WO2025189860A1 - Communication method and related apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A communication method and a related apparatus. In the method, a first communication apparatus receives first information used for indicating data collection of P categories of data, and the first communication apparatus can obtain Q categories of data among the P categories (i.e., some or all categories of data among the P categories) on the basis of the first information, and sends second information comprising the P categories of data. In other words, the first communication apparatus can collect data on the basis of the indication of the first information to obtain the Q categories of data, and feed back the Q categories of data by means of the second information. Therefore, a communication apparatus in a communication system can be used as a data collection node to realize data collection of specific categories of data. In addition, the first communication apparatus can collect data whose current collection state is an uncompleted state, so that a receiver (such as a second communication apparatus) of the second information can obtain some or all categories of data among the P categories so as to realize an efficient data collection process.

Description

A communication method and related device

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on March 15, 2024, with application number 202410318222.1 and application name “A communication method and related device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and related devices.

Background Art

Wireless communication can be a transmission communication between two or more communication nodes that is not transmitted through conductors or cables. The communication nodes generally include network devices and terminal devices.

Currently, in wireless communication systems, communication nodes generally possess both signal transceiver capabilities and computing capabilities. For example, network devices with computing capabilities primarily provide computing power to support signal transceiver capabilities (e.g., processing both sending and receiving signals), enabling communication between the network device and other communication nodes.

However, in communication networks, communication nodes may have excess computing power beyond just supporting the aforementioned communication tasks. Therefore, how to utilize this computing power is a pressing technical issue.

Summary of the Invention

The present application provides a communication method and related equipment for enabling a communication device in a communication system to serve as a data collection node to achieve data collection.

In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a first communication device, which may be a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device), or may be a component of a communication device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or may be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the communication device. In this method, the first communication device receives first information, which is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; and the first communication device sends second information, which includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

Based on the above scheme, the first information received by the first communication device is used to indicate the collection of P categories of data. Furthermore, the first communication device can obtain Q categories of data (i.e., some or all of the P categories) based on the first information and send second information containing the Q categories of data. In other words, the first communication device can collect data based on the instructions of the first information to obtain Q categories of data and feedback the Q categories of data via the second information. Thus, the communication devices in the communication system can serve as data collection nodes to achieve data collection of specific categories of data.

Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete, meaning that the Q categories of data fed back by the first communication device via the second information are currently incompletely collected data. In this way, the first communication device can collect data whose collection status is currently incomplete, allowing the recipient of the second information (e.g., the second communication device) to obtain the Q categories of data, thereby achieving an efficient data collection process.

In this application, data collection can be replaced by other terms, such as data collection, data collection, data acquisition or data capture.

In this application, "not completed" can be replaced by other terms, such as "not completed", "partially completed", "not collected", "not started to collect" or "to be completed".

It should be noted that after the first communication device receives the first information, the first communication device can determine to collect data from P categories based on the first information. The first communication device can collect data from P categories based on the first information. Alternatively, the first communication device may be due to certain reasons (such as limited power consumption, insufficient computing resources, etc.), which makes it possible for the first communication device to collect data from some of the P categories. Accordingly, the second information sent by the first communication device may include data from some or all of the P categories (for example, Q categories).

Optionally, the P categories of data include at least one of the following: data of one or more collection areas, data of one or more signal strength intervals, and data of one or more tasks.

In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status.

Based on the above scheme, the first information received by the first communication device is used to indicate the data collection of P categories of data, and the first communication device can determine the first collection status indicating the P categories of data based on the first indication information included in the first information. In this way, the sender of the first information (e.g., the second communication device) can maintain the data collection status of one or more categories of data and indicate the collection status of the corresponding categories of data to the data collector (i.e., the first communication device) through the maintained data collection status, thereby implementing the data collection process for the currently uncollected data.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: the collected quantity of data of the P categories, the collected proportion of data of the P categories, the uncollected quantity of data of the P categories, the uncollected proportion of data of the P categories, the total collected quantity of data of the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete.

Based on the above solution, the first indication information for indicating the first collection status can be implemented in the above multiple ways to improve the flexibility of the solution implementation.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first collection status is determined by first data collection status information, where the first data collection status information is used to indicate a collection status of N categories of data, where the N categories include the P categories, and N is a positive integer.

Based on the above solution, the first communication device can locally maintain first data collection status information, which is used to indicate the collection status of N categories of data. In this way, the first communication device can locally determine the collection status of Q categories of data, which can reduce signaling overhead.

Optionally, the first communication device may update the first data collection status information based on periodically interacted information, so that the first communication device can clearly understand the current collection status of various types of data based on the update process.

Optionally, the first data collection status information maintained by the first communication device may be used to indicate the collection status of N categories of data. For example, the first data collection status information may be used to indicate a mapping relationship between the N categories and the collection status of the data in each category. The mapping relationship may be implemented via a table, formula, matrix, or other means.

In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the second information is used to update the first data collection status information.

Based on the above solution, the second information sent by the first communication device can be used to update the first data collection status information maintained locally by the first communication device. In this way, the first communication device can update the data collection status information based on the data collection process.

In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first information includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories.

Based on the above solution, the first information received by the first communication device may further include second indication information, so that the first communication device can clearly identify the data category to be collected based on the second indication information.

In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first information is further used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed.

Based on the above solution, the first information received by the first communication device may also include an indication of other categories of data whose data collection status is completed. That is, the first communication device specifies that the collection status of at least one category of data is completed. In this way, the first communication device can avoid continuing to collect data of the currently completed category based on the first information, thereby avoiding repeated (or redundant, or invalid) data collection processes and reducing overhead.

In this application, "completed" can be replaced by other terms, such as "collection completed", "all completed" or "collection terminated".

In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the second information further includes third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, where the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data.

Based on the above solution, after the first communication device collects and provides feedback on Q categories of data based on the first information, the first communication device may update the collection status of the Q categories of data to a second collection status based on the collection process. Accordingly, the second information sent by the first communication device may further include third indication information, enabling the recipient of the second information (e.g., the second communication device) to clarify the second collection status of the Q categories of data based on the third indication information, thereby updating the data collection status.

Optionally, since the second information may include Q categories of data and third indication information, accordingly, in the process of the first communication device updating the first data collection status information based on the second information, the first data collection status information may be updated based on the Q categories of data, or the first data collection status information may be updated based on the third indication information, or the first data collection status information may be updated based on the Q categories of data and the third indication information.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, before the first communication device receives the first information, the method further includes: the first communication device sends request information for requesting collection of the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information.

Based on the above solution, the first communication device and the second communication device may also implement the determination and issuance of the data collection instruction (ie, the first information) through an interactive process of requesting information.

