Communication method, device, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, a device, a storage medium, and a program product. A network device comprises a first module and a second module. In the method, the network device acquires first indication information, the first indication information comprising position information of a direct current (DC) subcarrier of the first module and position information of a DC subcarrier of the second module. In addition, the network device sends the first indication information to a terminal device. In this way, the network device can indicate, to the terminal device, the position of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the position of the DC subcarrier of the second module. The first indication information facilitates processing of the position of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the position of the DC subcarrier of the second module by the terminal device, thereby ensuring the reliability of signal reception by the terminal device.

Description

A method, apparatus, storage medium, and program product for communication.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510318133.1, filed on March 17, 2025, entitled “A method, apparatus, storage medium and program product for communication”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of this application generally relate to the field of communications, and more specifically to a method, apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product for communication. Background Technology

[0003] Mobile or wireless communication networks can be viewed as facilities that enable wireless communication between two or more communication devices or provide wireless access to data networks for communication devices. To achieve interconnection and interoperability between communication devices such as network devices and terminal devices, corresponding communication standards have been developed, such as those established by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). rd Standards developed by the Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) include those for the fifth generation (5G). th Generation (5G) standards, future wireless communication standards, etc.

[0004] In communication systems, energy saving on the network side and reducing energy consumption on the terminal side have received continuous attention, and research on this topic is increasing. For example, in the sixth generation (6G)... th In 6G systems, multiple communication modules can be configured on the network and / or terminal sides, such as main modules and low-power modules. Additionally, in various communication scenarios, intermediate frequency (IF) or radio frequency (RF) local oscillator leakage may exist at network and terminal devices, which can generate significant noise or interference at the transmitted signal carrier frequency. Therefore, related technologies need to be optimized. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this application provide a technical solution for communication, which indicates the position of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the second module, thereby ensuring the reliability of signal reception at the receiving end.

[0006] According to the first aspect, a communication method is provided. The subject executing this method can be a communication device or a chip applied within the communication device. Unless otherwise specified, "communication device" in this application can refer to the communication device itself, a component within the communication device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. The following description uses a communication device as the subject of execution.

[0007] In the communication method according to the first aspect, for example, a first communication device of a network device includes a first module and a second module. The network device acquires first indication information, which includes position information of the DC subcarriers of the first module and the DC subcarriers of the second module. Furthermore, the network device sends the first indication information to a terminal device. Thus, the network device can indicate to the terminal device, for example, the position of the DC subcarriers of the first module and the position of the DC subcarriers of the second module. Based on the first indication, the terminal device can process the DC subcarrier positions of the first and second modules, thereby reducing the impact of interference and ensuring the reliability of signal reception at the terminal device. Those skilled in the art will understand that the network device may include other devices such as relay devices, and the terminal device may also include other devices such as relay devices; this application does not limit this.

[0008] In some implementations, the network device sends a second indication message, which instructs the activation of either the DC subcarrier of the first module or the DC subcarrier of the second module. In this way, the terminal device can process the activated DC subcarrier of either the first or second module based on the activation indication from the network device, thereby reducing the impact of interference.

[0009] In some implementations, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the location information of a single DC subcarrier. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each of one or more carriers. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each of one or more configured frequency bands. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each of one or more configured downlink portion bandwidths (BWPs). Thus, for example, the DC subcarrier of the second module of LR can be flexibly configured for carriers, frequency bands, or BWPs, improving flexibility.

[0010] In some implementations, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes its frequency domain position. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the frequency domain offset between the DC subcarrier of the second module and the DC subcarrier of the first module. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the frequency domain offset between the DC subcarrier of the second module and the starting position of its frequency domain. In this way, the network device can accurately indicate the location of the DC subcarrier of the second module to the terminal device, facilitating accurate processing by the terminal device, improving processing efficiency, and reducing interference.

[0011] In some implementations, the frequency domain position includes the subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier of the second module. Alternatively or additionally, the frequency domain offset includes: an offset between two subcarrier numbers, where the offset is the offset between the DC subcarrier number of the second module and the DC subcarrier number of the first module, or the offset between the DC subcarrier number of the second module and the subcarrier number at the starting position of the second module's frequency domain. In this way, the network device can accurately indicate the position of the DC subcarrier of the second module to the terminal device, facilitating accurate processing by the terminal device, improving processing efficiency, and reducing interference.

[0012] In some implementations, the subcarrier numbering of the DC subcarrier of the second module is determined based on the subcarrier numbering of the first module. Alternatively or additionally, the subcarrier numbering of the DC subcarrier of the second module is determined based on the subcarrier numbering of the second module. Or, the subcarrier numbering of the DC subcarrier of the second module is determined based on the subcarrier numbering of the reference subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0013] In some implementations, the first indication information includes numbering information from a DC subcarrier numbering allocation table. The DC subcarrier numbering allocation table contains the correspondence between subcarrier numbers and their frequency domain positions. Thus, the DC subcarrier numbering allocation table can be used to efficiently and flexibly indicate the frequency domain position of the DC subcarriers, improving the indication efficiency of the first indication information.

[0014] In some implementations, the first instruction information can be higher-level signaling.

[0015] In some implementations, the DC subcarrier positions of the first module and the second module are the same. This simplifies the processing of the terminal equipment and improves processing efficiency.

[0016] In some implementations, the first indication information indicates the bandwidth of the second module, and the bandwidth of the second module is associated with a DC subcarrier numbering allocation table. Thus, by using a DC subcarrier numbering allocation table adapted to different bandwidths, the location information of the DC subcarriers can be accurately and efficiently indicated, improving the indication efficiency of the first indication information.

[0017] In some implementations, the second indication information uses 1 bit to indicate whether the DC subcarrier of the first module or the DC subcarrier of the second module is active. This allows the network device to efficiently indicate the active DC subcarrier to the terminal device, improving indication efficiency.

[0018] In some implementations, the second indication information can be physical layer signaling. This allows network devices to quickly indicate the active DC subcarrier to terminal devices, reducing indication latency.

[0019] In some implementations, the second indication information can be carried in the downlink control channel, or in a wake-up signal, or in a low-power signal.

[0020] In some implementations, the second indication information implicitly indicates that the terminal device uses either the first module or the second module. Alternatively or additionally, the second indication information implicitly indicates that the terminal device uses a carrier identifier or a sub-band identifier of a carrier. Thus, in addition to indicating the activation of the MR or LR DC subcarrier, the second indication information can carry more information implicitly, thereby enabling more flexible control of the terminal device.

