if yes, it means the terminal device has traversed all TCI States and PL offsets in the second information.

[0170] In one possible implementation, at least one PL bias is associated with a TCI State. That is, a PL bias indicated by the third indication information can be used to update a TCI State.

[0171] Optionally, before step 501, the first TRP configures M TCI states for the second TRP in the RRC configuration and associates the M TCI states with M PL biases, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Each TCI state is associated with one PL bias, and each TCI state corresponds to one TCI state ID. For example, the second indication information can be one or more TCI state IDs, thus, it can be considered that each TCI state ID is associated with one PL bias. Please refer to Figure 12, which is a possible implementation diagram of the fourth indication information in this application. As shown in Figure 12, the second information is carried in the MAC CE. In the second information, each TCI state or each PL bias corresponds to a fourth indication information (e.g., the flag bit F shown in Figure 12). The value of the flag bit F indicates whether there is a next PL bias associated with the TCI state after the TCI state or PL bias corresponding to the flag bit F, or in other words, the flag bit F can indicate whether the TCI state or PL bias corresponding to the flag bit F is the last TCI state or PL bias in the MAC CE (second information). For example, flag F=1 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=1 indicating that there is no PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE), and flag F=0 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is not the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=0 indicating that there is still a next PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE); or, flag F=0 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=0 indicating that there is no PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE), and flag F=1 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is not the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=1 indicating that there is still a next PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE).

[0172] In one possible implementation, at least one PL bias is associated with a TCI State group, which includes one or more TCI States. That is, a PL bias indicated by the third indication information can be used to update one or more TCI States in a TCI State group.

[0173] Optionally, if one of the PL biases in at least one PL bias is associated with a TCI State group, the second indication information can be used to indicate at least one TCI State group, where one of the TCI State groups includes one or more TCI States from at least one TCI State. For example, before step 501, the first TRP configures N TCI State groups for the second TRP in the RRC configuration, each TCI State group including one or more TCI States, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The N TCI State groups are associated with N PL biases, each TCI State group is associated with one PL bias, and each TCI State group corresponds to an ID of a TCI State group. For example, the second indication information can be the IDs of one or more TCI State groups, thus, it can be considered that the ID of each TCI State group is associated with one PL bias. Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the fourth indication information in this application. As shown in Figure 13, the second information is carried in the MAC CE. In the second information, each TCI State group or each PL bias corresponds to one fourth indication information (e.g., the identifier bit F shown in Figure 12). The value of the flag bit F indicates whether there is a next PL bias associated with the TCI State group after the TCI State group or PL bias corresponding to the flag bit F. In other words, the flag bit F can indicate whether the TCI State group or PL bias corresponding to the flag bit F is the last TCI State group or PL bias in the MAC CE (second information). For example, flag F=1 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=1 indicating that there is no PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE), and flag F=0 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is not the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=0 indicating that there is still a next PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE); or, flag F=0 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=0 indicating that there is no PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE), and flag F=1 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this flag bit is not the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as flag F=1 indicating that there is still a next PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE).

[0174] Implementation method B: The second information also includes at least one fourth instruction and at least one fifth instruction.

[0175] At least one of the fourth indication messages is associated with a PL offset, and the fourth indication message is used to indicate whether the PL offset associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL offset in the second information. If not, the terminal device still needs to search for the remaining PL offsets in the second information; if yes, it means that the terminal device has traversed all the PL offsets in the second information.

[0176] At least one of the fifth indication messages is associated with a TCI State. The fifth indication message is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication message is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs. If not, the terminal device still needs to find the remaining TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs; if yes, it means that the terminal device has traversed all the TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

[0177] Implementation method B described above is applicable to the following scenario: a PL bias is associated with a TCI State group, and the TCI State group includes one or more TCI States. That is, a PL bias indicated by the third indication information can be used to update one or more TCI States in a TCI State group. The second indication information can be used to indicate at least one TCI State group, where one of the at least one TCI State group includes one or more TCI States from at least one TCI State.

[0178] Optionally, prior to step 501, the first TRP configures M TCI states for the second TRP in the RRC configuration and associates the M TCI states with M PL offsets, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Each TCI state is associated with one PL offset, and each TCI state corresponds to one TCI state ID. In the second information, one or more consecutively transmitted TCI states form a TCI state group, and each TCI state group is associated with one PL offset.

[0179] For example, the second indication information may be one or more TCI State IDs. Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the fourth and fifth indication information in this application. As shown in Figure 14, the second information is carried in the MAC CE. In the second information, each TCI State corresponds to a fifth indication information (e.g., the identifier bit F shown in Figure 14), and each PL bias corresponds to a fourth indication information (e.g., the identifier bit Q shown in Figure 14).

