Information transmission method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications. Provided are an information transmission method and a communication apparatus, wherein a beam direction (i.e., a precoding vector) can be determined by means of positions of signal reflection areas, thereby introducing a path (i.e., a signal reflection path) including the signal reflection areas into a signal transmission path. In this way, the number of signal transmission layers can be increased, the signal transmission efficiency can be improved, and the overall performance of a communication system can be enhanced. The method comprises: receiving first information, wherein the first information is used for indicating K positions, and the K positions correspond to signal reflection areas in a cell; sending second information, wherein the second information is used for indicating L positions among the K positions, with L being a positive integer less than or equal to K; and receiving third information, wherein the third information is used for indicating N positions, the N positions are determined on the basis of the second information, and the N positions are used for determining a precoding vector, with N being a positive integer less than or equal to K.

Description

An information transmission method and communication device Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to an information transmission method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] The process of determining the signal transmission path between the base station and the user equipment (UE) includes the base station sending beams in all directions (i.e., beam sweeping), the UE measuring the signal quality of the beams in each direction (i.e., beam measurement), and reporting the measurement results to the base station (i.e., beam reporting), and the base station determining the signal transmission path between itself and the UE based on the measurement results reported by the UE.

[0003] Because signal reflection causes energy loss, under the same conditions, the signal quality of the line-of-sight (LoS) path (also known as the direct path) is usually stronger than that of the reflected path. Therefore, the signal transmission path determined by the base station is usually the direct path.

[0004] However, in multipath propagation environments (such as densely built-up areas), there may be abundant reflection paths between the base station and the UE. If the beam scanning and other steps described above are still used to determine the signal transmission path, it may be difficult to effectively utilize these reflection paths. Therefore, how to utilize spatial reflection paths to improve the number of signal transmission layers and signal transmission efficiency is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an information transmission method and communication device that can determine the beam direction (i.e., precoding vector) by the location of the signal reflection area, thereby introducing a path containing the signal reflection area (i.e., a signal reflection path) into the signal transmission path. This is beneficial for increasing the number of signal transmission layers, signal transmission efficiency, and the overall performance of the communication system.

[0006] Firstly, an information transmission method is provided, which can be applied to the user equipment side, such as the user equipment or its communication module, or the circuit or chip responsible for communication functions within the user equipment (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip or system-in-package chip containing a modem core). The user equipment can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned devices or apparatus; specific details are not limited in this application. It should be noted that, in this application, the term "user equipment" can refer to either the user equipment itself or the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the user equipment that performs the method provided in this application; specific details are not limited in this application.

[0007] An information transmission method applied to the user equipment side may include the following steps: receiving first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in the cell. Sending second information. The second information indicates L locations out of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. Receiving third information. The third information indicates N locations, which are determined based on the second information. The N locations are used to determine the precoding vector, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0008] Based on this scheme, the user equipment (UE) selects L locations from the K signal reflection areas indicated by the first information sent by the network device and feeds them back to the network device. It then determines a precoding vector based on the N locations indicated by the third information sent by the network device. Thus, the beam direction determined by the UE based on the precoding vector lies within the path that includes the signal reflection areas. In other words, this scheme introduces a signal reflection path into the signal transmission path between the UE and the network device. This allows for better utilization of spatial reflection paths, which is beneficial for increasing the number of signal transmission layers, improving signal transmission efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of the communication system.

[0009] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the method further includes receiving fourth information. The fourth information is used to indicate an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the number of user devices (User Equipment) in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number. After the update, the number of User Equipment (User Equipment) in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number. The first number is greater than a preset threshold and the second number. Based on this scheme, when the number of User Equipment (User Equipment) in the beam directions of the network device to N locations is large (greater than the threshold), the User Equipment can adjust to the beam direction with fewer User Equipment (i.e., update the precoding vector). This can balance communication resources, reduce interference between User Equipment in the beam direction (the number of User Equipment in the adjusted beam direction is reduced), thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0010] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, some possible implementations of the method further include: receiving fifth information. The fifth information is used to indicate an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range, and the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is greater than a preset threshold. After the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range. The second range is a subset of the first range. Based on this scheme, when the number of user devices in the beam directions at N locations is large, the user devices can adjust to the beam direction after the network device has subdivided the original beam direction. This helps reduce interference between user devices in the beam direction, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0011] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, some possible implementations of the method further include: receiving sixth information. The sixth information is used to instruct beam measurement to be performed on the beam direction corresponding to the precoded vector using updated oversampling values. The updated oversampling values ​​are associated with the number of user equipment units (UUs) in the beam direction. Based on this scheme, it is beneficial to improve the accuracy of beam measurement performed by UUs.

[0012] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, in some possible implementations, after receiving the third information, the method further includes: transmitting a channel sounding reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector. Based on this scheme, it is advantageous to achieve channel estimation in the reflection path.

[0013] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, in some possible implementations, after receiving the third information, the method further includes: receiving a channel state information reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector. Based on this scheme, it is advantageous to achieve channel estimation in the reflection path.

[0014] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the third information also includes a first time period. The third information is further used to indicate signal transmission and reception in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period. Specifically, during the first time period, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is less than a pre-set threshold. Based on this scheme, communication resources can be balanced, interference between user equipment in the beam direction can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0015] Combining the information transmission method provided in the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the second information includes scores corresponding to L locations. Based on the scores, the angular interval between the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector and the beam direction of the configured resources, and the number of user equipment (UE) along the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector, are determined for the N locations. Based on this scheme, determining the N locations based on the UE requirements (i.e., scores) is beneficial for meeting the needs of the UE. Determining the angular interval helps reduce interference between UE along beam directions. Determining the number of UE also helps reduce interference between UE along beam directions.

[0016] Secondly, another information transmission method is provided, which can be applied to the network device side, such as the network device or the communication module in the network device, or the circuit or chip in the network device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip). The network device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit in the aforementioned devices or apparatus; specific details are not limited in this application. It should be noted that in this application, when referring to a network device, it can refer to the network device itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit in the network device that performs the method provided in this application; specific details are not limited in this application.

[0017] The information transmission method applied to the network device side may include the following steps: Sending first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in the cell. Receiving second information. The second information indicates L locations out of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. Sending third information. The third information indicates N locations, which are determined based on the second information. The N locations are used to determine the precoding vector, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0018] Based on this scheme, the network device sends third information indicating the locations of N signal reflection areas to the user equipment. The beam directions corresponding to these N locations are within the reflection path. In other words, this scheme introduces a signal reflection path into the signal transmission path between the network device and the user equipment. This allows for better utilization of spatial reflection paths, which is beneficial for increasing the number of signal transmission layers, improving signal transmission efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of the communication system.

