Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a related apparatus. In the method, a terminal device processes a first signal on the basis of a first sequence, to obtain S second signals in S time units, wherein S is an integer greater than 1. The S second signals may be carried on a first time domain resource. The first time domain resource comprises a plurality of time units including the S time units. In the present application, the sequence numbers of the S time units in the first time domain resource are all odd numbers or even numbers. Next, the terminal device sends the S second signals to a network device. In the present application, because the terminal device carries the S second signals in the S time units having sequence numbers which are all odd numbers or all even numbers, phase differences between the S second signals received by the network device, caused by different modulation schemes, are eliminated, thereby improving the orthogonality between signals sent by different terminal devices, and reducing multi-user interference.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510381251.7, filed on March 27, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Related Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Orthogonal covering codes (OCC) are an important coding technology used in communication systems such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Based on the principle of orthogonality, they can effectively distinguish different signal streams, thereby enabling simultaneous communication of multiple signal streams or parallel transmission of multiple services.

[0004] In narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, when network devices pair and multiplex terminal devices using different modulation schemes (such as Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) and Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK)) via OCC, the equivalent phase offset of the OCC code sequences may become inconsistent. This phase difference disrupts the orthogonality of the signals received by the network device (i.e., the inner product of the code sequences is not zero), making it impossible for the network device to distinguish signals from different terminal devices.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the orthogonality of the signal after OCC extension is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving the orthogonality between signals transmitted by different terminal devices.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal device, a communication module / processing module within the terminal device, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions within the terminal device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip responsible for processing functions within the terminal device (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the terminal device acquires a first signal in a time unit, and then processes the first signal based on a first sequence to obtain S second signals in S time units, where S is an integer greater than 1. Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device, based on the first sequence, maps the first signal in a time unit to S time units respectively to obtain S second signals. The S second signals can be carried in S time units of a first time domain resource. The first time domain resource includes multiple time units, including the S time units. In this application, the sequence numbers of the S time units in the first time domain resource are all odd or even. Next, the terminal device sends S second signals to the network device.

[0008] In this application, since the terminal device carries S second signals on S time units with all odd or all even sequence numbers, the phase difference caused by different modulation methods is eliminated between the S time units received by the network device, thereby improving the orthogonality between signals sent by different terminal devices and reducing multiple access interference (MAI).

[0009] Optionally, the first time-domain resource can be a time-domain resource in a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) allocated by the network device to the terminal device.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the terminal device can obtain the S second signals in the S time units corresponding to the first signal using symbol-level OCC. Optionally, in this case, the S time units are S symbols, and the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time domain resource are all consecutive odd numbers or consecutive even numbers; that is, except for the sequence number of the DMRS symbol, the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time domain resource are all consecutive odd numbers or consecutive even numbers. It should be understood that the "sequence number of the DMRS symbol" refers to the sequence number of the DMRS symbol in the first time domain resource, not the sequence number of the DMRS symbol in one time slot.

[0011] Optionally, the symbol-level OCC method is only applicable to data signals, i.e., the first signal is a data signal.

[0012] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the terminal device may also use a slot-level OCC method to obtain S second signals in S time units corresponding to the first signal. In this case, the S time units include the Y-th symbol of each of the S time slots, where Y is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0013] Optionally, the time-slot-level OCC method is applicable to the data signal or the demodulation reference signal (DMRS), that is, the first signal is the data signal or the DMRS signal.

[0014] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first sequence is one row of elements in the S rows of the first matrix, and any two sequences corresponding to the S rows are orthogonal. For example, the first matrix w can be... The first sequence can be [1, 1] or [1, -1].

[0015] For example, the first matrix w can be The first sequence can be [1, 1, 1, 1], or [1, -1, 1, -1], or [1, 1, -1, -1], or [1, -1, -1, 1].

[0016] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal device, a communication module / processing module in the terminal device, or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the terminal device obtains a first signal through a first modulation method or a second modulation method. Therefore, it can be considered that the first signal is obtained through the first modulation method or the second modulation method. Then, the terminal device processes the first signal based on a second sequence to obtain S second signals over S time units. The second sequence is one row of elements in the S rows of elements contained in the second matrix. The S rows of elements include a first element, which includes the phase rotation difference between the first modulation method and the second modulation method (e.g., BPSK and QPSK), where S is an integer greater than 1. Therefore, since the second sequence is one row of the second matrix, it also contains a first element. The terminal device sends S second signals to the network device.

[0017] In this application, the first element includes the phase rotation difference between the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme, and the terminal device processes the second sequence containing the first element to obtain S second signals. Thus, the network device receives S time units where the phase difference caused by different modulation schemes is eliminated, improving the orthogonality between signals transmitted by different terminal devices, thereby reducing multiple access interference (MAI).

[0018] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the second matrix W satisfies any of the following:

[0019] or,

[0020] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, S second signals are carried in a second time-domain resource, and the S time units are sequentially numbered in the second time-domain resource. Optionally, the time unit is a time slot or a symbol.

[0021] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the terminal device receives first indication information from the network device. The first indication information is used to indicate a second matrix. Alternatively, the first indication information is used to activate the second matrix. After receiving the first indication information, the terminal device processes the first signal using any row of elements (e.g., a second sequence) from the second matrix.

