CN115039467A

CN115039467A - Method and apparatus for tracking reference signal

Info

Publication number: CN115039467A
Application number: CN202080095058.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 管鹏
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-14
Filing date: 2020-02-14
Publication date: 2022-09-09
Also published as: WO2021159447A1

Abstract

The application provides a method and a device for tracking reference signals, which enable terminal equipment and network equipment to align with the terminal equipment to track which reference signals, are beneficial to improving the efficiency of the network equipment for adjusting uplink transmission power for the terminal equipment, and saving signaling overhead. The method comprises the following steps: the method comprises the steps that terminal equipment receives first information from network equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and under the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; the terminal equipment receives second information from the network equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; if the default mode is started, the terminal device tracks a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and does not track the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

Description

Method and apparatus for tracking reference signal

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for tracking a reference signal in the field of communications.

Background

In cellular communication, parameters for determining the uplink transmit power of a terminal device are configured by a network device. The purpose of uplink power control is to make the power of a signal sent by a terminal device when the signal reaches a network device meet the receiving condition of the network device. Since the distance between each terminal device and the network device is different, the terminal device needs to estimate the Path Loss (PL) in the signal transmission to adjust the uplink transmission power. The path loss is simply referred to as "path loss". In order to control the uplink transmission power, the network device needs to configure a path loss reference signal (PL RS), also called a path loss estimation reference signal, so that the terminal device can track (track). Tracking includes periodic measurement and maintenance of path loss measurement results corresponding to each PL RS.

In consideration of the change of transmission environment due to the mobility of the terminal device, particularly in high frequency communication (for example, millimeter wave communication), it is necessary to consider the change of the transmission beam of the terminal device and the reception beam of the network device, and there is generally more than one PL RS configured by the network device. Release 15(release 15, R15) allows a network device to configure a maximum of 4 PL RSs. The terminal should keep track of the PL RSs configured by all network devices, which facilitates the network device to perform dynamic adjustment, i.e. the network device dynamically indicates one of the 4 PL RSs, and the terminal device can adjust its transmit power immediately. To better support the transmission power change requirement caused by the transmission beam change in high-frequency communication, release 16 (R16) allows a network device to configure 64 PL RSs at most. In order not to increase the measurement and maintenance burden of the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment still only needs to track 4 PL RSs. When the network equipment dynamically indicates a PL RS, if the PL RS is not tracked by the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment needs an extra period of time to measure the PL RS, thereby determining a path loss estimated value and adjusting the transmission power; if this is a PL RS tracked by a terminal device, since the terminal device maintains the path loss estimation value all the time, the terminal device can immediately adjust the transmission power without performing measurement again.

In the method of R16, the network device cannot know which PL RSs are tracked by the terminal device. Thus, for a PL RS, if the network device always assumes that the terminal device does not track the PL RS, the terminal device actually tracks the PL RS, and an unnecessary delay occurs; if the network device always assumes that the terminal device tracks the PL RS, but the terminal device does not track the PL RS, the terminal device cannot adjust the uplink transmission power as required in time, and the network device repeats the instruction of power adjustment after finding that the uplink transmission power of the terminal device is not adjusted in time, resulting in signaling redundancy.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a method and a device for tracking reference signals, which can determine the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment based on a specific rule, so that the terminal equipment and the network equipment are aligned with the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment, the efficiency of the network equipment for adjusting uplink transmission power for the terminal equipment is improved, and signaling overhead is saved.

In a first aspect, a method for tracking a reference signal is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that terminal equipment receives first information from network equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and in the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; the terminal equipment receives second information from the network equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; if the default mode is started, the terminal device tracks a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and does not track the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

In other words, if the default mode is turned on, the terminal device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and ignore the path loss estimation reference signal indicated by the second information.

Therefore, the network device and the terminal device can determine which reference signals are to be tracked according to whether the default mode is on, so that the terminal device and the network device are aligned with the reference signals tracked by the terminal device. If the network device subsequently needs the terminal device to adjust the uplink transmission power, a suitable reference signal can be determined, and the reference signal is indicated to the terminal device. If the reference signal is one of the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment can adjust the uplink sending power in time without unnecessary adjustment time delay because the terminal equipment maintains the path loss estimation value corresponding to the reference signal all the time; if the reference signal is a reference signal that is not tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device may track the reference signal indicated by the network device by using an extra period of time to obtain a path loss estimation value, and then adjust the uplink transmission power. Since the network device knows that the terminal device does not track the reference signal and needs an extra time to adjust, the network device does not repeatedly send an indication of power adjustment and signaling redundancy does not occur.

In summary, the method for tracking reference signals according to the embodiment of the present application determines the reference signals tracked by the terminal device based on the specific rule, so that the terminal device and the network device align with which reference signals the terminal device tracks, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of the network device for adjusting the uplink transmission power for the terminal device, and saving signaling overhead.

It should be understood that the above default mode refers to a reference mode specified by a protocol without an explicit indication, and in the default mode, the terminal device may determine a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel. Since the default mode is used for determining the reference signal to be tracked when the terminal device adjusts the transmission power, the default mode may also be referred to as a "default transmission power determination mode", or referred to as a "first mode", or by other names, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: if the default mode is not started, the terminal device tracks a reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and does not track a reference signal related to the downlink control channel.

In other words, if the default mode is turned on, the terminal device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the path loss estimation reference signal indicated by the second information, and ignore the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling. Illustratively, the network device sends Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal device, where the RRC signaling carries the first information and the second information.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information and the second information may be sent separately by the network device within a certain time interval. For example, the network device may send first information to the terminal device, and then send second information to the terminal device, the terminal device starts a timer after receiving the first information, and detects whether the second information is received before the timer times out, and if the second information is received, the network device may determine, according to the method in the embodiment of the present application, a path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked; if the terminal device does not receive the second information before the timer times out, the network device may determine the path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked in other manners, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. For another example, the network device may send the second information to the terminal device first, and then send the first information to the terminal device, the terminal device starts the timer after receiving the second information, and detects whether the first information is received before the timer expires, and if the first information is received, the network device may determine the path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked according to the method of the embodiment of the present application; if the terminal device does not receive the first information before the timer expires, the network device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the second information. In other words, the network device may select the reference signal to be tracked from the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information, assuming that the default mode is not turned on in the case that the first information is not received.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identifies minimum M path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify the M largest path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; wherein, M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported to the network device by the terminal device.

The Identifier (ID) may be replaced by an index (index), which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In a possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device is a CSI-RS, and the terminal device may select M CSI-RSs with minimum identifiers or maximum identifiers as the reference signals to be tracked.

In another possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device is a synchronization signal block (SS/PBCH block, SSB), and the terminal device may select M SSBs with the smallest identification or the largest identification as the reference signal to be tracked.

In another possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device includes a CSI-RS and an SSB, and the terminal device may select the CSI-RS first and then select the SSB, or select the SSB first and then select the CSI-RS. For example, the network device configures 2 CSI-RSs and 7 SSBs, where M is 4, the terminal device may select 2 CSI-RSs first, and then select 2 SSBs with the smallest identifier or the largest identifier from the 7 SSBs, or the terminal device may select an SSB first, that is, select 2 SSBs with the smallest identifier or the largest identifier from the 7 SSBs. For another example, the network device configures 5 CSI-RSs and 5 SSBs, where M is 4, and the terminal device may select 2 CSI-RSs with minimum identity or maximum identity from the 5 CSI-RSs and select 2 SSBs with minimum identity or maximum identity from the 5 SSBs.

It should be understood that, when the network device configures the multiple impairment estimation reference signals, an identifier (for example, PUSCH-pathlossreferences rs-Id, PUCCH-pathlossreferences rs-Id, or SRS-pathlossreferences rs-Id) is assigned to each impairment estimation reference signal. The PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id is an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal of the PUSCH, the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id is an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal of the PUCCH, and the SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id is an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal of the SRS. Each type of reference signal may also have respective identities, for example, the identities (e.g., SSB-Index) of 3 SSBs configured by the network device for the terminal device may be 0-2, and the identities (e.g., NZP-CSI-RS-resource ID) of 5 CSI-RSs configured by the network device for the terminal device may be 0-4. Therefore, the terminal device selects M reference signals with the minimum or maximum identifier, which may be M reference signals with the minimum or maximum PUSCH-pathlossreference RS-Id (or PUCCH-pathlossreference RS-Id, or SRS-pathlossreference RS-Id), or M reference signals with the minimum or maximum SSB-Index and/or NZP-CSI-RS-resource Id. In addition, each PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id may be associated with one SRI-PUSCH-powercontrol Id, and in this case, the terminal device may also select M reference signals with the smallest or largest SRI-PUSCH-powercontrol Id.

Optionally, considering that the network device configures at least two of the PUSCH-pathlossreferences rs, the PUCCH-pathlossreferences rs and the SRS-pathlossreferences rs for the terminal device, the terminal device may select according to a certain agreed order. Exemplarily, if the network device configures both the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUSCH and the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUCCH for the terminal device, the terminal device may select the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS according to the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, and then select the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS according to the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, or select the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS according to the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, and then select the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS according to the PUSCH-pathlosreferencers-Id. For example, if the network device configures the terminal device with the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUSCH, the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUCCH, and the path loss estimation reference signal of the SRS at the same time, the terminal device may select according to the sequence of the PUSCH, the PUCCH, and the SRS, or according to the sequence of the PUSCH, the SRS, and the PUCCH, or according to other sequences, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In summary, the above-mentioned identification may be at least one of the following: the mobile station is provided with a PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, a PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, an SRI-PUSCH-PowerControlId, an SSB-Index or an NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceId, which is not limited in the embodiment of the application.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with a shortest transmission cycle among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals is M path loss estimation reference signals with the longest transmission period in the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; and M is predefined or a positive integer reported to the network equipment by the terminal equipment.

It should be understood that the above-mentioned path loss estimation reference signal is sent to the terminal device by the network device, and therefore, the above-mentioned sending period may also be referred to as a measurement period for the terminal device, which are equivalent, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the calling thereof.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the terminal equipment receives third information from the network equipment, wherein the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal; the terminal equipment obtains a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment and/or the first reference signal; and the terminal equipment adjusts the uplink transmission power of the terminal equipment based on the path loss estimated value, wherein the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal equipment receives the first time period of the third information.