[0019] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the method further includes: sending fourth information when the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector exceeds a preset threshold. The fourth information is used to instruct the updating of the precoding vector. Before the update, the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number. After the update, the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number. The first number is greater than both the threshold and the second number. Based on this scheme, when the number of user devices in the beam directions of the network device to N locations is large (greater than the threshold), the network device can instruct the user devices to adjust to the beam direction with fewer user devices (i.e., update the precoding vector). This can balance communication resources, reduce interference between user devices in the beam direction (the number of user devices in the adjusted beam direction is reduced), thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0020] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, some possible implementations of the method further include: sending fifth information when the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector exceeds a preset threshold. The fifth information is used to instruct the updating of the precoding vector. Before the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range. After the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range. The second range is a subset of the first range. Based on this scheme, when the number of user devices in the beam directions at N locations is large, the network device can instruct the user devices to adjust to the beam direction after the network device has subdivided the original beam direction. This helps reduce interference between user devices in the beam direction, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0021] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, some possible implementations of the method further include: sending a sixth message when the number of user equipment (UE) in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector changes. The sixth message instructs that beam measurement be performed on the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector using updated oversampling values. The updated oversampling values ​​are associated with the number of UE in the beam direction. This scheme is beneficial for improving the accuracy of beam measurement.

[0022] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, after sending the third information, the method further includes: receiving a channel sounding reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector. Based on this scheme, it is advantageous to achieve channel estimation in the reflection path.

[0023] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, after sending the third information, the method further includes: sending a channel state information reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector. Based on this scheme, it is beneficial to achieve channel estimation in the reflection path.

[0024] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector satisfies any of the following conditions: its usage frequency in cell communication is greater than a pre-set frequency threshold, and its contribution to the total throughput of cell communication is greater than a pre-set contribution threshold. Based on this scheme, beam directions with large usage frequencies or high throughput contributions in space can be fully utilized, thereby increasing the number of signal transmission layers, improving signal transmission efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of the communication system.

[0025] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the third information also includes a first time period. The third information is also used to indicate signal transmission and reception in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period. Specifically, during the first time period, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is less than a pre-set threshold number.

[0026] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the second information includes scores corresponding to L locations. Based on the scores, the angular interval between the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector and the beam direction of the configured resources, and the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector are determined. Based on this scheme, communication resources can be balanced, interference between user equipment in the beam direction can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0027] In conjunction with the information transmission method provided in the second aspect, in some possible implementations, user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector calculates the precoding matrix through joint precoding techniques. Based on this scheme, interference between user equipment in the beam direction can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0028] Thirdly, a resource allocation method is provided, including: sending seventh information. The seventh information is used to indicate signal transmission and reception in a first beam direction, a second beam direction, and a third beam direction. The first beam direction is the beam direction corresponding to the direct signal area in the cell, and the second and third beam directions are the beam directions corresponding to the signal reflection areas in the cell. The second beam direction satisfies any of the following conditions: its usage frequency in cell communication is greater than a preset threshold, and its total throughput contribution to cell communication is greater than a preset contribution threshold. The third beam direction does not satisfy any of the above conditions. Resources are allocated in each beam direction based on their priority. The priority of the first beam direction is higher than that of the second beam direction, and the priority of the second beam direction is higher than that of the third beam direction.

[0029] Fourthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising a module or unit for performing a method as described in any of the first aspects, or comprising a module or unit for performing a method as described in any of the second aspects, or comprising a module or unit for performing a method as described in any of the third aspects.

[0030] Fifthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute computer programs or instructions to implement the method of any of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0031] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, including a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store computer programs or instructions. The one or more processors are used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, causing the communication device to perform a method as described in any of the first aspects, any of the second aspects, or any of the third aspects.

[0032] A seventh aspect provides a first communication device, including a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit receives first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in a cell. The transceiver unit is also used to transmit second information. The second information indicates L locations out of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The transceiver unit is also used to receive third information. The third information indicates N locations, the N locations are determined based on the second information, and the N locations are used to determine a precoding vector, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0033] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising: a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in a cell. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive second information. The second information indicates L locations out of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit third information. The third information indicates N locations, the N locations being determined based on the second information, the N locations being used to determine a precoding vector, and N being a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0034] Ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, including the communication device as described in the seventh aspect and the communication device as described in the eighth aspect.

[0035] In this context, the communication device of aspect seven can be referred to as the first communication device, and the communication device of aspect eight can be referred to as the second communication device. The first communication device is used to transmit first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in a cell. The second communication device is used to receive the first information. The second communication device is also used to transmit second information, which indicates L of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The first communication device is also used to receive the second information. The first communication device is also used to transmit third information. The third information indicates N locations, which are determined based on the second information. The N locations are used to determine a precoding vector, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The second communication device is also used to receive the third information.

[0036] A tenth aspect provides a communication system including a user equipment and a network device. The user equipment is configured to perform any of the implementations shown in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to perform any of the implementations shown in the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0037] Eleventhly, a chip device is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is used to invoke a computer program or computer instructions in the memory to cause the processor to execute any of the implementations described in the first, second, or third aspects.

[0038] In conjunction with the chip device provided in the eleventh aspect, in some possible implementations, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0039] In a twelfth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of the first aspects, any one of the second aspects, or any one of the third aspects to be implemented.

[0040] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of the first aspects, any one of the second aspects, or the method of the third aspect to be implemented. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of beam direction in a cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a reflection path provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a beam direction provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments of this application, the indication may include direct indication (also known as explicit indication) and implicit indication. For example, direct indication information A may refer to including information A; implicit indication information A may refer to indicating information A through the correspondence between information A and information B and direct indication information B. The correspondence between information A and information B may be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured, and is not limited here.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, determining information D based on information C can mean determining information D based solely on information C, or it can mean determining information D based on information C and other information. Furthermore, determining information D based on information C can mean directly determining information D based on information C, or indirectly determining information D based on information C. For example, indirectly determining information D based on information C could mean that information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C.

[0052] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "network element F sends information H to network element G" can be understood as network element G being the destination of information H or an intermediate network element in the transmission path between the destination and network element G, which may include sending information directly or indirectly to network element G. "Network element G receives information H from network element F" can be understood as network element F being the source of information H or an intermediate network element in the transmission path between the source and network element G, which may include receiving information directly or indirectly from network element F. Information H may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way and will not be elaborated further here.

[0053] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the positional relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, J and / or K can represent three cases: J exists alone, J and K exist simultaneously, and K exists alone.

[0054] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second," etc., are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order of objects. For example, "first reflection path" and "second reflection path," etc., are used to distinguish different reflection paths, rather than to describe a specific order of reflection paths.

[0055] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0056] For ease of understanding, some terms used in the embodiments of this application should be introduced below.