Optionally, the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, before the first communication device receives the first information, the method also includes: the first communication device receives indication information for indicating a data collection task, the data collection task is used to collect M categories of data, the M categories include the P categories, and M is a positive integer; the first communication device sends indication information for indicating joining the data collection task.

Based on the above scheme, the first communication device and the second communication device can also interact with each other through the above-mentioned indication information, so that both of them can clearly understand that the first communication device participates in the data collection task. Subsequently, the second communication device can send a data collection instruction (i.e., the first information) to the first communication device to implement the data collection process.

The second aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a second communication device, which can be a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device), or the second communication device can be a component in the communication device (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the second communication device can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the communication device. In this method, the second communication device sends first information, which is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the second communication device receives second information, which includes Q categories of data out of the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

Based on the above scheme, the first information sent by the second communication device to the first communication device is used to instruct the collection of P categories of data, so that the first communication device can obtain Q categories of data (i.e., data of some or all categories of P categories) based on the first information, and send second information containing Q categories of data to the second communication device. In other words, the first communication device can collect data based on the instructions of the first information to obtain Q categories of data, and feedback the Q categories of data through the second information. Thus, the communication devices in the communication system can serve as data collection nodes to achieve data collection of specific categories of data.

Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete, meaning that the Q categories of data fed back by the first communication device via the second information are currently incompletely collected data. In this way, the first communication device can collect data whose collection status is currently incomplete, allowing the second communication device to obtain data from some or all of the P categories, thereby achieving an efficient data collection process.

In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status.

Based on the above scheme, the first information sent by the second communication device is used to indicate the data collection of P categories of data, and the first communication device can determine the first collection status indicating the P categories of data based on the first indication information included in the first information. In this way, the sender of the first information (e.g., the second communication device) can maintain the data collection status of one or more categories of data and indicate the collection status of the corresponding categories of data to the data collector (i.e., the first communication device) through the maintained data collection status, thereby implementing the data collection process for the currently uncollected data.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: the collected quantity of data of the P categories, the collected proportion of data of the P categories, the uncollected quantity of data of the P categories, the uncollected proportion of data of the P categories, the total collected quantity of data of the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete.

Based on the above solution, the first indication information for indicating the first collection status can be implemented through the above multiple ways to improve the flexibility of the solution implementation.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the first collection status is determined by second data collection status information, where the second data collection status information is used to indicate a collection status of K categories of data, where the K categories include the P categories, and K is a positive integer.

Based on the above solution, the second communication device can locally maintain second data collection status information, which is used to indicate the collection status of the K categories of data. In this way, the second communication device can locally determine the data collection status of the Q categories and indicate this determination result through the first information, thereby completing the data collection process for the currently uncollected data.

Optionally, the second communication device may update the second data collection status information based on periodically interacted information, so that the second communication device can clearly understand the current collection status of various types of data based on the update process.

Optionally, the second data collection status information maintained by the second communication device may be used to indicate the collection status of K categories of data. For example, the first data collection status information may be used to indicate a mapping relationship between the K categories and the collection status of data in each category. The mapping relationship may be implemented via a table, formula, matrix, or other means.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the second information comes from a first communication device, and the method further includes: the second communication device sending third information to a third communication device, the third information being used to indicate data collection of X categories of data, where X is a positive integer; wherein a collection status of the X categories of data is incomplete; and the second communication device receiving fourth information from the third communication device, the fourth information including data of Y categories out of the X categories, where Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; wherein the second information and the fourth information are used to update the second data collection status information.

Based on the above solution, the second communication device can serve as the central node of the distributed scenario and implement the data collection process through interaction with other distributed nodes (e.g., the first communication device, the third communication device, etc.). Furthermore, the second information and the fourth information received by the second communication device can be used to update the second data collection status information locally maintained by the second communication device. In this way, the second communication device can update the data collection status information based on the data collection process.

It should be noted that the implementation of the third information may refer to the implementation process of the first information, and the implementation of the fourth information may refer to the implementation process of the second information.

Optionally, the third information and the first information may be the same information. In other words, the X categories and the P categories may be the same, so that the second communication device can instruct multiple distributed nodes to collect data using the same information, thereby saving overhead.

In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first information includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories.

Based on the above solution, the first information sent by the second communication device to the first communication device may further include second indication information, so that the first communication device can clearly identify the data category to be collected based on the second indication information.

In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first information is further used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed.

Based on the above solution, the first information sent by the second communication device to the first communication device may also include an indication of other categories of data for which data collection has been completed. In other words, the first communication device specifies that the collection status of at least one category of data is completed. In this way, the first communication device can avoid continuing to collect data of the currently completed category based on the first information, thereby avoiding repeated (or redundant, or ineffective) data collection processes and reducing overhead.

Optionally, the P categories of data include at least one of the following: data of one or more collection areas, data of one or more signal strength intervals, and data of one or more tasks.

In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the second information further includes third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, where the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data.

Based on the above solution, after the first communication device collects and provides feedback on Q categories of data based on the first information, the second communication device can update the collection status of the Q categories of data to a second collection status based on the collection process. Accordingly, the second information sent by the first communication device to the second communication device can further include third indication information, enabling the second communication device to clarify the second collection status of the Q categories of data based on the third indication information, thereby updating the data collection status.

Optionally, since the second information may include Q categories of data and third indication information, accordingly, in the process of the second communication device updating the second data collection status information based on the second information, the second data collection status information may be updated based on the Q categories of data, or based on the third indication information, or based on the Q categories of data and the third indication information.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, before the second communication device sends the first information, the method further includes: the second communication device receives request information for requesting collection of the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information.

Based on the above solution, the first communication device and the second communication device may also implement the determination and issuance of the data collection instruction (ie, the first information) through an interactive process of requesting information.

Optionally, the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, before the second communication device sends the first information, the method also includes: the second communication device sends indication information for indicating a data collection task, the data collection task is used to collect M categories of data, the M categories include the P categories, and M is a positive integer; the second communication device receives indication information for indicating joining the data collection task.

Based on the above scheme, the first communication device and the second communication device can also interact with each other through the above-mentioned indication information, so that both of them can clearly understand that the first communication device participates in the data collection task. Subsequently, the second communication device can send a data collection instruction (i.e., the first information) to the first communication device to implement the data collection process.

A third aspect of the present application provides a communication device, which is a first communication device and includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit; the transceiver unit is used to receive first information, and the first information is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the processing unit is used to determine second information; the transceiver unit is also used to send second information, and the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

In the third aspect of the present application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in each possible implementation method of the first aspect and achieve corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

The fourth aspect of the present application provides a communication device, which is a second communication device, and includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the processing unit being used to determine first information; the transceiver unit being used to send first information, the first information being used to indicate data collection of P categories of data; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the transceiver unit being further used to receive second information, the second information including Q categories of data among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

In the fourth aspect of the present application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in each possible implementation method of the second aspect and achieve corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect and will not be repeated here.