Specifically, when the terminal device is required to adjust the uplink transmission power, the network device may send third information to the terminal device, indicating the first reference signal. The first reference signal may be one reference signal or a plurality of reference signals, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application. And the terminal equipment receives the third information and adjusts the uplink sending power of the terminal equipment according to the indication of the third information.

With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, if the first reference signals all belong to reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; or, if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X + T; wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

For example, the terminal device may compare a first reference signal indicated by the third information with a reference signal tracked by the terminal device, and if the first reference signal belongs to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device may directly adjust uplink transmission power of the terminal device in time according to a maintained estimated value of the path loss of the reference signal; if the first reference signal does not belong to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device needs an extra time (i.e., the above T) to track the first reference signal, obtain a path loss estimation value, and then adjust the uplink transmission power of the terminal device according to the obtained path loss estimation value. Therefore, the adjusted uplink transmission power of the terminal device takes effect after the first time period when the terminal device receives the third information.

The X may be a predefined time length, a time length configured by the network device, or a time length reported by the terminal device, for example, may be 3ms, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the third information may be MAC-CE signaling, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the default mode is any one of: a first default mode, a second default mode, or a third default mode; in the first default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the second default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; and in the third default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device sends first capability information and/or second capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC, and the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.

For the first capability information, the network device may determine, according to the first capability information reported by the terminal device, the number of the multiple path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information. It should be understood that the number of the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals is less than or equal to the number reported by the terminal device in the first capability information.

And for the second capability information, the terminal device reports the second capability information to the network device, wherein the second capability information is used for indicating the number M of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC. The network device can determine the reference signal tracked by the terminal device according to the M and the rule.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: and the terminal equipment sends third capability information and/or fourth capability information to the network equipment, wherein the third capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal equipment, and the fourth capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal equipment.

It should be understood that the number of maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal device may be the sum of the number of maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by all CCs, and the number of maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal device may be the sum of the number of maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by all CCs.

In a second aspect, another method for tracking a reference signal is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that network equipment sends first information to terminal equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and in the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; the network equipment sends second information to the terminal equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; if the default mode is started, the network device determines that the reference signal tracked by the terminal device is the reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and the reference signal not tracked is the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

Optionally, the method further comprises: and the network equipment sends a reference signal, wherein the reference signal comprises the reference signal related to the downlink control channel and the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: if the default mode is not started, the network device determines that the reference signal tracked by the terminal device is the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signal not tracked is the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identifies the M smallest path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify the M path loss estimation reference signals with the largest number among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; wherein, M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported to the network device by the terminal device.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals is M path loss estimation reference signals with the shortest transmission cycle among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals is M path loss estimation reference signals with the longest transmission period in the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; wherein, M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported to the network device by the terminal device.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device sends third information to the terminal device, wherein the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal, and the third information is used for the terminal device to adjust uplink transmission power, and the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal device receives a first time period of the third information.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the first reference signals all belong to reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; or, if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X + T; wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the default mode is any one of: a first default mode, a second default mode, or a third default mode; in the first default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the second default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; and under the third default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before the network device sends the second information to the terminal device, the method further includes: the network equipment receives first capability information from the terminal equipment, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC; and the network equipment determines the number of the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: and the network equipment receives second capability information from the terminal equipment, wherein the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum traceable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device receives third capability information from the terminal device, the third capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal device, and the network device determines the number of the multiple path loss estimation reference signals according to the third capability information.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: and the network equipment receives fourth capability information from the terminal equipment, wherein the fourth capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal equipment.

In a third aspect, another method for tracking a reference signal is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that terminal equipment receives first information from network equipment, wherein the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; the terminal device receives second information from the network device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer; the terminal device tracks the L basic path loss estimation reference signals and does not track the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

In this embodiment of the present application, a network device may configure two types of path loss estimation reference signals for a terminal device, where one type is a basic path loss estimation reference signal, and the other type is an additional path loss estimation reference signal, where the additional path loss estimation reference signal is not tracked by the terminal device, so that the terminal device may only track the basic path loss estimation reference signal, and align with the network device which reference signals are tracked by the terminal device. If the network equipment needs to immediately adjust the uplink transmission power subsequently, the terminal equipment can be indicated to track one reference signal in the reference signals, and the uplink transmission power can be adjusted in time without unnecessary adjustment time delay because the terminal equipment maintains the path loss estimation value corresponding to the reference signal all the time; if the network device does not need the terminal device to immediately adjust the uplink transmission power, the network device may indicate the reference signal that is not tracked by the terminal device, and the terminal device may track the reference signal indicated by the network device by using an extra period of time to obtain a path loss estimation value and then adjust the uplink transmission power. Since the network device knows that the terminal device does not track the reference signal and needs an extra time to adjust, the network device does not repeatedly send the indication of power adjustment and signaling redundancy does not occur.

With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling. Illustratively, the network device sends Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal device, where the RRC signaling carries the first information and the second information.

With reference to the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the terminal equipment receives third information from the network equipment, wherein the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal; the terminal equipment obtains a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment and/or the first reference signal; and the terminal equipment adjusts the uplink transmission power of the terminal equipment based on the path loss estimated value, wherein the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal equipment receives the first time period of the third information.

With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, if the first reference signals all belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X; or if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X + T; wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

With reference to the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device sends first capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable extra path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC.

In this way, the network device may determine, according to the first capability information reported by the terminal device, the number of K additional path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information. It should be understood that the number K of the K path loss estimation reference signals is less than or equal to the number reported by the terminal device in the first capability information.

In a fourth aspect, another method for tracking a reference signal is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that network equipment sends first information to terminal equipment, wherein the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; the network device sends second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer; and the network equipment determines that the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment are the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signals not tracked are the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the network device sends third information to the terminal device, wherein the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal, and the third information is used for the terminal device to adjust uplink transmission power, and the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal device receives a first time period of the third information.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, if the first reference signals all belong to the L first path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X; or if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signals do not belong to the L first path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X + T; wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, before the network device sends the second information to the terminal device, the method further includes: the network equipment receives first capability information sent by the terminal equipment, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable extra path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC; the network device determines the number of the K additional path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.

In a fifth aspect, an apparatus for tracking a reference signal is provided to perform the method in any one of the possible implementations of the above aspects. In particular, the apparatus comprises means for performing the method in any one of the possible implementations of the aspects described above.

In a sixth aspect, an apparatus for tracking a reference signal is provided, which includes a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method in any one of the possible implementations of the above aspects. Optionally, the communication device further comprises a memory. Optionally, the communication device further comprises a communication interface, the processor being coupled to the communication interface.

In one implementation, the apparatus for tracking a reference signal is a terminal device. When the means for tracking the reference signal is a terminal device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input/output interface.

In another implementation, the apparatus for tracking the reference signal is a chip configured in the terminal device. When the device for tracking the reference signal is a chip configured in the terminal equipment, the communication interface may be an input/output interface.

In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, including: input circuit, output circuit and processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor performs the method in any one of the above-mentioned possible implementations.

In a specific implementation process, the processor may be a chip, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a flip-flop, various logic circuits, and the like. The input signal received by the input circuit may be received and input by, for example and without limitation, a receiver, the signal output by the output circuit may be output to and transmitted by a transmitter, for example and without limitation, and the input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit that functions as the input circuit and the output circuit, respectively, at different times. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific implementation manner of the processor and various circuits.

In an eighth aspect, a processing apparatus is provided that includes a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory and to receive signals via the receiver and transmit signals via the transmitter to perform the method of any one of the possible implementations of the aspects described above.

Optionally, the number of the processors is one or more, and the number of the memories is one or more.

Alternatively, the memory may be integral to the processor or provided separately from the processor.

In a specific implementation process, the memory may be a non-transient memory, such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), which may be integrated on the same chip as the processor, or may be separately disposed on different chips.

It will be appreciated that the associated data interaction process, for example, sending the indication information, may be a process of outputting the indication information from the processor, and receiving the capability information may be a process of receiving the input capability information from the processor. In particular, the data output by the processing may be output to a transmitter and the input data received by the processor may be from a receiver. The transmitter and receiver may be collectively referred to as a transceiver, among others.

The processing device in the above eighth aspect may be a chip, the processor may be implemented by hardware or may be implemented by software, and when implemented by hardware, the processor may be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, or the like; when implemented in software, the processor may be a general-purpose processor implemented by reading software code stored in a memory, which may be integrated with the processor, located external to the processor, or stand-alone.

In a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising: computer program (also called code, or instructions), which when executed, causes a computer to perform the method of any of the above aspects in possible implementations.

A tenth aspect provides a computer-readable medium storing a computer program (which may also be referred to as code, or instructions) which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of the possible implementations of the above aspects.

In an eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the terminal device and the network device described above.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of a method for tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating another method for tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of another apparatus for tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solution in the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The technical scheme of the embodiment of the application can be applied to various communication systems, for example: global system for mobile communications (GSM) systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) systems, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunications system (universal mobile telecommunications system, UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, future fifth generation (5G) or new radio NR systems, etc.

It should also be understood that the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application may also be applied to various communication systems based on non-orthogonal multiple access technologies, such as Sparse Code Multiple Access (SCMA) systems, and certainly SCMA may also be referred to as other names in the communication field; further, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application may be applied to a multi-carrier transmission system using a non-orthogonal multiple access technology, for example, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system using a non-orthogonal multiple access technology, a filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), a General Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM) system, a filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (F-OFDM) system, and the like.

For the understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system suitable for the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system suitable for use in embodiments of the present application. As shown in fig. 1, the communication system 100 may include at least one network device, such as the network device 110 shown in fig. 1; the communication system 100 may also include at least one terminal device, such as the terminal device 120 shown in fig. 1. Network device 110 and terminal device 120 may communicate via a wireless link. Each communication device, such as network device 110 or terminal device 120, may be configured with multiple antennas, which may include at least one transmit antenna for transmitting signals and at least one receive antenna for receiving signals. Additionally, each communication device can additionally include a transmitter chain and a receiver chain, each of which can in turn comprise a plurality of components associated with signal transmission and reception (e.g., processors, modulators, multiplexers, demodulators, demultiplexers, antennas, etc.), as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art. Thus, network device 110 and terminal device 120 may communicate via multiple antenna techniques.