[0022] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device, including a transceiver unit and a processing unit;

[0023] The processing unit is configured to process the first signal based on the first sequence to obtain S second signals in S time units, wherein the S second signals are carried in the first time domain resource, and the sequence numbers of the S time units in the first time domain resource are all odd or even numbers, and S is an integer greater than 1.

[0024] A transceiver unit is used to transmit the S second signals.

[0025] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to cause the device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. Optionally, the communication device may include the memory.

[0026] The fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to second aspects described above.

[0027] A sixth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0028] The seventh aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0029] The eighth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the methods described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. For example, the chip may be a baseband chip, a modem chip, a SoC chip (such as an SoC chip containing a modem core), a SIP chip, or a communication module, etc.

[0030] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0031] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through eight can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figures 1 to 5 are some schematic diagrams of the application of the OCC provided in this application;

[0033] Figures 6 to 8e are schematic diagrams of possible, non-limiting systems used in the communication methods and related devices of this application;

[0034] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the communication method in this application;

[0035] Figures 10 to 12 are schematic diagrams illustrating possible implementations of the S time units in this application;

[0036] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the communication method in this application;

[0037] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of possible implementations of the S time units in this application;

[0038] Figures 15 and 16 are schematic diagrams illustrating possible implementations of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in the embodiments section is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0040] First, some of the nouns or terms used in this application will be explained, and these nouns or terms are also part of the content of the invention.

[0041] (1) The terms “system” and “network” in this application are used interchangeably. “Multiple” refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an “or” relationship. “At least one of the following” or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, “at least one of A, B and C” includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. Unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” mentioned in this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0042] (2) In this application, “sending information” can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, “terminal device sending information” can be understood as a terminal device sending information to another device (such as a network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0043] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "terminal device receiving information" can be understood as a terminal device receiving information from another device (such as a network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0044] In this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a network device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being a network device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a network device. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information sent (e.g., by a network device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being a network device. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a network device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, encoding, modulation, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0045] (3) Configuration and Pre-configuration: Configuration and pre-configuration may be used in this application. Configuration refers to the network device or server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal device via messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0046] It should be understood that these values ​​and parameters can change or be updated.

[0047] (4) In this application, “instruction” may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, and may also include explicit instruction and implicit instruction. When a certain instruction information is used to instruct A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly instructs A, or indirectly instructs A.

[0048] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon, for example, by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-predefined) arrangement of various information to indicate specific information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0049] (5) Commonly used orthogonal cover code (OCC) sequences include: Walsh-Hadamard sequence, DFT sequence, and Zadoff-Chu sequence. For example, each row of the following matrix represents a sequence, and any two rows are orthogonal to each other (the inner product is zero).

[0050] For example, the Walsh-Hadamard sequence can be determined by the following matrices: H2 for sequence length 2, H4 for sequence length 4, and H8 for sequence length 8.

[0051] For example, a DFT sequence can be determined by the following matrices (j is the imaginary unit): matrix F2 with a sequence length of 2, matrix F4 with a sequence length of 4, and matrix F8 with a sequence length of 8.

[0052] For example, the Zadoff-Chu sequence can be determined by the following matrices: Z3 for sequence length 3 and Z6 for sequence length 6.

[0053] Next, we will introduce the possible, non-limiting scenarios involved in this application.

[0054] Orthogonal covering codes (OCC) are an important coding technology used in communication systems such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Based on the principle of orthogonality, they can effectively distinguish different signal streams, thereby enabling simultaneous communication of multiple signal streams or parallel transmission of multiple services.

[0055] Narrow band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems support single-tone and multi-tone modes for their uplink data channels. In single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) signal generation, the single-tone mode introduces rotating phase shift keying (RPK), and different rotating phases are introduced for different modulation schemes (e.g., BPSK and QPSK).

[0056] for (i.e., single-tone mode), the time-domain continuous signal s of SC-FDMA symbol l on the k-th uplink subcarrier. k,l The definition of (t) is:

[0057] in, It is the modulation value of SC-FDMA symbol l, with a rotating phase φ. k,l The definition is as follows:

[0058] Where ρ is the phase rotation factor that differs under different modulation methods. This is the phase rotation term that accumulates with the symbol number. This is a symbol counter, reset at the beginning of a transmission and incremented for each symbol during the transmission. N is the configured number of repetitions. TB N represents the number of transport blocks (TB). RU The number of resource units (RUs). The number of consecutive slots in an NB-IoT uplink (UL) RU. The number of symbols in the UL timeslot.

[0059] As can be seen from the above, the rotating phase φ varies under different modulation methods. k,l The difference is mainly introduced by ρ, the latter half It accumulates as the sign l increases, where 2πΔf(k+1 / 2)(N+N CP,l )T s It can be considered constant if the length of the cyclic prefix (CP) is not considered. Let The rotation phase of each symbol under different modulation methods (such as BPSK and QPSK) is shown in Figure 1.

[0060] The following will use the application of orthogonal cover code (OCC) in the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) as an example, along with some implementation examples, to illustrate the concept. It should be understood that the sequences used in the following schemes can be Walsh-Hadamard sequences, DFT sequences, or Zadoff-Chu sequences.