In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is configured to store programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is configured to execute the programs or instructions, so that the communication device implements the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects. Optionally, the communication device may include the memory.

In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one logic circuit and an input/output interface; the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects.

In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned first communication device and second communication device.

In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects above.

In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product (or computer program). When the computer program in the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects above.

In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a chip system comprising at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects.

In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. Optionally, the chip system may further include an interface circuit for providing program instructions and/or data to the at least one processor.

Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third to tenth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first to second aspects, and will not be repeated here.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures 1a to 1c are schematic diagrams of a communication system provided by this application;

Figures 2a to 2e are schematic diagrams of the AI processing process involved in this application;

FIG3 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided by this application;

FIG4 is another interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided by this application;

5 to 9 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

First, some of the terms used in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

(1) Terminal device: It can be a wireless terminal device that can receive network device scheduling and instruction information. The wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and/or data connectivity to the user, or a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

Terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (RAN). Terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (also known as "cellular" phones, mobile phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and/or data with the radio access network. For example, personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets (tablets or pads), computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, and other devices. Wireless terminal equipment can also be called system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station/mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal (REMOTE terminal), access terminal (ACCESS terminal), user terminal (USER terminal), user agent (USER agent), subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal (MT), etc.

As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be referred to as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, etc., which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, etc., as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

The terminal may also be a drone, a robot, a terminal in device-to-device (D2D) communication, a terminal in vehicle to everything (V2X), a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in telemedicine (telehealth services), a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc.

Furthermore, the terminal device may also be a terminal device in a communication system evolved after the fifth-generation (5G) communication system (e.g., 5G Advanced or sixth-generation (6G) communication system), or a terminal device in a future-evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). For example, 5G Advanced or 6G networks may further expand the form and functionality of 5G communication terminals. 6G terminals include, but are not limited to, vehicles, cellular network terminals (with integrated satellite terminal functionality), drones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also obtain artificial intelligence (AI) services provided by the network device. Optionally, the terminal device may also have AI processing capabilities.

(2) Network equipment: It can be a device in a wireless network. For example, a network device can be a RAN node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, which can also be called a base station. Currently, some examples of RAN equipment are: base station, evolved NodeB (eNodeB), gNB (gNodeB) in a 5G communication system, transmission reception point (TRP), evolved NodeB (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), NodeB (NB), home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB, or home NodeB, HNB), baseband unit (BBU) or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP). In addition, in a network structure, a network device can include a central unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device including a CU node and a DU node.

Alternatively, a RAN node can be a macro base station, micro base station, indoor base station, relay node, donor node, or wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. A RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or onboard device. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functionality. For example, a RAN node can be a CU, DU, CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), or radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be separate or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), a radio head (RH), or a remote radio head (RRH).

In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN) system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit among the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

Communication between access network equipment and terminal devices follows a specific protocol layer structure. This protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer.

For the correspondence between network elements in the ORAN system and their achievable protocol layer functions, please refer to Table 1 below.

Table 1

The network device may be any other device that provides wireless communication functionality to the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and device form used by the network device. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

The network equipment may also include core network equipment, such as the mobility management entity (MME), home subscriber server (HSS), serving gateway (S-GW), policy and charging rules function (PCRF), and public data network gateway (PDN gateway or P-GW) in the fourth generation (4G) network; and the access and mobility management function (AMF), user plane function (UPF), or session management function (SMF) in the 5G network. In addition, the core network equipment may also include other core network equipment in the 5G network and the next generation network of the 5G network.

In an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned network device may also have a network node with AI capabilities, which can provide AI services for terminals or other network devices. For example, it can be an AI node on the network side (access network or core network), a computing power node, a RAN node with AI capabilities, a core network element with AI capabilities, etc.

In the embodiments of the present application, the apparatus for implementing the function of the network device may be a network device, or may be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system, which may be provided in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described by taking the network device as an example of the apparatus for implementing the function of the network device.

(3) Configuration and pre-configuration: In this application, configuration and pre-configuration are used simultaneously. Configuration refers to the network device/server sending some parameter configuration information or parameter values to the terminal through messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration, and can be parameter information or parameter values pre-negotiated between the network device/server and the terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values used by the base station/network device or terminal device as specified in the standard protocol, or parameter information or parameter values pre-stored in the base station/server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

Furthermore, these values and parameters can be changed or updated.

(4) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application can be used interchangeably. "Multiple" refers to two or more. "And/or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and/or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character "/" generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects.

(5) “Sending” and “receiving” in the embodiments of the present application indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, “sending information to XX” can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct sending through the air interface, as well as indirect sending through the air interface by other units or modules. “Receiving information from YY” can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct receiving from YY through the air interface, as well as indirect receiving from YY through the air interface from other units or modules. “Sending” can also be understood as the “output” of the chip interface, and “receiving” can also be understood as the “input” of the chip interface.

In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, for example, between a network device and a terminal device, or can be performed within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within the device through a bus, wiring or interface.

It is understandable that information may be processed between the source and destination of information transmission, such as coding, modulation, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated.

(6) In the embodiments of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the indication information described below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated may also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein the other information is associated with the information to be indicated; or only a part of the information to be indicated may be indicated, while the other part of the information to be indicated is known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information may be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (such as predefined by the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. The present application does not limit the specific method of indication. It is understandable that for the sender of the indication information, the indication information can be used to indicate the information to be indicated, and for the receiver of the indication information, the indication information can be used to determine the information to be indicated.

In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can refer to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods/designs/implementations in each embodiment, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and/or descriptions between different embodiments and the various methods/designs/implementations in each embodiment are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods/designs/implementations in each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations according to their inherent logical relationships. The following description of the implementation methods of this application does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

This application can be applied to a long-term evolution (LTE) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a communication system evolved after 5G (e.g., 6G). The communication system includes at least one network device and/or at least one terminal device.

Please refer to Figure 1a, which is a schematic diagram of a communication system in this application. Figure 1a exemplarily illustrates a network device and six terminal devices, namely terminal device 1, terminal device 2, terminal device 3, terminal device 4, terminal device 5, and terminal device 6. In the example shown in Figure 1a, terminal device 1 is a smart teacup, terminal device 2 is a smart air conditioner, terminal device 3 is a smart gas pump, terminal device 4 is a vehicle, terminal device 5 is a mobile phone, and terminal device 6 is a printer.

As shown in Figure 1a, the sending entity of AI configuration information can be a network device. The receiving entity of AI configuration information can be terminal devices 1-6. In this case, the network device and terminal devices 1-6 form a communication system. In this communication system, terminal devices 1-6 can send data to the network device, and the network device needs to receive data sent by terminal devices 1-6. At the same time, the network device can send configuration information to terminal devices 1-6.