The terminal device in this embodiment may communicate with one or more core networks through a Radio Access Network (RAN), and may be referred to as an access terminal, a User Equipment (UE), a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user equipment. An access terminal may be a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capability, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc.

The network device in this embodiment may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and the network device may be a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) system or a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, may also be a base station (NodeB) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, may also be an evolved NodeB (eNB) or eNodeB) in an LTE system, may also be a wireless controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenario, or may be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a network device in a future 5G network or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network, and the like, and the present embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, a gNB in an NR system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group (including multiple antenna panels) of antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system, or may also be a network node forming the gNB or the transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU), or a Distributed Unit (DU), etc.

In some deployments, the gNB may include a Centralized Unit (CU) and a DU. The gNB may also include a Radio Unit (RU). A CU implements part of the function of a gNB, and a DU implements part of the function of the gNB, for example, the CU implements the function of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, and the DU implements the function of a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and a Physical (PHY) layer. Since the information of the RRC layer eventually becomes or is converted from the information of the PHY layer, the higher layer signaling, such as the RRC layer signaling, may also be considered to be transmitted by the DU or the DU + CU under this architecture. It is to be understood that the network device may be a CU node, or a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU may be divided into network devices in a Radio Access Network (RAN), or may be divided into network devices in a Core Network (CN), which is not limited in this application.

The network device may also be referred to as a generic term of all devices at the network end, for example, when a plurality of TRPs are used to transmit data to a terminal device, the plurality of TRPs may be referred to as a network device.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal device or the network device includes a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Memory Management Unit (MMU), and a memory (also referred to as a main memory). The operating system may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processes through processes (processes), such as a Linux operating system, a Unix operating system, an Android operating system, an iOS operating system, or a windows operating system. The application layer comprises applications such as a browser, an address list, word processing software, instant messaging software and the like. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present application does not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution main body of the method provided by the embodiment of the present application, as long as the communication can be performed according to the method provided by the embodiment of the present application by running the program recorded with the code of the method provided by the embodiment of the present application, for example, the execution main body of the method provided by the embodiment of the present application may be a terminal device or a network device, or a functional module capable of calling the program and executing the program in the terminal device or the network device.

In addition, various aspects or features of the present application may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or media. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, or magnetic tape), optical disks (e.g., Compact Disk (CD), Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), card, stick, or key drive, etc.). In addition, various storage media described herein can represent one or more devices and/or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" can include, without being limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and/or carrying instruction(s) and/or data.

The embodiment of the application can be applied to an LTE system, a subsequent evolution system such as 5G and the like, or other wireless communication systems adopting various wireless access technologies such as systems adopting access technologies of code division multiple access, frequency division multiple access, time division multiple access, orthogonal frequency division multiple access, single carrier frequency division multiple access and the like, and is particularly applicable to scenes needing channel information feedback and/or applying a secondary precoding technology, such as a wireless network applying a Massive MIMO technology, a wireless network applying a distributed antenna technology and the like.

It should be understood that a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technique refers to using a plurality of transmitting antennas and receiving antennas at a transmitting end device and a receiving end device, respectively, so that signals are transmitted and received through the plurality of antennas of the transmitting end device and the receiving end device, thereby improving communication quality. The multi-antenna multi-transmission multi-receiving system can fully utilize space resources, realize multi-transmission and multi-reception through a plurality of antennas, and improve the system channel capacity by times under the condition of not increasing frequency spectrum resources and antenna transmitting power.

For the sake of understanding, the following description will be given of terms related to the embodiments of the present application.

1. Path loss estimation

In cellular communication, parameters for determining the uplink transmit power of a terminal device are configured by a network device. The purpose of the uplink power control is to make the power of the signal sent by the terminal device when reaching the network device meet the receiving condition of the network device, for example, the power of the signal sent by the terminal device when reaching the network device is required to be P0 by the network device. Since the distance between each terminal device and the network device is different, the terminal device needs to estimate the Path Loss (PL) in the signal transmission to adjust the uplink transmission power. The path loss is simply referred to as "path loss", and the estimation of the path loss is simply referred to as "path loss estimation". The path loss estimation is usually implemented by the terminal device measuring the received power of a path loss estimation reference signal (PL RS) configured by the network device. In short, the estimated path loss is PL RS transmission power — reception power of PL RS, and the uplink transmission power of the terminal device is P0+ the estimated path loss. Here, the transmission power of the network device and P0 are both configured by the network device.

2. Path loss reference signal (PL RS)

The path loss reference signal may also be referred to as a path loss estimation reference signal. The terminal device can adjust the transmission power based on the path loss estimation value obtained above. In order to obtain the path loss estimate, the network device needs to configure the PL RS for the terminal device to track (track). Tracking includes periodic measurement and maintenance of path loss measurement results corresponding to each PL RS. It should be understood that PL RS is a periodic reference signal, PL RS is a general term for a reference signal used for path loss estimation, and the reference signal used for path loss estimation may be, for example: a synchronization signal block (SS/PBCH block, SSB) or a Channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). In other words, the reference signal configured by the network device for the terminal device and used for path loss estimation is referred to as PL RS herein.

Considering the change of transmission environment caused by the mobility of the terminal device, especially in high frequency communication (such as millimeter wave communication), the change of the transmission beam of the terminal device and the change of the reception beam of the network device need to be considered, and the number of PL RSs configured by the network device is usually more than one. Release 15(release 15, R15) allows a network device to configure up to 4 PL RSs. The terminal should keep track of the PL RSs configured by all network devices, which facilitates the network device to perform dynamic adjustment, i.e. the network device dynamically indicates one of the 4 PL RSs, and the terminal device can adjust its transmit power immediately. To better support the transmit power change requirements of transmit beam changes in high frequency communications, release 16 (R16) allows network devices to configure up to 64 PL RSs. In order not to increase the measurement and maintenance burden of the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment still only needs to track 4 PL RSs. When the network equipment dynamically indicates a PL RS, if the PL RS is not tracked by the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment needs an extra period of time to measure the PL RS, and then a path loss estimated value and transmission power are determined; if this is a PL RS tracked by a terminal device, since the terminal device maintains the path loss estimation value all the time, the terminal device can immediately adjust the transmission power without performing measurement again.

In the method of R16, the network device cannot know which PL RSs are tracked by the terminal device. Thus, for a PL RS, if the network device always assumes that the terminal device does not track the PL RS, the terminal device actually tracks the PL RS, and an unnecessary delay occurs; if the network device always assumes that the terminal device tracks the PL RS, but the terminal device does not track the PL RS, the terminal device cannot adjust the uplink transmission power in time as required, and the network device repeats the indication of power adjustment after finding that the uplink transmission power of the terminal device is not adjusted in time, resulting in signaling redundancy.

In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a method and an apparatus for tracking a reference signal, which can determine the reference signal tracked by a terminal device based on a specific rule, so that the terminal device and a network device align with which reference signals are tracked by the terminal device, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of the network device for adjusting uplink transmission power for the terminal device, and saving signaling overhead.

Before describing the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the following description is made.

First, in the embodiment of the present application, "predefined" may be implemented by saving a corresponding code, table, or other means that can be used to indicate related information in advance in a device (for example, including a terminal device and a network device), and the present application is not limited to a specific implementation manner thereof.

Second, in the embodiments shown below, terms and english abbreviations such as media access control element (MAC-CE), Radio Resource Control (RRC), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) are exemplary examples given for convenience of description, and shall not limit the present application. This application is not intended to exclude the possibility that other terms may be defined in existing or future protocols to carry out the same or similar functions.

Third, the first, second and various numerical numbers in the embodiments shown below are merely for convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. E.g., to distinguish between different reference signals, to distinguish between different information, etc.

Fourth, the "protocol" referred to in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, and may include, for example, an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and a related protocol applied in a future communication system, which is not limited in the present application.

Fifth, "at least one" means one or more, "a plurality" means two or more. "and/or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, meaning that there may be three relationships, e.g., a and/or B, which may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural. The character "/" generally indicates that the former and latter associated objects 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 the singular or plural items. For example, at least one (one) of a, b, and c, may represent: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c, wherein a, b and c can be single or multiple.

The method and apparatus for tracking a reference signal provided by the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the technical solutions of the present application can be applied to a wireless communication system, for example, the communication system 100 shown in fig. 1. Two communication devices in a wireless communication system may have a wireless communication connection relationship therebetween, and one of the two communication devices may correspond to the terminal equipment 120 shown in fig. 1, for example, may be the terminal equipment shown in fig. 1, or may be a chip configured in the terminal equipment; the other of the two communication apparatuses may correspond to the network device 110 shown in fig. 1, and for example, may be the network device shown in fig. 1, or may be a chip configured in the network device.

Hereinafter, the method for tracking a reference signal provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail by taking an interaction process between a terminal device and a network device as an example without loss of generality.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of a method 200 for tracking a reference signal provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method may be applied to the communication system shown in fig. 1, but the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. The method 200 comprises:

s210, the network equipment sends first information to the terminal equipment, and correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the first information; the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and under the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel.

S220, the network equipment sends second information to the terminal equipment, and correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the second information; the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals.

S230, if the default mode is turned on, the terminal device tracks the reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and does not track the multiple path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information. In other words, if the default mode is turned on, the terminal device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and ignore the path loss estimation reference signal indicated by the second information.

As an optional embodiment, the method further comprises: if the default mode is not started, the terminal device tracks the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals and does not track the reference signals related to the downlink control channel. In other words, if the default mode is not turned on, the terminal device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the path loss estimation reference signal indicated by the second information, and ignore the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.

In this embodiment, the terminal device may determine the reference signal tracked by the terminal device according to whether the default mode is on. Since whether the default mode is turned on or not is informed to the terminal device by the network device through the first information, the network device may also determine the reference signal tracked by the terminal device according to whether the default mode is turned on or not. Specifically, the network device indicates whether the default mode is turned on to the terminal device, and under the condition that the default mode is turned on, the terminal device may determine a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to the downlink control channel, that is, the terminal device tracks the reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and does not track the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals configured by the network device through the second information; when the default mode is not turned on, the terminal device may track a reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information, and not track a reference signal related to the downlink control channel. The network device, once it has determined whether the default mode is enabled for the terminal device, can determine the reference signals tracked by the terminal device.