[0057] Direct path: In wireless communication, the straight path between the transmitter and receiver. The direct path is the shortest path for signal transmission, and it also experiences less signal attenuation, resulting in higher signal transmission quality.

[0058] Indirect path: In wireless communication, the path by which a signal reaches the receiver after being emitted by the transmitter, through reflection, scattering, or diffraction. Because the signal needs to undergo reflection, scattering, or diffraction, the signal attenuation in the indirect path is greater than that in the direct path, and the signal transmission quality is lower than that in the direct path.

[0059] Reflection path: In wireless communication, the path along which a signal is reflected from the transmitter to the receiver by an obstacle. This obstacle can be an object existing in the wireless environment, such as buildings, walls, the ground, water surfaces, trees, vehicles, or other man-made objects. Obstacles can also be artificially placed objects, such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) or intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS). In this embodiment, the obstacle can also be referred to as a signal reflection area.

[0060] The coverage area of ​​a beam, also known as the signal coverage area, refers to the region effectively covered by the beam (or signal) in wireless communication. This is determined by superimposing a precoding vector onto the antenna port of the communication device, resulting in the beam direction corresponding to that precoding vector. Effective coverage means that receivers within this area can receive signals with a certain strength and / or quality. In other words, the signal strength received by receivers within this area is greater than or equal to a pre-set strength threshold, and / or the signal quality is greater than or equal to a pre-set quality threshold.

[0061] The background of the embodiments of this application will be introduced below based on the above-mentioned technical terms.

[0062] In multipath propagation environments, propagation mechanisms such as reflection, scattering, and diffraction provide abundant spatial multiplexing opportunities for multi-stream transmission (e.g., multiple-input multiple-output, MIMO). However, traditional beam management methods typically focus only on the direct path as the signal transmission path. Consequently, reflection paths in the environment may be difficult to fully utilize, impacting communication efficiency.

[0063] For example, the process of determining the signal transmission path between the base station and the UE may include the base station sending a wide beam of synchronization signal block (SSB) in all directions. The UE performs beam measurements (such as signal quality assessment) on each received SSB wide beam and feeds back the index of the selected SSB wide beam to the base station. The base station scans the CSI-RS narrow beam within the SSB wide beam selected by the UE to determine the signal transmission path. However, since the range of the SSB wide beam may not include reflection paths, the above method of determining the signal transmission path may result in reflection paths being ignored, leading to insufficient transmission layers and affecting system throughput and spectral efficiency.

[0064] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method and communication apparatus that can determine the beam direction (i.e., precoding vector) by the location of the signal reflection region, thereby introducing a path (i.e., a signal reflection path) that includes the signal reflection region into the signal transmission path. This facilitates increasing the number of signal transmission layers, improving signal transmission efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of the communication system.

[0065] The information transmission method and communication device provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems), future evolution communication systems (e.g., 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems), wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, internet of things (IoT) communication systems, satellite communication systems, etc. Alternatively, the communication system used in this application can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above communication systems. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0066] It should be noted that the communication systems and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that as communication systems evolve and new business scenarios emerge, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system may include at least one network device 101 (one is shown as an example in Figure 1) and at least one user device 102 (three are shown as an example in the figure). The network device 101 and the user device 102 are communicatively connected.

[0068] In this application embodiment, user equipment can refer to a terminal device used by a user to access a network device. Examples of such terminal devices include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, wireless terminals in self-driving cars, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, a wireless terminal in self-driving cars can be a drone, helicopter, or airplane. Similarly, a wireless terminal in V2X communication can be an in-vehicle device, a complete vehicle device, an in-vehicle module, a vehicle, or a ship. A wireless terminal in industrial control can be a camera, a robot, or a robotic arm. Wireless terminals in a smart home can include televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes.

[0069] It should be noted that the terminal device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit in the aforementioned devices or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitation. It should also be noted that, in this application, when referring to a terminal device, it can refer to the terminal device itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the terminal device that performs the method provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitation.

[0070] Network devices can refer to devices used to build and manage wireless networks. Examples of network devices include: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi system, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, wireless controller in a CRAN scenario, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and receiving point (TRP), etc.

[0071] In some possible implementations, network equipment can refer to network devices in a 5G mobile communication system. For example, a next-generation NodeB (gNB), TRP, or TP in an NR system; or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system; or, network equipment can also be network nodes constituting a gNB or transmission point. Examples include centralized units (CU), distributed units (DU), centralized unit control planes (CU-CP), centralized unit user planes (CU-UP), or radio units (RU), etc. CU and DU can be set up separately or included in the same network element. For example, BBU and RU can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), or remote radio head (RRH). Alternatively, network equipment can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in V2X technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0072] It should be noted that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). This application does not impose any specific limitations on these details. Any of the units CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0073] Furthermore, network equipment can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned devices or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should be noted that, in this application, the term "network equipment" can refer to either the network equipment itself or the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the network equipment that performs the methods provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0074] The information transmission method provided in this application can be applied to network devices or user equipment in a communication system (such as the communication system shown in Figure 1). To facilitate a complete understanding of this solution, the information transmission method is described below from the perspective of interaction between user equipment and network devices.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flowchart illustrating an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application. In this method, some steps (such as S202) are executed by the user equipment side, while other steps are executed by the network device side (such as S201 and S203).

[0076] The user equipment side can refer to the user equipment itself or the communication module within the user equipment, or the circuitry or chip within the user equipment responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip or system-in-package chip containing a modem core). The user equipment can be a device or apparatus with chips, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned devices or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should be noted that, in this application, the term "user equipment" can refer to either the user equipment itself or the chips, functional modules, or integrated circuits within the user equipment that implement the methods provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0077] The term "network device" can refer to a network device or a communication module within a network device, or a circuit or chip within a network device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core). Specifically, a network device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned devices or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should be noted that, in this application, the term "network device" can refer to either the network device itself or the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the network device that performs the methods provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0078] As shown in Figure 2, the method may include the following steps.

[0079] S201, The network device sends the first information to the user equipment.

[0080] This first piece of information can be used to indicate K locations. Here, K is any positive number, such as 1, 2, 3, etc. These K locations can correspond to signal reflection areas within the cell. For example, these K locations can be the locations of signal reflection areas within the cell. The signal reflection areas within the cell can refer to areas capable of reflecting wireless signals, such as walls, data structures, buildings, the ground, etc., without specific limitations.