[0061] As an implementation example, uplink coverage enhancement can be achieved through an inter-symbol orthogonal covering code (OCC) scheme (also known as a symbol-level OCC scheme). Here, PUSCH corresponds to inter-symbol spreading within a time slot via OCC. For example, please refer to Figure 2, which illustrates a possible implementation of OCC spreading for a terminal device's signal. Taking OCC2 in Figure 2 as an example, when the OCC length is 2, data #0 will be mapped to symbols 0 and 1. Similarly, when the OCC length is 4, data #0 will be mapped to symbols 0 through 3.

[0062] When PUSCH applies OCC, it multiplies the data by the OCC sequence after the data mapping. Similarly, using OCC2, the OCC sequence... For example, suppose data #0 of terminal device 0 is A, which is mapped to symbols 0 and 1 after spreading; data #0 of terminal device 1 is B, which is also mapped to symbols 0 and 1 after spreading. After multiplying the data symbols and the OCC sequence, terminal device 0 has w on symbol 0. 0,0 A, symbol 1 is w 0,1 A; Terminal device 1 is w on symbol 0. 1,0 B, symbol 1 is w 1,1 B. After air interface transmission, the uplink PUSCH signal received by the network device is a superposition of terminal device 0 and terminal device 1. For simplicity, channel influence is not considered. Therefore, the data received by the network device on symbol 0 is R0 = w 0,0 A+w 1,0 B, the data received on symbol 1 is R1 = w 0,1 A+w 1,1 B. Order Then R0 = A + B, R1 = AB, and the network device can easily separate the signals A and B of terminal device 0 and terminal device 1 by performing OCC on symbols 0 and 1.

[0063] As another implementation example, uplink coverage enhancement can be achieved through the inter-slot orthogonal coverage code (OCC) scheme (also known as the slot-level OCC scheme). In this scheme, the inter-slots corresponding to the PUSCH are spread using OCC. For example, please refer to Figure 3, which illustrates another possible implementation of OCC spreading for a terminal device's signal. Taking OCC2 in Figure 3 as an example, the difference between the inter-slot OCC scheme and the inter-symbol OCC scheme is that the granularity of inter-symbol OCC is symbol-level, while the granularity of inter-slot OCC is slot-level. As shown in Figure 3, in the inter-slot OCC scheme, each cell labeled with a number represents a slot containing 7 symbols. The same number in the cells represents the slot with OCC spreading, and the transmitted data is the same. For example, two slots both labeled 1 transmit the same content (symbol #0 in slot 0 corresponds to symbol #0 in slot 1).

[0064] The OCC sequence is also multiplied by the data symbols at the slot level. Let's assume that the two slots obtained after OCC spreading are denoted as slot0 and slot1. All PUSCH data symbols in slot0 (except for the demodulation reference signal (DMRS)) will be multiplied by w0 in the OCC sequence, and all PUSCH data symbols in slot1 (except for the DMRS symbols) will be multiplied by w1 in the OCC sequence.

[0065] When a network device receives a signal from multiple terminal devices after OCC pairing, it performs OCC decomposition at the slot level to separate the data from the multiple terminal devices.

[0066] It should be understood that the symbols in Figure 2 or Figure 3 may be orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols, single carrier-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) symbols, or other symbols, without limitation here.

[0067] Optionally, the terminal device may perform OCC extension on the DMRS symbol, or it may not perform OCC extension on the DMRS.

[0068] For example, if the DMRS uses TDM mode when OCC is active, and the pilot symbols of different terminal devices are staggered in the time domain, then the terminal device does not perform OCC extension on the DMRS symbol for that pilot symbol. Please refer to Figure 4, which is a possible mapping diagram of the DMRS symbol. As shown in Figure 4, taking OCC length 2 as an example, UE0 occupies the DMRS symbols of slots #0 and #1 for pilot mapping, while slots #2 and #3 are left empty and not mapped; UE1 leaves the DMRS symbols of slots #0 and #1 empty and not mapped, while DMRS symbol mapping is performed on slots #2 and #3. In this case, there will be no interference between different terminal devices on the pilot, and the frequency offset value can still be estimated.

[0069] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which is a possible mapping diagram of the DMRS symbol. As shown in Figure 5, if the DMRS uses CDM mode when OCC is enabled, the terminal device also performs OCC extension on the DMRS symbol.

[0070] When network devices pair and multiplex terminal devices using different modulation schemes (such as BPSK and QPSK) through OCC, it may cause inconsistencies in the equivalent phase shift of the OCC code sequence.

[0071] For example, suppose terminal device 0, with BPSK modulation, transmits data 'a' on symbols #0 and #1, and terminal device 1, with QPSK modulation, transmits data 'b' on symbols #0 and #1, and the sequence of OCC2 is... After multiplication by the OCC sequence, the signal received by the network device is: r0 = ae j0 +be j0

[0072] Here, r0 represents symbol #0 received by the network device, and r1 represents symbol #1 received by the network device. The phase difference between symbol #0 and symbol #1 disrupts the orthogonality of the signals received by the network device (i.e., the inner product of the code sequences is not zero), making it impossible for the network device to distinguish signals from different terminal devices.

[0073] Therefore, how to improve the orthogonality of the signal after OCC extension is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0074] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving the orthogonality between signals transmitted by different terminal devices. The communication method and related apparatus provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, future communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, industrial internet communication systems, or satellite communication systems. The wireless communication systems involved in this application also include, but are not limited to, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems.