Therefore, the network device and the terminal device can determine which reference signals are to be tracked according to whether the default mode is on, so that the terminal device and the network device align with the reference signals tracked by the terminal device. If the network device subsequently needs the terminal device to adjust the uplink transmission power, a suitable reference signal can be determined, and the reference signal is indicated to the terminal device. If the reference signal is one of the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment can adjust uplink sending power in time without unnecessary adjustment time delay because the terminal equipment maintains the path loss estimation value corresponding to the reference signal all the time; if the reference signal is a reference signal that is not tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device may track the reference signal indicated by the network device by using an extra period of time to obtain a path loss estimation value, and then adjust the uplink transmission power. Since the network device knows that the terminal device does not track the reference signal and needs an extra time to adjust, the network device does not repeatedly send an indication of power adjustment and signaling redundancy does not occur.

In summary, the method for tracking reference signals according to the embodiment of the present application determines the reference signals tracked by the terminal device based on the specific rule, so that the terminal device and the network device are aligned with the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of the network device for adjusting the uplink transmission power for the terminal device, and saving signaling overhead.

The "reference signal related to the downlink control channel" specifically refers to: a reference signal resource of a quasi-co-location (QCL) Type D (QCL-Type D) in a quasi-co-location (QCL-Type D) assumption indexing a minimum control resource set (CORESET) transmission configuration indication (TCI-state) or a reference signal resource of a quasi-co-location (QCL) assumption indexing a minimum control resource set (CORESET). (a RS resource with "QCL-Type D" in the TCI-state or the QCL assignment of a CORESET with the lowest index in the active DL BWP of the scheduling cell for the serving cell.)

Optionally, the default mode is any one of the following: a first default mode, a second default mode, or a third default mode; in the first default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the second default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the third default mode, the terminal device determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel.

Illustratively, the first default mode may be used for the terminal device to determine the reference signal to be tracked of the PUSCH according to the reference signal related to the downlink control channel. If the first default mode is started, the terminal device may determine a reference signal to be tracked based on a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; if the first default mode is not turned on, the terminal device cannot determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and therefore, in the case where the first default mode is configured, the network device further configures a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals through the second information, and in the case where the first default mode is not turned on, the terminal device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals. Optionally, the PUSCH may be a DCI format 0_0 scheduled PUSCH. For example, the first default mode may be recorded as enabledeaultbeampforpusch 0_0, for PUSCH scheduled by DCI format 0_ 0. It should be noted that, in addition to the DCI-scheduled PUSCH in DCI format 0_0, there is also a DCI-scheduled PUSCH in DCI format 0_1, and for the DCI-scheduled PUSCH in DCI format 0_0, under the condition that the first default mode is turned on, the terminal device may determine a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; for the PUSCH scheduled by the DCI in DCI format 0_1, the terminal device may determine, according to an uplink Scheduling Request Indication (SRI) field in the DCI in DCI format 0_1, a reference signal that the network device requires the terminal device to track.

For example, the second default mode may be used for the terminal device to determine the reference signal to be tracked of the PUCCH according to the reference signal related to the downlink control channel. For example, the second default mode may be denoted as enabledeaultbeamplforpucch, for decoded PUCCH.

For example, the third default mode may be used for the terminal device to determine the reference signal to be tracked of the SRS according to the reference signal related to the downlink control channel. For example, the third default mode may be recorded as enablefaultbeamplforsrs, for truncated SRS.

It should be understood that these default modes may have other names in addition to the names listed above, i.e., the names of the first default mode, the second default mode, and the third default mode are not limited by the embodiments of the present application.

In the first information, taking a first default mode as an example, the specific signaling started in the first default mode is embodied that the value of an enablefaultbeam forchlorsch 0_0 field is ON or enable; the specific signaling that the first default mode is not turned on is embodied as that the value of the enablefaultbeamplfusch 0_0 field is OFF or disable, or the whole field is not configured (absent), which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. The second default mode is similar to the third default mode and is not listed here.

In the following, how the terminal device determines the reference signal to be tracked in the case that the default mode is not turned on is described in detail.

As described above, if the default mode is not turned on, the terminal device may track the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information, and not track the reference signal related to the downlink control channel. However, since the number of reference signals that can be tracked by the terminal device is limited (for example, the terminal device can track 4 reference signals at most), if the number of path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information is greater than the number of reference signals that can be tracked by the terminal device (in a possible implementation, the second information is used to indicate 64 PL RSs), then the terminal device may select a reference signal to be tracked from the multiple path loss estimation reference signals in the following manner.

1. The terminal device may select M path loss estimation reference signals with the smallest identification or the largest identification from the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

As an alternative embodiment, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identifies the M path loss estimation reference signals with the smallest path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify the M path loss estimation reference signals with the largest number among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; and M is predefined or a positive integer reported to the network equipment by the terminal equipment.

In another possible implementation manner, if the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device is an SSB, the terminal device may select M SSBs with the smallest identifiers or the largest identifiers as the reference signal to be tracked.

In yet another possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device includes CSI-RS and SSB, and the terminal device may select the CSI-RS first and then the SSB, or select the SSB first and then the CSI-RS. For example, the network device configures 2 CSI-RSs and 7 SSBs, where M is 4, the terminal device may select 2 CSI-RSs first, and then select 2 SSBs with the smallest identifier or the largest identifier from the 7 SSBs, or the terminal device may select an SSB first, that is, select 2 SSBs with the smallest identifier or the largest identifier from the 7 SSBs. For another example, the network device configures 5 CSI-RSs and 5 SSBs, where M is 4, and the terminal device may select 2 CSI-RSs with minimum identity or maximum identity from the 5 CSI-RSs and select 2 SSBs with minimum identity or maximum identity from the 5 SSBs.

It should be understood that, when the network device configures the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, each path loss estimation reference signal is assigned with an identifier (e.g. PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, or PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, or SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id). The PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id is an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal of the PUSCH, the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id is an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal of the PUCCH, and the SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id is an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal of the SRS. Each type of reference signal may also have respective identities, for example, the identities (e.g., SSB-Index) of 3 SSBs configured by the network device for the terminal device may be 0-2, and the identities (e.g., NZP-CSI-RS-resource ID) of 5 CSI-RSs configured by the network device for the terminal device may be 0-4. Therefore, the terminal device selects M reference signals with the minimum or maximum identification, which may be M reference signals with the minimum or maximum PUSCH-pathssreferencers-Id (or PUCCH-pathssreferencers-Id, or SRS-pathssreferencers-Id), or M reference signals with the minimum or maximum SSB-Index and/or NZP-CSI-RS-resource Id. For the convenience of distinction, in the present application, the PUSCH-pathlossreference RS-Id, or the PUCCH-pathlossreference RS-Id, or the SRS-pathlossreference RS-Id is referred to as an identifier of a path loss estimation reference signal, and the SSB-Index and the NZP-CSI-RS-resource Id are referred to as a resource identifier of the reference signal. In addition, each PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id may be associated with one SRI-PUSCH-powercontrol Id, and in this case, the terminal device may also select M reference signals with the SRI-PUSCH-powercontrol Id being minimum or maximum.

Optionally, considering that the network device configures at least two of the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS, the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS, and the SRS-PathlossReferenceRS for the terminal device, the terminal device may select according to a certain agreed order. For example, if the network device configures both the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUSCH and the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUCCH for the terminal device, the terminal device may select the PUSCH-pathlossreferences rs according to the PUSCH-pathlossreferences rs-Id, and then select the PUCCH-pathlossreferences rs according to the PUCCH-pathlossreferences rs-Id, or select the PUCCH-pathlossreferences rs according to the PUCCH-pathlossreferences rs-Id, and then select the PUSCH-pathlossreferences rs according to the PUSCH-pathlossreferences rs-Id. For example, if the network device configures the terminal device with the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUSCH, the path loss estimation reference signal of the PUCCH, and the path loss estimation reference signal of the SRS at the same time, the terminal device may select according to the sequence of the PUSCH, the PUCCH, and the SRS, or according to the sequence of the PUSCH, the SRS, and the PUCCH, or according to other sequences, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In summary, the above-mentioned identification may be at least one of the following: the mobile terminal is provided with a PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, a PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, an SRI-PUSCH-PowerControlId, an SSB-Index or an NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceId, which is not limited in the embodiment of the application.

As an alternative embodiment, considering that the default modes include a first default mode, a second default mode and a third default mode, for the first default mode, that is, for the PUSCH, the terminal device may select M reference signals with the minimum or maximum PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id as the reference signals tracked by the terminal device; for the second default mode, that is, for the PUCCH, the terminal device may select M reference signals with the smallest or the largest PUCCH-pathlossfrecencers-Id as the reference signals tracked by the terminal device; for the third default mode, i.e. for SRS, the terminal device may select M reference signals with the smallest or the largest SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id as the reference signals tracked by the terminal device.

As an optional embodiment, if the network device configures at least two of the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS, the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS, and the SRS-PathlossReferenceRS for the terminal device, the network device should ensure that the reference signals of the same path loss estimation reference signal identifier (e.g., the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, the PUCCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id, and the SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id) also have the same resource identifier (e.g., SSB-Index or NZP-CSI-RS-resource Id). That is, the same path loss estimation reference signal identification indicates the same reference signal. Illustratively, the network device configures a PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS and an SRS-PathlossReferenceRS for the terminal device, and M reference signals determined by the terminal device according to the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id are the same as M reference signals determined by the terminal device according to the SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id. Therefore, the terminal equipment does not need to respectively track different M reference signals for each uplink channel or signal, and the complexity and the power consumption of the terminal equipment are reduced.

2. The terminal device may select M path loss estimation reference signals having the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period among the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals.

As an alternative embodiment, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the shortest transmission period among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals is M path loss estimation reference signals with the longest transmission period in the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; and M is predefined or a positive integer reported to the network equipment by the terminal equipment.

