Communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium. The method comprises: first information, wherein the first information is used for notifying a network device that a terminal is about to report a measurement result, and the measurement result is determined by the terminal by measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) and one or more AP sets when a triggering condition is satisfied; the trigger condition is used for triggering measurement initiated by the terminal or event‑based measurement, and triggering reporting of the measurement result; and the one or more APs comprise at least one of a cooperative AP and a candidate AP, the one or more AP sets comprise at least one of a cooperative AP set and a candidate AP set, and the cooperative AP set is used for providing cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal. The present disclosure improves the timeliness of measurement reporting, and improves the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology and cell-free networks.

Description

Communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, ultra-large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology mainly presents two forms in antenna architecture: centralized ultra-large-scale MIMO and distributed ultra-large-scale MIMO. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To improve the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0005] Sending first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, wherein the measurement results are determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting the triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the terminal to report the measurement results;

[0006] Wherein, the one or more APs include at least one of cooperative APs and candidate APs, and the one or more AP sets include at least one of cooperative AP sets and candidate AP sets, wherein the cooperative AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] The receiving terminal sends first information, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, and the measurement results are determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting the triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and trigger the reporting of measurement results;

[0009] Wherein, the one or more APs include at least one of cooperative APs and candidate APs, and the one or more AP sets include at least one of cooperative AP sets and candidate AP sets, wherein the cooperative AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being used in a communication system, the communication system including a terminal and a network device, the method comprising:

[0011] The terminal sends first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, and the measurement results are determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting the triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and trigger the reporting of measurement results.

[0012] Wherein, the one or more APs include at least one of cooperative APs and candidate APs, and the one or more AP sets include at least one of cooperative AP sets and candidate AP sets, wherein the cooperative AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, the communication device being used to perform the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0014] 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 described in any one of the first aspects, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0016] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0017] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal can measure at least one AP and / or at least one set of APs when the triggering conditions are met, determine the measurement results, and then send the measurement results to the network device on the determined first uplink resource, thereby improving the timeliness of measurement reporting, improving the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and improving the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0018] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0020] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a non-cellular wireless access network according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of a distributed MIMO architecture according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of a CSI feedback framework according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating one of the communication methods according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3B is a second schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0031] This disclosure provides a communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium.

[0032] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a terminal. The method includes: sending first information to a network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, the measurement results being determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting a triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the reporting of the measurement results; wherein the one or more APs include at least one of cooperating APs and candidate APs, the one or more APs set includes at least one of a cooperating AP set and a candidate AP set, and the cooperating AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0033] In the above embodiments, the terminal can send first information to the network device. The first information can be used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results. The measurement results are determined by the terminal measuring at least one AP and / or at least one set of APs under the condition of meeting the triggering conditions. This improves the timeliness of measurement reporting, improves the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and improves the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the measurement result; and sending the measurement result to the network device on a first uplink resource.

[0035] In the above embodiments, the terminal can send measurement results to the network device on the first uplink resource, which improves the timeliness of measurement reporting, the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any one of the following: determining a second uplink resource scheduled by the network device as the first uplink resource; wherein the second uplink resource is an uplink resource indicated by downlink control information (DCI), the DCI being used by the network device to schedule uplink resources for the terminal; determining a pre-configured third uplink resource as the first uplink resource; and determining a media access control unit (MAC CE) as the first uplink resource.

[0037] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use at least one of the above methods to determine the first uplink resource, thereby improving the timeliness and reliability of reporting measurement results.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third uplink resource includes at least one of the following: a configured licensed Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); and a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0039] In the above embodiments, the second uplink resource may include at least one of the above-mentioned features, and has high availability.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: identifying the Media Access Control Unit (MAC CE) as the first uplink resource.

[0041] In the above embodiments, the terminal can identify the MAC CE as the first uplink resource for reporting measurement results, ensuring that the network device can receive the measurement results in a timely manner, thereby improving the reliability of measurement reporting and enhancing the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology and non-cellular networks.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement result includes at least one of the following: information on one or more candidate APs that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more cooperating APs that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more updated APs that meet the triggering condition; wherein the updated APs include at least one of updated cooperating APs and updated candidate APs; information on one or more updated AP sets that meet the triggering condition; wherein the updated AP sets include at least one of updated cooperating AP sets and updated candidate AP sets; information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering condition and information on the cooperating AP set used by the terminal; information on updated cooperating APs; information on updated cooperating AP sets; information on updated one or more candidate APs; information on updated one or more candidate AP sets. The following information is provided: updated information on one or more candidate APs sorted in a first order; updated information on one or more candidate AP sets sorted in a first order; recommended cooperation method; unrecommended cooperation method; recommended transmission scheme; unrecommended transmission scheme; information on cooperating APs used for transmission; information on the set of cooperating APs used for transmission; alternative multi-AP cooperation methods; APs or AP sets recommended to use the first cooperation method; wherein the first cooperation method is any one cooperation method or a combination of multiple cooperation methods; an identifier for a first type of event; wherein the first type of event includes at least one of a second type of event and a third type of event, the second type of event being used to trigger the update of the one or more APs, and the third type of event being used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets; an identifier for a second type of event; wherein the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs; an identifier for a third type of event; wherein the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the measurement results may include at least one of the above, which improves the timeliness of updating the collaborative AP set and / or collaboration method and has high availability.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the second uplink resource scheduled by the network device is determined to be the first uplink resource, the first information is used to request the network device to schedule the second uplink resource for the terminal, and the first uplink resource is used by the terminal to send the measurement result to the network device.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the first information can also be used to request network devices to schedule uplink resources for the terminal, thereby improving the timeliness and reliability of reporting measurement results.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: a scheduling request (SR); and uplink control information (UCI).

[0047] In the above embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the above-mentioned items, and its availability is high.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending the measurement results to the network device includes at least one of the following: sending a total measurement result to the network device; sending measurement results corresponding to at least one of different APs and different sets of APs to the network device respectively.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the terminal can report the overall measurement results, or it can report the measurement results corresponding to different APs or different sets of APs, which improves the flexibility of measurement reporting.

[0050] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network device. The method includes: receiving first information sent by a terminal, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, the measurement results being determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting a triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the reporting of the measurement results; wherein the one or more APs include at least one of cooperating APs and candidate APs, the one or more APs set includes at least one of a cooperating AP set and a candidate AP set, and the cooperating AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the network device can receive the first information sent by the terminal to determine that the terminal is about to report the measurement results, thereby improving the timeliness of measurement reporting, the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving the measurement result sent by the terminal on a first uplink resource.

