Communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. In the present disclosure, a terminal receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used by the network device to configure, for the terminal, CSI resource configurations and / or CSI reporting configurations respectively corresponding to a plurality of APs, so as to implement measurement configurations for different APs by means of the first information, thereby improving the flexibility of measurement configurations for the terminal in MIMO.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] Distributed multiple input multiple output (dMIMO) is one of the key technologies in next-generation mobile communication systems. It can serve multiple terminals by deploying multiple access points (APs) in different geographical locations, thereby improving network capacity, network coverage and signal quality, and achieving more efficient spectrum utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To improve the flexibility of measurement configuration methods in MIMO, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving first information sent by a network device, the first information being used by the network device to configure channel state information (CSI) resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple access points (APs).

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, executed by a network device, the method comprising: sending first information to a terminal, the first information being used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for multiple APs corresponding to the terminal.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided for performing the communication method as described in the first aspect above.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided for performing the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method as described in the first aspect above, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a terminal, cause the terminal to perform the communication method as described in the first aspect above.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a network device, cause the network device to perform the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided, including at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a terminal, they implement the communication method as described in the first aspect above.

[0012] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided, comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein the program and instructions, when executed by a network device, implement the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0013] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by sending first information from the network device to the terminal, the terminal can receive the first information sent by the network device. The first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple APs respectively, so as to realize the measurement configuration for different APs through the first information and improve the flexibility of the measurement configuration for the terminal in MIMO. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3A is a schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 5200 proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0024] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving first information sent by a network device, the first information being used by the network device to configure channel state information (CSI) resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple access points (APs).

[0025] In the above embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by the network device. The first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple APs respectively. The measurement configuration for different APs is realized through the first information, thereby improving the flexibility of measurement configuration for the terminal in MIMO.

[0026] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CSI resource configuration includes a Channel Measurement Resource (CMR) configuration, wherein a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource set contains one or more CSI measurement resources; or, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, wherein the CSI resource set includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource subset contains one or more CSI measurement resources; wherein an AP set includes at least one AP.

[0027] In the above embodiments, when CSI resource configuration includes CMR configuration, a CMR configuration can have multiple optional CSI measurement resource configuration methods. That is, CSI measurement resources can be configured through multiple CSI resource sets, or CSI measurement resources can be configured through multiple subsets of CSI resources included in a CSI resource set. This can improve the flexibility and diversity of the CMR configuration process.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the neighboring cell.

[0029] In the above embodiments, by configuring multiple CSI resource sets to correspond to different AP sets and providing optional implementation methods for multiple CSI resource sets to correspond to different AP sets, the CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets can be configured according to the role played by the AP, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the CMR configuration process.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein the CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

[0031] In the above embodiments, by configuring multiple CSI resource subsets included in a CSI resource set to correspond to different AP sets, and providing optional implementation methods for multiple CSI resource subsets to correspond to different AP sets, the configuration of CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets can be realized according to the role played by the AP, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the CMR configuration process.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of CSI resource subsets are obtained based on a predefined order of the plurality of APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP; wherein, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set is the first CSI resource subset.

[0033] In the above embodiments, an optional implementation method is provided to divide a CSI resource set into multiple CSI resource subsets to ensure the legality and standardization of the correspondence between APs and CSI resource sets, and to ensure that the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP can be satisfied.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, including multiple CSI measurement resources, the multiple CSI measurement resources correspond to different APs, and the CSI measurement resources corresponding to an AP are determined based on the predefined sorting of the AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the AP.

[0035] In the above embodiments, an optional implementation method for configuring the correspondence between APs and CSI measurement resources is provided, namely, determining the correspondence between APs and CSI measurement resources based on the predefined order of each AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP. This ensures the legality and standardization of the determined correspondence and guarantees that the determined correspondence meets the needs of each AP.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, including multiple CSI measurement resources, a CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information.

[0037] In the above embodiments, an optional implementation method is provided to configure the correspondence between AP and CSI measurement resources, that is, to configure corresponding AP identification information for each CSI measurement resource, so as to configure the correspondence between CSI resources and AP according to the configured AP identification information.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information including AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to the AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

[0039] In the above embodiments, an optional implementation method for configuring the correspondence between APs and CSI measurement resources is provided, namely, by using first indication information and second indication information to indicate the AP information contained in different AP sets and at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP, so as to realize the configuration of the correspondence between APs and CSI measurement resources.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: receiving second information sent by the network device, the second information being used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal; receiving third information sent by the network device, the third information being used by the network device to configure the terminal.

[0041] In the above embodiments, by providing the terminal with second information through the network device to configure the terminal with the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets, and / or by providing the terminal with third information to configure the terminal with the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP, the legality and standardization of the CMR configuration process performed by the network device for the terminal are ensured.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the capabilities of the terminal include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources corresponding to different AP sets, and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0043] In the above embodiments, by defining the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets, and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP as terminal capabilities, CMR configuration for the terminal can be implemented according to the terminal capabilities, thereby ensuring the legality and standardization of the CMR configuration process.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the capabilities of the terminal; and / or, the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the capabilities of the terminal.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal and / or the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal are determined based on the terminal's capabilities, so as to ensure that the number of serving APs and candidate APs configured for the terminal meets the terminal's capabilities, thereby ensuring the legality and standardization of the CMR configuration process.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CMR configuration is used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following reference signals: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB); Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

[0047] In the above embodiments, CMR configuration instructions are provided for various RSs used by the terminal for measurement, so that configuration for various RSs can be achieved through CMR configuration, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the CMR configuration process.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CMR configuration is further used to configure at least one of the following: Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) status; Physical Cell Identifier (PCI); AP Identification Information; and AP Group Identification Information.

[0049] In the above embodiments, providing CMR configuration can also include at least one type of information, thereby further improving the flexibility and versatility of the CMR configuration process.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the temporal characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

[0051] In the above embodiments, by setting first information to indicate the time-domain characteristics of CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with CSI reporting configuration, the configuration of CSI reporting configuration can be realized through the first information, thereby ensuring the smooth progress of CSI reporting configuration process.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration include any one of periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration; wherein the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

[0053] In the above embodiments, multiple time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration are provided so that the first information can be used to indicate the multiple time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the first information. Furthermore, by configuring each of the multiple time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration to be associated with at least one CSI resource configuration, the correspondence between the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration is guaranteed.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration includes any one of the following: CMR configuration; IMR configuration of interference measurement resources based on channel state information intermodulation CSI-IM and / or IMR configuration of zero-power ZP CSI-RS configured for each CMR; CMP configuration of a candidate AP set, wherein the CMR configuration of the candidate AP set is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding serving AP set.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the various time-domain characteristics of CSI reporting configuration are all associated with various optional implementations of at least one CSI resource configuration, so that at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the various time-domain characteristics of CSI reporting configuration can be configured as needed, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the CSI reporting configuration process.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

[0057] In the above embodiments, when the first information is used to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, IMR configuration is performed in the form of CSI resource sets; when the first information is used to configure multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, IMR configuration is performed in the form of CSI resource subsets. This ensures the consistency between the CSI resource configuration method and the CSI reporting configuration method.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used for the terminal to perform at least one of the following measurement reporting: network-configured CSI measurement reporting; terminal-initiated CSI measurement reporting; event-triggered CSI measurement reporting.

[0059] In the above embodiments, trigger types for CSI measurement reporting applicable to the CSI reporting configuration are provided so that CSI measurement reporting triggered under different conditions can be achieved through the CSI reporting configuration, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the CSI measurement reporting process.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used to support at least one of the following reporting purposes: beam measurement; CSI measurement; cooperative / serving AP update; cooperative / serving AP set update.