It should be understood that the above-mentioned path loss estimation reference signal is sent to the terminal device by the network device, and therefore, the above-mentioned sending period may also be referred to as a measurement period for the terminal device, which are equivalent, and the name of the above-mentioned sending period is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In a possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device is a CSI-RS, and the terminal device may select M CSI-RSs with the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period as the reference signals to be tracked.

In another possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device is an SSB, and then the terminal device may select M SSBs with the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period as the reference signal to be tracked.

In yet another possible implementation manner, the path loss estimation reference signal configured by the network device includes CSI-RS and SSB, and the terminal device may select the CSI-RS first and then the SSB, or select the SSB first and then the CSI-RS. For example, the network device configures 2 CSI-RSs and 7 SSBs, where M is 4, the terminal device may first select 2 CSI-RSs, and then select 2 SSBs with the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period from the 7 SSBs, or the terminal device may first select an SSB, that is, select 2 SSBs with the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period from the 7 SSBs. For another example, the network device configures 5 CSI-RSs and 5 SSBs, where M is 4, and the terminal device may select 2 CSI-RSs with the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period from the 5 CSI-RSs and select 2 SSBs with the longest transmission period or the shortest transmission period from the 5 SSBs.

The M may be a predefined positive integer, or a positive integer reported to the network device by the terminal device. Alternatively, M may be reported to the network device by the terminal device through capability information (referred to as second capability information herein), that is, the terminal device reports the second capability information to the network device, where the second capability information is used to indicate the number M of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC. The network device can determine the reference signal tracked by the terminal device according to the M and the rule.

In a possible implementation manner, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling. Illustratively, the network device sends Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal device, where the RRC signaling carries the first information and the second information.

In another possible implementation manner, the first information and the second information may be sent separately by the network device within a certain time interval. For example, the network device may send first information to the terminal device, and then send second information to the terminal device, the terminal device starts a timer after receiving the first information, and detects whether the second information is received before the timer expires, and if the second information is received, the network device may determine a path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked according to the method of the embodiment of the present application; if the terminal device does not receive the second information before the timer expires, the network device may determine the path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked in other manners, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application. For another example, the network device may send the second information to the terminal device first, and then send the first information to the terminal device, the terminal device starts the timer after receiving the second information, and detects whether the first information is received before the timer expires, and if the first information is received, the network device may determine the path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked according to the method of the embodiment of the present application; if the terminal device does not receive the first information before the timer expires, the network device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the second information. In other words, the network device may select the reference signal to be tracked from the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information, assuming that the default mode is not turned on in the case that the first information is not received.

Optionally, before S230, the method 200 further includes S240, where the network device sends a reference signal to the terminal device, where the reference signal includes the reference signal related to the downlink control channel and a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals. The terminal device may select a reference signal from the reference signals for tracking according to the above method, that is, measure the reference signal and maintain a path loss estimation value corresponding to the reference signal.

Optionally, the method 200 further comprises:

s250, the network equipment sends third information to the terminal equipment, and correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the third information; the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal;

and S260, the terminal equipment adjusts the uplink transmission power based on the obtained path loss estimated value.

Specifically, when the terminal device is required to adjust the uplink transmission power, the network device may send third information to the terminal device, indicating the first reference signal. The first reference signal may be one reference signal or multiple reference signals, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. And the terminal equipment receives the third information and adjusts the uplink sending power of the terminal equipment according to the indication of the third information.

In this embodiment of the present application, the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal device receives the first time period of the third information. Namely, the effective time of the adjusted uplink transmission power is as follows: and adding the first time period to the moment when the terminal equipment receives the third information. Before the adjusted uplink transmission power becomes effective, the terminal device may perform one or more of the following steps:

1. the terminal device may continue to use the path loss estimation value of the path loss estimation reference signal indicated by the previous network device.

2. The terminal device may continue to track the path loss estimation reference signal indicated by the previous network device.

3. The terminal device may use a default path loss estimation value for the reference signal.

4. The terminal device may track a default path loss estimation reference signal.

It should be understood that the above "path loss estimation reference signal indicated by previous network equipment" refers to: before the terminal device receives the third information from the network device, the network device indicates the path loss estimation reference signal to the terminal device through other information. The "default path loss estimation reference signal" may be a reference signal in a random access process, or a path loss estimation reference signal used by the terminal device last time, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

As an optional embodiment, if the first reference signals all belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; or, if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X + T; wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

For example, the terminal device may compare a first reference signal indicated by the third information with a reference signal tracked by the terminal device, and if the first reference signal belongs to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device may directly adjust uplink transmission power of the terminal device in time according to a constantly maintained estimated path loss value of the reference signal; if the first reference signal does not belong to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device needs an extra time (i.e., the above T) to track the first reference signal, obtain a path loss estimation value, and then adjust the uplink transmission power of the terminal device according to the obtained path loss estimation value. Therefore, the adjusted uplink transmission power of the terminal device takes effect after the first time period when the terminal device receives the third information.

The X may be a predefined time length, a time length configured by the network device, or a time length reported by the terminal device, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Illustratively, X may be used for the terminal device to interpret the content of the third information, for example, X ═ 3 ms. Illustratively, X may be used for the terminal device to interpret the content of the third information, and to send the obtained estimated road loss value from the upper layer of the terminal device to the physical layer of the terminal device. For example, X is 5ms, where 3ms is used for the terminal device to interpret the content of the third information, and 2ms is used for the terminal device to send the obtained path loss estimation value from the upper layer of the terminal device to the physical layer of the terminal device.

The above T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value, and for example, T may be a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal and obtain a plurality of (for example, 5) measurement samples (measurement samples), which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, the third information may be MAC-CE signaling, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

As an optional embodiment, the method further includes: the terminal device sends first capability information and/or second capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC, and the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.

In this way, the network device may determine, according to the first capability information reported by the terminal device, the number of the multiple path loss estimation reference signals configured by the second information. It should be understood that the number of the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals is less than or equal to the number reported by the terminal device in the first capability information.

As an optional embodiment, the method further includes: the terminal device sends third capability information and/or fourth capability information to the network device, wherein the third capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal device, and the fourth capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by the terminal device.

The method 200 of the present embodiment is described in detail below with reference to a specific example.

The network device may send RRC signaling to the terminal device, and configure the following information for the terminal device through the RRC signaling:

1. whether to start a default mode, namely the first information;

2. configuration information related to a downlink control channel, wherein configuration of a PDCCH core TCI-state is mainly related to the embodiment of the present application. Illustratively, according to the R16 standard, only one BWP per Carrier Component (CC) can be in active mode. Each BWP of each CC may be configured with multiple CORESET, each CORESET identified by its ID. The CORESET ID is unique within the CC. For each CORESET, one or more TCI-states may be configured by TCI-statesdcch-ToAddList and TCI-statesdcch-ToReleaseList. If the number of TCI-states configured per CORESET is greater than 1, then specifically using which TCI-state also requires the network device to send MAC-CE signaling for activation. Each TCI-state includes 1 or 2 QCL types, and each QCL type corresponds to a reference signal. According to the existing protocol specification, the reference signal corresponding to QCL type D can be used as a PL RS in the default mode. However, it should be understood that, in a possible implementation manner, reference signals corresponding to other QCL types may also be used as PL RSs in the default mode, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, the terminal device may report, to the network device, whether it can support a reference signal corresponding to another QCL type as a PL RS in the default mode; or the terminal device reports the reference signals supporting the other QCL types as PL RSs in the default mode to the network device when the terminal device can support the reference signals corresponding to the other QCL types as PL RSs in the default mode, and does not report the reference signals supporting the QCL type D as PL RSs in the default mode when the terminal device does not support the reference signals corresponding to the other QCL types as PL RSs in the default mode.

Exemplarily, the configuration described above with respect to CORESET is as follows:

illustratively, the configuration described above with respect to TCI-state is as follows:

3. the configuration information (i.e., the second information) of the path loss estimation reference signal PL RS, in this embodiment, the network device may configure 64 PL RSs at most. Optionally, the maximum configurable number of PL RSs may be limited by the parameter maxNrofPUSCH-pathlossreferences. The number of configurable PL RSs of the network equipment should not be larger than the maximum configurable PL RS number supported by each CC reported by the terminal equipment through the first capability information.

Illustratively, the configuration described above with respect to the PL RS is as follows:

for example, each PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS-Id may be associated with one SRI-PUSCH-powercontrol Id, which may be specifically configured as follows:

4. whether to start updating information of the PL RS through the MAC-CE, exemplarily, the value of an enable PLRSupdateForPUSCHRS field is ON or enable, which indicates starting; the value of enablerplupdatepuschsrs field is OFF or disable, or the entire field is not configured (absent), meaning not turned on. In the embodiment of the application, updating of PL RS through MAC-CE is started.

Then, the network device sends a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device may determine whether the default mode is on according to the method, and further determine the reference signal to be tracked, thereby tracking the reference signal to perform path loss estimation. Specifically, If the first information indicates that the default mode is turned on, the terminal device does not track the PL RS configured by the PUSCH-pathloss referencers, and tracks a reference signal related to a downlink control channel for path loss estimation (If failed path mode allowed, UE is not required to be requested to be transmitted and is provided with a downlink path RS other than the failed path RS); if the first information indicates that the default mode is not started, the terminal equipment tracks the PL RS configured by the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS for path loss estimation and does not track the reference signal related to the downlink control channel. Alternatively, when the number of PL RSs configured by the PUSCH-pathlossreference RS is greater than the number M of reference signals that the terminal device can track, the terminal device may determine M reference signals to be tracked according to the above method (selected according to the identifier or the transmission period). Illustratively, if the number of configured PL RSs is greater than 4, the terminal device only needs to keep track of the 4 PL SRs with the smallest ID. (UE is only required to track 4path RS with lower IDs, if configured number of path RSs is lager than 4.) the identifier here may be at least one of the above-mentioned PUSCH-Path Reference RS-Id, PUCCH-Path Reference RS-Id, SRI-PUSCH-PowerControlId, SSB-Index or NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceId, and will not be described herein again.