[0180] The value of the flag bit F shown in Figure 14 indicates whether there is a next TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State corresponding to the flag bit F belongs. In other words, the flag bit F can indicate whether the TCI State corresponding to the flag bit F is the last TCI State in the aforementioned TCI State group. For example, flag F=1 indicates that the TCI State corresponding to flag F is the last TCI State in the TCI State group (which can also be understood as flag F=1 indicating that there is no TCI State ID that the terminal device has not obtained in the TCI State group), and flag F=0 indicates that the TCI State corresponding to flag F is not the last TCI State in the TCI State group (which can also be understood as flag F=0 indicating that there is still a next TCI State ID that the terminal device has not obtained in the TCI State group); or, flag F=0 indicates that the TCI State corresponding to flag F is the last TCI State in the TCI State group (which can also be understood as flag F=0 indicating that there is no TCI State ID that the terminal device has not obtained in the TCI State group), and flag F=1 indicates that the TCI State corresponding to flag F is not the last TCI State in the TCI State group (which can also be understood as flag F=1 indicating that there is still a next TCI State ID that the terminal device has not obtained in the TCI State group).

[0181] The value of the flag bit Q shown in Figure 14 indicates whether there is a next PL bias after the PL bias corresponding to the flag bit Q. In other words, the flag bit Q can indicate whether the PL bias corresponding to the flag bit Q is the last PL bias in the MAC CE (second information). For example, Q=1 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this offset is the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as Q=1 indicating that there is no PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE), and Q=0 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this offset is not the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as Q=0 indicating that there is still a next PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE); or, Q=0 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this offset is the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as Q=0 indicating that there is no PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE), and Q=1 indicates that the PL offset corresponding to this offset is not the last PL offset in the MAC CE (second information) (which can also be understood as Q=1 indicating that there is still a next PL offset that the terminal device has not acquired in the MAC CE).

[0182] Implementation Method C: The terminal device determines the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset in the second information. Then, the terminal device determines the PL offset corresponding to at least one TCI State based on the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset; or, the terminal device determines the correspondence between the TCI State indicated by the second indication information and the PL offset indicated by the third indication information based on the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset; or, the terminal device determines the PL offset indicated by the third indication information based on the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL offset, for updating which TCI State(s) indicated by the second indication information.

[0183] In this application, the terminal device can determine the number of at least one TCI State and / or the number of at least one PL bias in various ways. These are described below.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the MAC CE, and a PL offset is associated with a TCI State. That is, a PL offset indicated by the third indication information can be used to update a TCI State. The terminal device determines the length of the MAC CE based on the L field in the MAC CE subheader and determines the number of PL offsets or TCI States in the second information (MAC CE) according to the MAC CE format. For example, in the example MAC CE format shown in Figure 15a, the total length of the MAC CE is len bytes, obtained from the L field in the MAC CE subheader. The terminal device can then calculate the number of PL offsets or TCI States carried by the MAC CE as K, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1, based on K = (len-1) / 2. The terminal device can start from the second byte of the MAC CE, determining a TCI State and its corresponding PL offset every two bytes, stopping after a total of K determinations.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the MAC CE. A PL offset is associated with a TCI State group, which includes one or more TCI States. That is, a PL offset indicated by the third indication information can be used to update one or more TCI States in a TCI State group. The terminal device determines the length of the MAC CE based on the L field in the subheader and determines the number of PL offsets or TCI State groups in the second information (MAC CE) according to the MAC CE format. For example, in the example MAC CE format shown in Figure 15b, the total length of the MAC CE is len bytes, obtained from the L field in the subheader. The terminal device can then calculate the number of PL offsets or TCI State groups carried by the MAC CE as K, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 1, based on K = (len-1) / 2. The terminal device can start from the second byte of the MAC CE, determining one TCI State group and its corresponding PL offset every two bytes, stopping after a total of K determinations.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the MAC CE. The second information also includes sixth indication information, which indicates the number of TCI states and / or PL offsets in the MAC CE. One PL offset is associated with one TCI state. That is, a PL offset indicated by the third indication information can be used to update a TCI state. In the example of Figure 16, the sixth indication information is a new field in the MAC CE. The sixth indication information indicates that the number of PL offsets or TCI states in the second information (MAC CE) is K. The terminal device can start from the byte where the sixth indication information (new field) is located, determining one TCI state and its corresponding PL offset every two bytes, stopping after a total of K determinations.