For example, in Figure 1a, terminal devices 4 and 6 can also form a communication system. Terminal device 5 acts as a network device, i.e., the sending entity of AI configuration information; terminal devices 4 and 6 act as terminal devices, i.e., the receiving entities of AI configuration information. For example, in a connected vehicle system, terminal device 5 sends AI configuration information to terminal devices 4 and 6, respectively, and receives data from terminal devices 4 and 6. Correspondingly, terminal devices 4 and 6 receive AI configuration information from terminal device 5 and send data to terminal device 5.

Taking the communication system shown in Figure 1a as an example, in addition to executing communication-related services, different devices (including between network devices, between network devices and terminal devices, and/or between terminal devices) may also execute AI-related services.

As shown in Figure 1b, taking the network device as a base station as an example, the base station can perform communication-related services and AI-related services with one or more terminal devices, and different terminal devices can also perform communication-related services and AI-related services.

As shown in Figure 1c, taking the terminal devices including a TV and a mobile phone as an example, communication-related services and AI-related services can also be performed between the TV and the mobile phone.

The technical solution provided in this application can be applied to wireless communication systems (for example, the systems shown in Figures 1a, 1b, or 1c). For example, an AI network element can be introduced into the communication system provided in this application to implement some or all AI-related operations. The AI network element can also be referred to as an AI node, AI device, AI entity, AI module, AI model, or AI unit, etc. The AI network element can be a network element built into the communication system. For example, the AI network element can be an AI module built into: an access network device, a core network device, a cloud server, or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) system to implement AI-related functions. The OAM can serve as a network manager for a core network device and/or as a network manager for an access network device. Alternatively, the AI network element can also be an independently set network element in the communication system. Optionally, the terminal or the chip built into the terminal can also include an AI entity to implement AI-related functions.

The following is a brief introduction to the AI that may be involved in this application.

AI can imbue machines with human intelligence. For example, it can use computer hardware and software to simulate certain intelligent human behaviors. Machine learning methods can be used to achieve artificial intelligence. In machine learning, a machine uses training data to learn (or train) a model. This model represents the mapping from input to output. The learned model can be used for inference (or prediction), meaning that the model can be used to predict the output corresponding to a given input. This output can also be called an inference result (or prediction result).

Machine learning can include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. Among them, unsupervised learning can also be called unsupervised learning.

Supervised learning uses machine learning algorithms to learn the mapping relationship between sample values and sample labels based on collected sample values and sample labels, and then expresses this learned mapping relationship using an AI model. The process of training a machine learning model is the process of learning this mapping relationship. During training, sample values are input into the model to obtain the model's predicted values. The model parameters are optimized by calculating the error between the model's predicted values and the sample labels (ideal values). Once the mapping relationship is learned, the learned mapping can be used to predict new sample labels. The mapping relationship learned by supervised learning can include linear mappings or nonlinear mappings. Based on the type of label, the learning task can be divided into classification tasks and regression tasks.

Unsupervised learning uses algorithms to discover inherent patterns in collected sample values. One type of unsupervised learning algorithm uses the samples themselves as supervisory signals, meaning the model learns the mapping from one sample to another. This is called self-supervised learning. During training, the model parameters are optimized by calculating the error between the model's predictions and the samples themselves. Self-supervised learning can be used in signal compression and decompression recovery applications. Common algorithms include autoencoders and generative adversarial networks.

Reinforcement learning, unlike supervised learning, is a type of algorithm that learns problem-solving strategies through interaction with the environment. Unlike supervised and unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning problems lack explicit label data for "correct" actions. Instead, the algorithm must interact with the environment to obtain reward signals from the environment, and then adjust its decision-making actions to maximize the reward signal value. For example, in downlink power control, the reinforcement learning model adjusts the downlink transmit power of each user based on the overall system throughput fed back by the wireless network, hoping to achieve higher system throughput. The goal of reinforcement learning is also to learn the mapping between environmental states and optimal (e.g., optimal) decision-making actions. However, because the labels for "correct actions" cannot be obtained in advance, network optimization cannot be achieved by calculating the error between actions and "correct actions." Reinforcement learning training is achieved through iterative interaction with the environment.

A neural network (NN) is a specific model in machine learning technology. According to the universal approximation theorem, NNs can theoretically approximate any continuous function, enabling them to learn arbitrary mappings. Traditional communication systems require extensive expert knowledge to design communication modules. However, deep learning communication systems based on neural networks can automatically discover implicit patterns in massive data sets and establish mapping relationships between data, achieving performance superior to traditional modeling methods.

The idea of a neural network is derived from the neuronal structure of the brain. For example, each neuron performs a weighted sum operation on its input values and outputs the result through an activation function.

As shown in Figure 2a, it is a schematic diagram of a neuron structure. Assume that the input of the neuron is x = [x ₀ , x ₁ ,…, x _n ], and the weights corresponding to each input are w = [w ₀ , w ₁ ,…, w _n ], where n is a positive integer, and w _i and _xi can be various possible types such as decimals, integers (such as 0, positive integers or negative integers, etc.), or complex numbers. w _i is used as the weight of _xi to weight _xi . The bias for weighted summation of input values according to the weights is, for example, b. There can be many forms of activation functions. Assuming that the activation function of a neuron is: y = f(z) = max(0,z), the output of the neuron is: For another example, if the activation function of a neuron is: y = f(z) = z, then the output of the neuron is: b can be a decimal, an integer (eg, 0, a positive integer, or a negative integer), or a complex number, etc. The activation functions of different neurons in a neural network can be the same or different.

Furthermore, neural networks generally include multiple layers, each of which may include one or more neurons. Increasing the depth and/or width of a neural network can improve its expressive power, providing more powerful information extraction and abstract modeling capabilities for complex systems. The depth of a neural network can refer to the number of layers it comprises, and the number of neurons in each layer can be referred to as the width of that layer. In one implementation, a neural network includes an input layer and an output layer. The input layer processes the input information received by the neural network through neurons, passing the processing results to the output layer, which then obtains the output of the neural network. In another implementation, a neural network includes an input layer, a hidden layer, and an output layer. The input layer processes the input information received by the neural network through neurons, passing the processing results to an intermediate hidden layer. The hidden layer performs calculations on the received processing results to obtain a calculation result, which is then passed to the output layer or the next adjacent hidden layer, which ultimately obtains the output of the neural network. A neural network can include one hidden layer or multiple hidden layers connected in sequence, without limitation.

An example of a neural network is a deep neural network (DNN). Depending on how the network is constructed, DNNs can include feedforward neural networks (FNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and recurrent neural networks (RNNs).

Figure 2b is a schematic diagram of an FNN network. A characteristic of FNN networks is that neurons in adjacent layers are fully connected. This characteristic typically requires a large amount of storage space and results in high computational complexity.