[0061] In the above embodiments, multiple optional uses of the CSI reporting configuration are provided so that support for different reporting purposes can be achieved through the CSI reporting configuration. This enables CSI measurement reporting to be carried out based on the CSI reporting configuration provided in the embodiments of this disclosure under multiple reporting purposes, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of the CSI measurement reporting process.

[0062] Secondly, this disclosure provides a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising: sending first information to a terminal, the first information being used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for multiple APs corresponding to the terminal.

[0063] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by sending first information from the network device to the terminal, the first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple APs respectively, so as to realize the measurement configuration for different APs through the first information, thereby improving the flexibility of measurement configuration for the terminal in MIMO.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CSI resource configuration includes a CMR configuration, a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource set includes one or more CSI measurement resources; or, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, the CSI resource set including multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource subset including one or more CSI measurement resources; wherein, an AP set includes at least one AP.

[0065] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the neighboring cell.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein the CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

[0067] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of CSI resource subsets are divided based on a predefined order of the plurality of APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP; wherein, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set is the first CSI resource subset.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, including multiple CSI measurement resources, the multiple CSI measurement resources correspond to different APs, and the CSI measurement resources corresponding to an AP are determined based on the predefined sorting of the AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the AP.

[0069] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, including multiple CSI measurement resources, a CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information including AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to the AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: sending second information to the terminal, the second information being used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal; sending third information to the terminal, the third information being used by the network device to configure the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP for the terminal.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the capabilities of the terminal include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources corresponding to different AP sets, and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0073] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the capabilities of the terminal; and / or, the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the capabilities of the terminal.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CMR configuration is used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following reference signals RS: SSB; CSI-RS.

[0075] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CMR configuration is also used to configure at least one of the following: TCI status; PCI; AP identification information; AP group identification information.

[0076] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the temporal characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

[0077] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration include any one of periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration; wherein the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

[0078] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the non-periodic CSI reporting configuration includes any one of the following: CMR configuration; IMR configuration based on CSI-IM and / or IMR configuration of ZP CSI-RS for each CMR configuration; CMP configuration of a candidate AP set, wherein the CMR configuration of the candidate AP set is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding service AP set.

[0079] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

[0080] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used for the terminal to perform at least one of the following measurement reporting: network-configured CSI measurement reporting; terminal-initiated CSI measurement reporting; event-triggered CSI measurement reporting.

[0081] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used to support the following reporting purposes: beam measurement; CSI measurement; cooperative / serving AP update; cooperative / serving AP set update.

[0082] Thirdly, this disclosure provides a terminal, including: a transceiver module configured to receive first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used by the network device to configure channel state information (CSI) resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple access points (APs).

[0083] Fourthly, this disclosure provides a network device, including: a transceiver module configured to send first information to a terminal, wherein the first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for multiple APs corresponding to the terminal.

[0084] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is configured to perform the communication method as described in the first aspect above.

[0085] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to perform the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0086] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the communication method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0087] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method as described in the first aspect above, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0088] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a terminal, cause the terminal to perform the communication method described in the first aspect above.

[0089] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a network device, cause the network device to perform the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0090] Eleventhly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0091] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product including at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by a terminal, they implement the communication method described in the first aspect above.

[0092] In a thirteenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product including at least one of a program and instructions, wherein the program and instructions, when executed by a network device, implement the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0093] In a fourteenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product including at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the communication method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0094] In a fifteenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a terminal, causes the terminal to perform the communication method as described in the first aspect above.

[0095] In a sixteenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a network device, causes the network device to perform the communication method as described in the second aspect above.

[0096] In a seventeenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the communication method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0097] In an eighteenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the communication methods described in the first or second aspect above.

[0098] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0099] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, information processing method, measurement configuration method, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0100] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0101] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the 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.

[0102] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0103] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0104] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0105] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0106] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0107] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0108] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0109] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0110] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0111] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0112] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "body", etc.

[0113] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network devices, core network devices, etc.

[0114] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," or "fixed station." In some embodiments, it may also be understood as "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," or "bandwidth part (BWP)."

[0115] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)," "user terminal," "mobile station (MS)," "mobile terminal (MT)," "subscriber station," "mobile unit," "subscriber unit," "wireless unit," "remote unit," "mobile device," "wireless device," "wireless communication device," "remote device," "mobile subscriber station," "access terminal," "mobile terminal," "wireless terminal," "remote terminal," "handset," "user agent," "mobile client," "client," etc.

[0116] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0117] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0118] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0119] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0120] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0121] In some embodiments, network device 102 includes at least one of access network device and core network device.

[0122] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0123] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0124] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0125] In some embodiments, the core network device may be a single device comprising multiple network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the multiple network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0126] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may include a first network element, such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0127] In some embodiments, the first network element is used for user access management and mobility management, but is not limited thereto.

[0128] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a second network element, such as a Session Management Function (SMF).

[0129] In some embodiments, the second network element is used for session management of the control plane and user plane, but is not limited thereto.

[0130] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a third network element, such as a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0131] In some embodiments, the third network element is used for user plane data forwarding, traffic statistics, Quality of Service (QoS) management, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0132] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a fourth network element, such as a Policy Control Function (PCF).

[0133] In some embodiments, the fourth network element is used to implement user control policy management, including but not limited to QoS control, service access control, etc.

[0134] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may include a fifth network element, such as a unified data management function (UDM).

[0135] In some embodiments, the fifth network element is used to implement user subscription data management, roaming control, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0136] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a sixth network element, such as an Authentication Server Function (AUSF).

[0137] In some embodiments, the sixth network element is used to implement user authentication, but is not limited thereto.

[0138] In some embodiments, each of the above network elements can be independent of the core network equipment.

[0139] In some embodiments, each of the above network elements may be part of the core network equipment.

[0140] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0141] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0142] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), 5G New Radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New Radio Access (NX), Future Generation Radio Access (FX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0143] In some embodiments, ultra-large-scale MIMO technology mainly presents two forms in antenna architecture: centralized ultra-large-scale MIMO and distributed ultra-large-scale MIMO. In the centralized form, MIMO can generate huge antenna array gain, forming extremely narrow beams with high spatial resolution, which is beneficial for energy focusing and multi-user spatial multiplexing. However, the centralized form has significant constraints on the low-frequency band, especially for sub-1GHz subbands. Due to the longer wavelengths in the low-frequency band, the antenna array aperture becomes too large, which is not conducive to practical antenna deployment. The distributed form, on the other hand, can effectively solve the problem of flexible deployment in both low and high frequency bands. In the low-frequency band, antenna modules can exist as smaller antenna arrays, or even a single antenna; while in the high-frequency band, antenna modules can contain more antenna elements, thereby effectively compensating for the propagation loss caused by the high frequency band.

[0144] Distributed MIMO (dMIMO) connects multiple geographically distributed antenna arrays to a central processing unit (CPU) via fronthaul links, while multiple CPUs are connected to the core network via backhaul links. Multiple access points (APs) jointly serve terminals within the coverage area. Because the APs are closer to the users, path loss is reduced, improving communication link coverage and reliability. Distributed MIMO is a user-centric architecture, which is crucial for mitigating inter-cluster interference and maintaining system scalability. It ensures uniform quality of service for all users, ultimately leading to cell-free distributed massive MIMO.

[0145] In traditional centralized ultra-large-scale MIMO networks, all antenna elements are deployed at the macro base station. In contrast, in cell-free networks, antenna elements are distributed across different geographical locations as Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs), achieving better diversity gain. Distributed MIMO is one of the key technologies in next-generation mobile communication systems. By deploying a large number of geographically dispersed access points (APs) to serve multiple user equipment (UEs), it can significantly improve network capacity, coverage, and signal quality, achieving more efficient spectrum utilization.