[0081] The first information can indicate K locations in various ways, such as direct or indirect indication. For example, the first information may include K sets of coordinates, each corresponding to a location. Thus, K sets of coordinates can indicate K locations. The coordinate system used for the K sets of coordinates can be a predefined coordinate system of the network device and user equipment, such as a latitude and longitude coordinate system, or a coordinate system within the cell (e.g., a coordinate system with the network device in the cell as a reference point), etc., and is not limited here. Another example is that the first information may also include K directions, each pointing to a signal reflection area. Thus, K directions can indicate the locations of K signal reflection areas. It should be understood that the above is merely an illustrative example; the first information can also indicate the aforementioned K locations in other ways, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0082] It should be understood that K locations correspond to K signal reflection areas. In some possible implementations, some or all of these K signal reflection areas can satisfy the following condition (referred to as the first screening condition in subsequent embodiments for ease of explanation): after the signal transmitted by the base station is reflected by the signal reflection area, the coverage area of ​​the signal includes the current location of the user equipment. In this way, it can be ensured that the signal transmitted by the network device to the signal reflection area that satisfies the first screening condition can be received by the current user equipment, thereby improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0083] In other possible implementations, the network device can also predict the location of the user equipment in a future time period based on the user equipment's location trajectory (hereinafter referred to as the predicted location for ease of explanation). In this way, some or all of the K signal reflection regions can satisfy the following condition (hereinafter referred to as the second screening condition for ease of explanation): the signal transmitted by the base station, after being reflected by the signal reflection region, covers an area including the predicted location of the user equipment. This ensures that the signal transmitted by the network device to the signal reflection region that satisfies the second screening condition can be received by the moving user equipment, thereby improving signal transmission efficiency. The method by which the network device determines the predicted location can refer to relevant technical solutions, and this application does not specifically limit this method.

[0084] In some other possible implementations, some or all of the above K signal reflection regions may satisfy the following condition (referred to as the third screening condition in subsequent embodiments for ease of explanation): the frequency of use of the beam direction of the base station pointing to the signal reflection region in cell communication is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold (e.g., 50%), and / or, the total throughput contribution to cell communication is greater than or equal to a preset contribution threshold (e.g., 50%). The frequency of use in cell communication can refer to the frequency of use in all beam directions or the frequency of use in the beam direction corresponding to the non-direct path; this is not limited here. For example, if the network device transmits beams 100 times in the beam direction corresponding to the non-direct path, including 50 transmissions in beam direction X, then the frequency of use in beam direction X is 50%. Furthermore, the total throughput contribution to cell communication can refer to the total throughput contribution in the beam direction corresponding to the non-direct path or the total throughput contribution in all beam directions; this is not limited here.

[0085] For ease of explanation, the following embodiments use the frequency of use as the frequency of use in the beam direction corresponding to the non-direct path and the total throughput contribution as the total throughput contribution in the beam direction corresponding to the non-direct path as an example, which will not be elaborated further.

[0086] As an example, the signal reflection areas corresponding to the K locations can satisfy the first and third screening conditions mentioned above. This ensures that the beam direction determined by the network device can cover the user equipment after reflection, and has a high usage frequency or high throughput contribution, effectively improving signal transmission efficiency. In other examples, the signal reflection areas corresponding to the K locations can also satisfy the second and third screening conditions mentioned above. This ensures that the beam direction determined by the network device can cover the moving user equipment after reflection, and has a high usage frequency or high throughput contribution, effectively improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0087] In this embodiment, the aforementioned usage frequency can also be replaced with usage frequency, and the preset frequency threshold can also be replaced with a preset frequency threshold. Similarly, the aforementioned total throughput contribution can be replaced with total throughput, and the preset contribution threshold can also be replaced with a preset throughput threshold. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations in this regard.

[0088] For ease of understanding, Figure 3 is provided as an example to further illustrate the third filtering condition. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the beam direction in a cell provided in this application. As shown in Figure 3, the signal reflection areas in the cell include a first signal reflection area 301 and a second signal reflection area 302. The beam direction of the network device 303 pointing towards the first signal reflection area 301 is the first beam direction 304, and the beam direction of the network device 303 pointing towards the second signal reflection area 302 is the second beam direction 305.

[0089] In this example, the signal reflection regions corresponding to the K locations can be signal reflection regions that satisfy the first and third filtering conditions described above. Specifically, the first signal reflection region 301 and the second signal reflection region 302 satisfy the first filtering condition.

[0090] For example, the third screening condition is that the frequency of use of the beam direction of the base station pointing to that location in cell communication is greater than or equal to 50%. The frequency of use of the first beam direction 304 in cell communication is 10%, and the frequency of use of the second beam direction 305 in cell communication is 80%. Then, the above K locations may include the location of the second signal reflection area 302, but do not include the location of the first signal reflection area 301.

[0091] For example, the third screening condition is that the beam direction of the base station pointing to that location contributes more than or equal to 50% to the total throughput of cell communication. The first beam direction 304 contributes 10% to the total throughput of cell communication, and the second beam direction 305 contributes 70% to the total throughput of cell communication. Then, the above K locations may include the location of the second signal reflection area 302, but do not include the location of the first signal reflection area 301.

[0092] For example, the third screening criterion is that the frequency of the beam direction pointing to that location from the base station in cell communication is greater than or equal to 50%, and its contribution to the total throughput of cell communication is greater than or equal to 50%. The first beam direction 304 has a frequency of 30% in cell communication and contributes 50% to the total throughput of cell communication, while the second beam direction 305 contributes 50% to the total throughput of cell communication. Therefore, the aforementioned K locations may include the location of the second signal reflection area 302, but not the location of the first signal reflection area 301.

[0093] In the embodiments of this application, the signal reflection region that satisfies the above-mentioned third screening condition can be determined in various ways. The process of determining the signal reflection region that satisfies the above-mentioned third screening condition can be completed in a network device, or in a device other than a network device, or partially in a network device and partially in other devices; this application does not limit this. For ease of explanation, the following embodiments use the example of completion in a network device, and will not be elaborated further thereafter.

[0094] In some possible implementations, the network device can statistically analyze the usage frequency of each beam direction in the cell, and / or the contribution of each beam direction to the total throughput of cell communication. The network device can then determine the signal reflection areas that meet the third screening criteria based on the statistical results.

[0095] In some other possible implementations, the third screening condition is that when the frequency of the beam direction of the base station pointing to the signal reflection area in cell communication is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, the network device can also calculate all possible reflection paths based on the location of the network device in the cell, the spatial location of the signal reflection area in the cell, and the location of any user equipment that has appeared in the cell. A possible reflection path refers to a reflection path with the location of the network device in the cell and the location of any user equipment that has appeared in the cell as its two endpoints, and the signal reflection area as the reflection point. For example, taking Figure 4 as an example, the location of network device 401 in the cell, the location of the signal reflection area 402, and the location of any user equipment that has appeared in the cell (referred to as location 403) constitute a reflection relationship (i.e., the signal sent by network device 401 can reach location 403 after being reflected by signal reflection area 402, or in other words, the incident angle 404 in Figure 4 is equal to the exit angle 405). Therefore, the path from the location of network device 401 to the signal reflection area 402 (or the path from the location of network device 401 to the signal reflection area 402, and then to location 403) is a possible reflection path. Then, the network device can count the frequency of each signal reflection region in all possible reflection paths, and determine the signal reflection regions whose frequency is greater than the frequency threshold as signal reflection regions that meet the third screening condition.