CNN is a type of neural network specifically designed to process data with a grid-like structure. For example, time series data (e.g., discrete sampling on the time axis) and image data (e.g., discrete sampling on the two-dimensional axis) can both be considered grid-like data. CNNs do not utilize all input information at once for computation. Instead, they use a fixed-size window to intercept a portion of the information for convolution operations, significantly reducing the computational complexity of model parameters. Furthermore, depending on the type of information intercepted by the window (e.g., people and objects in a picture represent different types of information), each window can use a different convolution kernel, enabling CNNs to better extract features from the input data.

RNNs are a type of neural network that utilizes feedback time series information. RNN inputs include the current input value and its own output value at the previous moment. RNNs are suitable for capturing temporally correlated sequence features, such as those used in speech recognition and channel coding.

During the machine learning model training process, a loss function can be defined. This function describes the gap or discrepancy between the model's output and the desired target value. Loss functions can be expressed in a variety of forms, and their specific form is not restricted. The model training process can be viewed as adjusting some or all of the model's parameters to keep the loss function below a threshold or meet the target.

A model may also be referred to as an AI model, rule, or other name. An AI model can be considered a specific method for implementing an AI function. An AI model represents a mapping relationship or function between the input and output of a model. AI functions may include one or more of the following: data collection, model training (or model learning), model information release, model inference (or model reasoning, inference, or prediction, etc.), model monitoring or model verification, or inference result release, etc. AI functions may also be referred to as AI (related) operations, or AI-related functions.

The following is an illustrative description of the implementation process of a fully connected neural network, also known as a multilayer perceptron (MLP), with reference to the accompanying figures.

As shown in Figure 2c, an MLP consists of an input layer (left), an output layer (right), and multiple hidden layers (center). Each layer of the MLP contains several nodes, called neurons. Neurons in adjacent layers are connected to each other.

Alternatively, considering neurons in two adjacent layers, the output h of the neurons in the next layer is the weighted sum of all neurons x in the previous layer connected to it and passes through the activation function, which can be expressed as:
h＝f(wx+b).

Among them, w is the weight matrix, b is the bias vector, and f is the activation function.

Alternatively, the output of the neural network can be recursively expressed as:
y＝f _z (w _z f _z-1 (…)+b _z ).

Where z is the index of the neural network layer, z is greater than or equal to 1, and z is less than or equal to Z, where Z is the total number of neural network layers.

In other words, a neural network can be understood as a mapping from an input data set to an output data set. Neural networks are typically initialized randomly, and the process of obtaining this mapping from random w and b using existing data is called neural network training.

Optionally, a specific method of training is to use a loss function to evaluate the output results of the neural network.

As shown in Figure 2d, the error can be backpropagated, and the neural network parameters (including w and b) can be iteratively optimized using gradient descent until the loss function reaches a minimum, which is the "better point (e.g., optimal point)" in Figure 2d. It is understood that the neural network parameters corresponding to the "better point (e.g., optimal point)" in Figure 2d can be used as the neural network parameters in the trained AI model information.

Alternatively, the gradient descent process can be expressed as:

Among them, θ is the parameter to be optimized (including w and b), L is the loss function, and η is the learning rate, which controls the step size of gradient descent. represents the derivative operation, represents the derivative of θ with respect to L.

Optionally, the backpropagation process utilizes the chain rule for partial derivatives.

As shown in Figure 2e, the gradient of the previous layer parameters can be recursively calculated from the gradient of the next layer parameters, which can be expressed as:

Among them, _wij is the weight of node j connecting to node i, and _si is the weighted sum of the inputs on node i.

The technical solution provided in this application can be applied to wireless communication systems (such as the system shown in Figure 1a or Figure 1b). In wireless communication systems, communication nodes generally have signal transceiver capabilities and computing capabilities. Taking network devices with computing capabilities as an example, the computing capabilities of network devices are mainly to provide computing power support for signal transceiver capabilities (for example, sending and receiving signals) to achieve communication tasks between network devices and other communication nodes. In addition to processing communication signals in the communication network, communication devices may also take into account the processing of other communication tasks (such as channel prediction, beam management, resource scheduling, etc.).

For example, a communication node can serve as a participating node in an AI learning system, applying its computing power to a specific part of the AI learning system (e.g., the AI learning system described in FIG2d or FIG2e ). With the advent of the era of large models, deep learning models with massive parameters, such as bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) and generative pre-trained transformers (GPT), can accomplish increasingly complex tasks and achieve superior performance.

In the above implementation process, the communication device may need to optimize the relevant processing of the data obtained through the data collection process. However, for the communication device, how to implement data collection is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a communication method and related devices, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to FIG3 , which is a schematic diagram of an implementation of the communication method provided in this application. The method includes the following steps.

It should be noted that, in the following, FIG3 takes the first communication device and other communication devices (such as the second communication device) as the execution subjects of the interaction diagram as an example to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. For example, the communication device can be a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device), or a chip, a baseband chip, a modem chip, a system on chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, a system in package (SIP) chip, a communication module, a chip system, a processor, a logic module or software in the communication device. Among them, the first communication device can be a terminal device and the second communication device can be a network device; or, the first communication device and the second communication device can both be terminal devices.

S301. The second communication device sends first information, and the first communication device receives the first information accordingly. The first information is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data, and the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete.

S302: The first communication device sends second information, and the second communication device receives the second information accordingly, wherein the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

In this application, data collection can be replaced by other terms, such as data collection, data collection, data acquisition or data capture.

In this application, "not completed" can be replaced by other terms, such as "not completed", "partially completed", "not collected", "not started to collect" or "to be completed".

It should be noted that after receiving the first information, the first communication device can determine to collect data from P categories based on the first information. The first communication device can collect data from P categories based on the first information. Alternatively, the first communication device may collect data from some of the P categories for certain reasons (such as limited power consumption, insufficient computing resources, etc.). Accordingly, the second information sent by the first communication device may include data from some or all of the P categories (for example, Q categories).

It should be noted that during the data collection process, different categories of data can be achieved in a variety of ways.

As an example, the data generated by the communication process in different collection areas is likely to be different. Accordingly, the data in different collection areas can be data of different categories. For example, different collection areas can be identified in a variety of ways, such as the latitude and longitude coordinates of each collection area, the coordinates of the identification points of each collection area (such as the vertex coordinates of a rectangular area, the center coordinates of a circular area, etc.).

As another example, the data generated during the communication process in different signal strength intervals is likely to be different. Accordingly, the data collected in different signal strength intervals may be data of different categories.

As another example, the data generated by the communication processes of different tasks is likely different. Accordingly, the data collected by different tasks can be of different types. For example, the data generated by a channel prediction task may include channel data; the data generated by a beam prediction task may include beam information; and the data generated by a positioning task may include signal strength information.