[0021] In some implementations, the first module includes a main module, and the second module includes a low-power module. The main module can also be extended to represent a main radio (MR) module, and the low-power module can be extended to represent a low-power ratio (LR) module. In this way, network devices can flexibly select transmission modes according to service requirements, achieving energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0022] In some implementations, the first module includes the second module, which only supports narrowband transmission. This allows network devices to flexibly choose between broadband or narrowband transmission, achieving energy savings and reduced power consumption.

[0023] According to the second aspect, a communication method is provided. The subject executing this method can be a communication device or a chip applied within the communication device. Unless otherwise specified, "communication device" in this application can refer to the communication device itself, a component within the communication device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. The following description uses a communication device as the subject of execution.

[0024] In the communication method according to the second aspect, for example, the second communication device of the terminal device includes a third module and a fourth module. The terminal device acquires third indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the third module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. Furthermore, the terminal device sends the third indication information to the network device. Thus, the terminal device can indicate to the network device the position of the DC subcarrier of the third module and, for example, the position of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. Based on the third indication, the network device can process the DC subcarrier positions of the third and fourth modules, thereby reducing the impact of interference and ensuring the reliability of reception on the network device side. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terminal device may include other devices such as relay devices, and the network device may also include other devices such as relay devices; this application does not limit this.

[0025] In some implementations, the terminal device receives a fourth indication message, which instructs the activation of either the DC subcarrier of the third module or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. Thus, the terminal device can activate either the DC subcarrier of the third module or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module based on the activation indication from the network device and transmit a signal. The network device, in turn, processes the received and activated DC subcarrier or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module accordingly, thereby reducing the impact of interference.

[0026] In some implementations, the location information of the DC subcarriers of the fourth module includes the location information of the DC subcarriers in each uplink BWP of one or more uplink portion bandwidths (BWPs). Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarriers of the fourth module includes the location information of the DC subcarriers in each frequency band or each transmission bandwidth of the fourth module. Thus, for example, the DC subcarriers of the fourth module of an LR can be flexibly configured in uplink BWPs, frequency bands, or transmission bandwidths of the fourth module, improving flexibility.

[0027] In some implementations, the third indication information indicates the DC subcarrier positions of the third module and the fourth module, respectively. This allows network equipment to perform appropriate processing, thereby reducing the impact of interference.

[0028] In some implementations, the third instruction information can be higher-level signaling.

[0029] In some implementations, the fourth indication information implicitly indicates the switching of the uplink BWP. Alternatively or additionally, the fourth indication information implicitly indicates the use of either the third or fourth module. Thus, in addition to indicating the activation of the MR or LR DC subcarrier, the fourth indication information can carry more information implicitly, thereby providing more flexible control over the terminal equipment.

[0030] In some implementations, the fourth indication information can be physical layer signaling. This allows network devices to quickly indicate the active DC subcarrier to terminal devices, reducing indication latency.

[0031] In some implementations, the fourth indication information can be carried in the uplink control channel, the uplink data channel, the uplink wake-up signal, or the SR.

[0032] In some implementations, the third module includes the main module, and the fourth module includes the low-power module. The main module can also be extended to represent the main radio (MR) module, and the low-power module can also be extended to represent the low-power ratio (LR) module. In this way, the terminal device can flexibly use high-bandwidth transmission or low-power transmission to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0033] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor. The processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the methods of the first or second aspect by executing computer programs or instructions, or by means of logic circuitry.

[0034] In some implementations, the communication device also includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions.

[0035] In some implementations, the communication device also includes a communication interface for inputting and / or outputting signals.

[0036] According to a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes logic circuitry and an input / output interface. The input / output interface is used to input and / or output signals, and the logic circuitry is used to perform the methods of the first or second aspect.

[0037] According to a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, such as a non-volatile computer-graded storage medium. A computer program or instructions are stored on the computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the method of the first or second aspect of claim is performed.

[0038] According to a sixth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, they cause the method of the first or second aspect to be performed. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1A illustrates a communication system in which embodiments of this application may be implemented.

[0040] Figure 1B illustrates another communication system in which embodiments of this application can be implemented.

[0041] Figure 2A shows a schematic diagram of a stand-alone communication system in relation to an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of a 5G and 6G dual connectivity scenario in relation to an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 3A shows a signaling diagram of a method for communication in one embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 3B shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device in one embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 4A shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource relationship between LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 4B shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource relationship between LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 4C shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource relationship between LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 4D shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource relationship between LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 5A shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource configuration of LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 5B shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource configuration of LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 5C shows a schematic diagram of the frequency domain resource configuration of LR and MR in one embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 6A shows a schematic diagram indicating the DC subcarrier offsets of MR and LR in one embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 6B shows a schematic diagram indicating the starting position of LR and the offset of DC subcarrier in one embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 7 shows a signaling diagram of a communication method in one embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 8 shows a processing flowchart of a network device in one embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 9 shows a processing flowchart of a terminal device in one embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 10 shows a block diagram of a device in one embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a device that can be used to implement a terminal device in one embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of a device that can be used to implement a network device in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0060] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The specific operating methods and functional descriptions in the method embodiments can also be applied to the device embodiments or system embodiments.

[0061] As mentioned above, intermediate frequency (IF) or radio frequency (RF) local oscillator leakage may exist in network equipment and terminal equipment, which can generate significant noise or interference at the transmitted signal carrier frequency. Therefore, the relevant technologies need to be optimized.

[0062] This application provides a technical solution for locating a DC subcarrier. In this solution, a network device includes a first module and a second module. The network device acquires first indication information, which includes the location information of the DC subcarriers of the first module and the second module. Furthermore, the network device sends the first indication information to a terminal device. Thus, the network device can indicate the location of the DC subcarriers of the first module and the second module to the terminal device. This facilitates the terminal device in processing the DC subcarrier locations of the first and second modules, thereby reducing the impact of interference. Those skilled in the art will understand that the network device may include other devices such as relay devices, and the terminal device may also include other devices such as relay devices; this application does not limit this.

[0063] Figure 1A illustrates a communication system in which embodiments of this application may be implemented.

[0064] In one embodiment of this application, the communication system 100 is designed for scenarios where both wide-coverage base stations and small-coverage base stations coexist, such as the macro-micro scenario in an existing network. The communication system 100 includes, for example, a network device 105 for macro base stations. The network device 105 forms a cell 122, which covers terminal devices 110, 115, and 120. The network device 105 communicates with terminal devices 110 and 120 respectively via communication connections 155 and 160. Micro base stations 125, 135, and 145 form cells 132, 142, and 142 respectively, and cover terminal devices 130, 140, and 150 respectively.