[0096] Optionally, the network device can input the location of the network device in the cell, the spatial location of the signal reflection area in the cell, and the location of the user equipment that has appeared in the cell into a pre-configured artificial intelligence (AI) prediction model. The AI ​​prediction model then calculates possible reflection paths, counts the frequency of occurrence of each signal reflection area in all possible reflection paths, and determines the signal reflection area that meets the third screening condition. This application does not impose specific limitations on this process.

[0097] In other examples, the signal reflection regions corresponding to the K locations can also be signal reflection regions determined through modeling simulation, online measurement, or other methods. Examples are provided below.

[0098] For example, modeling and simulation can refer to network devices modeling and simulating the cell environment to obtain suitable locations within the cell for signal reflection. A suitable location for signal reflection means that placing a signal reflection area at that location ensures that the signal power of user equipment within the coverage area after reflection of the beam sent by the network device to that area is greater than a pre-set power threshold (which can be defined according to requirements). Then, reflective surfaces, such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), can be manually placed at these suitable locations. This application does not limit the type of reflective surface.

[0099] For example, online measurement can refer to a network device sending measurement configurations to multiple user devices in the beam directions corresponding to various non-direct paths, instructing these user devices to provide measurement parameters (such as reference signal receiving power (RSRP)). Then, the network device can determine the signal reflection area that meets preset conditions (such as the measurement parameters exceeding a threshold defined by the user as needed) based on these measurement parameters.

[0100] Network devices can establish management data for signal reflection areas (such as the signal reflection areas determined by the implementation methods described in the foregoing embodiments) to manage signal reflection areas in the cell. The management data can take various forms, such as databases or tables, and is not limited thereto.

[0101] Taking the management data as a table as an example. For instance, the table of signal reflection areas can be shown in Table 1 below.

[0102] Table 1

[0103] In this context, ID refers to the identifier or index of the signal reflection area. Location refers to the spatial location of the signal reflection area (including but not limited to latitude, longitude, and altitude information). Solid angle range refers to the solid angle range from the network device to the signal reflection area (including but not limited to elevation and azimuth ranges). Total throughput contribution refers to the total throughput contribution of the beam direction corresponding to the signal reflection area to cell communication. Coverage area refers to the area effectively covered by the beam sent by the network device to the signal reflection area after reflection. For an explanation of effective coverage, please refer to the aforementioned terminology descriptions, which will not be repeated here. Channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) refers to the CSI-RS of the beam direction corresponding to the signal reflection area. Spatial resource management information may include the oversampling factor of the precoded codebook for the beam direction corresponding to the signal reflection area (e.g., O1 and O2 correspond to the oversampling factors in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively), the allocated mask (used to indicate the available oversampled beam directions), the number of user equipment, time-domain resource allocation information, frequency-domain resource allocation information, channel utilization, etc.

[0104] For example, the table of airspace resource management information in Table 1 can be in the form shown in Table 2 below.

[0105] Table 2

[0106] In some possible implementations, the network device can manage signal reflection areas in the cell using Tables 1 and 2. For example, based on the location of the user equipment, the network device filters out signal reflection areas that meet the first and third filtering conditions in Tables 1 and 2, and sends the location of the filtered signal reflection areas to the user equipment (i.e., the network device sends the first information to the user equipment in S201).

[0107] After receiving the first information sent by the network device, the user equipment can select L locations from the K locations indicated in the first information to send back to the network device.

[0108] S202, The user equipment sends the second information to the network equipment.

[0109] The second piece of information indicates L of the K positions. It should be understood that L is a positive number less than or equal to K.

[0110] Similar to the first piece of information, the second piece of information can indicate L locations through coordinates, directions, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0111] In some possible implementations, the user equipment can select the L locations from the K locations based on its own location. For example, the user equipment can select the L locations that are closest to its own location from the K locations.

[0112] S203, The network device sends third information to the user equipment.

[0113] The third information indicates N positions, which are determined based on the second information. These N positions are used to determine the precoding vector. Here, N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0114] Precoding vectors are used to achieve beamforming. Specifically, by weighting the signal using precoding vectors, the signal amplitude and phase of each antenna element in the antenna array can be controlled, thereby forming an enhanced signal beam in a specific direction. In other words, user equipment and network equipment can transmit or receive signals based on the beam direction determined by the precoding vectors.

[0115] It should be noted that, due to the different locations of the user equipment and the network equipment, the precoding vector determined by the user equipment based on N locations (referred to as the first precoding vector) is different from the precoding vector determined by the network equipment based on N locations (referred to as the second precoding vector). Correspondingly, the beam direction determined by the user equipment based on the first precoding vector (referred to as beam direction 1) is also different from the beam direction determined by the network equipment based on the second precoding vector (referred to as beam direction 2). Specifically, beam direction 1 points from the user equipment to the signal reflection areas corresponding to the N locations, while beam direction 2 points from the network equipment to the signal reflection areas corresponding to the N locations.

[0116] For example, N=1, and the N locations include location X in Figure 5. Then, the beam direction 1 determined by user equipment 501 based on location X points from the location of user equipment 501 to location X, and the beam direction 2 determined by network device 502 based on location X points from the location of network device 502 to location X.

[0117] It can be seen that for one or more identical signal reflection areas, beam direction 1 and beam direction 2 are in one-to-one correspondence. In the embodiments of this application, when referring to the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector, it may refer to beam direction 1 or beam direction 2. For ease of explanation, in the following embodiments, beam direction 1 is used to indicate the beam direction from the user equipment to the signal reflection area, and beam direction 2 is used to indicate the beam direction from the network device to the signal reflection area.

[0118] In some possible implementations, the N locations can be used to determine a precoding vector, i.e., to determine a multi-directional beam. The determined beam direction can include all directions from which the network device points to the N locations. This facilitates multi-stream transmission between the network device and the user equipment.

[0119] In other possible implementations, N positions can also be used to determine N sets of precoding vectors (each position is used to determine one set of precoding vectors), that is, to determine N beam directions. This facilitates multi-stream transmission between network devices and user equipment. Similar to the first information, the third information can indicate the N positions through coordinates, directions, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0120] The process by which a network device determines N locations based on the second information is described below. In the embodiments of this application, the N locations determined by the network device can be a subset of the aforementioned L locations, can intersect with the aforementioned L locations, or can be completely different from the aforementioned L locations. No specific limitations are imposed here.