[0146] Building upon a distributed network architecture, the use of distributed transmission technologies becomes even more necessary. Commonly used distributed transmission technologies include Coherent-Joint Transmission (C-JT), Non-Coherent Joint Transmission (NC-JT), and Dynamic Point Selection (DPS). Through the cooperation of multiple Transmission Points (TRPs), C-JT transmission can convert inter-TRP or inter-cell interference into useful signals, thereby improving system performance. Therefore, C-JT is a key technology for improving the performance of 6G distributed MIMO. Furthermore, NC-JT and DPS technologies can be used to address the obstruction effect of the radio channel in 6G distributed MIMO systems. By deploying a large number of distributed cooperative points in the network, distributed ultra-large-scale MIMO can effectively manage and eliminate interference between users, significantly improving the system's spectral efficiency.

[0147] In some embodiments, a unified CSI feedback framework is used in New Radio (NR) networks for Channel State Information (CSI) measurement and reporting, which can support different application scenarios. This feedback framework decouples CSI measurement and CSI reporting, enabling flexible configuration of the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and CSI reporting.

[0148] In an NR system, CSI can include Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI), Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource Indicator (CRI), Synchronization Signal (SS) / Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) Block Resource Indicator (SSBRI), Layer Indicator (LI), Rank Indicator (RI), Layer 1 Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP), and Layer 1 Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (L1-SINR). SSBRI, LI, and L1-RSRP are additional feedback parameters added to the CSI feedback of Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems. LI indicates the strongest column in the PMI and is used for Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PT-RS) mapping. SSBRI and L1-RSRP are used for beam management; one indicates the beam index, and the other indicates the beam strength. Based on the principle of decoupling CSI measurement and CSI feedback, each terminal can be configured with N ≥ 1 reporting settings and M ≥ 1 resource settings. Each reporting setting is associated with one or more resource settings for channel and interference measurements. For each Bandwidth Part (BWP), N ≤ 12 and M ≤ 28. For example, when used for beam management, a reporting setting can be configured, associated with a resource setting, where multiple CSI-RS resources are used for beam scanning. When used for CSI feedback, different configuration methods are used for periodic, semi-persistent, and aperiodic CSI reporting.

[0149] In some embodiments, a resource setting can be used for beam management and CSI acquisition. Each resource setting contains S resource sets, each resource set serving as an independent channel or interference measurement resource. Each resource set contains Ks CSI-RS resources; to flexibly support beam scanning or CSI reporting similar to LTE Class B, Ks ≥ 1. The number of aperiodic resource settings is limited; to flexibly support various application scenarios, each resource setting can contain one or more resource sets. For periodic and semi-persistent resource settings used for CSI acquisition, only one resource set can be included.

[0150] In some embodiments, a report setting may include configurations for the following parameters: the reported CSI quantity, the CSI type (Type I or Type II), codebook parameter configuration and codebook subset constraints, the time-domain behavior and frequency-domain granularity of PMI and CQI, and measurement constraint configurations. Considering different CSI reporting requirements, CSI reporting in NR can support periodic, semi-persistent, and aperiodic reporting. For aperiodic CSI reporting, one channel measurement resource and two different interference measurement resources (interference measurement is used for CSI acquisition) can be used, so each report setting can be associated with 1, 2, or 3 resource settings; for periodic and semi-persistent CSI reporting, one channel measurement resource and one interference measurement resource (interference measurement is used for CSI acquisition) can be used, and each report setting can be associated with 1 or 2 resource settings.

[0151] In some embodiments of NR, the base station can monitor the network environment through a Channel State Information Feedback (CSI) mechanism. That is, the terminal can measure the CSI-RS / Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) reference signal according to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) parameter configuration and feed the results back to the base station via CSI. This allows the base station to understand the detailed channel state in the network and adjust strategies such as the current antenna precoding matrix and beamforming parameters. In NR Multi Transmission Reception Point (MTRP), the uplink and downlink cooperating node sets of the same terminal are the same, and different uplink and downlink nodes and uplink / downlink cooperating beams can be dynamically selected within the cooperation set.

[0152] The design of a distributed MIMO system can be understood as a multi-dimensional resource management problem involving cooperative set clustering, precoding, and power control. Cooperative set clustering determines the service relationship between the access point (AP) and the terminals, and the result of cooperative set clustering directly affects the cooperating nodes and cooperation modes, thereby affecting the transmission performance of the entire system.

[0153] In non-cellular networks, terminals can assist the network side in selecting Remote Radio Units (RRUs), beams, or precoding matrices through measurement reporting. However, the measurement reporting method needs to be more flexible than in 5G systems to adapt to more flexible networking configurations. Typically, this occurs when a terminal moves within the network or is obstructed. This may involve adding and / or deleting cooperating access points (APs), impacting the cooperation of multiple APs. To mitigate the impact of AP updates, a terminal-initiated measurement reporting scheme and event-triggered dynamic updates to cooperative clusters or cooperation methods can be considered. The network side can then update cooperative clusters or cooperation methods based on the information reported by the terminal.

[0154] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0155] Step S2101: The network device sends the first information to the terminal.

[0156] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by a network device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive first information sent by other entities.

[0157] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains the first information specified by the protocol, in which case step S2101 can be omitted.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains the first information from the upper layer(s), in which case step S2101 can be omitted.

[0159] In some embodiments, the terminal processes the information to obtain the first information, and step S2101 can be omitted.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first information is used to configure CSI resource settings and / or CSI reporting settings for the terminal corresponding to multiple APs respectively.

[0161] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it may be, for example, "first configuration information", "configuration information", etc.

[0162] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terms “resource,” “resource set,” “resource group,” “precoding,” “precoder,” “weight,” “precoding weight,” “quasi-co-location (QCL),” “transmission configuration indication (TCI) status,” “spatial relation,” “spatial domain filter,” “transmission power,” “phase rotation,” “antenna port,” “antenna port group,” “layer,” “the number of layers,” “rank,” “beam,” “beam width,” “beam angular degree,” “antenna,” “antenna element,” and “panel” can be used interchangeably.

[0164] In some embodiments, multiple APs can be used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for terminals.

[0165] In some embodiments, the role of an AP in a distributed network can be that of a serving AP, a cooperating AP, or a candidate AP. A serving AP can be the access point currently providing service to the terminal; a cooperating AP can cooperate with the serving AP to provide collaborative support to the terminal, thereby optimizing network performance and load; a candidate AP can be a potential access point that can seamlessly switch to the candidate AP to ensure communication when the terminal's current serving AP cannot provide adequate service.

[0166] In some embodiments, serving APs and cooperating APs can form a set of serving APs (or a set of cooperating APs), and multiple candidate APs can form a set of candidate APs.

[0167] In some embodiments, CSI resource configuration may include Channel Measurement Resource (CMR) configuration. Optionally, a CMR configuration may include multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and each CSI resource set may contain one or more CSI measurement resources (or, each CSI resource set may contain one or more CSI measurement resources); alternatively, a CMR configuration may include a single CSI resource set, which may include multiple subsets of CSI resources corresponding to different AP sets, and each subset of CSI resources may contain one or more CSI measurement resources (or, each subset of CSI resources may contain one or more CSI measurement resources).

[0168] In some embodiments, an AP set may include at least one AP, or in other words, each AP set may include at least one AP.

[0169] In some embodiments, the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP may be the same or different, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0170] In some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets. Optionally, the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the current cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the neighboring cell.

[0171] In other words, CSI resource configuration can be extended so that the network device can configure two CSI resource sets for the terminal, corresponding to the serving AP set and the candidate AP set respectively; or, the network device can configure three CSI resource sets for the terminal, corresponding to the serving AP set, the local cell candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell candidate AP set respectively.