[0053] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any one of the following: determining a second uplink resource scheduled for the terminal as the first uplink resource; wherein the second uplink resource is an uplink resource indicated by downlink control information (DCI), the DCI being used by the network device to schedule uplink resources for the terminal; determining a pre-configured third uplink resource as the first uplink resource; and determining a media access control unit (MAC CE) as the first uplink resource.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the third uplink resource includes at least one of the following: a configured licensed Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); and a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: identifying the Media Access Control Unit (MAC CE) as the first uplink resource.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement result includes at least one of the following: information on one or more candidate APs that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more cooperating APs that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more updated APs that meet the triggering condition; wherein the updated APs include at least one of updated cooperating APs and updated candidate APs; information on one or more updated AP sets that meet the triggering condition; wherein the updated AP sets include at least one of updated cooperating AP sets and updated candidate AP sets; information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering condition and information on the cooperating AP set used by the terminal; information on updated cooperating APs; information on updated cooperating AP sets; information on updated one or more candidate APs; information on updated one or more candidate AP sets. The following information is provided: updated information on one or more candidate APs sorted in a first order; updated information on one or more candidate AP sets sorted in a first order; recommended cooperation method; unrecommended cooperation method; recommended transmission scheme; unrecommended transmission scheme; information on cooperating APs used for transmission; information on the set of cooperating APs used for transmission; alternative multi-AP cooperation methods; APs or AP sets recommended to use the first cooperation method; wherein the first cooperation method is any one cooperation method or a combination of multiple cooperation methods; an identifier for a first type of event; wherein the first type of event includes at least one of a second type of event and a third type of event, the second type of event being used to trigger the update of the one or more APs, and the third type of event being used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets; an identifier for a second type of event; wherein the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs; an identifier for a third type of event; wherein the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the second uplink resource scheduled for the terminal is determined to be the first uplink resource, the first information is used to request the network device to schedule the second uplink resource for the terminal, and the first uplink resource is used by the terminal to send the measurement result to the network device.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: a scheduling request (SR); and uplink control information (UCI).

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement results sent by the receiving terminal include at least one of the following: receiving the total measurement results sent by the terminal; receiving the measurement results sent by the terminal respectively corresponding to different APs or different sets of APs.

[0060] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method for a communication system, the communication system including a terminal and a network device. The method includes: the terminal sending first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, the measurement results being determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting a triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the reporting of the measurement results; wherein the one or more APs include at least one of cooperating APs and candidate APs, the one or more APs set includes at least one of a cooperating AP set and a candidate AP set, and the cooperating AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0061] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0062] Fifthly, 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 described in any one of the first aspects, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0063] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0064] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0065] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., 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.

[0066] This disclosure provides a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, information processing method, and information transmission method may be used interchangeably.

[0067] 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. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0068] 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.

[0069] In this 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 or a plural expression.

[0070] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0071] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0072] 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 whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0073] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); 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, and C.

[0074] 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.

[0075] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0076] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0077] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0078] 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”.

[0079] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0080] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0081] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "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," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0082] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "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", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0083] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0084] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0085] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0086] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0087] 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.

[0088] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0090] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, for example, 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, but is not limited thereto.

[0091] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device 102-1 and core network device 102-2.

[0092] In some embodiments, the access network device 102-1 is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved node B (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open RAN, a cloud RAN, a base station in other communication systems, and an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0093] 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.

[0094] In some embodiments, the access network device 102-2 may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. By adopting the CU-DU structure, the protocol layer of the access network device can be separated. 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, which is centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0095] In some embodiments, the core network device 102-2 may be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. 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).

[0096] 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.

[0097] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. 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.

[0098] 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), 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).

[0099] In some embodiments, a centralized configuration can generate significant antenna array gain, forming an extremely narrow beam with high spatial resolution, which is beneficial for energy focusing and multi-user spatial multiplexing. However, the centralized configuration imposes significant constraints on the low-frequency band, especially for sub-1 GHz (i.e., below 1 GHz). Due to the longer wavelengths in the low-frequency band, the antenna array aperture becomes too large, which is not conducive to the deployment of practical antennas. The distributed configuration, on the other hand, effectively solves the problem of flexible deployment in both low-frequency and high-frequency bands. In the low-frequency band, antenna modules can exist as small antenna arrays, or even as 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.

[0100] In the currently proposed cellular-free network architecture, the cloud-based control unit (CCU), distributed data unit (DDU), and transmit receive point (TRP) have clear division of labor, as well as joint design and flexible deployment. This allows for services that can be dynamically added and adjusted based on user needs, and can flexibly adapt to new functions such as artificial intelligence (AI) and sensing, supporting the inherent needs of 6G intelligence and newly introduced data plane functions.

[0101] In this novel cellular-free wireless access network, as shown in Figure 1B, Edge Distributed Units (EDUs) are introduced to decouple high and low frequencies and separate spatial user data streams. User-Centered Distributed Units (UCDUs) are introduced to merge and / or distribute data streams. EDUs do not need to interact with each other; distributed detection and distributed phase-coding can be performed within the EDUs, while data merging and / or distribution are achieved in the virtualized UCDUs. Due to the decoupling of distributed processing and data streams, vDUs can be implemented in the cloud, allowing for continuous expansion of the number of collaborating nodes and cloud-based expansion of vDU processing capabilities. This overcomes the limitation of traditional centralized baseband pools in terms of computing power. Furthermore, the borderless collaboration breaks through traditional cellular limitations, demonstrating the organic integration of distributed computing and fronthaul networks.

[0102] For example, as shown in Figure 1C, 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 the terminals within the coverage area. Because APs are closer to users, they help reduce path loss, improve communication link coverage and reliability. Distributed MIMO is a user-centric architecture, which is crucial for mitigating inter-cluster interference and maintaining system scalability. Essentially, it guarantees uniform service quality for all users, ultimately trending towards cell-free distributed massive MIMO.

[0103] 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 in the form of Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs), achieving better diversity gain. Distributed MIMO (dMIMO) 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] In some embodiments, a unified Channel State Information (CSI) feedback framework can be adopted, such as that shown in Figure 1D, which can support different application scenarios. This feedback framework decouples CSI measurement and CSI reporting, and enables flexible CSI-RS configuration and CSI reporting configuration.