[0187] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the MAC CE. The second information also includes sixth indication information, which indicates the number of TCI states and / or PL offsets in the MAC CE. One PL offset is associated with one TCI state group, and a TCI state group includes one or more TCI states. That is, a PL offset indicated by the third indication information can be used to update one or more TCI states in a TCI state group. In the example of Figure 17, the sixth indication information is a new field in the MAC CE. The sixth indication information indicates that the number of PL offsets or TCI state groups in the second information (MAC CE) is K. The terminal device can start from the byte where the sixth indication information (new field) is located, determining one TCI state group and the corresponding PL offset for each two bytes, for a total of K determinations.

[0188] Accordingly, this application also provides related apparatus for implementing the above-described scheme. Please refer to Figure 18, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 600 can realize the functions of the terminal device or the first TRP in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device 600 can be a terminal device or the first TRP, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the terminal device or the first TRP, such as a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, SoC chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, etc.

[0189] As shown in Figure 18, the communication device 600 includes a transceiver unit 601 and a processing unit 602. Optionally, the transceiver unit 601 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are used to perform transmitting and receiving, respectively.

[0190] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the method performed by the terminal device in the embodiment corresponding to FIG7, the transceiver unit 601 is used to receive first information, the first information being used to activate or deactivate a first transmission configuration indication state (TCI State); the processing unit 602 is used to determine that the first TCI State is associated with a first transmission receiving point (TRP) or a second TRP, wherein the first TRP is a TRP for uplink and downlink transmission, and the second TRP is a TRP for uplink transmission.

[0191] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the method performed by the first TRP in the embodiment corresponding to FIG7, the processing unit 602 is used to determine first information, the first information being used to activate or deactivate a first transmission configuration indication state (TCI State), the first TCI State being associated with a first transmission receiving point (TRP) or a second TRP, wherein the first TRP is a TRP for uplink and downlink transmission, and the second TRP is a TRP for uplink transmission; the transceiver unit 601 is used to send the first information.

[0192] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the method performed by the terminal device in the embodiment corresponding to FIG11, the transceiver unit 601 is used to receive second information, the second information including second indication information and third indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate at least one Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State), and the third indication information being used to indicate at least one Path Loss (PL) offset; the processing unit 602 is used to update the PL offset corresponding to the at least one TCI State according to the second information.

[0193] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the method performed by the first TRP in the embodiment corresponding to FIG11, the processing unit 602 is used to determine second information, the second information including second indication information and third indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate at least one Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State), the third indication information being used to indicate at least one Path Loss (PL) offset, and the second information being used to update the PL offset corresponding to one of the at least one TCI State; the transceiver unit 601 is used to send the second information.

[0194] It should be noted that the information execution process of the unit of the above-mentioned communication device 600 can be specifically described in the method embodiments shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0195] Please refer to Figure 19, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0196] It is understood that the communication device 700 includes, for example, modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to execute the technical solutions provided in this application. The communication device 700 may be the terminal device described above, or a component (e.g., a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the following method embodiments. The communication device 700 includes one or more processors 701. The processor 701 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, 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 communication device (e.g., a RAN node, terminal, or chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0197] Optionally, in one design, processor 701 may include program 703 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on processor 701 to cause communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the embodiments below. In yet another possible design, communication device 700 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG19).

[0198] Optionally, the communication device 700 may include one or more memories 702 storing a program 704 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 701 to cause the communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0199] Optionally, the processor 701 and / or memory 702 may include AI modules 707 and 708, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio intelligence control (RIC) module. For instance, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0200] Optionally, the processor 701 and / or memory 702 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0201] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver 705 and / or an antenna 706. The processor 701, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or terminal). The transceiver 705, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 706.

[0202] In this context, the processing unit 602 shown in Figure 18 can be a processor 701. The transceiver unit 601 shown in Figure 18 can be a communication interface, which can be the transceiver 705 in Figure 19. The transceiver 705 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the transceiver 705 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0203] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling computer programs or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method provided in the embodiments shown in FIG7 or FIG11 above.

[0204] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in any of the embodiments shown in FIG7 or FIG11, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in any of the embodiments shown in FIG7 or FIG11.

[0205] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0206] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory that stores computer programs or computer instructions.

[0207] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program that controls the methods provided in any of the embodiments shown above and in Figures 7 or 11. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0208] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0209] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0210] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0211] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0212] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. Whether a function is 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.