[0075] For example, please refer to Figure 6, which is a possible, non-limiting system diagram of the communication method and related apparatus used in this application. As shown in Figure 6, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 6, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 6, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 6). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0076] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication system, a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a future communication system. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0077] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as network equipment, access network equipment, RAN device, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminal equipment achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal equipment 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 6 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal equipment 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal equipment. RAN node 110 and terminal equipment 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 6 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions (e.g., satellite base stations), and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal equipment functions.

[0078] In one possible scenario, RAN node 110 can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. Optionally, RAN node 110 can also be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 6, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 6, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, RAN node 110 can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of RAN node 110 in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node 110 may also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node 110 may also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions, as well as corresponding program instructions. The RAN node 110 in this application may also be a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110.

[0079] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0080] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0081] Terminal equipment can be any device or module that connects to the communication system shown above and has corresponding communication functions. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), fixed wireless access (FWA), or customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. Terminal equipment includes wireless communication functions (providing voice / data connectivity to users). Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving (e.g., drones, vehicles), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in self-driving can be drones, helicopters, or airplanes. For example, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, or ships. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, or robotic arms. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes. Terminal devices typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions, and they also contain program instructions for performing those functions.

[0082] Optionally, the communication method and related apparatus of this application can also be applied to open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN). Please refer to Figure 7, which is another possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram of the communication method and related apparatus applied in this application. As shown in Figure 7, the communication system includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). The RIC includes a near-real-time RIC (near-RT RIC) and a non-real-time RIC (non-RT RIC). The near-real-time RIC is used for model training and inference. For example, it is used to train an AI model and then use that AI model for inference. The near-real-time RIC can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and / or RU) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data. Optionally, the near-real-time RIC can deliver the inference results to the RAN nodes and / or terminals. Optionally, inference results can be exchanged between CU and DU, and / or between DU and RU. For example, the near real-time RIC delivers the inference results to the DU, which then forwards them to the RU. This enables near real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources are achieved.

[0083] The non-real-time RIC is used for model training and inference. For example, it is used to train an AI model and then use that model for inference. The non-real-time RIC can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and / or RU) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Optionally, inference results can be exchanged between CU and DU, and / or between DU and RU; for example, the non-real-time RIC delivers the inference results to the DU, which then forwards them to the RU.

[0084] The near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can also be set up as separate network elements. Optionally, the near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can also be part of other devices. For example, the near real-time RIC can be set in the RAN node (e.g., in CU, DU), while the non-real-time RIC can be set in the OAM, cloud server, core network device, or other network device.

[0085] O-RAN Central Unit (O-CU): Used to implement the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, and other control functions in the 3GPP standard.

[0086] O-RAN Central Unit Control Plane (O-CU-CP): Similar to the CU-CP in the NR system, it is used to implement the functions of the RRC layer and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and is part of the O-CU.

[0087] O-RAN Central Unit User Plane (O-CU-UP): Similar to the CU-UP in the NR system, it is used to implement the functions of the SDAP layer and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer, and is part of the O-CU.

[0088] O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU): Based on low-layer function partitioning, it is used to implement the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and Higher Physical Layer (Higher PHY) layer in the 3GPP standard. The Higher Physical Layer functions include one or more of the following: Forward Error Correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, or modulation / demodulation.

[0089] The O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) is based on low-layer function partitioning and is used to implement the lower physical layer (Lower PHY) functions and radio frequency (RF) functions in the 3GPP standard. The lower physical layer functions include one or more of the following: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT) transformation, digital beamforming, or extraction and filtering of the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). It is similar to the Transmission Reception Point (TRP) or Remote Radio Head (RRH) in 3GPP, but includes lower physical layer functions such as FFT / iFFT or PRACH extraction.

[0090] It should be noted that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to terrestrial communication systems. Alternatively, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to communication systems that integrate terrestrial and satellite communication, which can also be called non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems. For example, RAN100 in Figure 6 may include a terrestrial base station, wherein the terrestrial base station may include a TN cell (i.e., the signal of the TN cell can be transmitted and received through the terrestrial base station); and RAN100 in Figure 6 may also include a non-terrestrial base station, taking a satellite as an example, the satellite may include an NTN cell (i.e., the signal of the NTN cell can be transmitted and received through the satellite). The terrestrial communication system may be, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), a 5G communication system, or a new radio (NR) system, or a communication system that is the next step in the development of the 5G communication system, etc., and is not limited here.

[0091] Compared to traditional mobile communication systems, satellite communication offers advantages such as wider coverage, communication costs independent of transmission distance, and the ability to overcome natural geographical barriers like oceans, deserts, and mountains. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional communication networks, satellite communication can serve as an effective supplement. It is generally believed that non-terrestrial network communication has different channel characteristics compared to terrestrial network communication, such as large transmission delays and Doppler frequency offsets. For example, the round-trip time (RTT) of GEO satellite communication is 238–270 milliseconds (ms), while that of LEO satellite communication is 8 ms–20 ms. Based on orbital altitude, satellite communication systems can be classified into three types: geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite communication systems (also known as geosynchronous orbit satellite systems); medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite communication systems; and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems.