[0106] CSI can include Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI), Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource Indicator (CSI-RS Resource Indicator, CRI), Synchronization Signal and PBCH Block Resource Indicator (SSBRI), Layer Indicator (LI), Rank Indicator (RI), Layer 1 Reference Signal Receiving 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 in 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 described above, each UE 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, which is associated with a resource setting, and multiple CSI-RS resources in this resource setting are used for beam scanning; when used for CSI feedback, different configuration methods are used for periodic, semi-persistent, and aperiodic CSI reporting.

[0107] Resource settings can be used for beam management and CSI acquisition. Each resource setting contains S resource sets, each 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, only one resource set can be included when used for CSI acquisition.

[0108] The report setting includes configurations for the following parameters: the reported CSI quantity, CSI type (e.g., Type I or Type II), codebook parameter configuration, and codebook subset constraints. It also includes the time-domain behavior and frequency-domain granularity of PMI and CQI, as well as measurement constraint configurations. Considering different CSI reporting requirements, NR supports periodic, semi-persistent, and aperiodic CSI 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; therefore, 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; each report setting can be associated with 1 or 2 resource settings.

[0109] In some embodiments, the CSI feedback mechanism can be used to enable the base station to monitor the network environment. For example, the UE measures the CSI-RS and / or SSB reference signals according to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) parameters and feeds the results back to the base station via CSI. This allows the base station to understand the detailed channel status in the network and adjust strategies such as the current antenna precoding matrix and beamforming parameters. In Multi-TRP (MTRP), the uplink and downlink cooperative node sets of the same UE are the same, and different uplink and downlink cooperative nodes and uplink and downlink cooperative beams can be dynamically selected within the cooperative AP set.

[0110] The design of a distributed MIMO system can be understood as a multi-dimensional resource management problem related to cooperative set clustering, precoding, and power control. Cooperative set clustering determines the service relationship between the AP and UE, and the result of cooperative set clustering directly affects the cooperating nodes and cooperation modes, thereby affecting the transmission performance of the entire system.

[0111] In non-cellular networks, UEs can assist the network side in selecting 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, when a terminal moves within the network or is obstructed, it may involve adding and / or deleting cooperating APs, which can affect the cooperation of multiple APs.

[0112] To mitigate the impact of cooperative AP updates and improve the availability of distributed MIMO technology and non-cellular networks, this disclosure provides the following communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media.

[0113] 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:

[0114] In step S2101, terminal 101 sends first information to network device 102.

[0115] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives first information.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first information is used to notify the network device 102 that the terminal 101 is about to report the measurement results.

[0117] In some embodiments, the measurement result is determined by the terminal 101 after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) when a triggering condition is met.

[0118] In one example, the triggering condition can be used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the terminal to report the measurement result.

[0119] In one example, the triggering condition can be determined based on a predefined method, such as by a protocol agreement.

[0120] In one example, the triggering conditions can be configured by network device 102.

[0121] In one example, the triggering condition may be determined based on a predefined method and the configuration of network device 102, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0122] In one example, one or more APs may include at least one of collaborative APs and candidate APs.

[0123] In one example, one or more AP sets may include at least one of a collaborative AP set and a candidate AP set.

[0124] The set of cooperative APs is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal. The APs in the set of cooperative APs can be referred to as cooperative APs.

[0125] The candidate AP set can be a set of candidate cooperative APs used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for terminals. APs in the candidate AP set can be called candidate APs.

[0126] The name of the cooperating AP is not limited and can be interchanged with "service AP", "cooperating transmission AP", etc. The name of the candidate AP is not limited and can be interchanged with "candidate service AP", "candidate cooperating AP", etc.

[0127] The name of the cooperative AP set is not limited and can be interchanged with "service AP set", "cooperative transmission AP set", etc. The name of the candidate AP set is not limited and can be interchanged with "candidate service AP set", "candidate cooperative AP set", etc.

[0128] In one example, the first information could be used to request reporting of the updated set of collaborative APs and / or the updated collaboration method.

[0129] In one example, the first information may be used to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101, the second uplink resource being used by terminal 101 to send the measurement result to network device 102.

[0130] At this point, the name of the first message is not limited and can be interchanged with "resource request", "reporting request", "update request", etc.

[0131] In one example, the cooperation method can refer to the way APs in a cooperative AP set cooperate for transmission.

[0132] For example, the collaboration method may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Dynamic Point Blanking (DPB); DPS; C-JT; NC-JT; or a combination of at least two of DPB, DPS, C-JT, and NC-JT, such as a combination of C-JT and NC-JT. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the collaboration method.

[0133] In one example, the first information may include at least one of the following: a first scheduling request (SR); and first uplink control information (UCI). In one example, the first SR may be used to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource, which may be used by terminal 101 to report measurement results.

[0134] In one example, the first UCI may be a newly defined UCI in the protocol, used to request reporting of at least one of the updated set of cooperative APs and the updated cooperative method.

[0135] In some embodiments, the update request may be other types of information, which are not limited in this disclosure.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to notify the network device 102 that the terminal 101 has updated the set of cooperating APs and / or updated the cooperation method.

[0137] In one example, the set of cooperative APs is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0138] In one example, the cooperation method can refer to the way APs in a cooperative AP set cooperate for transmission.

[0139] For example, the collaboration method may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: DPB; DPS; C-JT; NC-JT; or a combination of at least two of DPB, DPS, C-JT, and NC-JT. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the collaboration method. For example, when the collaboration method is a combination, it may be C-JT + NC-JT.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following: a second SR; a second UCI.

[0141] In one example, the first information can be carried on either PUCCH or PUSCH (or PUCCH-less, which reduces the physical uplink control channel).

[0142] In one example, the second SR can be used to notify the network device that the terminal has updated at least one of the cooperative AP set and cooperative mode.

[0143] In one example, the second UCI may be a newly defined UCI in the protocol, used to notify the network device that the terminal has updated at least one of the cooperative AP set and cooperative mode.

[0144] At this point, the name of the first message is not limited and can be interchanged with "Update Notification", "Notification Message", etc.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first information may be other types of information, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to notify network device 102 that terminal 101 is about to report measurement results, but not to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101. Terminal 101 may use other methods to determine the first uplink resource for sending measurement results.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101, but not to notify network device 102 that terminal 101 is about to report measurement results. Terminal 101 may first determine the second uplink resource as the first uplink resource, and if it needs to report measurement results later, it may send the first information to network device 102 again. The first information is used to notify network device 102 that terminal 101 is about to report measurement results.

[0148] In some embodiments, when the first information is used to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101, it can be regarded as terminal 101 notifying network device 102 that terminal 101 is about to report measurement results.