Then, when the network device needs the terminal device to adjust the transmission power, the network device may send an MAC-CE signaling to the terminal device to indicate a reference signal, the terminal device receives the MAC-CE signaling, and obtains a path loss estimation value according to whether the reference signal belongs to a reference signal tracked by the terminal device, and adjusts the uplink transmission power of the terminal device.

According to the method for tracking the reference signals, the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment are determined based on the specific rule, so that the terminal equipment and the network equipment are aligned with the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment, the efficiency of the network equipment for adjusting the uplink transmission power for the terminal equipment is improved, and the signaling overhead is saved.

In a possible implementation manner of the present application, taking SRS as an example, if the terminal device is configured to turn on a MAC CE function (i.e., enable plrsuppateforpuschrs), the network device sends the MAC CE to the terminal device, and indicates SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id for an aperiodic or semi-persistent SRS resource set, which corresponds to a resource identifier q of a reference signal _d . If the SRS-pathlossReferenceRS-Id received by the terminal equipment is greater than 3, and the terminal equipment is not configured with the default mode of the SRS (i.e. the third default mode enable mentioned above)Defaultbeamplforssp), the terminal device follows

The first slot 2 milliseconds later starts applying the configuration of the MAC CE, where k is the slot for which the terminal device transmits HARQ-ACK for the MAC CE, μ is an indication of the system parameters used to transmit the HARQ-ACK (illustratively,

equivalent to the above X, equal to 3 milliseconds), T _pathloss Is the time (T) required to obtain the 5th measurement sample of the path loss estimation reference signal under the condition that the TCI state of the path loss estimation reference signal is known _pathloss Corresponding to T above, the 5th measurement sample is merely an example).

(If the UE is provided enablePLRSupdateForPUSCHSRS,a MAC CE can provide by SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id a corresponding RS resource index q _d for aperiodic or semi-persistent SRS resource set q _s .

If the UE receives a MAC CE activation command for one SRS-PathlossReferenceRS-Id larger than 3and the UE is not provided enableDefaultBeamPlForSRS,the UE applies the activation command in the first slot that is 2ms after slot

where k is the slot where the UE would transmit a PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information for the PDSCH providing the activation command,μis the SCS configuration for the PUCCH and T _pathloss is time for 5th measurement sample of the pathloss RS if the TCI state of the pathloss RS is known as described in[10,TS 38.133].)

Examples of the PUSCH and PUCCH are similar to those of the SRS described above and are not described here again.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of a method 300 for tracking a reference signal provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method may be applied to the communication system shown in fig. 1, but the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. The method 300 includes:

s310, the network equipment sends first information to the terminal equipment, and correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the first information; the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4.

S320, the network equipment sends second information to the terminal equipment, and correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the second information; the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, which are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, where K is a positive integer.

S330, the terminal device tracks the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and does not track the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

In this embodiment of the present application, a network device may configure two types of path loss estimation reference signals for a terminal device, where one type is a basic path loss estimation reference signal, and the other type is an additional path loss estimation reference signal, where the additional path loss estimation reference signal is not tracked by the terminal device, so that the terminal device may only track the basic path loss estimation reference signal, and align with the network device which reference signals are tracked by the terminal device. If the network equipment needs to immediately adjust the uplink transmission power subsequently, the terminal equipment can be indicated to track one reference signal in the reference signals, and the uplink transmission power can be adjusted in time without unnecessary adjustment time delay because the terminal equipment maintains the path loss estimation value corresponding to the reference signal all the time; if the network device does not need the terminal device to immediately adjust the uplink transmission power, the network device may indicate the reference signal that is not tracked by the terminal device, and the terminal device may track the reference signal indicated by the network device by using an extra period of time to obtain a path loss estimation value and then adjust the uplink transmission power. Since the network device knows that the terminal device does not track the reference signal and needs an extra time to adjust, the network device does not repeatedly send an indication of power adjustment and signaling redundancy does not occur.

Optionally, the L basic path loss estimation reference signals are path loss estimation reference signals configured by the network device for the terminal device in R15, and the number of the path loss estimation reference signals is less than or equal to 4. In the embodiment of the application, on the basis of the R15 standard, an additional piece of information is added for configuring an additional path loss estimation reference signal (i.e., the second information).

As an optional embodiment, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling. Illustratively, the network device sends Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal device, where the RRC signaling carries the first information and the second information.

For example, in the signaling, the first information may occupy a part of a field (e.g., PUSCH-pathlossreference rs), the second information may occupy another part of the field (e.g., PUSCH-additional pathlossreference rs), and the terminal device may identify the first information and the second information according to the positions of the fields after receiving the signaling.

As an alternative embodiment, the first information and the second information may be sent separately by the network device within a certain time interval. For example, the network device may send first information to the terminal device, and then send second information to the terminal device, the terminal device starts a timer after receiving the first information, and detects whether the second information is received before the timer times out, and if the second information is received, the network device may determine, according to the method in the embodiment of the present application, a path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked; if the terminal device does not receive the second information before the timer expires, the network device may determine, based on the first information, a path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. For another example, the network device may send the second information to the terminal device first, and then send the first information to the terminal device, the terminal device starts the timer after receiving the second information, and detects whether the first information is received before the timer expires, and if the first information is received, the network device may determine the path loss estimation reference signal to be tracked according to the method of the embodiment of the present application; if the terminal device does not receive the first information before the timer expires, the network device may determine the reference signal to be tracked based on the second information.

Optionally, before S330, the method 300 further includes S340, where the network device sends a reference signal to the terminal device, where the reference signal includes the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and optionally, the reference signal may further include the K additional path loss estimation reference signals. The terminal device may select a reference signal from the above-mentioned methods for tracking, that is, measure the reference signal and maintain a path loss estimation value corresponding to the reference signal.

Optionally, the method 300 further comprises:

s350, the network equipment sends third information to the terminal equipment, and correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the third information; the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal;

and S360, the terminal equipment adjusts the uplink transmission power based on the obtained path loss estimated value.

In this embodiment of the present application, the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal device receives the first time period of the third information. Before the adjusted uplink transmission power becomes effective, the terminal device may perform one or more of the following steps:

3. The terminal device may use a default path loss estimation value of the path loss estimation reference signal.

It should be understood that the above "path loss estimation reference signal indicated by previous network equipment" refers to: and before the terminal equipment receives the third information from the network equipment, the network equipment indicates the path loss estimation reference signal to the terminal equipment through other information. The "default path loss estimation reference signal" may be a reference signal in a random access process, or a path loss estimation reference signal used by the terminal device last time, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

As an optional embodiment, if the first reference signals all belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; or, if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X + T; wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a time length for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

For example, the terminal device may compare a first reference signal indicated by the third information with a reference signal tracked by the terminal device, and if the first reference signal belongs to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device may directly adjust uplink transmission power of the terminal device in time according to a maintained estimated value of the path loss of the reference signal; if the first reference signal does not belong to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device needs an extra time (i.e., the above T) to track the first reference signal, obtain a path loss estimation value, and then adjust the uplink transmission power of the terminal device according to the obtained path loss estimation value. Therefore, the uplink transmission power adjusted by the terminal device is effective after the first time period when the terminal device receives the third information.

The X may be a predefined time length, a time length configured by the network device, or a time length reported by the terminal device, for example, may be 3ms, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

As an optional embodiment, the method further includes: the terminal device sends first capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable extra path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC.

The method 300 of the present embodiment is described in detail below with reference to a specific example.

The network device may send an RRC signaling to the terminal device, and configure the following information for the terminal device through the RRC signaling:

1. the basic configuration information (i.e., the first information) of the path loss estimation reference signal PL RS, in this embodiment, the network device may configure 4 PL RSs at most. Optionally, the maximum configurable number of underlying PL RSs may be limited by the parameter maxNrofPUSCH-pathlossreferences. The number of configurable PL RSs of the network equipment should not be larger than the maximum configurable PL RS number supported by each CC reported by the terminal equipment through the first capability information.

Illustratively, the configuration of the PL RS above with respect to the basis is as follows:

2. the configuration information of the additional path loss estimation reference signal PL RS (i.e. the second information) may, for example, be added with an Information Element (IE) for configuring the additional PL RS. This additional PL RS may also be referred to as an additional PL RS. For example, the cell name is PUSCH-additional pathlossfrerencers, and additional pushusch-pathlossfrerencers-Id is used as its identifier. Since the PL RS can be either an SSB or a CSI-RS, which SSB or CSI-RS can be identified by its ID or index.

Furthermore, maxnrof added pusch-pathlossreferences represents the maximum configurable number of additional PL RSs. Optionally, the sum of maxnrof additive pusch-pathlossreferences and maxnrof pusch-pathlossreferences is less than or equal to the number of maximum configurable PL RSs of the network device. For example, the maximum configurable number of PL RSs for the network device is 64, maxNrofPUSCH-pathlossreferences is 4, then maxnrofaddationpusch-pathlossreferences equals 60. Considering the capability information reported by the terminal device, the number of the network device configurable PL RSs should not be greater than the sum of the maximum configurable PL RS number supported by each CC and the maximum configurable additional PL RS number supported by each CC reported by the terminal device.

Illustratively, the configuration described above with respect to the additional PL RS is as follows:

3. whether to start the information for updating the PL RS through the MAC-CE, illustratively, the value of an enable PLRSupdata PUSCHSRS field is ON or enable, which indicates starting; the value of the enablerpUpdateForPUSCHRS field is OFF or disable, or the whole field is not configured (absent), which means not turned on. In the embodiment of the application, updating of PL RS through MAC-CE is started.

Then, the network device sends a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device may determine whether the default mode is on according to the method, and further determine the reference signal to be tracked, thereby tracking the reference signal to perform path loss estimation. Specifically, if the first information indicates that the default mode is turned on, the terminal device does not track the PL RS configured by the PUSCH-pathlossfrecencers, and tracks a reference signal related to a downlink control channel for path loss estimation; if the first information indicates that the default mode is not started, the terminal equipment tracks the PL RS configured by the PUSCH-PathlossReferenceRS for path loss estimation and does not track the reference signal related to the downlink control channel. Optionally, when the number of PL RSs configured in the PUSCH-pathlossreferences RS is greater than the number M of reference signals that can be tracked by the terminal device, the terminal device may determine M reference signals to be tracked according to the above method (selected according to the identifier or the transmission period), which is not described herein again.