[0065] Figure 1B illustrates another communication system in which embodiments of this application can be implemented.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1B, this application can also utilize macro and micro scenarios composed of base stations of different forms in future networks. In communication system 170, super base station 175 can take various forms such as satellite, airborne balloon, and drone base station. Ground stations in communication system 170 can be terrestrial cellular base stations, such as macro base stations and micro base stations as shown in Figure 1A. For example, satellite super base station 175 connects to 180 and 195 via Uu, serving terminal devices 180 and 185 respectively.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for example, the network equipment of base stations 105, 125, 135, and 145 in Figure 1A, and the ground base station in Figure 1B, can also be relay equipment or other equipment. For example, the terminal equipment 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, and 150 in Figure 1B, and the terminal equipment 180 and 185 in Figure 1B, can also be relay equipment or other equipment, and this application does not limit them in this regard.

[0068] The communication method provided in one embodiment of this application can be applied to fourth-generation (4G) communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) communication systems, as well as fifth-generation (5G) communication systems, such as 5G new radio (NR) communication systems, or various communication systems evolving after 5G, such as sixth-generation (6G) communication systems. The method provided in one embodiment of this application can also be applied to Bluetooth systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, long-range radio (LoRa) systems, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems. The method provided in one embodiment of this application can also be applied to satellite communication systems, wherein the satellite communication system can be integrated with the aforementioned communication systems.

[0069] The network elements involved in this application may include: network equipment, terminal equipment, relay equipment, and other communication equipment containing signal transmission and reception modules, such as transmitting network elements and receiving network elements.

[0070] In one embodiment of this application, terminal devices 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, 150, etc., can be user-side entities used to receive or transmit signals, for sending uplink signals to network devices 105, 125, 135, 145, etc., or receiving downlink signals from network devices 105, 125, 135, 145, etc., or sending signals to another terminal device, or receiving signals from another terminal device, or receiving echo signals of signals transmitted by themselves. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, virtual reality terminal devices, augmented reality terminal devices, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, or mobile objects with communication functions such as vehicles and drones, or wireless devices (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chip systems, etc.) built into the aforementioned devices. Terminal devices are sometimes referred to as user equipment (UE), user terminals, user devices, user units, user stations, terminals, access terminals, access stations, UE stations, remote stations, mobile devices, or wireless communication devices, etc. A terminal device is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can be a fixed device, mobile device, handheld device (e.g., mobile phone), wearable device, in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip system) built into the aforementioned devices. Terminal devices are used to connect people, things, and machines, and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, V2X communication, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) communication, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, and other scenarios. For example, the terminal device may be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a surveillance camera in intelligent transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone, etc.

[0071] In one embodiment of this application, network devices 105, 125, 135, 145, etc., are used to receive uplink signals from terminal devices 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, 150, etc., or to send downlink signals to terminal devices 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, 150, etc., or to receive echo signals of signals they themselves transmit; they can be LTE and / or NR network devices, and can be base stations (NodeBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, transmission reception points (TRPs), 3GPP subsequent evolution base stations, access nodes in WiFi systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, etc. The network device may include one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission reception points. For example, the network device may include a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a CU and a DU. This allows multiple network function entities to implement some functions of a wireless access network device. These network function entities can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the network device can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple network devices in a communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types. Base stations can communicate with terminal devices directly or via relay stations. In one embodiment of this application, the communication device used to implement the network device's functions can be a network device, a network device with some base station functions, or a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing these functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed within the network device.

[0072] One embodiment of this application can be applied to 5G networks and 6G networks, and its possible system architecture is shown in Figures 2A and 2B.

[0073] Figure 2A illustrates a schematic diagram of a stand-alone communication system related to an embodiment of this application, wherein base station 210 and terminal device 215 correspond to network device 105 and terminal device 110 of Figure 1A, respectively. In a stand-alone (SA) scenario, the terminal is connected to a single base station. The base station to which the terminal is connected, and the core network to which the base station is connected, are of the same standard. For example, core network 205 is a 6G core network (6G Core), and base station 210 is a 6G base station. 6G base station 210 is directly connected to 6G Core 205 and provides services to terminal device 215. Core network 205 can also be a 5G Core, and the corresponding base station 210 is a 5G base station, which is directly connected to 5G Core 205. For example, the dashed line connection of 220 represents a control plane connection, and the solid line connection of 230 represents a control plane connection.

[0074] Figure 2B illustrates a schematic diagram of 5G and 6G dual connectivity related to embodiments of this application, where base stations 250 and 255 correspond to network device 105 in Figure 1A, and terminal 260 corresponds to terminal device 110 in Figure 1A. Base stations 250 and 255 can be base stations of different standards; for example, base station 250 may be an NR base station and base station 255 a 6G base station; or base station 250 may be a 6G base station and base station 255 an NR base station. The connected terminal 260 simultaneously connects to base stations 250 and 255 of different standards. The core network 245 is a 5G core, with 5G base station 250 acting as the primary base station and 6G base station 255 as the secondary base station. For example, the dashed line connection in 220 represents a control plane connection, and the solid line connection in 230 represents a control plane connection. Alternatively, the core network 245 can be a 6G core, with terminal 260 simultaneously connecting to both 6G and 5G base stations, where the 6G base station acts as the primary base station and the 5G base station as the secondary base station. Base station 250 and base station 255 can also be base stations of the same standard. For example, base stations 250 and 255 are both 6G base stations, and core network 245 is a 6G core. The terminal is connected to two 6G base stations simultaneously, that is, both the main base station and the auxiliary base station are 6G base stations. An embodiment of this application may also adopt other communication system architectures besides those shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, and this application does not limit this.

[0075] A DC subcarrier is a subcarrier with a baseband frequency of 0 Hz. For BS transmitters or UE amplifiers, leakage from the intermediate frequency (IF, such as using a single-conversion scheme) or radio frequency (such as using a zero IF scheme) local oscillator can cause significant interference in the middle of the final transmitted signal (e.g., at the carrier frequency).