[0149] In some embodiments, when the first information is used to notify the network device 102 that the terminal 101 is about to report the measurement results, it can be regarded as the terminal 101 requesting the network device 102 to schedule the second uplink resource for the terminal 101.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to notify network device 102 that terminal 101 is about to report measurement results, and to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101.

[0151] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send first information, namely an update notification, to network device 102 when measurement reporting is required.

[0152] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send first information, namely an update notification, to network device 102 if the set of cooperative APs and / or the cooperative mode is updated.

[0153] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send first information, namely an update notification, to network device 102 based on its own implementation and / or its own policies.

[0154] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send first information, namely an update notification, to network device 102 based on an instruction from network device 102.

[0155] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the timing or triggering conditions for the terminal 101 to send the first information.

[0156] In step S2102, network device 102 sends downlink control information (DCI) to terminal 101.

[0157] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives DCI.

[0158] In some embodiments, DCI is used to instruct network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101. This second uplink resource can be used by terminal 101 to report measurement results.

[0159] In some embodiments, network device 102 sends the DCI to terminal 101 based on first information.

[0160] In some embodiments, when the first information is used to request network device 102 to schedule a second uplink resource for terminal 101, network device 102 sends the DCI to terminal 101 based on the first information.

[0161] In some embodiments, when the first information is used to notify the network device 102 that the terminal 101 is about to report the measurement results, the network device 102 sends the DCI to the terminal 101 based on the first information.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first information can be used to notify network device 102 that terminal 101 is about to report measurement results, and in the case of requesting network device 102 to schedule second uplink resources for terminal 101, network device 102 sends the DCI to terminal 101 based on the first information.

[0163] In some embodiments, step S2102 is an optional step. For example, if terminal 101 determines the first uplink resource in other ways, step S2102 may not be executed.

[0164] In step S2103, terminal 101 measures at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) and determines the measurement result.

[0165] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may, when a triggering condition is met, measure at least one of one or more access points (APs) and one or more sets of access points (APs) and determine the measurement result.

[0166] In some embodiments, the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the terminal to report the measurement result.

[0167] In one example, the triggering conditions may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: at least one event occurs; the number of times the same event occurs within a first time window is greater than or equal to the first number; the total number of times the same or different events occur within a first time window is greater than or equal to the second number; the time interval between two consecutive measurement reports is greater than or equal to a first duration.

[0168] For example, the above events may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: a measurement value of one or more first APs is greater than a measurement value of a second AP, and the difference between the measurement value of the one or more first APs and the measurement value of the second AP is greater than or equal to a first threshold; a measurement value of one or more first APs is greater than a measurement value of a third AP, and the difference between the measurement value of the one or more first APs and the measurement value of the second AP is greater than or equal to a second threshold; a measurement value of one or more first APs is higher than a measurement value of a fourth AP, and the difference between the measurement value of the one or more first APs and the measurement value of the fourth AP is greater than or equal to a third threshold; a measurement value of a second AP is greater than a measurement value of a fourth AP, and the difference between the measurement value of the second AP and the measurement value of the fourth AP is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold; a measurement value of a fourth AP is less than or equal to a fifth threshold; a measurement value of one or more first APs is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold; a measurement value of a fourth AP is less than or equal to a fifth threshold, and a measurement value of one or more first APs is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold; a parameter value of one or more fifth APs is greater than or equal to a seventh threshold; wherein the parameter value includes the maximum power reduction for power management (Power... At least one of the following: management-Maximum Power Reduction (P-MPR) value, P-MPR change value, Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) value, and MPE change value; the multipoint measurement value corresponding to the second AP set is less than or equal to the seventh threshold value; the multipoint measurement value corresponding to the second AP set is greater than or equal to the eighth threshold value; the multipoint measurement value in the second AP set is different from the measurement values ​​of N third AP sets; the timing advance TA value of one or more second APs is greater than or equal to the first TA threshold value; the TA change value of one or more second APs is greater than or equal to the second TA threshold value; the difference in TA values ​​corresponding to different second APs in the second AP set is greater than or equal to the third TA threshold value; the path loss value corresponding to the second AP is greater than or equal to the first path loss threshold value; the path loss change value of the second AP is greater than or equal to the second path loss threshold value; the block error rate (BLER) of the first channel is less than or equal to the block error rate threshold value; Layer 1 or Layer 2 triggered mobility (Layer 1 / Layer 2 Triggered) Mobility (LTM) events triggered LTM handover commands; AP update requests or AP set update requests were detected; terminal power saving requests were detected.

[0169] The first AP is any AP that meets the event, i.e., the new AP corresponding to terminal 101.

[0170] Wherein, the second AP is the AP with the highest measurement value in the second AP set, the second AP set includes at least one of the cooperative AP set and the transmission AP set, and the transmission AP set includes one or more APs in the cooperative AP set used by the terminal to schedule at least one of the uplink transmission and downlink transmission.

[0171] The third AP is the Mth second AP determined by sorting the second APs in the second AP set from high to low according to the measured values. The second AP set includes at least one of the cooperative AP set and the transmission AP set. The transmission AP set includes one or more APs in the cooperative AP set used by the terminal to schedule at least one of the uplink and downlink transmissions.

[0172] The fourth AP is the AP with the lowest measurement value in the second AP set. The second AP set includes at least one of the cooperative AP set and the transmission AP set. The transmission AP set includes one or more APs in the cooperative AP set used by the terminal to schedule at least one of the uplink and downlink transmissions.

[0173] The first channel may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); Physical Downlink Control Channel (PUCCH); Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0174] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the specific content of the event.

[0175] For example, the first time window may be a time window corresponding to the same measurement configuration, or the first time window may be a time window opened in a predefined manner.

[0176] For example, the first number can be determined by network device 102 based on the terminal's capabilities and sent by network device 102 to terminal 101.

[0177] For example, the first number can be determined based on a predefined method, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0178] For example, the triggering conditions include: if the number of times the same event occurs within the first time window is greater than or equal to the first count, and the number of times the second event occurs within the first time window is greater than or equal to the first count, then at least one of the event occurrence counter and the starting position of the first time window is reset. The second event is different from the first event, which is the first event to start counting within the first time window.

[0179] Understandably, within the first time window, different events are counted and accumulated independently.

[0180] For example, the second number can be determined by network device 102 based on the terminal's capabilities and sent by network device 102 to terminal 101.

[0181] For example, the second number can be determined based on a predefined method, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0182] For example, the first duration can be determined by network device 102 and sent by network device 102 to terminal 101.