[0092] GEO satellites, also known as geostationary orbit satellites, orbit at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers. Their main advantages are relative stationary position and large coverage area. However, GEO satellites also have significant drawbacks: their large distance from Earth necessitates larger antennas; their transmission latency is relatively high, around 0.5 seconds, failing to meet the demands of real-time services; and their orbital resources are relatively scarce, resulting in high launch costs and an inability to provide coverage to polar regions. MEO satellites, orbiting at altitudes between 2,000 and 35,786 km, can achieve global coverage with a relatively small number of satellites, but their transmission latency is higher than that of LEO satellites, and they are primarily used for positioning and navigation. Furthermore, satellites orbiting at altitudes between 300 and 2,000 km are called Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO satellites are lower in altitude than MEO and GEO satellites, resulting in lower data propagation latency, lower power loss, and relatively lower launch costs. Therefore, LEO satellite communication networks have made significant progress and attracted considerable attention in recent years.

[0093] In one possible implementation, satellite equipment can be categorized into transparent mode and regenerative mode based on its operating mode.

[0094] The two modes will be illustrated below using the implementation methods shown in Figures 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, and 8e.

[0095] In the transparent transmission mode implementation shown in Figure 8a, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e., the NTN Gateway in Figure 8a) act as relays, specifically the Remote Radio Unit (RTU) shown in Figure 8a. Communication between the terminal equipment and the gNB requires this relay process. In other words, in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function.

[0096] For example, in the transparent transmission mode implementation shown in Figure 8b, when the satellite (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) operates in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function. The gateway station (or signaling station) has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station; in this case, the gateway station can be regarded as a base station. Alternatively, the base station can be deployed separately from the gateway station, in which case the delay of the feeder link includes two parts: the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0097] Optionally, the transparent transmission mode can be used as an example where the gateway station and gNB are together or in close proximity. For cases where the gateway station and gNB are far apart, the feeder link delay can be calculated by adding the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0098] As shown in Figure 8c, in the regeneration mode implementation, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e., the NTN Gateway in Figure 8c) act as gNBs and can communicate with the terminal devices. In other words, in regeneration mode, the satellite has the functions of a base station or some of the functions of a base station, and in this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station.

[0099] For example, in the regeneration mode implementation shown in Figure 8d, when the satellite (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) is working in regeneration mode, compared to the implementation shown in Figure 8b, the satellite has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station. In this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station (i.e., an airborne base station).

[0100] Alternatively, in Figures 8b and / or 8d, the satellite can be implemented in other ways, such as by a drone or a high-altitude platform as shown in the figures.

[0101] It should be noted that NTN and terrestrial network base stations can be interconnected through a shared core network. They can also achieve more timely assistance and interconnection through interfaces defined between base stations. In NR, the interface between base stations is called the Xn interface, and the interface between the base station and the core network is called the NG interface. In a converged network, both NTN nodes and terrestrial nodes can achieve interoperability and collaboration through these interfaces.

[0102] In addition, satellites, as network devices, can transmit ephemeris information so that the recipient of the ephemeris information (such as terminal equipment, its base station, or other satellites) can determine the relevant information about the satellite's orbit based on the ephemeris information.

[0103] It should be noted that this application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or future communication networks / systems.

[0104] Taking 5G as an example, a 5G satellite communication system architecture is shown in Figure 8e. Ground terminal equipment accesses the network through the 5G New Radio interface, while 5G base stations are deployed on satellites and connected to the ground core network via wireless links. Simultaneously, wireless links exist between satellites to facilitate signaling interaction and user data transmission between base stations. The devices and interfaces in Figure 8e are described below:

[0105] 5G Core Network: This includes services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The Access and Mobility Management Unit (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The User Plane Unit (UPF) is responsible for managing user plane data transmission and traffic statistics. The Session Management Function (SMF) is mainly used for session management in the mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, and release.

[0106] Ground station: Responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between satellite base stations and the 5G core network.

[0107] 5G New Radio: The wireless link between a terminal and a base station.

[0108] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as handover.

[0109] NG interface: The interface between 5G base stations and 5G core networks, mainly used for exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) signaling of the core network and user service data.

[0110] Furthermore, network devices in terrestrial network communication systems and satellites in NTN communication systems can be uniformly considered as network devices. The apparatus used to implement the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed within the network device. In the following description of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a satellite is used as an example to illustrate the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. It is understood that when the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are applied to terrestrial network communication systems, the actions performed by the satellite can be applied to the base station or network device for execution.

[0111] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device is a terminal or UE as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0112] In addition, the aforementioned satellites can be geostationary satellites, non-geostationary satellites, artificial satellites, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, and high-Earth orbit satellites, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0113] The communication method and related apparatus of this application will be further described below.

[0114] It should be understood that this application uses terminal devices and network devices as examples to illustrate the method, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the terminal device in this application can also be implemented by a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software in the terminal device. In this application, when referring to a terminal device, it can refer to the terminal device itself, or to the chip, communication module, integrated circuit, processor, logic module, or software in the terminal device used to implement the communication method provided in this application, etc., and this application does not make any specific limitation; similarly, the method executed by the communication device in this application can also be implemented by a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, SoC chip containing a modem core, SIP chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software in the communication device. In this application, the term "communication device" may refer to the communication device itself, or to the chip, communication module, integrated circuit, processor, logic module, or software in the communication device used to implement the communication method provided in this application. This application does not make any specific limitation.