[0076] In 5G NR, for the downlink, the network notifies the terminal device of the location of the DC subcarrier on a per-carrier basis. For the uplink, the terminal device notifies the network of the location of the DC subcarrier on a per-uplink BWP basis. The frequency location of the subcarrier refers to its center frequency. For the downlink, the txDirectCurrentLocation parameter in the higher-layer parameter SCS-SpecificCarrier IE indicates the location of the transmitter DC subcarrier for each configured numberology (subcarrier spacing configuration) in the downlink. Its value ranges from 0 to 3299, representing the DC subcarrier number; a value of 3300 indicates that the DC subcarrier is located outside the resource grid. For the uplink, the txDirectCurrentLocation parameter in the UplinkTxDirectCurrentBWP IE indicates the location of the transmitter DC subcarrier for each configured bandwidth portion (BWP) in the uplink. This includes whether the DC subcarrier's location is offset by 7.5 kHz relative to the center of the indicated subcarrier; its value ranges from 0 to 3299, representing the DC subcarrier's number. A value of 3300 indicates that the DC subcarrier is outside the resource grid; a value of 3301 indicates that the location of the DC subcarrier in the uplink is undetermined. Furthermore, when configuring the uplink bandwidth portion (UL BWP), this information can be provided to the network from the user equipment (UE) via the RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0077] 5G network equipment and terminal devices typically have only one module, such as a main module (MR) without a low-power module (LR). However, in systems like 6G, both the base station and terminal can have both MR and LR modules simultaneously. The LR module on the base station side can be understood as a narrowband portion of the main MR module. Both the base station and the terminal can flexibly utilize the main MR module and / or the LR module based on traffic flow, reducing the usage time of the main MR module and thus lowering end-to-end energy consumption.

[0078] When the MR and LR DC subcarrier positions of network device 105 are different, terminal device 110 needs to determine the position of the LR DC subcarrier in order to perform corresponding processing and eliminate the interference caused by leakage from network device 105 on the DC subcarrier. Conversely, when the MR and LR DC subcarrier positions of terminal device 110 are different, network device 105 also needs to determine the position of the LR DC subcarrier in order to perform corresponding processing and eliminate the interference caused by leakage from terminal device 110 on the DC subcarrier. How the receiving end determines the position of the LR DC subcarrier when the MR and LR DC subcarrier positions of network device 105 or terminal device 110 are different is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Furthermore, this problem may also exist in other communication systems.

[0079] To address the aforementioned issues and ensure the reliability of signal reception at the receiver, this application proposes a method for indicating the position of a DC subcarrier.

[0080] Figure 3A shows a signaling diagram of a method for communication in one embodiment of this application.

[0081] In Embodiment 300 of this application, network device 305 and terminal device 310 can respectively correspond to network device 105 and terminal device 110 in FIG1A. In this embodiment, the network device includes a first module and a second module, wherein the first module is, for example, a main module, and the second module is, for example, a low-power module, or vice versa.

[0082] At 315, network device 305 acquires first indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarriers of the first module and the DC subcarriers of the second module. Network device 305 sends (318) first indication information 320 to terminal device 310. Thus, network device 305 can indicate to terminal device 310, for example, the position of the DC subcarriers of the first module (main module) and the position of the DC subcarriers of the second module (low-power module). The first indication information allows terminal device 310 to process the DC subcarrier positions of the first and second modules, thereby reducing the impact of interference. First indication information 320 can be higher-layer signaling, such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Thus, RRC signaling can be used for radio resource configuration.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will understand that network device 305 may include other devices such as relay devices, and terminal device 310 may also include other devices such as relay devices; this application does not limit this. Furthermore, it should be noted that the first indication information, including the location information of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module, may also be predefined by the protocol and obtained separately by network device 305 and terminal device 310 based on the protocol; this application does not limit this.

[0084] In embodiment 300, optionally, network device 305 may also send (328) second indication information 330 to terminal device 310, the second indication information indicating the activation of the DC subcarrier of the first module or the DC subcarrier of the second module. Thus, terminal device 310 can process the received, activated DC subcarrier of the first module or the DC subcarrier of the second module based on the activation indication from network device 305, thereby reducing the impact of interference. The second indication information 330 may be physical layer signaling, such as downlink control information (DCI). The second indication information 330 may also be higher layer signaling, such as the control element (CE) of media access control (MAC). The second indication information 330 may be carried in the downlink control channel, a wake-up signal, or a low-power signal. Thus, the activated DC subcarrier can be flexibly selected in the first module or the second module according to network status, service requirements, etc.

[0085] Figure 3B shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device in one embodiment of this application.

[0086] In embodiment 340 of this application, network device 345 corresponds to network device 305 in FIG3A. Network device 345 includes a first module 350 and a second module 355. The first module 350 may be a main module, for example, using a wider bandwidth, and may also be called a main radio (MR) module, main receiver, communication main module, or main circuit, etc. The MR module may be used to receive and / or transmit signaling, data, measurement signals, etc. The second module 355 may be a narrowband, low-power module of the first module, and may also be called a low-power radio (LP-R, or LR) module, wake-up receiver (WUR), low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), wake-up circuit, communication auxiliary module, or auxiliary circuit, etc. The operating power consumption of the LR module is lower than that of the MR module. The LR module is used to receive and / or transmit low-power (LR) signals (e.g., low-power wake-up signals, low-power synchronization signals, low-power measurement signals, etc.) to notify the MR of wake-up, sleep, monitoring information, etc. The LR module can also be used to receive and / or transmit narrowband signals.

[0087] In one embodiment of this application, the low-power wireless (LR) signal (also referred to as LP-WUS) can be one or more of the following: linear frequency modulated chirp signal, on-off keying (OOK) signal (such as OOK-1, OOK-2, OOK-3, OOK-4, etc.), low-power sequence signal (such as Gold sequence signal, M sequence signal, ZC sequence signal, chirp sequence signal, Walsh sequence signal, Golay sequence signal, Kasami sequence signal, low density sequence signal, discrete fourier transform (DFT) / fast fourier transform (FFT) sequence signal, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal, symbol-based sequence signal, etc.), amplitude shift keying (ASK) signal, frequency shift keying (FSK) signal, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, etc. The low-power signal can also be a signal obtained by optimizing the above signals, etc., and this application does not limit it. The low-power signal can be a digital signal or an analog signal, and this application does not limit it.

[0088] In the embodiments of this application, the first module 350 includes a second module 355, which only supports narrowband transmission. Thus, the network device can flexibly choose between broadband or narrowband transmission, achieving energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0089] In the embodiments of this application, similar to network device 305, terminal device 310 may also include a main module (i.e., MR module) and a low-power module (i.e., LR module). In subsequent terminal devices, the MR module and LR module are referred to as the third module and the fourth module, respectively. This application will elaborate on these terms later and will not repeat them here.

[0090] In the embodiments of this application, for a first module such as an MR module and a second module such as an LR module in network device 305, the frequency domain relationship between them may include: partial overlap of the frequency domain resources of MR and LR, frequency domain resources of MR and LR in each frequency band, or frequency domain resources of LR in only one frequency band. Figure 4A shows that the bandwidth of the frequency domain resource 410 of LR is fixed, and the frequency domain resources of LR 410 and MR 405 partially overlap. Figure 4B shows that the bandwidth of the frequency domain resource 430 of LR is variable, and the frequency domain resources of LR 430 and MR 425 partially overlap. Figure 4C shows that there are frequency domain resources of MR and LR in each frequency band 445, 450, and 455. Figure 4D shows that the frequency domain resources of LR are only in one frequency band 475, while the frequency domain resources of MR are in frequency bands 465, 470, and 475.