[0172] In some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets. Specifically, a CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, a CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

[0173] That is, the CSI resource configuration can be extended so that the network device configures one CSI resource set for the terminal, which can include two CSI resource subsets, corresponding to the serving AP set and the candidate AP set respectively; or, the network device configures one CSI resource set for the terminal, which can include three CSI resource subsets, corresponding to the serving AP set, the local cell candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell candidate AP set respectively.

[0174] In some embodiments, for a CMR configuration that includes a CSI resource set, and the CSI resource set includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, the multiple CSI resource subsets included in the CSI resource set can be divided based on a predefined sorting of multiple APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP.

[0175] Optionally, multiple APs can be sequentially sorted based on a predefined sorting, thereby dividing multiple CSI resource subsets based on the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP. For example, service APs, collaborating APs, and candidate APs can be sequentially arranged according to a predefined sorting, and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each service AP, each collaborating AP, and each candidate AP can be determined sequentially according to the sorting result. This results in the CSI measurement resources matching the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the sequentially sorted service APs and multiple collaborating APs being divided into a CSI resource subset, which corresponds to the service AP set composed of the service APs and multiple collaborating APs. Similarly, the CSI measurement resources matching the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the sequentially sorted candidate AP set are divided into a CSI resource subset, which corresponds to the candidate AP set composed of multiple candidate APs.

[0176] Specifically, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set can be the first CSI resource subset; that is, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set can default to the first CSI resource subset. Furthermore, the CSI resources corresponding to the service AP can be CSI resources within the first CSI resource subset; that is, the CSI resources corresponding to the service AP can default to the CSI resources within the first CSI resource subset.

[0177] Optionally, the number of serving AP sets or candidate AP sets to be formed can be configured via higher-level signaling, or the number of serving AP sets or candidate AP sets to be formed can be indicated via dynamic signaling.

[0178] The solution provided by the above embodiments can extend the CSI resource configuration, allowing different CSI resource sets or subsets to be configured for different AP sets. This enables the rapid determination of the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the updated AP when the AP is updated, and allows for appropriate processing of the determined CSI measurement resources based on the AP update.

[0179] The following describes an optional implementation of how to determine the CSI measurement resources corresponding to different APs in the AP set.

[0180] In some embodiments, for different sets of APs corresponding to CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources, including multiple CSI measurement resources corresponding to different APs, the correspondence between APs and CSI measurement resources can be determined based on a predefined order of multiple APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP. That is, multiple CSI measurement resources can correspond to different APs, and for any given AP, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to that AP are determined based on a predefined order of that AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to that AP.

[0181] Optionally, for each AP set, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP can be determined sequentially according to the predefined sorting of multiple APs in the AP set and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP. For example, for an AP set containing 3 APs, these 3 APs are predefined and labeled AP#1, AP#2, and AP#3. AP#1 corresponds to 2 CSI measurement resources, AP#2 corresponds to 3 CSI resources, and AP#3 corresponds to 2 CSI resources. Then, a subset of CSI resources containing 7 CSI measurement resources can be partitioned from a CSI resource set contained in a CMR configuration. The CSI measurement resources in this subset can be labeled CSI resource#1, CSI resource#2, CSI resource#3, CSI resource#4, CSI resource#5, CSI resource#6, and CSI resource#7. CSI resource#1 and CSI resource#2 are the CSI measurement resources corresponding to AP#1, CSI resource#3, CSI resource#4, and CSI resource#5 are the CSI measurement resources corresponding to AP#2, and CSI resource#6 and CSI resource#7 are the CSI measurement resources corresponding to AP#3.

[0182] In other words, taking the configuration of a CSI resource set for each of the serving AP set and the candidate AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, in which the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured is M. Among them, each serving AP and each collaborating AP can be configured with Mi CSI measurement resources. The Mi values ​​corresponding to the serving AP and collaborating AP, and different collaborating APs, can be different. Therefore, according to the predefined sorting of the serving AP and each collaborating AP, Mi CSI measurement resources can be configured for each AP in order from front to back. The candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, in which the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured is N. Among them, each candidate AP can be configured with Nj CSI measurement resources, in which the Nj values ​​corresponding to different candidate APs can be different. Therefore, according to the predefined sorting of each candidate AP, Nj CSI measurement resources can be configured for each candidate AP in order from front to back.

[0183] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource set for each of the serving AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, which can have a maximum of M CSI measurement resources. Each serving AP and each cooperating AP can be configured with Mi CSI measurement resources. The Mi values ​​for the serving AP, cooperating APs, and different cooperating APs can be different. Therefore, based on the predefined sorting of the serving APs and each cooperating AP, Mi CSI measurement resources can be configured for each AP in a sequential order. The local candidate AP set can also be configured with one CSI resource set, which can have a maximum of M CSI measurement resources. The maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in a candidate AP is N1, where a candidate AP can be configured with N1j CSI measurement resources. The N1j values ​​corresponding to different candidate APs can be different. Therefore, according to the predefined sorting of each candidate AP, N1j CSI measurement resources can be configured for each candidate AP in order from front to back. The neighboring cell candidate AP set can be configured with a CSI resource set, where the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in the CSI resource set is N2. A candidate AP can be configured with N2k CSI measurement resources, where the N2k values ​​corresponding to different candidate APs can be different. Therefore, according to the predefined sorting of each candidate AP, N2k CSI measurement resources can be configured for each candidate AP in order from front to back.

[0184] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource subset for each of the serving AP set and the candidate AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is M. Among them, each serving AP and each collaborating AP can be configured with Mi CSI measurement resources. The Mi values ​​corresponding to the serving AP and collaborating AP, and different collaborating APs, can be different. Then, according to the predefined sorting of the serving AP and each collaborating AP, Mi CSI measurement resources can be configured for each AP in order from front to back. The candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is N. Among them, each candidate AP can be configured with Nj CSI measurement resources. The Nj values ​​corresponding to different candidate APs can be different. Then, according to the predefined sorting of each candidate AP, Nj CSI measurement resources can be configured for each candidate AP in order from front to back.

[0185] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource subset for each of the serving AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this subset is M. Each serving AP and each cooperating AP can be configured with Mi CSI measurement resources. The Mi values ​​for the serving AP, cooperating APs, and different cooperating APs can be different. Therefore, based on the predefined sorting of the serving APs and each cooperating AP, Mi CSI measurement resources can be configured for each AP in order from front to back. The local candidate AP set can also be configured with one CSI resource subset, the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this subset is M. The maximum number of CSI measurement resources is N1, where a candidate AP can be configured with N1j CSI measurement resources. The N1j values ​​corresponding to different candidate APs can be different. Therefore, according to the predefined sorting of each candidate AP, N1j CSI measurement resources can be configured for each candidate AP in order from front to back. The neighboring cell candidate AP set can be configured with a subset of CSI resources, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this subset is N2. Here, a candidate AP can be configured with N2k CSI measurement resources, and the N2k values ​​corresponding to different candidate APs can be different. Therefore, according to the predefined sorting of each candidate AP, N2k CSI measurement resources can be configured for each candidate AP in order from front to back.

[0186] In some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources, including multiple CSI measurement resources, each CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information; in other words, each CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification (ID) information. Optionally, the AP identification information can be used to identify the AP corresponding to the CSI measurement resource.

[0187] In other words, a CSI resource set or a CSI resource subset can be configured for different AP sets. Regardless of whether a CSI resource set or a CSI resource subset is configured, each CSI measurement resource can be configured with an AP ID to explicitly indicate the AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource.

[0188] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource set for both the service AP set and the candidate AP set as an example, the service AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, in which the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured is M. Each of these M CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID, which is used to identify the service AP or collaborating AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource. The candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, in which the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured is N. Each of these N CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID, which is used to identify the candidate AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource.