It should be understood that the above methods 200 and 300 are both performed by performing configuration differentiation on a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals, or by setting a rule in advance to select a part of the reference signals as the reference signals to be tracked. In this way, the network device and the terminal device can align which reference signals the terminal device tracks, thereby aligning the behavior of the terminal device in adjusting the uplink transmission power.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a method, where a timer is started, and the network device may prohibit sending the information related to the uplink power control for a period of time after sending the third information (for example, MAC-CE signaling), or ignore the power adjustment signaling that is sent again by the network device for a period of time after the terminal device receives the third information.

In particular, the network device may configure the timer and its time length to the terminal device through RRC signaling (or other signaling). The timer may be referred to as a PL RS update prohibit timer (PL RS update timer), or by other names, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that the network device may also send the first information, the second information, and the like in the method 200 or the method 300 to the terminal device, which is not described herein again.

Then, the network device sends a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device determines the reference signal to be tracked by itself (in the embodiment of the present application, the network device does not know which reference signals are tracked by the terminal device), and tracks the reference signal to perform path loss estimation. When the network device needs to control the terminal device to adjust the uplink transmission power, the network device sends third information (same as the method 200 or the method 300) to the terminal device through the MAC-CE signaling, and indicates the first reference signal. The terminal device receives the third information, starts the timer, and determines the time for adjusting the uplink transmission power according to whether the first reference signal belongs to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, that is, if the first reference signal belongs to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the uplink transmission power can be immediately adjusted according to the maintained path loss estimation value, and if the first reference signal does not belong to the reference signal tracked by the terminal device, the tracking measurement can be performed first, and the uplink transmission power is adjusted after the path loss estimation value of the first reference signal is obtained. It should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, since the network device does not know which reference signals are tracked by the terminal device, the behavior of the terminal device for adjusting the uplink transmission power belongs to the implementation behavior of the terminal device, and is unknown by the network device.

It should be understood that the timer may be started by a terminal device, a network device, or both the terminal device and the network device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, the network device may start the timer at a time when the third information is sent, or start the timer at a time when the acknowledgement information for correct reception of the third information sent by the terminal device is received, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application.

Optionally, the terminal device may start a timer at a time when the third information is received, or start a timer at a time when acknowledgement information for correct reception of the third information is sent to the network device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application.

From the perspective of the network device, after the network device sends the third information, if the uplink transmission power of the terminal device meets the requirement, the uplink transmission power does not need to be adjusted again, and it can be considered that the third information is correctly and timely applied. If the transmission power of the terminal device does not meet the requirement, the network device does not repeatedly transmit the power adjustment command any more due to the limitation of the timer, but can consider that the terminal device has not obtained a stable path loss estimation value and is measuring the reference signal and adjusting the reference signal. Therefore, the method of the embodiment of the application provides the terminal device with the maximum degree of freedom, avoids repeated reconfiguration of the network device and saves signaling overhead.

Optionally, if the terminal device starts the timer, the start time of the timer may also be a time when the terminal device last adjusts the uplink transmission power. That is, the terminal device keeps the uplink transmission power for a certain period of time every time the uplink transmission power is adjusted, thereby avoiding frequent adjustment.

It should be understood that, the sequence numbers of the above processes do not imply any order of execution, and the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic, and should not limit the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application in any way.

The method of tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application is described in detail above with reference to fig. 1 to 3, and the apparatus of tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to fig. 4 to 5.

Fig. 4 illustrates an apparatus 400 for tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application. In one design, the apparatus 400 may be a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device. In another design, the apparatus 400 may be a network device or a chip in a network device. The apparatus 400 comprises: a transceiving unit 410 and a processing unit 420.

In one possible implementation manner, the apparatus 400 is configured to execute the respective flows and steps corresponding to the terminal device in the method 200.

The transceiving unit 410 is configured to: receiving first information from network equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and in the default mode, the device determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; receiving second information from the network device, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; the processing unit 420 is configured to: and if the default mode is started, tracking a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and not tracking the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals.

Optionally, the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.

Optionally, the processing unit 420 is further configured to: if the default mode is not started, tracking a reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and not tracking the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.

Optionally, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify M path loss estimation reference signals with the smallest path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify the M path loss estimation reference signals with the largest number among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; wherein M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported by the apparatus to the network device.

Optionally, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the shortest transmission period among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; or, the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the longest transmission period in the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; wherein M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported by the apparatus to the network device.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: receiving third information from the network device, the third information indicating a first reference signal; the processing unit 420 is further configured to: obtaining a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the device and/or the first reference signal; adjusting uplink transmit power of the apparatus based on the path loss estimate, wherein the adjusted uplink transmit power is effective after a first time period in which the apparatus receives the third information.

Optionally, if the first reference signals all belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; or, if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X + T; wherein X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

Optionally, the default mode is any one of: a first default mode, a second default mode, or a third default mode; in the first default mode, the device determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the second default mode, the device determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; and in the third default mode, the device determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: sending first capability information and/or second capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC, and the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.

In another possible implementation manner, the apparatus 400 is configured to execute the respective procedures and steps corresponding to the network device in the method 200.

The transceiving unit 410 is configured to: sending first information to terminal equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and under the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; sending second information to the terminal equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; the processing unit 420 is configured to: and if the default mode is started, determining that the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment is the reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and determining that the reference signal not tracked is the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

Optionally, the first information and the second information are sent by the apparatus through the same signaling.

Optionally, the processing unit 420 is further configured to: and if the default mode is not started, determining that the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment is the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and determining that the reference signal not tracked is the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: before sending second information to the terminal device, receiving first capability information from the terminal device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC; the processing unit 420 is further configured to: determining the number of the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: receiving second capability information from the terminal device, where the second capability information is used to indicate the number of maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.

In one possible implementation manner, the apparatus 400 is configured to execute the respective flows and steps corresponding to the terminal device in the method 300.

The transceiving unit 410 is configured to: receiving first information from a network device, wherein the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; receiving second information from the network device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer; the processing unit 420 is configured to: tracking the L basic path loss estimation reference signals without tracking the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: receiving third information from the network device, the third information indicating a first reference signal; the processing unit 420 is further configured to: obtaining a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the device and/or the first reference signal; adjusting uplink transmission power of the apparatus based on the estimated path loss value, wherein the adjusted uplink transmission power is effective after a first time period when the apparatus receives the third information.

Optionally, if the first reference signals all belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X; or if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X + T; wherein X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: sending first capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable additional path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC.

In another possible implementation manner, the apparatus 400 is configured to perform the respective procedures and steps corresponding to the network device in the method 300.

The transceiving unit 410 is configured to: sending first information to a terminal device, wherein the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; sending second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer; the processing unit 420 is configured to: and determining that the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment are the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signals not tracked are the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

Optionally, the transceiver 410 is further configured to: before sending second information to the terminal device, receiving first capability information sent by the terminal device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable additional path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC; the processing unit 420 is further configured to: determining the number of the K additional path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.

It should be appreciated that the apparatus 400 herein is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" herein may refer to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared, dedicated, or group processor) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that support the described functionality. In an optional example, it may be understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus 400 may be specifically a terminal device or a network device in the foregoing embodiment, and the apparatus 400 may be configured to execute each procedure and/or step corresponding to the terminal device or the network device in the foregoing method embodiment, and in order to avoid repetition, details are not described here again.

The apparatus 400 of each of the above schemes has a function of implementing corresponding steps executed by the terminal device or the network device in the above method; the functions can be realized by hardware, and the functions can also be realized by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above. For example, the transceiver 410 may include a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter may be configured to implement each step and/or flow corresponding to the transceiver for performing a transmitting action, and the receiver may be configured to implement each step and/or flow corresponding to the transceiver for performing a receiving action. The transmitting unit may be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit may be replaced by a receiver, which performs transceiving operations and related processing operations in the respective method embodiments, respectively.

In an embodiment of the present application, the apparatus 400 in fig. 4 may also be a chip or a chip system, for example: system on chip (SoC). Correspondingly, the transceiver unit 410 may be a transceiver circuit of the chip, and is not limited herein.

Fig. 5 illustrates another apparatus 500 for tracking a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus 500 includes a processor 510, a transceiver 520, and a memory 530. Wherein the processor 510, the transceiver 520 and the memory 530 are in communication with each other via an internal connection path, the memory 530 is configured to store instructions, and the processor 510 is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory 530 to control the transceiver 520 to transmit and/or receive signals.

In one possible implementation manner, the apparatus 500 is configured to execute the respective flows and steps corresponding to the terminal device in the method 200.

Wherein the processor 510 is configured to: receiving, by the transceiver 520, first information from a network device, where the first information is used to indicate whether a default mode is on, and in the default mode, the apparatus determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; receiving second information from the network device, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; and if the default mode is started, tracking a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and not tracking the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals.

In another possible implementation manner, the apparatus 500 is configured to execute the respective procedures and steps corresponding to the network device in the method 200.

Wherein the processor 510 is configured to: sending first information to a terminal device through a transceiver 520, where the first information is used to indicate whether a default mode is on, and in the default mode, the terminal device determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; sending second information to the terminal equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; and if the default mode is started, determining that the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment is the reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and determining that the reference signal not tracked is the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.

In one possible implementation manner, the apparatus 500 is configured to execute the respective flows and steps corresponding to the terminal device in the method 300.

Wherein the processor 510 is configured to: receiving, by the transceiver 520, first information from a network device, where the first information is used to configure L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; receiving second information from the network device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer; tracking the L basic path loss estimation reference signals without tracking the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

In another possible implementation manner, the apparatus 500 is configured to execute the respective procedures and steps corresponding to the network device in the method 300.

Wherein the processor 510 is configured to: transmitting first information to a terminal device through a transceiver 520, where the first information is used to configure L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; sending second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer; and determining that the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment are the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signals not tracked are the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.

It should be understood that the apparatus 500 may be embodied as the terminal device or the network device in the foregoing embodiments, and may be configured to perform each step and/or flow corresponding to the terminal device or the network device in the foregoing method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory 530 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 510 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 510 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 510 is configured to perform the various steps and/or processes of the method embodiments described above corresponding to the terminal device or the network device. The transceiver 520 may include a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter may be configured to implement the steps and/or processes for performing the sending action corresponding to the transceiver, and the receiver may be configured to implement the steps and/or processes for performing the receiving action corresponding to the transceiver.