[0091] In an embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG3A, network device 305 indicates the DC subcarrier position of each system parameter of the MR and LR modules in the downlink in the first indication information 320. In one embodiment of this application, the second indication information 330 uses, for example, 1 bit to indicate the activation of the DC subcarrier of the first module 350 or the DC subcarrier of the second module 355. Specifically, in the second indication information 330, network device 305 uses 1 bit to indicate the activation of the DC subcarrier of the LR module or the MR module. For example, 1 indicates the activation of the DC subcarrier of the MR module, 0 indicates the activation of the DC subcarrier of the LR module, and vice versa. In this way, network device 305 can efficiently indicate the activated DC subcarrier to terminal device 310, improving indication efficiency. In this application, the second indication information 330 implicitly indicates that terminal device 310 uses one of the first module or the second module. Alternatively or additionally, the second indication information 330 implicitly indicates the carrier identifier or subband identifier of the carrier used by terminal device 310. Specifically, the second indication information 330 implicitly indicates 1) whether the network side uses an MR module or an LR module; and 2) the carrier subband ID or carrier ID used by the network side. Thus, in addition to indicating whether the DC subcarrier of the MR module or LR module is activated, the second indication information 330 can also carry more information through implicit indication, thereby enabling more flexible control of the terminal equipment.

[0092] In embodiments of this application, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the location information of a single DC subcarrier. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each of one or more carriers. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each of one or more configured frequency bands. Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each of one or more configured downlink portion bandwidths (BWPs). Thus, for example, the DC subcarrier of the second module of the LR module can be flexibly configured in carriers, frequency bands, or BWPs, improving flexibility.

[0093] In embodiments of this application, the first indication information 320 may be a radio resource control (RRC) message, which may contain configurations at different levels, such as carrier-level configurations, meaning that network device 305 configures RRC parameter information separately for each carrier. Alternatively or additionally, network device 305 may use RRC messages for configuration at the frequency band or BWP level. The frequency band may be a band deployed by the operator, or a frequency range (FR), such as FR1, FR2, etc.

[0094] Figure 5A shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of this application in which each carrier is configured with frequency domain resources of MR and frequency domain resources of LR.

[0095] In embodiment 500 of this application, each carrier has frequency domain resources for MR and LR, and network device 305 configures the DC subcarriers of LR on a carrier-by-carrier basis. For example, the RRC message 505 configured at the carrier level may include: 1) a transmit DC location (txDirectCurrentLocation) 510 or txDirectCurrentLocation for MR or UE; 2) a txDirectCurrentLocation 515 for LR. Those skilled in the art will understand that, besides txDirectCurrentLocation, the information element (IE) within the RRC message may also use other names, and this application does not limit this.

[0096] Figure 5B shows a schematic diagram of LR configuration in a fixed frequency band in one embodiment of this application.

[0097] In embodiment 520 of this application, frequency bands 522, 525, and 527 all have frequency domain resources for MR, while only fixed frequency band 527 has frequency domain resources for LR, and these are configured per radio module. The RRC message 530 configured for MR or UE includes a transmit DC location (txDirectCurrentLocation) 535 for MR or UE. The RRC message 540 configured for LR includes a transmit DC location (txDirectCurrentLocation) 545 for LR. The transmit DC location (txDirectCurrentLocation) 535 for MR or UE and the transmit DC location (txDirectCurrentLocation) 545 for LR can also be transmitted in the same RRC message; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0098] In one embodiment of this application, the LR can also be configured in multiple frequency bands, with each frequency band including one or more carriers. As shown in FIG4C, MR and LR are configured in each frequency band 455, 450, and 455, that is, the DC subcarrier of LR is configured on a frequency band-by-frequency band basis.

[0099] Figure 5C illustrates a schematic diagram of a variable downlink bandwidth LR in one embodiment of this application. The downlink bandwidth of the LR is variable, and the DC subcarrier position of the LR can be configured according to the downlink bandwidth.

[0100] In embodiment 550, the bandwidth portions of the frequency domain resources 455 of the MR and the frequency domain resources 452 of the LR overlap, and the bandwidth of the frequency domain resources 452 of the LR is variable. The DC subcarrier position of the LR can be configured relative to the bandwidth of the LR. The RRC message 560 configuring the MR or UE carrier includes the transmit DC position (txDirectCurrentLocation) 565 for the MR or UE. The RRC message 570 configuring the downlink bandwidth of the LR includes the transmit DC position (txDirectCurrentLocation) 575 for the LR. The transmit DC position (txDirectCurrentLocation) 565 for the MR or UE and the transmit DC position (txDirectCurrentLocation) 575 for the LR can also be transmitted in the same RRC message, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0101] In one embodiment of this application, the first indication information 320 may specifically indicate the DC subcarrier positions of MR and LR.

[0102] In connection with the embodiments of this application, for MR, 0 to 3299 can be predefined by protocol to indicate the number of DC subcarrier in MR transmission resources, and 3300 indicates that the DC subcarrier is located outside the MR transmission resources.

[0103] In one embodiment of this application, the DC subcarrier positions of the first module and the second module can be configured to be the same. Specifically, the LR and MR can be instructed to share a DC subcarrier by means of protocol predefinition or indication by network device 305. This simplifies the processing method of terminal device 310 and improves processing efficiency.

[0104] Returning to Figure 3A, in one embodiment of this application, the terminal device 310 can learn the DC subcarrier position of the network device 305 by means of protocol predefinition or indication by the network device 305. The network device 305 then uses the second indication information 330 to dynamically activate a DC subcarrier. The second indication information for activating the DC subcarrier can also implicitly indicate: 1) whether the network device 305 uses an MR module or an LR module; 2) the carrier subband ID or carrier ID used by the network device 305.

[0105] In one embodiment of this application, the first indication information 310 can independently indicate the DC subcarrier position of LR.

[0106] In one embodiment of this application, the protocol may predefine the bandwidth of the narrowband LR as X MHz and the guard band as Y MHz, where X and Y are positive integers or positive real numbers, and this application does not limit their usage. Specifically, for example, the protocol may predefine the narrowband LR bandwidth as 5MHz and the guard band as 1MHz. In this case, 0 to 199 can be used to indicate the LR DC subcarrier number; 200 indicates that the DC subcarrier is outside the LR resource grid. Alternatively, for example, the protocol may predefine the bandwidth of the narrowband LR as 10MHz and the guard band as 1MHz. In this case, for example, 0 to 399 can be used to indicate the LR DC subcarrier number, and 400 indicates that the DC subcarrier is outside the LR resource grid. Alternatively, for example, the protocol may predefine the bandwidth of the narrowband LR as 20MHz and the guard band as 1MHz. In this case, for example, 0 to 799 can be used to indicate the LR DC subcarrier number, and 800 indicates that the DC subcarrier is outside the LR resource grid. The above X, Y, bandwidth, and subcarrier number are all exemplary, and this application does not limit their usage.