[0189] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource set for each of the serving AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, which can contain a maximum of M CSI measurement resources. Each of these M CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID to identify the serving AP or cooperating AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource. The local candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, which can contain a maximum of N1 CSI measurement resources. Each of these N1 CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID to identify the local candidate AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource. The neighboring cell candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, which can contain a maximum of N2 CSI measurement resources. Each of these N2 CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID to identify the neighboring candidate AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource.

[0190] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource subset for each of the service AP set and the candidate AP set as an example, the service AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is M. Each of these M CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID, which is used to identify the service AP or collaborating AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource. The candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is N. Each of these N CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID, which is used to identify the candidate AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource.

[0191] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource subset for each of the serving AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, which can have a maximum of M CSI measurement resources. Each of these M CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID to identify the serving AP or cooperating AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource. The local candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, which can have a maximum of N1 CSI measurement resources. Each of these N1 CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID to identify the local candidate AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource. The neighboring cell candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, which can have a maximum of N2 CSI measurement resources. Each of these N2 CSI measurement resources can be configured with a corresponding AP ID to identify the neighboring candidate AP corresponding to each CSI measurement resource.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information includes AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to the AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

[0193] In other words, a CSI resource set or a CSI resource subset can be configured for different AP sets. Regardless of whether a CSI resource set or a CSI resource subset is configured, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP can be independently indicated through network signaling (i.e., the second indication information).

[0194] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource set for each of the serving AP set and the candidate AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource set is M. The candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource set is N. Then, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP (including serving AP, cooperating AP and candidate AP) can be independently indicated by signaling.

[0195] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource set for each of the serving AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource set is M. The local candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource set is N1. The neighboring candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource set, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource set is N2. Then, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP (including serving AP, cooperating AP, local candidate AP, and neighboring candidate AP) can be independently indicated by signaling.

[0196] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource subset for each of the serving AP set and the candidate AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is M. The candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is N. Then, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP (including serving AP, cooperating AP and candidate AP) can be independently indicated by signaling.

[0197] Taking the configuration of a CSI resource subset for each of the serving AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell AP set as an example, the serving AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is M. The local candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is N1. The neighboring cell candidate AP set can be configured with one CSI resource subset, and the maximum number of CSI measurement resources that can be configured in this CSI resource subset is N2. Then, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP (including serving AP, cooperating AP, local candidate AP, and neighboring cell candidate AP) can be independently indicated by signaling.

[0198] In some embodiments, the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets is configured by the network device for the terminal. Optionally, the network device may send second information to the terminal, the second information being used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal.

[0199] In some embodiments, the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets can be defined as terminal capability. In other words, the terminal capability may include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets.

[0200] In other words, the M, N, N1, and N2 supported by the terminal can all be defined as terminal capabilities and configured by network devices.

[0201] In some embodiments, the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP is configured by the network device for the terminal. Optionally, the network device may send third information to the terminal, which is used by the network device to configure the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP for the terminal.

[0202] In some embodiments, the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP can be defined as terminal capability, or in other words, the terminal capability can include the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0203] In other words, Mi, Nj, N1j, and N2k supported by the terminal can all be defined as terminal capabilities and configured by network devices.

[0204] In some embodiments, the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets, and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP can be defined as the terminal capability of the terminal. In other words, the terminal capability includes the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0205] In some embodiments, the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal and / or the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal can be determined based on the terminal's terminal capabilities, and the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal and / or the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal can be defined as terminal capabilities.

[0206] By defining various terminal capabilities, we can better support the cell-free concept.

[0207] In some embodiments, the CSI measurement resource may be a reference signal resource, but is not limited thereto.

[0208] In some embodiments, the reference signal may be a downlink reference signal, such as SSB, CSI-RS, demodulation reference signal (DMRS), etc., but is not limited thereto; or, the reference signal may be an uplink reference signal, such as SSB, DMRS, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0209] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0210] In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "synchronization signal (SS)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0211] In some embodiments, the CMR configuration can be used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following RSs: SSB; CSI-RS; or, the RSs configured in the CMR configuration can include SSB and / or CSI-RS. That is, the CMR configuration can be used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based solely on SSB, or the RSs configured in the CMR configuration can include only SSB; or, the CMR configuration can be used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based solely on CSI-RS, or the RSs configured in the CMR configuration can include only CSI-RS; or, the CMR configuration can be used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on both SSB and CSI-RS, or the RSs configured in the CMR configuration can include both SSB and CSI-RS, or the RSs configured in the CMR configuration can be a hybrid of SSB and CSI-RS.

[0212] It should be noted that when the RS configured in the CMR configuration includes both SSB and CSI-RS, it is mainly applicable to the scheme of expanding the CSI resource configuration by dividing a subset of CSI resources.

[0213] In some embodiments, CSI measurement resources can indicate the measurement quantities that need to be measured based on the reference signal. Optionally, for both uplink and downlink reference signals, the measurement quantities can be Layer 1 Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP), Layer 1 Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (L1-SINR), etc., but are not limited to these.

[0214] In some embodiments, CMR configuration can also be used to configure at least one of the following: Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state, Physical Cell Identity (PCI), AP identification information, and AP group identification information, but is not limited thereto.

[0215] It should be noted that for cell-free networks, CMR configuration does not need to be used to configure PCI.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

[0217] In some embodiments, the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration may include any one of periodic (P) CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent (SP) CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic (AP) CSI reporting configuration; wherein, the periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration may all be associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

[0218] In some embodiments, the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration. The at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration may be a CMR configuration; or, it may be an Interference Measurement Resource (IMR) configuration based on Channel State Information Intermodulation (CSI-IM) and / or a Zero Power (ZP) CSI-RS IMR configuration for each CMR configuration; or, it may be a CMP configuration of a candidate AP set, the CMR configuration of which is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding serving AP set.

[0219] Alternatively, configure at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-continuous CSI reporting configuration, and non-periodic CSI reporting configuration. This can be configured by configuring only one resource configuration for CMR; or, it can be configured by configuring an IMR configuration based on CSI-IM and / or ZP CSI-RS for each CMR; or, it can be used as the IMR configuration for the corresponding service AP set.

[0220] In some embodiments, the configuration of a P CSI report setting or an SP CSI report setting can be associated with at least one different CSI resource setting. Optionally, only a CMR can be configured; or, each CMR can be configured independently with an NZP-IMR or a ZP-IMR; or, a set of candidate APs can be used as an NZP-IMR.

[0221] In some embodiments, the configuration of an AP CSI report setting can be associated with at least two different CSI resource settings. Optionally, only CMR can be configured; or, for each CMR configuration, one or two IMR sets corresponding to the serving AP set or the candidate AP set can be configured respectively; or, for each CMR configuration, one or two IMR subsets corresponding to the serving AP set or the candidate AP set can be configured respectively.

[0222] In some embodiments, if the first information is used to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, then the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, if the first information is used to configure multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, then the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

[0223] In some embodiments, the RS configured in the IMR configuration may include any of the following: SSB; CSI-RS; Hybrid SSB / Hybrid CSI-RS.

[0224] In some embodiments, the CSI-RS configured by the IMR can be ZP-CSI-RS or NZP-CSI-RS.

[0225] In some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration can be used for at least one of the following measurement reporting methods: CSI measurement reporting for network configuration by the terminal, CSI measurement reporting initiated by the terminal, and CSI measurement reporting triggered by events, but is not limited thereto.

[0226] In some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration may be used to support at least one of the reporting purposes such as beam measurement, CSI measurement, collaborative / service AP update, and collaborative / service AP set update, but is not limited thereto.