[0115] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic flowchart of a possible communication method in this application. As shown in Figure 9, the communication method of this application includes, but is not limited to, steps 401 to 402.

[0116] 401. The terminal device processes the first signal based on the first sequence to obtain S second signals.

[0117] The terminal device acquires a first signal in one time unit, and then processes the first signal based on a first sequence to obtain S second signals in S time units, where S is an integer greater than 1. Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device maps the first signal in one time unit to S time units based on the first sequence to obtain S second signals.

[0118] The S second signals can be carried in S time units within the first time domain resource. Optionally, the first time domain resource can be a time domain resource within a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) allocated by the network device to the terminal device. The first time domain resource includes multiple time units, including the S time units. In this application, the sequence numbers of the S time units in the first time domain resource are all odd or even numbers.

[0119] Alternatively, it can be understood as mapping the first signal onto S time units of the same value (n) through the first sequence. n satisfies: n = l mod 2

[0120] l is the index of the time unit, and the value of l satisfies: in, N is the configured number of repetitions. TB N represents the number of transport blocks (TB). RU The number of resource units (RUs). The number of consecutive slots in an NB-IoT uplink (UL) RU. The number of symbols in the UL timeslot.

[0121] For example, suppose the first time-domain resource includes 14 time units. The indices of these 14 time units in the first time-domain resource are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, respectively. Then, the S time units can be some or all of the time units numbered 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, or they can be some or all of the time units numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13.

[0122] Optionally, before step 401, the terminal device first acquires a first signal, which is a data signal or a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). For example, assuming the first signal is a data signal, the terminal device performs encoding, scrambling, and modulation on the transport block (TB) corresponding to the original data to obtain the first signal; or, the terminal device performs encoding, scrambling, modulation, and discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) on the TB corresponding to the original data to obtain the first signal.

[0123] In one possible implementation, the first sequence is one row of elements from the S rows of the first matrix, and any two sequences corresponding to the S rows are orthogonal. For example, the first matrix w could be... The first sequence can be [1, 1] or [1, -1].

[0124] For example, the first matrix w can be The first sequence can be [1, 1, 1, 1], or [1, -1, 1, -1], or [1, 1, -1, -1], or [1, -1, -1, 1].

[0125] 402. The terminal device sends S second signals to the network device.

[0126] Accordingly, the network device receives S second signals from the terminal devices. It should be understood that the communication method provided in this application can be applied to S terminal devices using different modulation schemes (e.g., BPSK or QPSK). For example, if the S terminal devices each execute the communication method provided in this application, then each terminal device receives S second signals. These S second signals from the S terminal devices are mapped onto the same S time units, meaning that each time unit carries one second signal from each of the S terminal devices.

[0127] In this application, since the terminal device carries S second signals on S time units with all odd or all even sequence numbers, the phase difference caused by different modulation methods is eliminated between the S time units received by the network device, thereby improving the orthogonality between signals sent by different terminal devices and reducing multiple access interference (MAI).

[0128] Optionally, the time unit can be an hour, minute, second, millisecond, microsecond, nanosecond, frame, subframe, slot, symbol, sampling time (Ts), or basic time unit (Tc), etc. In this application, only the time unit is used as a symbol for illustrative description.

[0129] In one possible implementation, in step 401, the terminal device can obtain the S second signals in the S time units corresponding to the first signal using symbol-level OCC. Optionally, in this case, the S time units are S symbols, and the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time domain resource are all consecutive odd or consecutive even numbers; that is, except for the sequence number of the DMRS symbol, the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time domain resource are all consecutive odd or consecutive even numbers. It should be understood that the "sequence number of the DMRS symbol" refers to the sequence number of the DMRS symbol in the first time domain resource, not the sequence number of the DMRS symbol in one time slot.

[0130] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the S time units in this application. As shown in Figure 10, assuming the first time-domain resource includes 14 symbols, the sequence numbers of these 14 symbols in the first time-domain resource are: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Taking the length of the first sequence as 2 and the first signal as a data symbol as an example, if the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time-domain resource are all consecutive even numbers, then the S symbols can be symbols with sequence numbers "0, 2", "4, 6", or "8, 12". If the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time-domain resource are all consecutive even numbers, then the S symbols can be symbols with sequence numbers "1, 5", "7, 9", or "11, 13". Since there is a DMRS symbol in the first time-domain resource, the S symbols should skip the position where the DMRS symbol is located. Therefore, it can be considered that the symbols with serial numbers "8, 12" and "1, 5" shown in Figure 10 still satisfy the condition that "the serial numbers of the S symbols in the first time domain resource are all consecutive odd numbers or consecutive even numbers".

[0131] In this application, the first signal can be a data signal or a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). When the first signal is a data signal, the terminal device can perform OCC extension on the first signal using symbol-level OCC or time-slot-level OCC. The following describes the process by which the terminal device obtains S second signals using symbol-level OCC, taking the first signal as a data signal as an example.

[0132] As can be seen from the above, in this application, the first signal can be extended by OCC and mapped to symbols with odd or even serial numbers, such as symbols #0 and #2, or symbols #1 and #3, as shown in Figure 11.

[0133] Assume that the data sent by terminal device 0 on symbols #0 and #2 is denoted as a, the data sent by terminal device 1 on symbols #1 and #3 is denoted as b, and the data received by the network device on symbols #0 to #3 are denoted as r0, r1, r2, and r3, respectively.