[0107] In one embodiment of this application, the first indication information 320 includes numbering information from a DC subcarrier numbering allocation table. The DC subcarrier numbering allocation table contains the correspondence between subcarrier numbers and DC subcarrier frequency domain positions. Thus, the DC subcarrier numbering allocation table can be used to efficiently and flexibly indicate the frequency domain position of the DC subcarrier, improving the efficiency of the first indication information. In one embodiment of this application, the first indication information 320 indicates the bandwidth of the second module, and the bandwidth of the second module is associated with the DC subcarrier numbering allocation table. Thus, by using a DC subcarrier numbering allocation table adapted to different bandwidths, the position information of the DC subcarrier can be accurately and efficiently indicated, improving the efficiency of the first indication information.

[0108] Specifically, in one embodiment, network device 305 configures the LR bandwidth and the corresponding indication table number (e.g., table Z). The indication table contains the correspondence between indication bits and DC subcarrier positions. In one embodiment, network device 305 configures the LR bandwidth, and the protocol predefines the indication table number corresponding to this bandwidth. For example, a 5M LR bandwidth corresponds to table 1, and a 10M LR bandwidth corresponds to table 2.

[0109] In one embodiment of this application, the DC subcarrier positions of MR and LR can be jointly indicated within a single carrier.

[0110] In one embodiment of this application, the position information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the frequency domain position of the DC subcarrier of the second module. Alternatively or additionally, the position information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the frequency domain offset between the DC subcarrier of the second module and the DC subcarrier of the first module. Alternatively or additionally, the position information of the DC subcarrier of the second module includes the frequency domain offset between the DC subcarrier of the second module and the frequency domain starting position of the second module. Thus, the network device can accurately indicate the position of the DC subcarrier of the second module to the terminal device, facilitating accurate processing by the terminal device, improving processing efficiency, and reducing interference.

[0111] In one embodiment of this application, the frequency domain position includes the subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier of the second module. Alternatively or additionally, the frequency domain offset includes: an offset between two subcarrier numbers, which is an offset between the DC subcarrier numbers of the second module and the DC subcarrier numbers of the first module; and an offset between the DC subcarrier numbers of the second module and the subcarrier numbers at the starting position of the frequency domain of the second module. Thus, the network device can accurately indicate the position of the DC subcarriers of the second module to the terminal device, facilitating accurate processing by the terminal device, improving processing efficiency, and reducing interference.

[0112] In one embodiment of this application, the subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier of the second module is determined based on the subcarrier number of the first module. Alternatively or additionally, the subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier of the second module is determined based on the subcarrier number of the second module. Alternatively or additionally, the subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier of the second module is determined based on the subcarrier number of the reference subcarrier spacing (SCS). Thus, the network device can accurately indicate the position of the DC subcarrier of the second module to the terminal device, facilitating accurate processing by the terminal device, improving processing efficiency, and reducing interference.

[0113] Figure 6A shows a schematic diagram indicating the DC subcarrier offsets of MR and LR in one embodiment of this application.

[0114] In one embodiment of this application, the first indication information 320 may indicate the DC subcarrier offset of LR and MR based on the MR subcarrier number (in which case the reference subcarrier spacing SCS is fixed, for example, 30 kHz) or based on the reference SCS. For example, in embodiment 600, where LR and MR partially overlap, the position of LR DC subcarrier 620 may be determined based on MR DC subcarrier 615 and the offset between MR DC subcarrier 615 and LR DC subcarrier 620.

[0115] Figure 6B shows a schematic diagram indicating the starting position of LR and the offset of DC subcarrier in one embodiment of this application.

[0116] In one embodiment of this application, the first indication information 320 may indicate the offset between the LR DC subcarrier and the LR start position based on the MR subcarrier number (in which case the reference SCS is fixed, for example, 30 kHz) or based on the reference SCS. The LR DC subcarrier position may be determined based on the offset between the LR start position and the LR DC subcarrier.

[0117] In one embodiment of this application, network device 305 can be configured with multiple DC subcarriers, dynamically indicating the DC subcarrier numbers. For example, based on the table below, MR is instructed to use DC subcarrier 1, numbered 00; LR is instructed to use DC subcarrier 4, numbered 11.

[0118] Thus, one embodiment of this application proposes a method for configuring and activating DC subcarriers for, for example, network device 305, to ensure the reliability of signals received by terminal device 310.

[0119] Figure 7 shows a signaling diagram of a communication method in one embodiment of this application. In embodiment 700, network device 705 and terminal device 710 correspond to network device 105 and terminal device 110 in Figure 1A, respectively. In this embodiment, terminal device 110 includes a third module and a fourth module, wherein the third module is, for example, a main module, and the fourth module is, for example, a low-power module, and vice versa.

[0120] In one embodiment of this application, at 715, terminal device 710 obtains third indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the third module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. Terminal device 710 sends (718) the third indication information 720 to network device 705. Thus, terminal device 710 can indicate to network device 705, for example, the position of the DC subcarrier of the third module of the main module and the position of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module of the low-power module. The first indication information can help network device 705 process the DC subcarrier positions of the third module and the fourth module, thereby reducing the impact of interference. Those skilled in the art will understand that terminal device 710 may include other devices such as relay devices, and network device 705 may also include other devices such as relay devices; this application does not limit this.

[0121] In one embodiment of this application, similar to downlink transmission, for uplink transmission, the third module includes a main module, and the fourth module includes a low-power module. Thus, the terminal device can flexibly use either high-bandwidth transmission or low-power transmission to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0122] In one embodiment of this application, the third indication information 720 may be higher-layer signaling, such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Thus, RRC signaling can be used for radio resource configuration.

[0123] In one embodiment of this application, terminal device 710 receives (728) fourth indication information 730, which indicates: activate the DC subcarrier of the third module or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. Thus, terminal device 710 can activate the DC subcarrier of the third module or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module based on the activation indication from network device 705, and transmit signals. Network device 705 then processes the received and activated DC subcarrier or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module accordingly, thereby reducing the impact of interference.

[0124] In one embodiment of this application, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each uplink BWP of one or more uplink partial bandwidths (BWPs). Alternatively or additionally, the location information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module includes: the location information of the DC subcarrier in each frequency band or each transmission bandwidth of the fourth module. Thus, for example, the DC subcarrier of the fourth module of LR can be flexibly configured in uplink BWPs, frequency bands, or transmission bandwidths of the fourth module, improving flexibility.