[0227] In some embodiments, different sets or subsets of CSI resources may correspond to the same time-domain type. For example, the time-domain characteristics of different sets or subsets of CSI resources may all be periodic, or the time-domain characteristics of different sets or subsets of CSI resources may all be semi-persistent, or the time-domain characteristics of different sets or subsets of CSI resources may all be aperiodic.

[0228] In some embodiments, different CSI measurement resources within the same CSI resource set or subset of CSI resources correspond to the same RS type.

[0229] In some embodiments, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the cooperating AP and the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the candidate AP may have the same period; or, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the cooperating AP and the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the candidate AP may have different periods, for example, the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the candidate AP may have a larger period.

[0230] In some embodiments, there is no overlap between APs in the candidate AP set and APs in the service AP set.

[0231] In some embodiments, the terminal supports at least one component carrier (CC), and may also support multiple CCs.

[0232] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0233] In step S2102, the terminal determines the CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration corresponding to different APs based on the first information.

[0234] In some embodiments, the terminal may determine the CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration corresponding to different APs based on the indication of the first information. The determination method can be found in the description of step S2101 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0235] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0236] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0237] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0238] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0239] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0240] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2102. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S2101+S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0241] In some embodiments, step S2101 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0242] In some embodiments, step S2102 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0243] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2 may be referred to.

[0244] According to the solution provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, a CSI measurement configuration method that facilitates downlink cooperative AP updates can be provided for network-triggered AP updates or terminal-triggered AP updates, thereby helping the network side to obtain terminal-estimated AP changes and other related cooperative information, thereby improving network efficiency.

[0245] In some embodiments, the CSI resource configuration method may include CMR resource configuration based on a set of CSI resources and CMR resource configuration based on a subset of CSI resources. Correspondingly, the IMR configuration may also include IMR resource configuration based on a set of IMR resources and IMR resource configuration based on a subset of IMR resources.

[0246] In some embodiments, the CMR resource allocation method based on CSI resource sets may include:

[0247] Option 1: Expand CSI resource configuration. A network configuration includes a CSI resource setting containing two resource sets, corresponding to the cooperative AP set and the candidate AP set, respectively.

[0248] Optionally, a cooperating AP is configured with a resource set, the maximum number of configurable resources being M, and one cooperating AP can be configured with Mi resources. A resource set is configured for all candidate APs, the maximum number of configurable reference signals being N, and one candidate AP can be configured with Nj resources. AP numbers are implicitly confirmed according to the grouping order.

[0249] Alternatively, a collaborative AP can be configured with a resource set, with a maximum of M configurable resources. A resource set can be configured for all candidate APs, with a maximum of N configurable reference signals. Each resource can be configured with an AP ID.

[0250] Alternatively, a resource set can be configured for cooperating APs, with a maximum of M APs that can be configured. A resource set can also be configured for all candidate APs, with a maximum of N APs that can be configured. The resource configuration for each AP is configured by network-independent signaling.

[0251] In some embodiments, the supported M and / or N are defined as terminal capabilities and configured by the network.

[0252] In some embodiments, the number of supported cooperating APs and the number of candidate APs are terminal capabilities.

[0253] The solution provided in Scheme 1 can better support the cell-free concept.

[0254] In some embodiments, each AP configuration may include corresponding measurement reference signal resources, which may also include: TCI state; PCI; (for cell-free cells, PCI may not exist); AP ID; AP group ID.

[0255] Option 2: Configure a CSI resource setting in the network to contain at least 3 resource sets, namely the cooperative AP set, the local candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell candidate AP set.

[0256] Optionally, a cooperating AP can be configured with a resource set, and the maximum number of configurable reference signals is M. One cooperating AP can be configured with Mi resources. Different resource sets can be configured for candidate APs belonging to different cells, and the maximum number of configurable reference signals is N1 and N2. One candidate AP can be configured with N1j and N2k resources.

[0257] Alternatively, a collaborative AP can be configured with a resource set, with a maximum of M configurable resources. A resource set can be configured for all candidate APs, with a maximum of N configurable reference signals. Each resource can be configured with an AP ID.

[0258] Alternatively, a cooperating AP can be configured with a resource set, with a maximum of M reference signals that can be configured. Different resource sets can be configured for candidate APs belonging to different cells, with a maximum of N1 and N2 reference signals that can be configured. The resource configuration of each AP is configured by network-independent signaling.

[0259] Alternatively, a cooperating AP can be configured with a resource set, with a maximum of M reference signals that can be configured. Different resource sets can be configured for candidate APs belonging to different cells, with a maximum of N1 and N2 reference signals that can be configured. The resource configuration of each AP is configured by network-independent signaling.

[0260] In some embodiments, the supported M and / or N1, N2 are defined as terminal capabilities and configured by the network.

[0261] In some embodiments, the CMR RS configuration may include any of the following: SSB; CSI-RS; Hybrid SSB / CSI-RS.

[0262] In some embodiments, the CMR resource configuration method based on CSI resource sets can also be extended to include CSI reporting configuration.

[0263] In some embodiments, the configuration of the P / SP CSI report setting can be associated with at least one different CSI resource setting. Optionally, only the CMR can be configured, or the NZP-IMR or ZP-IMR can be configured independently for each CMR, or the candidate AP set can be used as the NZP-IMR.

[0264] In some embodiments, the configuration of the AP CSI report setting can be associated with at least two different CSI resource settings. Optionally, only CMR can be configured, or one or two IMR sets corresponding to the cooperating AP set or the candidate AP set can be configured for each CMR set.

[0265] In some embodiments, the IMR RS configuration may include any of the following: SSB; CSI-RS (including ZP-CSI-RS and NZP-CSI-RS); Hybrid SSB / CSI-RS.

[0266] The solution provided by the above embodiments facilitates the measurement of AP-level updates. Additionally, it should be noted that for CSI measurement of cooperative sets, it is necessary to calculate the potential for cooperation between every two or more APs (less than M).

[0267] In some embodiments, the CMR resource allocation method based on a subset of CSI resources may include:

[0268] Option 1: Configure a network with a CSI resource setting containing one resource set. This means that the CSI measurement resources corresponding to cooperating APs and candidate APs are configured in the same resource set. This resource set is divided into two subsets using predefined rules, corresponding to a cooperating AP set and a candidate AP set, respectively. Each AP in both the cooperating and candidate AP sets corresponds to one or more resource configurations.

[0269] In some embodiments, a method for dividing the set of APs is considered, such as sequentially arranging cooperative APs (maximum M) and candidate APs (maximum N), and obtaining the number of cooperative AP sets or candidate sets through higher-level signaling configuration and / or through dynamic indication, to better support the cell-free concept.

[0270] Option 2: The network is configured with a CSI resource setting containing one resource set. This means that the CSI measurement resources corresponding to cooperating APs, intra-cell candidate APs, and neighboring cell candidate APs are all located in the same resource set. This resource set is divided into three subsets using predefined rules: the cooperating AP set, the intra-cell candidate AP set, and the neighboring cell candidate AP set. Each AP in each of these sets corresponds to one or more resource configurations.

[0271] It should be noted that the method for determining the resource configuration for each AP can be found in the previous text, and will not be repeated here.

[0272] In some embodiments, considering the method of region set, for example, by sequentially arranging cooperative APs (maximum M), local candidate APs (maximum N1), and neighboring candidate APs (maximum N2), and obtaining the number of cooperative AP sets or candidate sets through higher-layer signaling configuration and / or through dynamic indication, neighboring cell resource configuration can better support LTM mobility-related calculations.

[0273] In some embodiments, the CMR RS configuration may include any of the following: SSB; CSI-RS; Hybrid SSB / CSI-RS.

[0274] In some embodiments, each AP is configured with a corresponding measurement reference signal, which may include TCI state, PCI, AP ID, AP group ID, etc.