[0134] Therefore, r0 and r2 can be considered as a set of results of the OCC extension, satisfying:

[0135] r1 and r3 are a set of results for the OCC extension, satisfying:

[0136] Therefore, the phase difference between symbol #2 carrying r2 and symbol #0 carrying r0 is e. j2x The phase difference between symbol #3 carrying r3 and symbol #1 carrying r1 is also e. j2x And e j2x These are known constants. Therefore, after receiving r0, r1, r2, and r3, the network device compensates for the phase difference between r0 and r2, and also compensates for the phase difference between r1 and r3, thus resolving the data a sent by terminal device 0 on symbols #0 and #2, and the data b sent by terminal device 0 on symbols #1 and #3.

[0137] Optionally, since the positions of some symbols are affected by the phase of the DMRS symbols, for example, if the DMRS symbol is symbol #11, the first signal can be extended by OCC and mapped to symbols #9 and #13 in Figure 12, or symbols #10 and #12.

[0138] Assume that the data sent by terminal device 0 on symbols #9 and #13 is denoted as 'a', the data sent by terminal device 1 on symbols #10 and #12 is denoted as 'b', and the data received by the network device on symbols #9, #10, #12, and #13 is denoted as 'r9', 'r ... 10 r 12 r 13 .

[0139] Therefore, it can be considered that r9 and r 13 A set of results for the OCC extension that satisfy:

[0140] r 10 and r 12 A set of results for the OCC extension that satisfy:

[0141] Therefore, it can be seen that the symbol #9 carrying r9 is related to the symbol carrying r. 13 The phase difference between the symbol #13 is e j2x , carrying r 10 The symbol #10 and the bearer r 12 The phase difference between the symbols #12 is also e j2x And e j2x These are known constants. Therefore, the network device receives r9 and r... 10 r 12 r 13 Afterwards, compensate r9 and r 13 The phase difference between them, and the compensation r 10 With r 12 The phase difference between them is the data a sent by terminal device 0 on symbols #0 and #2, and the data b sent by terminal device 0 on symbols #1 and #3.

[0142] In one possible implementation, in step 401, the terminal device may also use a slot-level OCC method to obtain S second signals in S time units corresponding to the first signal. In this case, the S time units include the Y-th symbol of each of the S time slots, where Y is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0143] Taking OCC extension of the DMRS signal as an example, the DMRS signal can be mapped to time slots with odd or even serial numbers, such as time slot #0 and time slot #2 as shown in Figure 12, or time slot #1 and time slot #3.

[0144] The DMRS symbols connected to slots #0 and #1 on the network side are:

[0145] The DMRS symbols for slots #2 and #4 are:

[0146] Similarly, network devices can compensate for symbol #3 of bearer r3 and bearer r 17 The symbol #17 indicates the phase difference e j14x And, compensation bearing r 10 The symbol #10 and the bearer r 24 The phase difference e between the symbols #24 j14x DMRS signals sent by different terminal devices are obtained.

[0147] Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of another possible communication method in this application. As shown in Figure 13, the communication method of this application includes, but is not limited to, steps 501 to 502.

[0148] 501. The terminal device processes the first signal based on the second sequence to obtain S second signals in S time units.

[0149] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to S terminal devices employing different modulation schemes (e.g., BPSK or QPSK). A terminal device obtains a first signal through a first modulation scheme or a second modulation scheme; therefore, the first signal can be considered to be obtained through either the first or second modulation scheme. Then, the terminal device processes the first signal based on a second sequence to obtain S second signals over S time units. The second sequence is one row of elements in the S rows of elements in the second matrix. Each row includes a first element, which comprises the phase rotation difference between the first and second modulation schemes (e.g., BPSK and QPSK), where S is an integer greater than 1. Therefore, since the second sequence is one row of the second matrix, it also contains a first element.

[0150] For example, when the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme are BPSK and QPSK respectively, the phase rotation difference between BPSK and QPSK is . or

[0151] Optionally, the second matrix W satisfies any of the following:

[0152] or,

[0153] In one possible implementation, S second signals are carried on a second time-domain resource, and the S time units are sequentially numbered within the second time-domain resource. Optionally, the time units are time slots or symbols.

[0154] For example, in a symbol-level OCC scenario, the S time units can be symbol #0 and symbol #1 as shown in Figure 14, or the S time units can be symbol #1 and symbol #2 as shown in Figure 14.

[0155] In another example, suppose the four consecutive time slots in the second time domain resource are time slot #0, time slot #1, time slot #2, and time slot #3. Then, in a time slot-level OCC scenario, the S time units can be time slot #0 and time slot #1, or the S time units can be time slot #1 and time slot #2.

[0156] 502. The terminal device sends S second signals to the network device.

[0157] In this application, the first element includes the phase rotation difference between the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme, and the terminal device processes the second sequence containing the first element to obtain S second signals. Thus, the network device receives S time units where the phase difference caused by different modulation schemes is eliminated, improving the orthogonality between signals transmitted by different terminal devices, thereby reducing multiple access interference (MAI).

[0158] Optionally, the communication method shown in Figure 13 further includes step 500, which is performed before step 501.

[0159] 500. The network device sends the first instruction information to the terminal device.