[0183] For example, the first duration can be determined based on a predefined method, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0184] For example, after the measurement is reported, the terminal 101 may start a timeout timer, the duration of which is a first duration. The terminal 101 will not report the measurement again before the timeout timer expires.

[0185] In one example, the above events can be defined separately as AP updates or AP set updates, thus applicable to triggering updates to collaborative APs or collaborative AP sets, respectively.

[0186] In some embodiments, one or more APs include cooperating APs and / or candidate APs, wherein a cooperating AP may refer to an AP currently providing uplink and / or downlink transmission services to terminal 101. A candidate AP may refer to a candidate cooperating AP that supports providing uplink and / or downlink transmission services to terminal 101.

[0187] In one example, one or more AP sets include a cooperating AP set and / or a candidate AP set, wherein the cooperating AP set may refer to the set of APs currently providing uplink and / or downlink transmission services to terminal 101. The candidate AP set may refer to the set of candidate cooperating APs that support providing uplink and / or downlink transmission services to terminal 101.

[0188] In some embodiments, the measurement results may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: an identifier of a first type of event; an identifier of a second type of event; an identifier of a third type of event; information on one or more candidate APs that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more cooperating APs that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more updated APs that meet the triggering condition; wherein the updated APs include at least one of updated cooperating APs and updated candidate APs; information on one or more updated AP sets that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering condition; information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering condition and information on the cooperating AP set used by the terminal; information on updated cooperating APs; information on updated cooperating AP sets; information on updated one or more candidate APs; information on updated one or more candidate AP sets; information on one or more candidate APs after being updated and sorted in a first order; information on one or more candidate AP sets after being updated and sorted in a first order; recommended cooperation mode; unrecommended cooperation mode; recommended transmission scheme; unrecommended transmission scheme; information on cooperating APs used for transmission; information on the cooperating AP set used for transmission; alternative multi-AP cooperation modes; APs or AP sets that recommend using the first cooperation mode.

[0189] The first type of event includes at least one of the second type of event and the third type of event, wherein the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs, and the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets.

[0190] The updated AP includes at least one of the updated cooperative AP and the updated candidate AP.

[0191] The AP information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: AP identifier, measurement resource identifier, beam information, etc.

[0192] The information of the AP set may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: AP set identifier, measurement resource identifier, beam information, etc.

[0193] The transmission scheme includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Time Division Multiplexing (TDM); Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM); Space Division Multiplexing (SDM); Single Frequency Network (SFN); DPS; DPB; or a combination of at least two of SDM, FDM, TDM, SFN, DPS, and DPB.

[0194] The first collaboration method is any one collaboration method or a combination of multiple collaboration methods.

[0195] In step S2104, terminal 101 determines the first uplink resource.

[0196] In some embodiments, based on the DCI indication, the terminal 101 determines the second uplink resource scheduled by the network device 102 for the terminal 101 as the first uplink resource.

[0197] In some embodiments, when terminal 101 sends first information to network device 102 to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, terminal 101 may determine the pre-configured third uplink resource as the first uplink resource.

[0198] In one example, the third uplink resource may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a configured grant-physical uplink shared channel (CG-PUSCH); and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0199] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the type of third uplink resource.

[0200] In some embodiments, when terminal 101 sends first information to network device 102, notifying the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, terminal 101 may identify the Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC CE) as the first uplink resource.

[0201] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine the first uplink resource based on its own capabilities using any of the methods described above.

[0202] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may use one of the above methods to determine the first uplink resource by configuring the terminal 101 via signaling.

[0203] In step S2105, network device 102 determines the first uplink resource.

[0204] In some embodiments, the network device 102 determines the first uplink resource in a manner similar to step S2105, and will not be described again here.

[0205] In step S2106, terminal 101 sends the measurement result to network device 102.

[0206] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives measurement results.

[0207] In some embodiments, terminal 101 sends the measurement result to network device 102 on a first uplink resource.

[0208] In one example, terminal 101 sends the measurement result to network device 102 on the first uplink resource scheduled by DCI.

[0209] In one example, terminal 101 sends the measurement result to network device 102 on CG-PUSCH or PUCCH.

[0210] In one example, terminal 101 carries the measurement result via a dedicated uplink MAC CE, thereby sending the measurement result to network device 102.

[0211] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives measurement results on a first uplink resource.

[0212] In some embodiments, terminal 101 sends the overall measurement results to network device 102.

[0213] In some embodiments, terminal 101 sends measurement results corresponding to different APs or different sets of APs to network device 102.

[0214] In some embodiments, terminal 101 sends the overall measurement result to network device 102, and also sends the measurement results corresponding to different APs or different AP sets to network device 102 respectively. For example, terminal 101 reports the overall measurement result corresponding to the cooperating AP set and the candidate AP set, assuming it is the overall L1-RSRP, to network device 102. In addition, terminal 101 sends the L1-RSRP corresponding to the cooperating AP set and / or the L1-RSRP corresponding to the candidate AP set to network device 102 respectively, so that network device 102 can determine the measurement result corresponding to each AP set, thereby improving the reliability of the reported measurement results.

[0215] In some embodiments, the measurement results include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: RI; PMI; CQI; CRI; SSBRI; L1-RSRP; L1-SINR.

[0216] It is understandable that the indication methods of CRI and / or SSBRI differ under different CSI resource configuration methods. Terminal 101 can determine the corresponding indication methods of CRI and / or SSBRI based on different CSI resource configuration methods.

[0217] In some embodiments, network device 102 updates the set of cooperating APs and / or the cooperation mode based on the results of measurement reporting.

[0218] 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.

[0219] In some embodiments, the terms "codebook," "codeword," and "precoding matrix" can be used interchangeably. For example, a codebook can be a collection of one or more codewords / precoding matrices.

[0220] 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".

[0221] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0222] In some embodiments, terms such as "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data".

[0223] In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal (SS)," "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0224] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0225] In some embodiments, the terms "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", "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "beam", "beam width", "beam angular degree", "antenna", "antenna element", and "panel" can be used interchangeably.

[0226] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0227] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0228] 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.

[0229] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include steps S2101 to S2106. For example, step S2101 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101+S2102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2103 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104+S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2106 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S2104+S2105+S2106 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0230] In some embodiments, steps S2104 and S2105 may be performed in an alternate order or simultaneously.