[0275] In some embodiments, the CMR resource configuration method based on a subset of CSI resources can also be extended to include CSI reporting configuration.

[0276] In some embodiments, the configuration of the CSI report setting can be configured with one or two IMR subsets for one CMR subset, or only the NZP-IMR subset can be configured, or the candidate AP subset can be used as the NZP-IMR of the cooperating AP subset.

[0277] In some embodiments, the IMR RS configuration may include any of the following: SSB; CSI-RS (including ZP-CSI-RS and NZP-CSI-RS); Hybrid SSB / CSI-RS.

[0278] In some embodiments, different CSI resource sets correspond to the same time-domain type (P / SP / AP).

[0279] In some embodiments, different resources within the same CSI resource set correspond to the same RS type.

[0280] In some embodiments, the periods of the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the cooperating AP and the candidate AP may be the same or different, such that the period of the CSI measurement resources corresponding to the candidate AP is larger.

[0281] In some embodiments, there is no overlap between the APs in the candidate AP set and the APs in the collaborative AP set.

[0282] In some embodiments, at least one CC is supported, and multiple CCs are also supported.

[0283] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0284] Step S3101: Obtain the first information.

[0285] The optional implementations of step S3101 can be found in the optional implementations of step S2101 and step S2102 in Figure 2, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0286] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by a network device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive first information sent by other entities.

[0287] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains first information as defined by the protocol.

[0288] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains first information from the upper layer(s).

[0289] In some embodiments, the terminal processes the information to obtain the first information.

[0290] In some embodiments, step S3101 is omitted, and the terminal autonomously implements the function indicated by the first information, or the above function is a default or default setting.

[0291] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple APs respectively.

[0292] In some embodiments, CSI resource configuration includes channel measurement resource (CMR) configuration, where a CMR configuration contains multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource set contains one or more CSI measurement resources; or, a CMR configuration contains a CSI resource set, where a CSI resource set includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource subset contains one or more CSI measurement resources; wherein, an AP set includes at least one AP.

[0293] In some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the neighboring cell.

[0294] In some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets. Specifically, a CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, a CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

[0295] In some embodiments, multiple CSI resource subsets included in a CSI resource set are divided based on a predefined order of multiple APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP; wherein, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set is the first CSI resource subset.

[0296] In some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, there are multiple CSI measurement resources, and the multiple CSI measurement resources correspond to different APs. The CSI measurement resources corresponding to an AP are determined based on the predefined sorting of the AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the AP.

[0297] In some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, there are multiple CSI measurement resources, and a CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information.

[0298] In some embodiments, the first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information includes AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to the AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

[0299] In some embodiments, the terminal may receive second information sent by the network device, the second information being used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal.

[0300] In some embodiments, the terminal may receive third information sent by the network device, the third information being used by the network device to configure the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0301] In some embodiments, the terminal's capabilities include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources corresponding to different AP sets, and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0302] In some embodiments, the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities; and / or, the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities.

[0303] In some embodiments, the CMR is configured to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following reference signals: SSB; CSI-RS.

[0304] In some embodiments, CMR configuration is also used to configure at least one of the following: TCI status; PCI; AP identification information; AP group identification information.

[0305] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

[0306] In some embodiments, the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration include any one of periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration; wherein the periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

[0307] In some embodiments, at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the non-periodic CSI reporting configuration includes any one of the following: CMR configuration; IMR configuration based on CSI-IM and / or IMR configuration of ZP CSI-RS for each CMR configuration; CMP configuration of a candidate AP set, wherein the CMR configuration of the candidate AP set is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding service AP set.

[0308] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

[0309] In some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used by the terminal to report at least one of the following measurements: network-configured CSI measurement reporting; terminal-initiated CSI measurement reporting; event-triggered CSI measurement reporting.

[0310] In some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used to support at least one of the following reporting purposes: beam measurement; CSI measurement; collaborative / service AP update; collaborative / service AP set update.

[0311] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least step S3101, and step S3101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0312] Figure 3B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0313] Step S3201: Send the first message.

[0314] The optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in the optional implementations of steps S2101 and S2102 in Figure 2, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0315] In some embodiments, the network device sends first information to the terminal, but is not limited thereto; it may also send first information to other entities.

[0316] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for the terminal corresponding to multiple APs respectively.

[0317] In some embodiments, CSI resource configuration includes channel measurement resource (CMR) configuration, where a CMR configuration contains multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource set contains one or more CSI measurement resources; or, a CMR configuration contains a CSI resource set, where a CSI resource set includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource subset contains one or more CSI measurement resources; wherein, an AP set includes at least one AP.

[0318] In some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, the multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the neighboring cell.

[0319] In some embodiments, a CMR configuration includes a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets. Specifically, a CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, a CSI resource set includes a CSI resource subset corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a CSI resource subset corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

[0320] In some embodiments, multiple CSI resource subsets are obtained based on a predefined order of multiple APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP; wherein, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the set of serving APs is the first CSI resource subset.

[0321] In some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, there are multiple CSI measurement resources, the multiple CSI measurement resources correspond to different APs, and the CSI measurement resources corresponding to an AP are determined based on the predefined sorting of the AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the AP.

[0322] In some embodiments, for different AP sets corresponding to CSI resource sets or CSI resource subsets, there are multiple CSI measurement resources, and a CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information.

[0323] In some embodiments, the first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information includes AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to the AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

[0324] In some embodiments, the network device may send second information to the terminal. The second information is used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal.

[0325] In some embodiments, the network device may send third information to the terminal, which is used by the network device to configure the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP for the terminal.

[0326] In some embodiments, the terminal's capabilities include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources corresponding to different AP sets, and the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

[0327] In some embodiments, the number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities; and / or, the number of candidate APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities.

[0328] In some embodiments, the CMR is configured to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following reference signals: SSB; CSI-RS.

[0329] In some embodiments, CMR configuration is also used to configure at least one of the following: TCI status; PCI; AP identification information; AP group identification information.

[0330] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

[0331] In some embodiments, the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration include any one of periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration; wherein the periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

[0332] In some embodiments, at least one CSI resource configuration associated with the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the non-periodic CSI reporting configuration includes any one of the following: CMR configuration; IMR configuration based on CSI-IM and / or IMR configuration of ZP CSI-RS for each CMR configuration; CMP configuration of a candidate AP set, wherein the CMR configuration of the candidate AP set is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding service AP set.

[0333] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, the first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

[0334] In some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used for the terminal to perform CSI measurement reporting of at least one of the following network configurations: terminal-initiated CSI measurement reporting; event-triggered CSI measurement reporting.

[0335] In some embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is used to support at least one of the following reporting purposes: beam measurement; CSI measurement; collaborative / service AP update; collaborative / service AP set update.

[0336] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least step S3201, and step S3201 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0337] In this embodiment of the disclosure, step S3201 can be combined with step S3101 of FIG3A.

[0338] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0339] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0340] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0341] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0342] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the terminal structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4A, the terminal 4100 may include at least a transceiver module 4101. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4101 is configured to receive first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used by the network device to configure channel state information (CSI) resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration corresponding to multiple access points (APs) for the terminal. Optionally, the transceiver module 4101 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S2101, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. In some embodiments, the terminal 4100 may also include a processing module. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S2102, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0343] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4B, the network device 4200 may include at least a transceiver module 4201. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4101 is configured to send first information to a terminal, wherein the first information is used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration corresponding to multiple APs for the terminal. Optionally, the transceiver module 4201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods (e.g., step S2101, but not limited thereto), which will not be elaborated here. In some embodiments, the network device 4300 may further include a processing module. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0344] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0345] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor.