[0125] Specifically, the protocol can predefine the level of subcarrier location in, for example, the third indication information 720 of the RRC message. For instance, terminal device 710 can configure a DC subcarrier for LR for each uplink (UL) BWP. In one embodiment of this application, for a fixed frequency band and LR bandwidth, terminal device 710 can also configure a DC subcarrier for MR for each UL BWP and a DC subcarrier for LR for the frequency band. In one embodiment of this application, for a variable LR bandwidth, terminal device 710 can also configure a DC subcarrier for MR for each UL BWP and a DC subcarrier for LR for each UL bandwidth.

[0126] The protocol can predefine the indication method and indicate the DC subcarriers of MR and LR according to the indicated method.

[0127] Related to one embodiment of this application, the network device indicates an MR DC subcarrier, the indication including whether the DC subcarrier position is offset by 7.5 kHz relative to the indicated subcarrier center. In LTE, the uplink is offset by half a subcarrier interval to avoid local oscillator leakage, while the downlink DC subcarrier does not transmit data. The network device may also indicate: 0-3299 represents the DC subcarrier number in the MR uplink resource cell, 3300 indicates that the DC subcarrier is outside the resource cell, and 3301 indicates that the position of the DC subcarrier in the uplink is undetermined.

[0128] In one embodiment of this application, the protocol can be predefined so that LR and MR use the same DC subcarrier.

[0129] In one embodiment of this application, the third indication information 720 indicates the DC subcarrier positions of the third module and the fourth module, respectively. This facilitates corresponding processing by the network device, thereby reducing the impact of interference. In one embodiment of this application, the fourth indication information 730 implicitly indicates the switching of the uplink BWP. Alternatively or additionally, the fourth indication information implicitly indicates the use of either the third module or the fourth module. Thus, in addition to indicating the activation of the MR or LR DC subcarrier, the fourth indication information 730 can also carry more information through implicit indication, thereby enabling more flexible control of the terminal device.

[0130] Specifically, terminal device 710 indicates DC subcarriers for MR and LR respectively, and network device 705 activates the DC subcarrier of LR or MR of terminal device 710. While activating the DC subcarrier of LR or MR, network device 705 can also implicitly indicate the handover of UL BWP, implicitly indicating the use of LR or MR.

[0131] The fourth indication information 730 can be physical layer signaling, such as downlink control information (DCI), which facilitates the rapid activation of LR or MR DC subcarriers. The fourth indication information 730 can also be higher-layer signaling, such as a media access control (MAC) control element (CE). The fourth indication information 730 can be carried in the downlink control channel, wake-up signal, or low-power signal. Thus, the activated DC subcarrier can be flexibly selected in the third and fourth modules according to network conditions and service requirements.

[0132] Figure 8 illustrates a processing flowchart of a network device in one embodiment of this application. In process 800, at 810, network device 305 obtains first indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the second module. At 820, network device 305 sends the first indication information to terminal device 310. It will be understood that process 800 may also include other operations implemented at network device 305 as described above with reference to Figures 3A to 7, which will not be repeated here.

[0133] Figure 9 illustrates a processing flowchart of a terminal device in one embodiment of this application. In process 900, at 910, the terminal device 710 obtains third indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the third module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. At 920, the terminal device 710 sends the third indication information to the network device 705. It will be understood that process 900 may also include other operations implemented at the terminal device 710 as described above with reference to Figures 3A to 7, which will not be repeated herein.

[0134] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a device 1000 that can be used to implement some embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, device 1000 may be a component of a communication network infrastructure, such as a base station (e.g., NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), next-generation NodeB (sometimes called next-generation NodeB, gNodeB or gNB), home subscriber server (HSS), gateway (GW), such as packet gateway (PGW) or serving gateway (SGW), or various other nodes or functions within a core network (CN) or Public Land Mobility Network (PLMN). In other embodiments, device 1000 may be a device connected to the network infrastructure via a wireless interface, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or other such device that can be classified as user equipment (UE). In some embodiments, device 1000 may be machine-type communication (M2C). Communications (MTC) devices (also known as machine-to-machine (M2M) devices), or other devices that, although not providing direct service to users, can be classified as UEs. In some embodiments, device 1000 may be a roadside unit (RSU), a vehicle UE (V-UE), a pedestrian UE (P-UE), or an infrastructure UE (I-UE). In some scenarios, device 1000 may also be referred to as a mobile device, a term intended to reflect a device connected to a mobile network, regardless of whether the device itself is designed for or capable of being mobile. A particular device may utilize all or only a subset of the components shown, and the level of integration may vary depending on the device. Furthermore, device 1000 may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0135] Device 1000 typically includes a processor 1002, such as a central processing unit (CPU), and may further include a dedicated processor, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) or other such processor, memory 1004, a network interface 1006, and a bus 1008 for connecting the components of device 1000. Optionally, device 1000 may also include components such as a mass storage device 1010, a video adapter 1012, and an I / O interface 1016 (shown in dashed lines).

[0136] Memory 1004 may include any type of non-transitory system memory readable by processor 1002, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, memory 1004 may include more than one type of memory, such as ROM used at startup and DRAM used for program and data storage during program execution. Bus 1008 may be one or more of a plurality of bus architectures of any type, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a video bus.

[0137] Device 1000 may also include one or more network interfaces 1006, which may include at least one of wired network interfaces and wireless network interfaces. As shown in FIG10, network interface 1006 may include a wired network interface for connecting to network 1022, and may also include a wireless access network interface 1020 for connecting to other devices via a wireless link. When device 1000 is a network infrastructure element, the wireless access network interface 1020 may be omitted for nodes or functions that are elements of a PLMN rather than elements at the wireless edge. When device 1000 is infrastructure at the wireless edge of a network, both wired and wireless network interfaces may be included. When device 1000 is a wirelessly connected device, such as a user equipment, the wireless access network interface 1020 may be present and may be supplemented by other wireless interfaces such as a WiFi network interface. Network interface 1006 allows device 1000 to communicate with remote entities such as those connected to network 1022.

[0138] Mass storage 1010 may include any type of non-transitory storage device configured to store data, programs, and other information and make the data, programs, and other information accessible via bus 1008. Mass storage 1010 may include, for example, one or more of a solid-state drive, hard disk drive, disk drive, or optical disk drive. In some embodiments, mass storage 1010 may be located remotely from device 1000 and may be accessed using a network interface such as interface 1006. In the illustrated embodiment, mass storage 1010 is distinct from the memory 1004 that includes it, and mass storage 1010 typically performs storage tasks compatible with higher latency but typically provides low or no fluctuation. In some embodiments, mass storage 1010 may be integrated with heterogeneous memory 1004.