[0121] As described in the preceding embodiments, the L locations are a subset of the K locations, and the K locations represent the signal reflection areas. Network devices can manage the signal reflection areas within a cell using tables such as Tables 1 and 2. Thus, in some possible implementations, the network device can select N beam directions (beam direction 2) corresponding to the L locations, choosing those with a smaller number of user devices, to determine the N locations. Here, the beam direction corresponding to a location refers to the beam direction the network device points towards that location.

[0122] Alternatively, the third information may also include the first time period. The third information further indicates the transmission and reception of signals in the beam direction (beam direction 1) corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period. Thus, the network device can select N beam directions (beam directions 2) corresponding to the L locations during the first time period, where the number of user devices is less than a pre-set threshold, thereby determining the N locations. It should be understood that the N locations in this implementation are a subset of the aforementioned L locations.

[0123] In some other possible implementations, the network device may also select N beam directions (beam directions 2) from the L locations that have a larger angular interval than the beam directions of the configured resources, thereby determining the N locations. It should be understood that the N locations in this implementation are a subset of the aforementioned L locations.

[0124] In some possible implementations, the second information fed back by the user equipment to the network device may include scores corresponding to L locations. These scores can be used to indicate the user equipment's requirement for the beam direction (beam direction 1) corresponding to that location. Thus, the network device can select N locations with higher scores from the L locations. It should be understood that the N locations in this implementation are a subset of the aforementioned L locations.

[0125] In other possible implementations, the network device can perform a weighted summation of scores for the number of user equipment in each beam direction (beam direction 2) within the cell, the angular interval between the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to each signal reflection area and the beam direction (beam direction 2) of the configured resources, and L locations. Based on the weighted summation result, N locations are selected, such as the N locations with the larger weighted summation result. For example, the weight of the above score can be greater than the weight of the above angular interval, and the weight of the above angular interval can be greater than the weight of the number of user equipment. Thus, the N locations ultimately allocated by the network device to the user equipment are beneficial to meeting the needs of the user equipment. It should be understood that the N locations in this implementation may overlap with the above L locations, or they may be completely different from the above L locations.

[0126] After the network device sends third information to the user equipment, the user equipment can determine the precoding vector based on the N positions in the third information, and then adjust to the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector. It should be understood that the beam direction corresponding to this precoding vector is beam direction 1, pointing from the user equipment's position to the signal reflection areas corresponding to the N positions. The beam direction corresponding to this precoding vector (beam direction 1) is the beam direction on the signal reflection path. In other words, this embodiment introduces a signal reflection path that includes signal reflection areas into the signal transmission path. This is beneficial for increasing the number of signal transmission layers, improving signal transmission efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of the communication system.

[0127] After receiving the third information, the user equipment can transmit a channel sounding reference signal (SRS) in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector (beam direction 1). It should be understood that, correspondingly, the network equipment can receive the SRS in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector (beam direction 2).

[0128] After transmitting the third information, the network device can transmit channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) in the beam directions (beam direction 2) corresponding to N locations. Correspondingly, the user equipment can receive CSI-RS in the beam direction (beam direction 1) corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0129] In addition, in this embodiment, the network device can also perform beam management on the beam direction (beam direction 2) in each reflection path. The object of beam management can be the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector, or it can be the beam direction of other network devices pointing to the signal reflection area; no limitation is made here. For ease of explanation, the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector will be used as an example below.

[0130] In some possible implementations, the network device can continuously or periodically detect the number of user devices in each beam direction (beam direction 2).

[0131] For example, when the number of user devices (User Devices) in the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector exceeds a pre-set threshold (which can be defined based on requirements and is not limited here), the network device can send a fourth message to the User Devices (User Devices) to indicate an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the number of User Devices in the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number. After the update, the number of User Devices in the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number. The first number is greater than both the threshold and the second number. This balances communication resources, reduces interference between User Devices in the beam direction (the number of User Devices in the adjusted beam direction is reduced), and thus improves the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0132] For example, when the number of user equipment (UFOs) along the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector exceeds a pre-set threshold, the network device can send a fifth message instructing the UFOs to update the precoding vector. Before the update, the area covered by the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range. After the update, the area covered by the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range. The second range is a subset of the first range.

[0133] In other words, when the load on the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to N locations is high, the network device can perform beam subdivision, dividing the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to N locations into multiple beam directions. Correspondingly, beam direction 1 corresponding to N locations is also subdivided into multiple beam directions. The network device can instruct user equipment to switch to a specific subdivided beam direction 1. This helps reduce interference between user equipment when the load is high, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0134] The network device can also send a sixth message to the user equipment when the number of user equipments in the beam direction (beam direction 2) corresponding to the precoding vector changes. This sixth message may include an updated oversampled value. This sixth message can be used to instruct the user equipment to perform beam measurement in the beam direction (beam direction 1) corresponding to the precoding vector using the updated oversampled value. Specifically, when the number of user equipments increases, the updated oversampled value is also larger than the original oversampled value. When the number of user equipments decreases, the updated oversampled value is also smaller than the original oversampled value. In other words, the updated oversampled value is related to the number of user equipments.

[0135] In some possible implementations, network devices can also compute a precoding matrix for user equipment sharing the same beam direction using joint precoding techniques. This helps reduce interference between user equipment in the same beam direction, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the communication system.

[0136] Based on the above description, it should be understood that the information transmission method provided in this application can determine the beam direction (i.e., the precoding vector) by the location of the signal reflection area, thereby introducing a path containing the signal reflection area (i.e., the signal reflection path) into the signal transmission path. This is beneficial for increasing the number of signal transmission layers, improving signal transmission efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of the communication system. Furthermore, this method can also directly determine the signal transmission path through information interaction between network devices and user devices, avoiding the overhead of beam scanning.

[0137] This application also provides a resource configuration method for network devices to configure resources for direct and reflected paths. The method includes the following steps: The network device sends seventh information to the user equipment. The seventh information indicates signal transmission and reception in a first beam direction, a second beam direction, and a third beam direction. The first beam direction is the beam direction corresponding to the direct signal transmission area in the cell, and the second and third beam directions are the beam directions corresponding to the signal reflection areas in the cell. The second beam direction satisfies any of the following conditions: its usage frequency in cell communication is greater than a preset threshold, and its total throughput contribution to cell communication is greater than a preset contribution threshold. The third beam direction does not satisfy any of the above conditions. The network device configures resources in each beam direction based on the priority of each beam direction. The priority of the first beam direction is greater than the priority of the second beam direction, and the priority of the second beam direction is greater than the priority of the third beam direction.

[0138] In other words, when configuring resources for beam directions along a direct path, prioritizing beam directions that meet the third screening condition and those that do not, network devices can first prioritize configuring beam directions along the direct path, and then prioritize configuring beam directions that meet the third screening condition. This helps to increase the number of signal transmission layers, improve signal transmission efficiency, and enhance the overall performance of the communication system.