[0160] The first indication information is used to instruct the second matrix. Alternatively, the first indication information is used to activate the second matrix. After receiving the first indication information, the terminal device processes the first signal using any row element (e.g., the second sequence) of the second matrix, i.e., it executes step 501.

[0161] This application also provides another implementation of the communication method, which will be described below.

[0162] When a network device pairs terminal devices with different modulation schemes (e.g., BPSK and QPSK) and enables OCC, the network device sends a second indication message to the terminal device using a higher-order modulation scheme (e.g., QPSK). The second indication message is used to instruct the terminal device using the higher-order modulation scheme to switch to a lower-order modulation scheme (e.g., BPSK).

[0163] For ease of description, let's assume that the terminal device using the high-order modulation method is the first terminal device. After receiving the second indication information, if the first terminal device has sufficient time domain resources available for uplink transmission, the first terminal device switches to the low-order modulation method.

[0164] Optionally, the second indication information is carried in a medium access control control element (MAC CE), downlink control information (DCI), or radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0165] Please refer to Figure 15. This application embodiment provides a communication device 600, which can realize the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 601 and a transceiver unit 602.

[0166] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 602 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are used to perform transmitting and receiving respectively.

[0167] In one possible implementation, processing unit 601 is used to process a first signal based on a first sequence to obtain S second signals in S time units, wherein the S second signals are carried in a first time domain resource, and the sequence numbers of the S time units in the first time domain resource are all odd or even numbers, and S is an integer greater than 1; transceiver unit 602 is used to transmit the S second signals.

[0168] In one possible implementation, processing unit 601 is used to process the first signal based on the second sequence to obtain S second signals in S time units. The second sequence is one row of elements in the S rows of elements contained in the second matrix. The S rows of elements include a first element, which includes a phase rotation difference between the first modulation method and the second modulation method. The first signal is obtained by the first modulation method or the second modulation method, and S is an integer greater than 1. Transceiver unit 602 is used to transmit the S second signals.

[0169] It should be noted that the information execution process of the unit of the above-mentioned communication device 600 can be specifically described in the method embodiments shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0170] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0171] It is understood that the communication device 700 includes, for example, modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to execute the technical solutions provided in this application. The communication device 700 may be the terminal device described above, or a component (e.g., a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the following method embodiments. The communication device 700 includes one or more processors 701. The processor 701 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (e.g., a RAN node, terminal, or chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0172] Optionally, in one design, processor 701 may include program 703 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on processor 701 to cause communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the embodiments below. In yet another possible design, communication device 700 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG16).

[0173] Optionally, the communication device 700 may include one or more memories 702 storing a program 704 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 701 to cause the communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0174] Optionally, the processor 701 and / or memory 702 may include AI modules 707 and 708, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio intelligence control (RIC) module. For instance, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0175] Optionally, the processor 701 and / or memory 702 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0176] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver 705 and / or an antenna 706. The processor 701, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or terminal). The transceiver 705, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 706.

[0177] In this context, the processing unit 601 shown in Figure 15 can be a processor 701. The transceiver unit 602 shown in Figure 15 can be a communication interface, which can be the transceiver 705 in Figure 16. The transceiver 705 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the transceiver 705 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0178] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling computer programs or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method provided in the embodiments shown in FIG9 or FIG13 above.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in any of the embodiments shown in FIG9 or FIG13, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in any of the embodiments shown in FIG9 or FIG13.

[0180] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0181] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory that stores computer programs or computer instructions.

[0182] In the embodiments of this application, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microprocessor units (MPUs), microcontroller units (MCUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence processors (AI processors), neural processing units (NPUs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. Some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by a GPU or NPU, or by a GPU or NPU in conjunction with other processors. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0183] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0184] 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] 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.

[0187] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0188] It should be understood that the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings of the device embodiments provided in this application, the connection relationships between modules indicate that they have communication connections, which can be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0189] 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.

[0190] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to it, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0191] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0192] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Based on the first sequence, the first signal is processed to obtain S second signals. The S second signals are carried in S time units in the first time domain resource. The sequence numbers of the S time units in the first time domain resource are all odd or even numbers, and S is an integer greater than 1. Send the S second signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The S time units are S symbols, and the sequence numbers of the S symbols in the first time domain resource are all consecutive odd numbers or consecutive even numbers.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The S time units include the Y-th symbol of each of the S time slots, where Y is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first signal is a data signal.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first signal is the demodulation reference signal DMRS.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first sequence is one of the row elements in the S rows contained in the first matrix, and any two sequences in the S sequences corresponding to the S row elements are orthogonal.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Based on the second sequence, the first signal is processed to obtain S second signals. The S second signals are carried in S time units. The second sequence is one of the row elements in the S rows of the second matrix. The S row elements include a first element. The first element includes the phase rotation difference between the first modulation method and the second modulation method. The first signal is obtained by the first modulation method or the second modulation method. S is an integer greater than 1. Send the S second signals.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second matrix W satisfies any of the following: or, 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The S second signals are carried in the second time domain resource, and the sequence numbers of the S time units in the second time domain resource are consecutive.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information, which is used to indicate the second matrix.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that, The time unit is a time slot or a symbol.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that, The first signal is a data signal or a demodulation reference signal DMRS.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

17. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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