[0213] It should be understood that the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings of the device embodiments provided in this application, the connection relationships between modules indicate that they have communication connections, which can be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0214] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0215] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to it, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a 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 (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0216] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0217] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Receive first information, which is used to activate or deactivate the first Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State); The first TCI State is determined to be associated with a first Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP) or a second TRP, wherein the first TRP is a TRP used for uplink and downlink transmission, and the second TRP is a TRP used for uplink transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining that the first TCI State is associated with a first Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP) or a second TRP includes: The first TCI State is determined to be associated with a first TRP or a second TRP based on the first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the first TCI State is associated with a first TRP or a second TRP.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The first information is carried in the Media Access Control Controller (MAC CE), and the first indication information is carried in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) information or the MAC CE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first indication information is included in the reserved bits of the MAC CE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining that the first TCI State is associated with a first Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP) or a second TRP includes: If the first condition is met, it is determined that the first TCI State is associated with the second TRP. The first condition includes one or more of the following: The first TCI State is a TCI State of uniform Joint type, and the first TCI State is associated with path loss PL bias; The first TCI State is a separate type TCI State, and the first TCI State is associated with a PL bias.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining that the first TCI State is associated with a first Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP) or a second TRP includes: If the second condition is met, it is determined that the first TCI State is associated with the first TRP. The second condition includes one or more of the following: The first TCI State is a Joint type TCI State, and the first TCI State is not associated with a PL bias; The first TCI State is a separate TCI State, and the first TCI State is not associated with a PL bias.

7. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: First information is determined, which is used to activate or deactivate a first transmission configuration indication state (TCI State). The first TCI State is associated with a first transmission receiving point (TRP) or a second TRP, wherein the first TRP is a TRP used for uplink and downlink transmission, and the second TRP is a TRP used for uplink transmission. Send the first message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further includes: Send a first indication message, which is used to indicate that the first TCI State is associated with a first TRP or a second TRP.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first information is carried in the Media Access Control Controller (MAC CE), and the first indication information is carried in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) information or the MAC CE.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive second information, the second information including second indication information and third indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate at least one Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State), the third indication information being used to indicate at least one Path Loss (PL) Offset; Update the PL bias corresponding to the at least one TCI State based on the second information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, One of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein, One of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State group, which includes one or more TCI States.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The second indication information is specifically used to indicate at least one TCIState group, wherein one of the at least one TCI State groups includes one or more TCI States among the at least one TCI State.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that, The second information also includes at least one fourth indication information; One of the at least four indication messages is associated with a PL bias, and the fourth indication message is used to indicate whether the PL bias associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL bias in the second information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, The second information also includes at least one fourth indication information and at least one fifth indication information; One of the at least four indication messages is associated with a PL bias, and one of the four indication messages is used to indicate whether the PL bias associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL bias in the second information; One of the at least five indication messages is associated with a TCI State, and the fifth indication message is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication message is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

16. The method of claim 10, 11, or 13, wherein, The method further includes: Determine the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias; Updating the PL bias corresponding to the at least one TCI State based on the second information includes: The PL bias corresponding to the at least one TCI State is determined based on the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second information also includes a sixth indication, which indicates the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information, which indicates the maximum number of PL biases updated by the second information.

19. A method of communication, comprising: include: The second information is determined, which includes a second indication information and a third indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate at least one Transmission Configuration Indication State (TCI State), and the third indication information is used to indicate at least one Path Loss (PL) offset. The second information is used to update the PL offset corresponding to one of the at least one TCI State. Send the second message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, One of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein, One of the at least one PL biases is associated with a TCI State group, which includes one or more TCI States.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The second indication information is specifically used to indicate at least one TCIState group, wherein one of the at least one TCI State groups includes one or more TCI States among the at least one TCI State.

23. The method of any one of claims 19-22, wherein, The second information also includes at least one fourth indication information; One of the at least four indication messages is associated with a PL bias, and the fourth indication message is used to indicate whether the PL bias associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL bias in the second information.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein, The second information also includes at least one fourth indication information and at least one fifth indication information; One of the at least four indication messages is associated with a PL bias, and one of the four indication messages is used to indicate whether the PL bias associated with the fourth indication message is the last PL bias in the second information; One of the at least one fifth indication information is associated with a TCI State, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate whether the TCI State associated with the fifth indication information is the last TCI State in the TCI State group to which the TCI State belongs.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein, The second information also includes sixth indication information, which is used to indicate the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias, and the number of the at least one TCI State and / or the number of the at least one PL bias is used to determine the PL bias corresponding to the at least one TCI State.

26. The method of any one of claims 19-25, wherein, The method further includes: Send a third message, which indicates the maximum number of PL biases updated by the second message.

27. A communications device, characterized by Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. A communications device, characterized by It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

29. The communication apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

31. A computer program product, characterised in that, comprising computer programs or instructions, which when executed by a computer, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 26.

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