In other words, the P categories can be implemented through the above-mentioned multiple methods. For example, the data of the P categories include at least one of the following: data of one or more collection areas, data of one or more signal strength intervals, and data of one or more tasks.

In one possible implementation, the first information received by the first communication device in step S301 includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. In this manner, the first communication device can specify the data categories to be collected based on the second indication information. For example, the second indication information may include identifiers, indexes, etc. of the P categories.

In one possible implementation, the first information received by the first communication device in step S301 is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. Among them, P categories are different from at least one category. In other words, the first information received by the first communication device may also include indications of other categories of data whose data collection status is completed, that is, the first communication device clearly states that the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. In this way, the first communication device can be prevented from continuing to collect data of the category that has been currently collected based on the first information, so as to avoid repeated (or redundant, or invalid) data collection processes and reduce overhead.

Similarly, at least one category can be implemented in the above-mentioned multiple ways. For example, the data of the at least one category includes at least one of the following: data of one or more collection areas, data of one or more signal strength intervals, and data of one or more tasks.

Optionally, the indication information for indicating data collection of at least one category of data may be implemented by other information other than the first information, that is, the second communication device may indicate the data collection status of different categories of data (such as completed, incomplete) through different information.

In this application, "completed" can be replaced by other terms, such as "collection completed", "all completed" or "collection terminated".

Based on the scheme shown in Figure 3, the first information received by the first communication device in step S301 is used to indicate data collection for P categories of data. Furthermore, the first communication device can obtain data for Q categories of data (i.e., data for some or all of the P categories) based on the first information, and transmit second information containing the Q categories of data in step S302. In other words, the first communication device can collect data for Q categories of data based on the instructions of the first information, and feedback the Q categories of data via the second information. Thus, the communication devices in the communication system can serve as data collection nodes to implement data collection of specific categories of data.

Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete, meaning that the Q categories of data fed back by the first communication device via the second information are currently incompletely collected data. In this way, the first communication device can collect data whose collection status is currently incomplete, allowing the recipient of the second information (e.g., the second communication device) to obtain the Q categories of data, thereby achieving an efficient data collection process.

It should be noted that the method shown in Figure 3 can be applied to distributed scenarios. One or more communication devices (including the first communication device and the third communication device described later) can serve as distributed nodes, and the second communication device can serve as a central node. Furthermore, any of the one or more communication devices can collect data based on instructions from the second communication device, and the second communication device can process the data collected by the one or more communication devices (e.g., de-redundancy, deduplication, etc.).

As an example, as shown in FIG4 , the distributed node includes a first communication device and a third communication device. In the method described in FIG3 , step S301 above can be represented as S301_1 in FIG4 , and step S302 can be represented as S302_1 in FIG4 . In addition, the method further includes:

S301_2. The second communication device sends third information, and the third communication device receives the third information accordingly. The third information is used to indicate data collection of X categories of data, where X is a positive integer; and the collection status of the X categories of data is incomplete.

S302_2. The third communication device sends fourth information, and the second communication device receives the fourth information accordingly. The fourth information includes data of Y categories out of the X categories, where Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X. The second information and the fourth information are used to update the second data collection status information.

Thus, the second communication device can serve as a central node of a distributed scenario and implement a data collection process through interaction with other distributed nodes (eg, the first communication device, the third communication device, etc.).

It should be noted that the implementation process of the third communication device can refer to the implementation process of the first communication device. In other words, the implementation of the third information can refer to the implementation process of the first information, and the implementation of the fourth information can refer to the implementation process of the second information.

Optionally, the third information and the first information may be the same information. In other words, the X categories and the P categories may be the same, so that the second communication device can instruct multiple distributed nodes to collect data using the same information, thereby saving overhead.

In the process shown in FIG3 , the first communication device may determine that the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete in a variety of ways, which will be described below through some implementation examples.

In the first implementation example, the first communication device determines that the first collection status of P categories of data is incomplete based on instructions from other communication devices.

In implementation example one, the first information received by the first communication device in step S301 includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. In other words, the first information received by the first communication device is used to indicate the data collection of P categories of data, and the first communication device can determine the first collection status indicating P categories of data through the first indication information contained in the first information. In this way, the sender of the first information (such as the second communication device) can maintain the data collection status of one or more categories of data, and indicate the collection status of the corresponding category of data to the data collector (i.e., the first communication device) through the maintained data collection status, so as to realize the data collection process of the currently uncollected data.

Optionally, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: the amount of data collected for the P categories, the proportion of data collected for the P categories, the amount of data not collected for the P categories, the proportion of data not collected for the P categories, the total amount of data collected for the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status for the P categories is incomplete. Thus, the first indication information indicating the first collection status can be implemented in the above-mentioned multiple ways to enhance the flexibility of the solution implementation.

Optionally, the first indication information may be included in the first information, or the first indication information may also be included in other information sent by the second communication device to the first communication device.

In one possible implementation of Example 1, for the second communication device, the first collection status is determined by second data collection status information, where the second data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of K categories of data, where the K categories include the P categories, and K is a positive integer. In other words, the second communication device can locally maintain the second data collection status information, where the second data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of the K categories of data. In this way, the second communication device can locally determine the collection status of the P categories of data and indicate the determination result through the first indication information in the first information, thereby implementing the data collection process for the data that is currently not fully collected.

Optionally, the second communication device can update the second data collection status information based on periodic interaction information (for example, the interaction information between the second communication device and other distributed nodes as shown in Figure 4), so that the second communication device can clarify the current collection status of various types of data based on the update process.

Optionally, the second data collection status information maintained by the second communication device may be used to indicate the collection status of K categories of data. For example, the first data collection status information may be used to indicate a mapping relationship between the K categories and the collection status of data in each category. The mapping relationship may be implemented via a table, formula, matrix, or other means.

Optionally, the second information received by the second communication device in step S302 can be used to update the second data collection status information maintained locally by the first communication device. In this way, the second communication device can update the data collection status information based on the data collection process.

Exemplarily, in the distributed scenario shown in Figure 4, the second information and fourth information received by the second communication device can be used to update the second data collection status information maintained locally by the second communication device. In this way, the second communication device can update the data collection status information based on the data collection process.

In a second implementation example, the first communication device determines, based on locally stored information, that a first collection status of P categories of data is incomplete.

In implementation example 2, the first collection status is determined using first data collection status information, where the first data collection status information indicates the collection status of N categories of data, where the N categories include the P categories, and N is a positive integer. Specifically, the first communication device may locally maintain the first data collection status information, where the first data collection status information indicates the collection status of the N categories of data. In this manner, the first communication device can locally determine the data collection status of Q categories, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

Optionally, the first communication device may update the first data collection status information based on the periodically exchanged information, so that the first communication device can clearly understand the current collection status of various types of data based on the update process. For example, the above-described implementation examples 1 and 2 may be combined, i.e., the first communication device may update the locally stored first data collection status information based on the first indication information.