[0231] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S2104 and S2103 is not limited. For example, from the perspective of resource effectiveness, terminal 101 can first determine the measurement result, then determine the first uplink resource, and then send the measurement result to network device 102 on the first uplink resource. As another example, from the perspective of reporting timeliness, terminal 101 can first determine the first uplink resource, then determine the measurement result, and then send the measurement result to network device 102 on the first uplink resource.

[0232] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S2101 to S2106 is not limited.

[0233] In some embodiments, steps S2101 to S2106 are optional execution steps.

[0234] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0235] In the above embodiments, the terminal can measure one or more APs and / or one or more AP sets when the triggering conditions are met, determine the measurement results, and then send the measurement results to the network device on the determined first uplink resource. This improves the timeliness of measurement reporting, the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0236] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0237] Step S3101: Send the first information to network device 102.

[0238] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3101 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0239] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] In the above embodiments, the terminal can send first information to the network device. The first information can be used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results. The measurement results are determined by the terminal measuring one or more APs and / or one or more AP sets when the triggering conditions are met. This improves the timeliness of measurement reporting, improves the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and improves the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0241] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by network device 102 and includes:

[0242] Step S3201: Obtain the first information.

[0243] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0244] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives first information sent by terminal 101, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive first information sent by other entities.

[0245] In some embodiments, network device 102 obtains first information as defined by a protocol.

[0246] In some embodiments, network device 102 obtains first information from upper layer(s).

[0247] In some embodiments, network device 102 processes information to obtain first information.

[0248] In some embodiments, step S3201 is omitted, and the network device 102 autonomously implements the function indicated by the first information, or the above function is default or default.

[0249] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0250] In the above embodiments, the network device can receive the first information sent by the terminal, which improves the timeliness of measurement reporting, the availability of distributed massive MIMO technology, and the availability of non-cellular networks.

[0251] The above process is further illustrated with examples below.

[0252] Example 1 provides a measurement reporting method for AP / AP set initiated by the terminal / triggered by an event. The specific method is as follows:

[0253] Step 1: Methods for requesting and obtaining uplink resources for measurement reporting of AP / AP sets initiated by the terminal / triggered by events.

[0254] Method 1: Uplink resource acquisition method reported by the bearer CSI in dynamic terminal requests.

[0255] Step 1: The terminal sends an AP / AP set update request to notify the network side of the next CSI report;

[0256] Update request information design: SR or newly defined UCI, which can be carried on PUCCH or PUSCH (PUCCH-less);

[0257] Step 2: The terminal receives the scheduling information from the network DCI, which instructs the terminal to report the uplink resources used by the CSI.

[0258] UL DCI; Newly defined DCI type;

[0259] Step 3: The terminal sends an AP / AP set update CSI report on the uplink resources scheduled by the network;

[0260] Similar to the Aperiodic Channel Status Information (A-CSI) method.

[0261] Method 2: The terminal uses the network's pre-configured uplink resources to obtain resources for CSI reporting.

[0262] Step 1: The terminal sends an AP / AP set update notification to notify the network side of the next CSI report;

[0263] Update message format: SR or the newly defined UCI, which can be carried on PUCCH or PUSCH (PUCCH-less);

[0264] Step 2: The terminal sends a CSI report on the uplink channel pre-configured in the network;

[0265] The uplink channel at least supports scheduling-free PUSCH and PUCCH.

[0266] Similar to periodic (P) or semi-persistent (SP) CSI reporting methods.

[0267] Method 3: The terminal uses uplink resources to obtain resources for CSI reporting.

[0268] Step 1: The terminal sends an AP / AP set update notification to notify the network side of the next CSI report;

[0269] Update message format: SR or the newly defined UCI, which can be carried on PUCCH or PUSCH (PUCCH-less);

[0270] Step 2: When PUSCH transmission is available, the terminal carries the CSI reporting information via a dedicated UL MAC-CE.

[0271] The method used by the terminal can be a terminal capability or can be configured by network signaling to specify which method the terminal should use for reporting.

[0272] Step 2: CSI measurement reporting initiated by the terminal / triggered by an event may include at least one of the following:

[0273] 1) Update the trigger event ID (if more than one trigger event is defined);

[0274] 2) The trigger event ID for AP update (if more than one trigger event is defined);

[0275] 3) Information on N1 candidate APs that meet the triggering conditions; N1 <N1max;

[0276] N1max is configured by the network and is also a terminal capability;

[0277] AP information can be AP ID, measurement resource ID, or beam information;

[0278] It may be necessary to instruct the uplink or downlink AP set to be updated;

[0279] 4) Information on N2 collaborative APs that meet the triggering conditions for deletion; N2 <N2max;

[0280] By default, it enters the candidate AP update list;

[0281] N2max is configured by the network and is also a terminal capability;

[0282] 5) N3 new AP messages that meet the triggering conditions; N3 <Nmax;

[0283] It includes information on the currently cooperating AP and N1 candidate APs; Nmax is configured by the network and is also a terminal capability;

[0284] 6) The trigger event ID for AP set update (if more than one trigger event is defined);

[0285] 7) Information on the set of M APs that meet the triggering conditions; M <Mmax;

[0286] Mmax is configured by the network and is also a terminal capability;

[0287] 8) Information on the M+1 AP sets that meet the triggering conditions; M <Mmax;

[0288] It includes the current set of collaborating APs and information on M candidate APs;

[0289] Mmax is configured by the network and is also a terminal capability;

[0290] 9) Updated cooperative AP / AP set information or beam information;

[0291] 10) Updated candidate AP / AP set information or beam information;

[0292] 11) Updated and re-sorted candidate AP / AP set information or beam information according to single-point / multi-point metrics;

[0293] 12) Cooperative AP / AP set or beam information for transmission;

[0294] 13) Recommended or not recommended cooperative mode / transmission scheme for transmission;

[0295] 14) Possible multi-AP collaboration modes;

[0296] 15) Recommend AP for DPB;

[0297] 16) Suggested AP for DPS;

[0298] 17) Suggested AP combinations for CJT;

[0299] 18) Suggested AP combinations for NCJT;

[0300] 19) A CJT+NCJT AP combination is recommended;

[0301] 20) For different transmission schemes for measurements, the following reported quantities can be configured for independent or joint reporting;

[0302] a. Transmit the total RI / PMI / CQI, CRI / SSBRI+L1-RSRP / L1-SINR;

[0303] b, corresponding to RI / PMI / CQI, CRI / SSBRI+L1-RSRP / L1-SINR for different nodes;

[0304] c. Supports measurement of multiple transmission schemes.

[0305] The CRI / SSBRI indication methods differ under different CSI resource configuration methods.