[0346] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0347] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods.

[0348] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5102 may also be located outside the communication device 5100.

[0349] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5103. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5103, the transceivers 5103 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., step S2101, but not limited thereto), and the processor 5101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., step S2102, but not limited thereto).

[0350] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0351] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5102, and the interface circuit 5104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 5102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 5102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read instructions stored in the memory 5102 and send the instructions to the processor 5101.

[0352] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0353] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 5200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0354] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201, which are used to perform any of the above methods.

[0355] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to memory 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive signals from memory 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send signals to memory 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read instructions stored in memory 5203 and send the instructions to processor 5201.

[0356] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., step S2101, but not limited thereto), and the processor 5201 performs at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S2102, but not limited thereto).

[0357] In some embodiments, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, transceiver, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0358] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200.

[0359] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 5100, cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0360] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 5100, causes the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0361] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0362] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0363] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, executed by a terminal, characterized in that, The method includes: The system receives first information sent by a network device, which is used by the network device to configure channel status information (CSI) resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for multiple access points (APs) corresponding to the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The CSI resource configuration includes the Channel Measurement Resource (CMR) configuration. A CMR configuration contains multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource set contains one or more CSI measurement resources; or, A CMR configuration contains a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource subset contains one or more CSI measurement resources; A set of APs includes at least one AP.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, A CMR configuration contains multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, where, The plurality of CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, The multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the current cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, A CMR configuration contains a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein... The CSI resource set includes a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the serving AP set and a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, The CSI resource set includes a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the serving AP set, a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The multiple CSI resource subsets are obtained based on the predefined sorting of the multiple APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP; Among them, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set is the first CSI resource subset.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, For different AP sets, there are CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources, including multiple CSI measurement resources. These multiple CSI measurement resources correspond to different APs. The CSI measurement resources corresponding to an AP are determined based on the predefined sorting of the AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the AP.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, For different AP sets, there are CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources, including multiple CSI measurement resources. Each CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information includes AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: The network device receives second information, which is used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal. The network device receives third information sent by the network device, which is used by the network device to configure the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP for the terminal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The terminal's capabilities include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource sets or subsets corresponding to different AP sets, as well as the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that, The number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities; and / or, The number of candidate APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities.

12. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that, The CMR configuration is used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following reference signals RS: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB); Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) 13. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that, The CMR configuration is also used to configure at least one of the following: Transmission configuration indicates TCI status; Physical Cell Identifier (PCI); AP identification information; AP group identification information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The time-domain characteristics of CSI reporting configuration include any one of periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration; wherein, the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the non-periodic CSI reporting configuration are associated with at least one of the following CSI resource configurations: CMR configuration; Interference measurement resource (IMR) configuration based on channel state information intermodulation (CSI-IM) and / or zero-power ZP CSI-RS (IMR configuration) for each CMR; The CMP configuration of the candidate AP set is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding serving AP set.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, The first information is used by the network device to configure the terminal with multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that, The CSI reporting configuration is used by the terminal to report at least one of the following measurements: CSI measurement reporting configured on the network; CSI measurement reporting initiated by the terminal; Event-triggered CSI measurement reporting.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that, The CSI reporting configuration is used to support at least one of the following reporting purposes: Beam measurement; CSI measurement; Collaboration / Service AP Update; Update the collaboration / service AP collection.

20. A communication method, executed by a network device, characterized in that, The method includes: Send first information to the terminal, the first information being used by the network device to configure CSI resource configuration and / or CSI reporting configuration for multiple APs corresponding to the terminal.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The CSI resource configuration includes CMR configuration. A CMR configuration contains multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource set contains one or more CSI measurement resources; or, A CMR configuration contains a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and a CSI resource subset contains one or more CSI measurement resources; A set of APs includes at least one AP.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, A CMR configuration contains multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets, where, The plurality of CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, The multiple CSI resource sets include a CSI resource set corresponding to the serving AP set, a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of the current cell, and a CSI resource set corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

23. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, A CMR configuration contains a CSI resource set, which includes multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, wherein... The CSI resource set includes a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the serving AP set and a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the candidate AP set; or, The CSI resource set includes a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the serving AP set, a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the candidate AP set of the local cell, and a subset of CSI resources corresponding to the candidate AP set of neighboring cells.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The multiple CSI resource subsets are obtained based on the predefined sorting of the multiple APs and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to each AP; Among them, the CSI resource subset corresponding to the service AP set is the first CSI resource subset.

25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that, For different AP sets, there are CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources, including multiple CSI measurement resources. These multiple CSI measurement resources correspond to different APs. The CSI measurement resources corresponding to an AP are determined based on the predefined sorting of the AP and the number of CSI measurement resources corresponding to the AP.

26. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that, For different AP sets, there are CSI resource sets or subsets of CSI resources, including multiple CSI measurement resources. Each CSI measurement resource is configured with corresponding AP identification information.

27. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that, The first information includes first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate AP information contained in different AP sets, the AP information includes AP identification information of different APs and / or other indication information related to AP identification information, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one CSI resource corresponding to each AP.

28. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: Send a second message to the terminal, the second message being used by the network device to configure the total number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource set or CSI resource subset corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal; The third information is sent to the terminal, and the third information is used by the network device to configure the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP for the terminal.

29. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 28, characterized in that, The terminal's capabilities include the number of CSI resources included in the CSI resource sets or subsets corresponding to different AP sets, as well as the number of CSI resources corresponding to each AP.

30. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 29, characterized in that, The number of cooperative APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities; and / or, The number of candidate APs supported by the terminal is determined based on the terminal's capabilities.

31. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 30, characterized in that, The CMR configuration is used to instruct the terminal to perform measurements based on at least one of the following reference signals RS: SSB; CSI-RS.

32. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 31, characterized in that, The CMR configuration is also used to configure at least one of the following: TCI status; PCI; AP identification information; AP group identification information.

33. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 32, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the time-domain characteristics of the CSI reporting configuration and the CSI resource configuration associated with the CSI reporting configuration.

34. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that, The time-domain characteristics of CSI reporting configuration include any one of periodic CSI reporting configuration, semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and aperiodic CSI reporting configuration; wherein, the periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the aperiodic CSI reporting configuration are all associated with at least one CSI resource configuration.

35. The method according to claim 33 or 34, characterized in that, The periodic CSI reporting configuration, the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, and the non-periodic CSI reporting configuration are associated with at least one of the following CSI resource configurations: CMR configuration; CSI-IM-based IMR configuration and / or ZP CSI-RS IMR configuration for each CMR; The CMP configuration of the candidate AP set is used as the IMR configuration of the corresponding serving AP set.

36. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that, The first information is used by the network device to configure multiple CSI resource sets corresponding to different AP sets for the terminal, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource set; or, The first information is used by the network device to configure the terminal with multiple CSI resource subsets corresponding to different AP sets, and the IMR is configured as a CSI resource subset.

37. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 36, characterized in that, The CSI reporting configuration is used by the terminal to report at least one of the following measurements: CSI measurement reporting configured on the network; CSI measurement reporting initiated by the terminal; Event-triggered CSI measurement reporting.

38. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 37, characterized in that, The CSI reporting configuration is used to support at least one of the following reporting purposes: Beam measurement; CSI measurement; Collaboration / Service AP Update; Update the collaboration / service AP collection.

39. A terminal, characterized in that, The terminal is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-19.

40. A network device, characterized in that, The network device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 20-38.

41. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1-19, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 20-38.

42. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the terminal, the terminal causes the terminal to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-19.

43. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on a network device, the network device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 20-38.

44. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the terminal, the communication method of any one of claims 1-19 is implemented.

45. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by a network device, it implements the communication method according to any one of claims 20-38.

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