[0139] It should be noted that some optional features in the various embodiments of this application may not depend on other features in certain scenarios, or may be combined with other features in certain scenarios, without limitation.

[0140] The solutions in the various embodiments of this application can be used in reasonable combinations, and the explanations or descriptions of various terms, similar operations, or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the various embodiments, without limitation.

[0141] This application also provides a communication device. Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application embodiment. This communication device can be used to execute the processes performed by the network device or user equipment in the embodiment shown in Figure 2; please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments for details.

[0142] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device may include a transceiver unit 601. Optionally, the communication device may also include a processing unit 602 (shown in dashed boxes in the figure).

[0143] The processing unit 602 is used for data processing. The transceiver unit 601 can implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 601 can also be called a communication interface or a communication module.

[0144] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a storage module (not shown in the figure), which can be used to store computer programs or instructions. The processing unit 602 can read the computer programs or instructions in the storage module so that the communication device 600 can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0145] The communication device 600 can be used to perform the actions performed by the user equipment or network device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 600 can be a user equipment or a component configurable on a terminal device, a network device or a component configurable on a network device. The processing unit 602 is used to perform processing-related operations on the user equipment side or processing-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 601 is used to perform sending and receiving-related operations on the user equipment side or sending and receiving-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments.

[0146] Optionally, the transceiver unit 601 may include a sending unit 611 and a receiving unit 621. The sending unit 611 is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving unit 621 is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0147] It should be noted that the communication device 600 may include a transmitting unit 611 but not a receiving unit 621. Alternatively, the communication device 600 may include a receiving unit 621 but not a transmitting unit 611. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by the communication device 600 includes both transmitting and receiving actions.

[0148] In some possible implementations, the receiving unit 621 can be used to receive first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in the cell. The transmitting unit 611 can be used to transmit second information. The second information indicates L locations out of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The receiving unit 621 can also be used to receive third information. The third information indicates N locations, which are determined based on the second information. The N locations are used to determine the precoding vector, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0149] Optionally, the receiving unit 621 is further configured to receive fourth information. The fourth information is used to indicate an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number. After the update, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number. The first number is greater than a preset threshold number and the second number.

[0150] Optionally, the receiving unit 621 is further configured to receive fifth information. The fifth information is used to indicate an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range, and the number of user devices along the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is greater than a preset threshold. After the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range. The second range is a subset of the first range.

[0151] Optionally, the receiving unit 621 is further configured to receive sixth information. The sixth information is used to instruct beam measurement to be performed on the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector using updated oversampled values. The updated oversampled values ​​are associated with the number of user equipment in the beam direction.

[0152] Optionally, the transmitting unit 611 is also configured to transmit a channel sounding reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0153] Optionally, the receiving unit 621 is also configured to receive a channel state information reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0154] Optionally, the third information also includes a first time period. The third information further indicates signal transmission and reception in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period. Specifically, during the first time period, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is less than a preset threshold number.

[0155] Optionally, the second information includes scores corresponding to L locations. The N locations are determined based on the scores, the angular interval between the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector and the beam direction of the configured resources, and the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0156] In some other possible implementations, the transmitting unit 611 can be used to transmit first information. The first information indicates K locations. The K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in the cell. The receiving unit 621 can be used to receive second information. The second information indicates L locations out of the K locations. L is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The transmitting unit 611 can also be used to transmit third information. The third information indicates N locations, which are determined based on the second information. The N locations are used to determine the precoding vector, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0157] Optionally, when the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector exceeds a preset threshold, the transmitting unit 611 can transmit fourth information. The fourth information indicates an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number. After the update, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number. The first number is greater than both the threshold and the second number.

[0158] Optionally, when the number of user equipments in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector exceeds a preset threshold, the transmitting unit 611 can also transmit fifth information. The fifth information indicates an update to the precoding vector. Before the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range. After the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range. The second range is a subset of the first range.

[0159] Optionally, when the number of user equipments in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector changes, the transmitting unit 611 is further configured to transmit sixth information. The sixth information is used to instruct beam measurement to be performed on the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector using updated oversampling values. The updated oversampling values ​​are associated with the number of user equipments in the beam direction.

[0160] Optionally, the receiving unit 621 is also configured to receive a channel sounding reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0161] Optionally, the transmitting unit 611 is also configured to transmit a channel state information reference signal in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0162] Optionally, the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector satisfies any of the following conditions: the frequency of use in cell communication is greater than a preset frequency threshold, and the contribution to the total throughput of cell communication is greater than a preset contribution threshold.

[0163] Optionally, the third information also includes a first time period. The third information further indicates signal transmission and reception in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period. Specifically, during the first time period, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is less than a preset threshold number.

[0164] Optionally, the second information includes scores corresponding to L locations. The N locations are determined based on the scores, the angular interval between the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector and the beam direction of the configured resources, and the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

[0165] Optionally, the user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector calculates the precoding matrix using joint precoding techniques.

[0166] In some possible implementations, the transmitting unit 611 is also used to transmit seventh information. The seventh information is used to indicate signal transmission and reception in the first beam direction, the second beam direction, and the third beam direction. The first beam direction is the beam direction corresponding to the direct signal area in the cell, and the second and third beam directions are the beam directions corresponding to the signal reflection areas in the cell. The second beam direction satisfies any of the following conditions: its usage frequency in cell communication is greater than a preset threshold, and its total throughput contribution to cell communication is greater than a preset contribution threshold. The third beam direction does not satisfy any of these conditions. The processing unit 602 is also used to configure resources in each beam direction based on the priority of each beam direction. The priority of the first beam direction is greater than the priority of the second beam direction, and the priority of the second beam direction is greater than the priority of the third beam direction.

[0167] It should be understood that each of the above steps can be applied to the information transmission method provided in the embodiments of this application, and the beneficial effects produced are similar, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0168] The processing unit 602 in the above embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuitry. The transceiver unit 601 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuitry. The storage module can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0169] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 700 may include one or more processors 701 (one processor is used as an example in the figure). Optionally, the communication device may also include one or more memories 702 coupled to the processor 701 (one memory is used as an example in the figure, indicated by a dashed box). The memory 702 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, and the processor 701 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 702, so that the method in the above method embodiment is executed.

[0170] Alternatively, the memory 702 may be integrated with the processor 701 or set separately.

[0171] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver 703 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 701 controls the transceiver 703 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0172] As one option, the communication device 700 is used to implement the operations performed by the user equipment or network equipment in the above method embodiments.

[0173] For example, processor 701 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by user equipment or network equipment in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 703 is used to implement transmission-reception-related operations performed by user equipment or network equipment in the above method embodiments.