[0139] Optionally, video adapter 1012 and I / O interface 1016 (shown in dashed lines) provide interfaces for coupling device 1000 to external input and output devices. Examples of input and output devices include a display 1014 coupled to video adapter 1012 and an I / O device 1018, such as a touchscreen, coupled to I / O interface 1016. Other devices may be coupled to device 1000 and may utilize additional or fewer interfaces. For example, a serial interface such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown) may be used to provide interfaces for external devices. Those skilled in the art will understand that in embodiments where device 1000 is part of a data center, I / O interface 1016 and video adapter 1012 may be virtualized and provided via network interface 1006.

[0140] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device 1100 according to some embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the device 1100 includes an acquisition module 1102 and a transmission module 1104. The device 1100 can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1A and can implement any of the methods provided in the foregoing embodiments. Optionally, the physical manifestation of the device 1100 can be a communication device, such as a network device or a UE. Alternatively, the device 1100 can be other devices capable of implementing the functions of a communication device, such as a processor or chip inside the communication device. Specifically, the device 1100 can be a programmable chip, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a system on a chip (SOC).

[0141] In some embodiments, the acquisition module 1102 can be configured to acquire first indication information by the network device 105. The first indication information includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the second module. The transmission module 1104 can be configured to send the first indication information to the terminal device 110 by the network device 105.

[0142] In some other embodiments, apparatus 1100 may include various other units or modules that can be configured to perform the various operations or functions described with respect to the foregoing method embodiments. Specific details can be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device 1200 according to some embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 12, the device 1200 includes an acquisition module 1202 and a transmission module 1204. The device 1200 can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1A and can implement any of the methods provided in the foregoing embodiments. Optionally, the physical manifestation of the device 1200 can be a communication device, such as a network device or a UE. Alternatively, the device 1200 can be other devices capable of implementing the functions of a communication device, such as a processor or chip inside the communication device. Specifically, the device 1200 can be a programmable chip, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a system on a chip (SOC).

[0144] In some embodiments, the acquisition module 1202 can be configured to acquire third indication information from the terminal device 110. The third indication information includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the third module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module. The transmission module 1204 can be configured to transmit the third indication information from the terminal device 110.

[0145] In some other embodiments, the apparatus 1200 may include various other units or modules that can be configured to perform the various operations or functions described with respect to the foregoing method embodiments. Specific details can be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] It should be noted that the module division in the above embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, exist as separate physical units, or be integrated into one unit by two or more units. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0147] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or all or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0148] Based on the above embodiments, one embodiment of this application also provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0149] Based on the above embodiments, one embodiment of this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a computer, the computer program causes the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code having the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0150] Based on the above embodiments, one embodiment of this application also provides a chip for reading a computer program stored in a memory and implementing any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0151] Based on the above embodiments, one embodiment of this application provides a chip system including a processor for supporting a computer device in implementing the functions involved in the communication devices in the above embodiments. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing necessary programs and data of the computer device. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0152] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0153] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0154] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0155] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0156] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a network device, the network device including a first module and a second module, the method includes: Obtain first indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the first module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the second module. Send the first instruction information to the terminal device.

2. The communication method according to claim 1 further includes: Send a second instruction message, which indicates that the DC subcarrier of the first module or the DC subcarrier of the second module be activated.

3. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The location information of the DC subcarrier in the second module includes one of the following: Location information of a DC subcarrier. DC subcarrier position information in each of one or more carriers. DC subcarrier location information in each of one or more configured frequency bands, or DC subcarrier location information in each downlink BWP of one or more configured downlink portion bandwidths (BWPs).

4. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The location information of the DC subcarrier in the second module includes one of the following: The frequency domain position of the DC subcarrier in the second module. The frequency domain offset between the DC subcarrier of the second module and the DC subcarrier of the first module, or The frequency domain offset between the DC subcarrier of the second module and the frequency domain starting position of the second module.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, comprising at least one of the following: The frequency domain location includes the subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier of the second module, or The frequency domain offset includes: The offset between the two subcarrier numbers is the offset between the DC subcarrier number of the second module and the DC subcarrier number of the first module, or the offset between the DC subcarrier number of the second module and the subcarrier number at the frequency domain starting position of the second module.

6. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein, The subcarrier number of the DC subcarrier in the second module is determined according to one of the following: Subcarrier numbering of the first module, The subcarrier number of the second module, or The subcarrier numbering of the reference subcarrier spacing (SCS).

7. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first indication information includes the numbering information in the DC subcarrier numbering allocation table, which contains the correspondence between the subcarrier number and the frequency domain position of the DC subcarrier.

8. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The DC subcarrier positions of the first module and the second module are the same.

9. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first indication information indicates the bandwidth of the second module, which is associated with the DC subcarrier number allocation table.

10. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The second indication information uses 1 bit to indicate the activation of the DC subcarrier of the first module or the DC subcarrier of the second module.

11. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The second indication information implicitly indicates: The terminal device uses either the first module or the second module, or The terminal device uses a carrier identifier or a sub-band identifier of a carrier.

12. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, The first module includes a main module, and the second module includes a low-power module.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the terminal device including a third module and a fourth module, the method includes: Obtain third indication information, which includes the position information of the DC subcarrier of the third module and the position information of the DC subcarrier of the fourth module; and Send the third instruction information to the network device.

14. The communication method according to claim 13, further comprising: Receive a fourth indication message, which indicates the activation of the DC subcarrier of the third module or the DC subcarrier of the fourth module.

15. The communication method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, The location information of the DC subcarrier in the fourth module includes one of the following: Location information of DC subcarriers in each uplink BWP of one or more uplink portion bandwidths (BWP), or DC subcarrier location information in the transmission bandwidth of each frequency band or each fourth module.

16. The communication method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, The third indication information indicates the DC subcarrier position of the third module and the DC subcarrier position of the fourth module, respectively.

17. The communication method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, The fourth indication information also implicitly indicates at least one of the following: Uplink BWP switching, or Use either the third or fourth module.

18. The communication method according to claim 13 or 14, The third module includes a main module, and the fourth module includes a low-power module.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, the processor being configured to, by executing a computer program or instructions, alternatively or additionally, via logic circuitry, cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The communication device according to claim 19, characterized in that, The communication device further includes a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

21. The communication device according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The communication device further includes a communication interface for inputting and / or outputting signals.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes logic circuitry and input / output interfaces, the input / output interfaces being used to input and / or output signals, and the logic circuitry being used to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 18 to be performed.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 18 to be performed.

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