[0306] In the above embodiments, flexible measurement and reporting of AP / AP set selection and corresponding cooperation methods in a distributed MIMO network through terminal triggering or event triggering provides better information on AP selection on the network side. At the same time, the method of obtaining the reported uplink resources needs to be considered.

[0307] In some embodiments, the terminal may send update request information to the network device, and the update request information may be used to dynamically request uplink resources that carry CSI reporting.

[0308] In one example, the update request information can be an SR or a newly defined UCI. The SR or the newly defined UCI can be carried on a PUCCH or a PUSCH (PUCCH-less).

[0309] Furthermore, the terminal receives uplink resources scheduled by the network device based on update request information, and the terminal can report measurement results to the network device on the uplink resources scheduled by the network device.

[0310] In one example, the terminal can determine the measurement result by measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) when a trigger condition is met. After determining the measurement result, an update request is sent to obtain uplink resources scheduled by the network device.

[0311] In one example, the terminal can first send an update request to obtain the uplink resources scheduled by the network device. Then, if the triggering conditions are met, it can measure at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) to determine the measurement result and send the measurement result to the network device on the uplink resource.

[0312] In some embodiments, the terminal may send update notification information to the network device, which may be used to notify the network device of the next CSI report.

[0313] In one example, the update notification information can be an SR or a newly defined UCI. The SR or the newly defined UCI can be carried on a PUCCH or a PUSCH (PUCCH-less).

[0314] Furthermore, the terminal can transmit measurement results on uplink channels pre-configured by the network device, such as PUSCH and / or PUCCH that support scheduling-free operation.

[0315] In some embodiments, the terminal may send update notification information to the network device, which may be used to notify the network device of the next CSI report.

[0316] In one example, the update notification information can be an SR or a newly defined UCI. The SR or the newly defined UCI can be carried on a PUCCH or a PUSCH (PUCCH-less).

[0317] Furthermore, the terminal can carry measurement results via a dedicated uplink MAC CE when PUSCH transmission is available.

[0318] In some embodiments, the above measurement results may include CSI reporting information and / or CSI reports.

[0319] In some embodiments, the terminal may determine the measurement result when the triggering conditions are met. This measurement result may also be referred to as "CSI measurement reporting quantity".

[0320] In some embodiments, the terminal may determine the amount of CSI measurement reports sent by the terminal or triggered by an event, provided that triggering conditions are met.

[0321] In some embodiments, when a terminal sends CSI measurement reports to a network device, it can transmit the total CSI measurement reports, such as the total RI / PMI / CQI, CRI / SSBRI+L1-RSRP / L1-SINR.

[0322] In some embodiments, when a terminal sends CSI measurement reports to a network device, it can transmit RI / PMI / CQI, CRI / SSBRI+L1-RSRP / L1-SINR corresponding to different nodes.

[0323] In some embodiments, when a terminal sends CSI measurement reports to a network device, it can transmit the total CSI measurement reports as well as the RI / PMI / CQI, CRI / SSBRI+L1-RSRP / L1-SINR corresponding to different nodes.

[0324] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the method by which the terminal sends measurement results to the network device.

[0325] In some embodiments, the aforementioned "update request information" and "update notification information" can be regarded as the "first information" in the aforementioned step S2101.

[0326] In some embodiments, the terminal sending "update request information" and "update notification information" to the network device can be regarded as performing the aforementioned step S2101, in which the terminal sends the first information to the network device.

[0327] In some embodiments, when the terminal sends an "update request information" to the network device, the terminal receiving the DCI sent by the network device can be considered as having performed the aforementioned step S2102. Furthermore, the DCI is for the terminal to schedule uplink resources, and these uplink resources can be considered as "second uplink resources".

[0328] In some embodiments, the CSI measurement report quantity can be regarded as the measurement result in the aforementioned step S2103. The terminal determining the measurement report quantity can be regarded as performing the aforementioned step S2103.

[0329] In some embodiments, the terminal may determine the uplink resources scheduled by DCI, the pre-configured uplink resources, or the MAC CE as available uplink resources, which are equivalent to the first uplink resources in steps S2104 and S2105. Furthermore, the terminal sending CSI measurement reporting data can be regarded as performing the aforementioned step S2106.

[0330] In some embodiments, one or more steps, one or more technical features, or one or more technical solutions in Embodiment 1 can be executed individually or in combination with one or more steps, one or more technical features, or one or more technical solutions in the aforementioned Embodiment 2. For example, any one of the first to third steps in Embodiment 1 can be executed individually. Alternatively, the first to third steps in Embodiment 1 can be executed in combination. Another example is that the first step can be combined with the aforementioned step S2103. Yet another example is that the first and second steps in Embodiment 1 can be combined with the aforementioned steps S2104 and S2105, etc. Whether or not they are combined, and the specific method of combination, is not limited in this disclosure.

[0331] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed 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.

[0332] 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.

[0333] 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).

[0334] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The terminal 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, the terminal 4100 may include a transceiver module 4101.

[0335] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4101 is used to send first information to a network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, the measurement results being determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting a triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or triggered based on an event, and to trigger the terminal to report the measurement results; wherein the one or more APs include at least one of cooperating APs and candidate APs, the one or more AP sets include at least one of a set of cooperating APs and a set of candidate APs, and the set of cooperating APs is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, and S2106, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0336] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Network device 4200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4B, network device 4200 may include a transceiver module 4201.

[0337] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4201 is configured to receive first information sent by a terminal, wherein the first information is configured to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, the measurement results being determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting a triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is configured to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and trigger the reporting of measurement results; wherein the one or more APs include at least one of cooperating APs and candidate APs, the one or more AP sets include at least one of a set of cooperating APs and a set of candidate APs, and the set of cooperating APs is configured to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

[0338] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2101, step S2102, step S2106, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0339] 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.

[0340] 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.

[0341] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0342] 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.

[0343] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may 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. Optionally, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0344] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5102. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5102, the transceiver 5102 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2106, but not limited thereto) in the above method, and the processor 5101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2105, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0345] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 5103 to cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 5103 may also be located outside the communication device 5100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5102 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 5102 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 5102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 5102 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5101.

[0346] 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 may be 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, programs and / or instructions; (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.

[0347] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 5200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, the schematic diagram of the chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B can be referred to, but is not limited thereto.

[0348] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0349] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0350] 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., steps S2101, S2102, and S2106, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 5202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, the chip 5200, the memory 5203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, and S2105, but not limited thereto).