[0174] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 800 can be a user equipment, a processor or chip of a user equipment, a network device, or a processor or chip of a network device. The communication device 800 can be used to perform the operations performed by the user equipment or the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0175] As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 800 includes a processor 801 and a transceiver 803. Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a memory 802.

[0176] The memory 802 can store computer program code or instructions, and the transceiver 803 includes a transmitter 831, a receiver 823, a radio frequency circuit (not shown in the figure), an antenna 833, and input / output devices (not shown in the figure).

[0177] The processor 801 is mainly used for processing communication protocols and data, controlling user equipment or network devices, executing software programs, and processing software program data. The memory 802 is mainly used for storing software programs and data. The radio frequency (RF) circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna 833 is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used for receiving user input data and outputting data to the user. It should be noted that user equipment or network devices may not have input / output devices.

[0178] When information needs to be sent, processor 801 performs baseband processing on the information to be sent and outputs a baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then processes the baseband signal and transmits it outward as an electromagnetic wave through antenna 833. When data needs to be received, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through antenna 833, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs it to processor 801. Processor 801 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data. For ease of explanation, Figure 8 only shows one memory, processor, and transceiver. In actual products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be set up independently of the processor or integrated with the processor; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0179] In the embodiments of this application, the antenna 833 with transceiver function and the radio frequency circuit can be regarded as transceiver unit, and the processor 801 with processing function can be regarded as processing unit.

[0180] For example, processor 801 may also be referred to as a processing board, processing module, processing device, etc. Transceiver 803 may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver device, etc.

[0181] The processor 80 is used to perform processing actions on the user equipment side or network device side in the embodiment shown in FIG2 above, and the transceiver 803 is used to perform sending and receiving actions on the user equipment side or network device side in the embodiment shown in FIG2 above.

[0182] It should be noted that the communication device 800 can also be a chip. Optionally, the chip may include a processor and a transceiver. The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processor may be a processing module integrated on the chip, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit. In some other possible implementations, the chip may also include a memory. The transmitting operation of the user equipment or network device in the above method embodiments can be understood as the output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the user equipment or network device in the above method embodiments can be understood as the input of the chip.

[0183] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when run on a processor, implement some or all of the operations in any of the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0184] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when run on a processor, implements some or all of the operations in any method of any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0185] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method provided in the embodiment shown in FIG2 above.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in the embodiment shown in FIG2 above, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in the embodiment shown in FIG2 above.

[0187] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0188] Optionally, the chip device further includes a memory storing computer programs or computer instructions.

[0189] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program that controls the method provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 2. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0190] Furthermore, the communication device mentioned above can refer to a terminal device, a communication module of a terminal device, a network device, a communication module of a network device, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions in a terminal device or network device. The terminal device or network device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit within the aforementioned device or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitations on its application.

[0191] This application also provides a system, including one or more of the above-described devices, apparatuses, computer-readable storage media, computer program products, chips, or chip systems.

[0192] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant content in any of the communication devices provided above can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0193] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0194] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0195] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0196] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contribution of the technical solution of this application, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0197] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An information transmission method, characterized in that, include: Receive the first message; The first information is used to indicate K locations; the K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in the cell; Send a second message; The second information is used to indicate L positions out of the K positions; where L is a positive integer less than or equal to K; Receive third-party information; The third information is used to indicate N positions, which are determined based on the second information. The N positions are used to determine the precoding vector, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information; the fourth information is used to indicate updating the precoding vector; Before the update, the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number; after the update, the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number; the first number is greater than a preset number threshold and the second number.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the fifth information; the fifth information is used to indicate the update of the precoding vector; Before the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range, and the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is greater than a preset threshold. After the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range, which is a subset of the first range.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a sixth message; the sixth message is used to instruct that beam measurement be performed on the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector using an updated oversampling value; wherein the updated oversampling value is associated with the number of user equipment in the beam direction.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, After receiving the third information, the method further includes: A channel sounding reference signal is transmitted in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, After receiving the third information, the method further includes: Channel state information reference signal is received in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector satisfies any of the following conditions: its usage frequency in cell communication is greater than a preset frequency threshold, and its contribution to the total throughput of the cell communication is greater than a preset contribution threshold.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The third information also includes a first time period; the third information is further used to indicate the transmission and reception of signals in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period; wherein, during the first time period, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is less than a preset number threshold.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The second information includes the scores corresponding to the L locations; the N locations are determined based on the scores, the angular interval between the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector and the beam direction of the configured resources, and the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

10. An information transmission method, characterized in that, include: Send the first message; The first information is used to indicate K locations; the K locations correspond to signal reflection areas in the cell; Receive the second message; The second information is used to indicate L positions out of the K positions; where L is a positive integer less than or equal to K; Send a third message; The third information is used to indicate N positions, which are determined based on the second information. The N positions are used to determine the precoding vector, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is greater than a preset threshold, a fourth message is sent; the fourth message is used to indicate the update of the precoding vector. Wherein, before the update, the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first number; after the update, the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second number; the first number is greater than the number threshold and the second number.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is greater than a preset threshold, a fifth message is sent; the fifth message is used to indicate the updating of the precoding vector. Before the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a first range; after the update, the range covered by the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is a second range; the second range is a subset of the first range.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector changes, a sixth message is sent; the sixth message is used to instruct the beam measurement to be performed on the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector using an updated oversampling value; wherein the updated oversampling value is associated with the number of user equipment in the beam direction.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, After sending the third information, the method further includes: The channel sounding reference signal is received in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10-14, characterized in that, After sending the third information, the method further includes: Channel state information reference signals are transmitted in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-15, characterized in that, The beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector satisfies any of the following conditions: its usage frequency in cell communication is greater than a preset frequency threshold, and its contribution to the total throughput of the cell communication is greater than a preset contribution threshold.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10-16, characterized in that, The third information also includes a first time period; the third information is further used to indicate the transmission and reception of signals in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector during the first time period; wherein, during the first time period, the number of user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector is less than a preset number threshold.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10-17, characterized in that, The second information includes the scores corresponding to the L locations; the N locations are determined based on the scores, the angular interval between the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector and the beam direction of the configured resources, and the number of user devices in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector.

19. The method according to any one of claims 10-18, characterized in that, The user equipment in the beam direction corresponding to the precoding vector calculates the precoding matrix using joint precoding techniques.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-9, or includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 10-19.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors; the one or more processors are configured to execute computer programs or instructions to implement the method of any one of claims 1-9 or the method of any one of claims 10-19.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a memory and one or more processors; the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; the one or more processors are used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9 or the method as described in any one of claims 10-19.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1-9 or the method of any one of claims 10-19 to be implemented.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1-9 or the method of any one of claims 10-19 to be implemented.

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