It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the processor of the above apparatus may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general processors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, and the like. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like.

In implementation, the steps of the above method may be performed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in a processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software elements in a processor. The software elements may be located in ram, flash, rom, prom, or eprom, registers, among other storage media that are well known in the art. The storage medium is located in a memory, and a processor executes instructions in the memory, in combination with hardware thereof, to perform the steps of the above-described method. To avoid repetition, it is not described in detail here.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various method steps and elements described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both, and that the steps and elements of the various embodiments have been described above generally in terms of their functionality in order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

It is clear to those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, apparatuses and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and are not described herein again.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described apparatus embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one logical division, and other divisions may be realized in practice, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may also be an electric, mechanical or other form of connection.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiments of the present application.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit. The integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware, or may also be implemented in the form of a software functional unit.

The integrated unit, if implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application may substantially or partially contribute to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solutions may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of the present application. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: various media capable of storing program codes, such as a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope of the present application, and these modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

A method of tracking a reference signal, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that terminal equipment receives first information from network equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and in the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel;

the terminal equipment receives second information from the network equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals;

if the default mode is started, the terminal device tracks a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and does not track the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the method further comprises:

if the default mode is not started, the terminal device tracks a reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and does not track a reference signal related to the downlink control channel.
The method of claim 3, wherein the reference signal determined based on the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals identifies the smallest M path loss estimation reference signals among the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify the largest M path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals;

wherein, M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported to the network device by the terminal device.
The method according to claim 3, wherein the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the shortest transmission period among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the longest transmission period in the multiple path loss estimation reference signals;

wherein, M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported to the network device by the terminal device.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

the terminal equipment receives third information from the network equipment, wherein the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal;

the terminal equipment obtains a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment and/or the first reference signal;

and the terminal equipment adjusts the uplink transmission power of the terminal equipment based on the path loss estimated value, wherein the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal equipment receives the first time period of the third information.
The method according to claim 6, wherein if the first reference signals all belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signals do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment, the first time period is X + T;

wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a time length for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the default mode is any one of:

a first default mode, a second default mode, or a third default mode;

in the first default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the second default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; and under the third default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising:

the terminal device sends first capability information and/or second capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC, and the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.
A method of tracking a reference signal, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that network equipment sends first information to terminal equipment, wherein the first information is used for indicating whether a default mode is started or not, and in the default mode, the terminal equipment determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel;

the network equipment sends second information to the terminal equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals;

if the default mode is started, the network device determines that the reference signal tracked by the terminal device is the reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and the reference signal not tracked is the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.
The method of claim 10, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.
The method according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising:

if the default mode is not started, the network device determines that the reference signal tracked by the terminal device is the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signal not tracked is the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.
The method according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein before the network device sends the second information to the terminal device, the method further comprises:

the network equipment receives first capability information from the terminal equipment, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC;

and the network equipment determines the number of the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.
The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising:

and the network equipment receives second capability information from the terminal equipment, wherein the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum traceable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.
A method of tracking a reference signal, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that terminal equipment receives first information from network equipment, wherein the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4;

the terminal device receives second information from the network device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer;

and the terminal equipment tracks the L basic path loss estimation reference signals and does not track the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.
The method of claim 15, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.
The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the method further comprises:

the terminal equipment receives third information from the network equipment, wherein the third information is used for indicating a first reference signal;

the terminal equipment obtains a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment and/or the first reference signal;

and the terminal equipment adjusts the uplink transmission power of the terminal equipment based on the path loss estimated value, wherein the adjusted uplink transmission power takes effect after the terminal equipment receives the first time period of the third information.
The method of claim 17, wherein if the first reference signals all belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X + T;

wherein, X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the terminal device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.
The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, further comprising:

the terminal device sends first capability information to the network device, where the first capability information is used to indicate the number of maximum configurable additional path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC.
A method of tracking a reference signal, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that network equipment sends first information to terminal equipment, wherein the first information is used for configuring L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4;

the network device sends second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer;

and the network equipment determines that the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment are the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signals not tracked are the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.
The method of claim 20, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the network device via the same signaling.
The method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein before the network device sends the second information to the terminal device, the method further comprises:

the network equipment receives first capability information sent by the terminal equipment, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable extra path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC;

the network device determines the number of the K additional path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising:

a transceiver unit, configured to receive first information from a network device, where the first information is used to indicate whether a default mode is on, and in the default mode, the apparatus determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; receiving second information from the network device, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals;

and the processing unit is used for tracking a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel and not tracking the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals if the default mode is started.
The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the network device through the same signaling.
The apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

if the default mode is not started, tracking a reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and not tracking the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.
The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the reference signal determined based on the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals identifies a smallest M path loss estimation reference signals among the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals identify the largest M path loss estimation reference signals among the multiple path loss estimation reference signals;

wherein M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported by the apparatus to the network device.
The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the reference signals determined based on the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the shortest transmission period among the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the reference signals determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals are M path loss estimation reference signals with the longest transmission period in the multiple path loss estimation reference signals;

wherein M is a predefined positive integer or a positive integer reported by the apparatus to the network device.
The apparatus according to any of claims 23 to 27, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

receiving third information from the network device, the third information indicating a first reference signal;

the processing unit is further to:

obtaining a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the device and/or the first reference signal;

adjusting uplink transmit power of the apparatus based on the path loss estimate, wherein the adjusted uplink transmit power is effective after a first time period in which the apparatus receives the third information.
The apparatus of claim 28, wherein if the first reference signals all belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal device, the first time period is X; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signals do not belong to the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment, the first time period is X + T;

wherein X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 23 to 29, wherein the default mode is any one of:

a first default mode, a second default mode, or a third default mode;

in the first default mode, the device determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; in the second default mode, the device determines a reference signal to be tracked of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; and under the third default mode, the device determines the reference signal to be tracked of the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) according to the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.
The apparatus according to any of claims 23 to 30, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

sending first capability information and/or second capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC, and the second capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising:

a receiving and sending unit, configured to send first information to a terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate whether a default mode is started, and in the default mode, the terminal device determines a reference signal to be tracked according to a reference signal related to a downlink control channel; sending second information to the terminal equipment, wherein the second information is used for configuring a plurality of path loss estimation reference signals;

and the processing unit is configured to determine, if the default mode is turned on, that the reference signal tracked by the terminal device is a reference signal determined based on the reference signal related to the downlink control channel, and that the reference signal not tracked is the multiple path loss estimation reference signals.
The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the apparatus via a same signaling.
The apparatus according to claim 32 or 33, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

and if the default mode is not started, determining that the reference signal tracked by the terminal equipment is the reference signal determined based on the multiple path loss estimation reference signals, and determining that the reference signal not tracked is the reference signal related to the downlink control channel.
The apparatus according to any of claims 32 to 34, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

before sending second information to the terminal device, receiving first capability information from the terminal device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of maximum configurable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC;

the processing unit is further to:

and determining the number of the plurality of path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.
The apparatus according to any of claims 32 to 35, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

receiving second capability information from the terminal device, where the second capability information is used to indicate the number of maximum trackable path loss estimation reference signals supported by each CC.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising:

a transceiver unit, configured to receive first information from a network device, where the first information is used to configure L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; receiving second information from the network device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer;

a processing unit for tracking the L basic path loss estimation reference signals without tracking the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.
The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the network device via the same signaling.
The apparatus according to claim 37 or 38, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

receiving third information from the network device, the third information indicating a first reference signal;

the processing unit is further to:

obtaining a path loss estimation value according to the reference signal tracked by the device and/or the first reference signal;

adjusting uplink transmit power of the apparatus based on the path loss estimate, wherein the adjusted uplink transmit power is effective after a first time period in which the apparatus receives the third information.
The apparatus of claim 39, wherein if the first reference signals all belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

if all or part of the reference signals in the first reference signal do not belong to the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, the first time period is X + T;

wherein X is a predefined or preconfigured parameter, and T is a duration for the device to measure the first reference signal to obtain the path loss estimation value.
The apparatus according to any of claims 37 to 40, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

sending first capability information to the network device, wherein the first capability information is used for indicating the number of the maximum configurable additional path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising:

a transceiver unit, configured to send first information to a terminal device, where the first information is used to configure L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and L is a positive integer less than or equal to 4; sending second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to configure K additional path loss estimation reference signals, where the K additional path loss estimation reference signals are different from the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and K is a positive integer;

and the processing unit is used for determining that the reference signals tracked by the terminal equipment are the L basic path loss estimation reference signals, and the reference signals not tracked are the K additional path loss estimation reference signals.
The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the first information and the second information are sent by the apparatus via the same signaling.
The apparatus according to claim 42 or 43, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

before sending second information to the terminal device, receiving first capability information sent by the terminal device, where the first capability information is used to indicate the number of maximum configurable additional path loss estimation reference signals supported by each carrier component CC;

the processing unit is further to:

determining the number of the K additional path loss estimation reference signals according to the first capability information.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a transceiver;

the transceiver is used for receiving signals or sending signals;

the memory for storing program code;

the processor to invoke the program code from the memory to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 9, any of claims 10 to 14, any of claims 15 to 19, or any of claims 20 to 22.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising: a processor that performs the method of any of claims 1 to 9, any of claims 10 to 14, any of claims 15 to 19, or any of claims 20 to 22 when the processor invokes the computer program in memory.
An apparatus for tracking a reference signal, comprising: a memory and a processor; the memory for storing a computer program that, when invoked by the processor in the memory, causes the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 9, any of claims 10 to 14, any of claims 15 to 19, or any of claims 20 to 22.
A computer-readable medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that the computer program comprises instructions for implementing the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, any one of claims 10 to 14, any one of claims 15 to 19, or any one of claims 20 to 22.
A computer program product comprising computer program code which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to implement the method of any of claims 1 to 9, any of claims 10 to 14, any of claims 15 to 19, or any of claims 20 to 22.