[0351] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0352] This disclosure also proposes a communication device, which can be a terminal. When the communication device is a terminal, it can be used to execute any of the methods described above performed on the terminal side.

[0353] This disclosure also proposes a communication device, which can be a network device. When the communication device is a network device, it can perform any of the methods described above performed by the network function side. The communication device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of access network devices and core network devices.

[0354] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device 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.

[0355] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0356] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0357] 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, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: Sending first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, wherein the measurement results are determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting the triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and to trigger the terminal to report the measurement results; Wherein, the one or more APs include at least one of cooperative APs and candidate APs, and the one or more AP sets include at least one of cooperative AP sets and candidate AP sets, wherein the cooperative AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine the measurement results; On the first uplink resource, the measurement result is sent to the network device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes any one of the following: The second uplink resource scheduled by the network device is determined as the first uplink resource; wherein, the second uplink resource is an uplink resource indicated by downlink control information (DCI), and the DCI is used by the network device to schedule uplink resources for the terminal; The pre-configured third uplink resource is determined as the first uplink resource; The Media Access Control Unit (MAC CE) is identified as the first uplink resource.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The third uplink resource includes at least one of the following: Configure the authorized Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The measurement results include at least one of the following: Information on one or more candidate APs that meet the triggering conditions; Information on one or more cooperating APs that meet the triggering conditions; Information on one or more updated APs that meet the triggering conditions; wherein the updated APs include at least one of updated cooperating APs and updated candidate APs; Information on one or more updated AP sets that meet the triggering conditions; wherein the updated AP set includes at least one of an updated cooperative AP set and an updated candidate AP set; Information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering conditions; Information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering conditions, and information on the set of cooperating APs used by the terminal; Updated information about the collaborative AP; Information about the updated collaborative AP set; Updated information on one or more candidate APs; Information about the updated set of one or more candidate APs; Updated information on one or more candidate APs, sorted in first order; Information on one or more candidate AP sets after updating and sorting in first order; recommended collaboration methods; Unrecommended collaboration methods; Recommended transmission scheme; Not recommended transmission schemes; Information from the cooperating AP used for transmission; Information about the set of cooperative APs used for transmission; Alternative multi-AP collaboration methods; It is recommended to use APs or AP sets using the first collaboration method; wherein, the first collaboration method is any one collaboration method or a combination of multiple collaboration methods; The first type of event is identified; wherein the first type of event includes at least one of the second type of event and the third type of event, the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs, and the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets; The identifier of the second type of event; wherein, the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs; The third type of event is identified; wherein, the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, When the second uplink resource scheduled by the network device is determined to be the first uplink resource, the first information is used to request the network device to schedule the second uplink resource for the terminal, and the first uplink resource is used by the terminal to send the measurement result to the network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling Request (SR); Uplink control information (UCI).

8. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, Sending the measurement results to the network device includes at least one of the following: Send the overall measurement results to the network device; The network device sends measurement results corresponding to at least one of different APs and different sets of APs.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: The receiving terminal sends first information, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, and the measurement results are determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting the triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and trigger the reporting of measurement results; Wherein, the one or more APs include at least one of cooperative APs and candidate APs, and the one or more AP sets include at least one of cooperative AP sets and candidate AP sets, wherein the cooperative AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: On the first uplink resource, the measurement result sent by the terminal is received.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes any one of the following: The second uplink resource scheduled for the terminal is determined as the first uplink resource; wherein, the second uplink resource is an uplink resource indicated by downlink control information (DCI), and the DCI is used by the network device to schedule uplink resources for the terminal; The pre-configured third uplink resource is determined as the first uplink resource; The Media Access Control Unit (MAC CE) is identified as the first uplink resource.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The third uplink resource includes at least one of the following: Configure the authorized Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The measurement results include at least one of the following: Information on one or more candidate APs that meet the triggering conditions; Information on one or more cooperating APs that meet the triggering conditions; Information on one or more updated APs that meet the triggering conditions; wherein the updated APs include at least one of updated cooperating APs and updated candidate APs; Information on one or more updated AP sets that meet the triggering conditions; wherein the updated AP set includes at least one of an updated cooperative AP set and an updated candidate AP set; Information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering conditions; Information on one or more candidate AP sets that meet the triggering conditions, and information on the set of cooperating APs used by the terminal; Updated information about the collaborative AP; Information about the updated collaborative AP set; Updated information on one or more candidate APs; Information about the updated set of one or more candidate APs; Updated information on one or more candidate APs, sorted in first order; Information on one or more candidate AP sets after updating and sorting in first order; recommended collaboration methods; Unrecommended collaboration methods; Recommended transmission scheme; Not recommended transmission schemes; Information from the cooperating AP used for transmission; Information about the set of cooperative APs used for transmission; Alternative multi-AP collaboration methods; It is recommended to use APs or AP sets using the first collaboration method; wherein, the first collaboration method is any one collaboration method or a combination of multiple collaboration methods; The first type of event is identified; wherein the first type of event includes at least one of the second type of event and the third type of event, the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs, and the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets; The identifier of the second type of event; wherein, the second type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more APs; The third type of event is identified; wherein, the third type of event is used to trigger the update of the one or more AP sets.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9-13, characterized in that, When the second uplink resource scheduled for the terminal is determined to be the first uplink resource, the first information is used to request the network device to schedule the second uplink resource for the terminal, and the first uplink resource is used by the terminal to send the measurement result to the network device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9-14, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling Request (SR); Uplink control information (UCI).

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, The measurement results sent by the receiving terminal include at least one of the following: Receive the total measurement results sent by the terminal; Receive measurement results sent by the terminal corresponding to different APs or different sets of APs.

17. A communication method for use in a communication system, the communication system comprising a terminal and network equipment, characterized in that, The method includes: The terminal sends first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to notify the network device that the terminal is about to report measurement results, and the measurement results are determined by the terminal after measuring at least one of one or more access points (APs) or a set of one or more access points (APs) under the condition of meeting the triggering condition; wherein the triggering condition is used to trigger a measurement initiated by the terminal or based on an event, and trigger the reporting of measurement results. Wherein, the one or more APs include at least one of cooperative APs and candidate APs, and the one or more AP sets include at least one of cooperative AP sets and candidate AP sets, wherein the cooperative AP set is used to provide cooperative transmission support in a distributed network for the terminal.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-8 or 9-16.

19. 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 1-8, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 9-16.

20. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, it causes the communication device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-8 or 9-16.

21. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the computer program is used to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-8 or 9-16.

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