Optionally, the first data collection status information maintained by the first communication device may be used to indicate the collection status of N categories of data. For example, the first data collection status information may be used to indicate a mapping relationship between the N categories and the collection status of the data in each category. The mapping relationship may be implemented via a table, formula, matrix, or other means.

Optionally, the second information sent by the first communication device in step S302 is used to update the first data collection status information. In other words, the second information sent by the first communication device can be used to update the first data collection status information locally maintained by the first communication device. In this way, the first communication device can update the data collection status information based on the data collection process.

In a possible implementation of Implementation Example 1 and Implementation Example 2, the second information sent by the first communication device in step S302 also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. Specifically, after the first communication device collects and feeds back the Q categories of data based on the first information, the first communication device can update the collection status of the Q categories of data to the second collection status based on the collection process. Correspondingly, the second information sent by the first communication device may also include the third indication information, so that the recipient of the second information (such as the second communication device) can clarify the second collection status of the Q categories of data based on the third indication information to achieve the update of the data collection status.

Similarly, the third indication information includes at least one of the following: the collected quantity of data of the Q categories, the collected proportion of data of the Q categories, the uncollected quantity of data of the Q categories, the uncollected proportion of data of the Q categories, the total collected quantity of data of the Q categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete (or completed).

Optionally, since the second information may include Q categories of data and third indication information, accordingly, in the process of the first communication device updating the first data collection status information based on the second information, the first data collection status information may be updated based on the Q categories of data, or the first data collection status information may be updated based on the third indication information, or the first data collection status information may be updated based on the Q categories of data and the third indication information.

Similarly, in the process of the second communication device updating the first data collection status information based on the second information, the second data collection status information can be updated based on the Q categories of data, or the second data collection status information can be updated based on the third indication information, or the second data collection status information can be updated based on the Q categories of data and the third indication information.

In one possible implementation of the method shown in FIG3 , before the first communication device receives the first information in step S301, the method further includes: the first communication device sending a request message for collecting the P categories of data; wherein the request message is used to determine the first information. Specifically, the first communication device and the second communication device may also exchange request messages to determine and issue the data collection instruction (i.e., the first information).

Optionally, the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information.

Alternatively, request may be replaced with other terms such as query, retrieve, or access.

For example, in the distributed scenario shown in FIG4 , a second communication device may receive request information from one or more first communication devices, and based on the received request information, the second communication device may instruct the one or more first communication devices to collect different categories of data. For example, in the case where the different categories of data include data from different collection areas, the request information sent by the one or more first communication devices to the second communication device may include location information, and the second communication device may, based on the location information, instruct the first communication device at the corresponding location to collect data from a specific collection area.

In one possible implementation of the method shown in FIG3 , before the first communication device receives the first information in step S301, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving instruction information for indicating a data collection task, the data collection task being for collecting M categories of data, the M categories including the P categories, where M is a positive integer; and the first communication device sending instruction information for instructing participation in the data collection task. Specifically, the first communication device and the second communication device can also interact with each other through the above-mentioned instruction information to clarify that the first communication device participates in the data collection task. Subsequently, the second communication device can send a data collection instruction (i.e., the first information) to the first communication device to implement the data collection process.

Referring to FIG. 5 , an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 500. This communication device 500 can implement the functions of the first communication device (or second communication device) in the above-described method embodiment, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-described method embodiment. In this embodiment of the present application, the communication device 500 can be the first communication device (or second communication device), or it can be an integrated circuit or component within the first communication device (or second communication device), such as a chip, a baseband chip, a modem chip, a SoC chip including a modem core, a system-in-package (SIP) chip, a communication module, a chip system, a processor, etc.

It should be noted that the transceiver unit 502 may include a sending unit and a receiving unit, which are respectively used to perform sending and receiving.

In one possible implementation, when the device 500 is used to execute the method executed by the first communication device in Figure 3 and related embodiments, the device 500 includes a processing unit 501 and a transceiver unit 502; the transceiver unit 502 is used to receive first information, and the first information is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the processing unit 501 is used to determine second information; the transceiver unit 502 is also used to send second information, and the second information includes Q categories of data among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

In one possible implementation, when the device 500 is used to execute the method executed by the second communication device in Figure 3 and related embodiments, the device 500 includes a processing unit 501 and a transceiver unit 502; the processing unit 501 is used to determine the first information; the transceiver unit 502 is used to send the first information, and the first information is used to indicate the data collection of P categories of data; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the transceiver unit 502 is also used to receive the second information, and the second information includes Q categories of data among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

In one possible design, when the communication device 500 is a terminal device or a communication module in a terminal, the functions of the processing unit 501 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor can include a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core. The functions of the transceiver unit 502 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

In one possible design, when the communication device 500 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a terminal, such as a modem chip or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, the functions of the processing unit 501 can be implemented by a circuit system including one or more processors or processor cores in the above chip. The functions of the transceiver unit 502 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the above chip.

It should be noted that, for details of the information execution process and other contents of the units of the above-mentioned communication device 500, please refer to the description in the method embodiment shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to Fig. 6, which is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device 600 provided in this application. The communication device 600 includes a logic circuit 601 and an input/output interface 602. The communication device 600 may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

The transceiver unit 502 shown in FIG5 may be a communication interface, which may be the input/output interface 602 in FIG6 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

In one possible implementation, when the device 600 is used to execute the method executed by the first communication device in Figure 3 and related embodiments, the input-output interface 602 is used to receive first information, which is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the logic circuit 601 is used to determine second information; the input-output interface 602 is also used to send second information, which includes Q categories of data among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

In one possible implementation, when the device 600 is used to execute the method executed by the second communication device in Figure 3 and related embodiments, the logic circuit 601 is used to determine the first information; the input-output interface 602 is used to send the first information, and the first information is used to indicate the data collection of P categories of data; wherein the first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; the input-output interface 602 is also used to receive the second information, and the second information includes Q categories of data among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P.

The logic circuit 601 and the input/output interface 602 may also execute other steps executed by the first communication device or the second communication device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be described in detail here.

In a possible implementation, the processing unit 501 shown in FIG5 may be the logic circuit 601 in FIG6 .

Optionally, the logic circuit 601 may be a processing device, and the functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software. The functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software.

Optionally, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform corresponding processing and/or steps in any one of the method embodiments.

Alternatively, the processing device may include only a processor. A memory for storing the computer program is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuits/wires to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated or physically separate.

Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontrollers (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

Please refer to Figure 7, which shows a communication device 700 involved in the above-mentioned embodiments provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 can specifically be a communication device serving as a terminal device in the above-mentioned embodiments. The example shown in Figure 7 is that the terminal device is implemented through the terminal device (or a component in the terminal device).

Here, a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 700 is shown. The communication device 700 may include but is not limited to at least one processor 701 and a communication port 702 .

The transceiver unit 502 shown in FIG5 may be a communication interface, which may be the communication port 702 in FIG7 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 702 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 703 and a bus 704. In an embodiment of the present application, the at least one processor 701 is used to control and process the actions of the communication device 700.

In addition, the processor 701 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, and so on. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

It should be noted that the communication device 700 shown in Figure 7 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. The specific implementation methods of the communication device shown in Figure 7 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to Figure 8, which is a structural diagram of the communication device 800 involved in the above-mentioned embodiments provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 800 can specifically be a communication device as a network device in the above-mentioned embodiments. The example shown in Figure 8 is that the network device is implemented through the network device (or a component in the network device), wherein the structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 8.

The communication device 800 includes at least one processor 811 and at least one network interface 814. Further optionally, the communication device also includes at least one memory 812, at least one transceiver 813 and one or more antennas 815. The processor 811, the memory 812, the transceiver 813 and the network interface 814 are connected, for example, via a bus. In an embodiment of the present application, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines or buses, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment. The antenna 815 is connected to the transceiver 813. The network interface 814 is used to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 814 may include a network interface between the communication device and the core network device, such as an S1 interface, and the network interface may include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (such as other network devices or core network devices), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

The transceiver unit 502 shown in FIG5 may be a communication interface, which may be the network interface 814 in FIG8 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 814 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

Processor 811 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is primarily used to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Processor 811 in Figure 8 may integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the central processing unit may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a terminal device may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple central processing units to enhance its processing capabilities, and various components of the terminal device may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing functionality.

The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. Memory 812 can exist independently and be connected to processor 811. Alternatively, memory 812 and processor 811 can be integrated together, for example, within a single chip. Memory 812 can store program code for executing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and execution is controlled by processor 811. The various computer program codes executed can also be considered drivers for processor 811.

Figure 8 shows only one memory and one processor. In an actual terminal device, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device. The memory may be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or an independent storage element, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

The transceiver 813 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the communication device and the terminal, and the transceiver 813 can be connected to the antenna 815. The transceiver 813 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 815 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of the transceiver 813 is used to receive the radio frequency signal from the antenna, convert the radio frequency signal into a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal, and provide the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to the processor 811 so that the processor 811 can further process the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in the transceiver 813 is also used to receive a modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal from the processor 811, convert the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal into a radio frequency signal, and transmit the radio frequency signal through one or more antennas 815. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the RF signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal. The order of the down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to obtain a RF signal. The order of the up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion processes is adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital intermediate frequency signal may be collectively referred to as digital signals.

The transceiver 813 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, a device in the transceiver unit that implements a receiving function may be referred to as a receiving unit, and a device in the transceiver unit that implements a transmitting function may be referred to as a transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit may be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

It should be noted that the communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiment and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation methods of the communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to FIG9 , which is a schematic structural diagram of the communication device involved in the above-mentioned embodiment provided in an embodiment of the present application.

It can be understood that the communication device 900 includes, for example, modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to implement the technical solutions provided in this application. The communication device 900 can be the terminal device or network device described above, or a component (such as a chip) in these devices, used to implement the method described in the following method embodiment. The communication device 900 includes one or more processors 901. The processor 901 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a RAN node, terminal, or chip, etc.), execute software programs, and process data of software programs.

Optionally, in one design, the processor 901 may include a program 903 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on the processor 901 to cause the communication device 900 to perform the methods described in the following embodiments. In yet another possible design, the communication device 900 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG9 ).

Optionally, the communication device 900 may include one or more memories 902 on which a program 904 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions) is stored. The program 904 can be run on the processor 901, so that the communication device 900 executes the method described in the above method embodiment.

Optionally, the processor 901 and/or the memory 902 may include AI modules 907 and 908, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI module may be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI module may include a wireless intelligent control (RIC) module. For example, the AI module may be a near-real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

Optionally, data may be stored in the processor 901 and/or the memory 902. The processor and the memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver 905 and/or an antenna 906. The processor 901 may also be sometimes referred to as a processing unit, and controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or terminal). The transceiver 905 may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, and is configured to implement the transceiver functions of the communication device through the antenna 906.

The processing unit 501 shown in FIG5 may be the processor 901. The transceiver unit 502 shown in FIG5 may be a communication interface, which may be the transceiver 905 shown in FIG9 . The transceiver 905 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the transceiver 905 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in the possible implementation methods of the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned embodiment.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product (or computer program). When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method that may be implemented by the above-mentioned first communication device or second communication device.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the possible implementation methods of the above-mentioned communication device. Optionally, the chip system also includes an interface circuit, which provides program instructions and/or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory, which is used to store the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. The chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device can specifically be the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned method embodiment.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, wherein the network system architecture includes the first communication device and/or the second communication device in any of the above embodiments.

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

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

In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the contributing part or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk, and other media that can store program code.

Claims (64)

A communication method, comprising: receiving first information indicating data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein a first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; Second information is sent, where the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P. The method according to claim 1 is characterized in that the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first indication information includes at least one of the following: The amount of data collected in the P categories, the proportion of data collected in the P categories, the amount of data not collected in the P categories, the proportion of data not collected in the P categories, the total amount of data collected in the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete. The method according to claim 1 is characterized in that the first collection status is determined by first data collection status information, and the first data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of N categories of data, where the N categories include the P categories, and N is a positive integer. The method according to claim 4 is characterized in that the second information is used to update the first data collection status information. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is characterized in that the first information includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is characterized in that the first information is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is characterized in that the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that before receiving the first information, the method further comprises: Sending a request message for requesting collection of the P categories of data; wherein the request message is used to determine the first information. The method according to claim 9 is characterized in that the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information. A communication method, comprising: Sending first information, where the first information is used to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein a first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; Second information is received, where the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P. The method according to claim 11 is characterized in that the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first indication information includes at least one of the following: The amount of data collected in the P categories, the proportion of data collected in the P categories, the amount of data not collected in the P categories, the proportion of data not collected in the P categories, the total amount of data collected in the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13 is characterized in that the first collection status is determined by second data collection status information, and the second data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of K categories of data, where the K categories include the P categories, and K is a positive integer. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method is applied to the second communication device, the second information comes from the first communication device, and the method further comprises: Sending third information to a third communication device, the third information being used to indicate data collection of X categories of data, where X is a positive integer; wherein the collection status of the X categories of data is incomplete; receiving fourth information from the third communication device, the fourth information including data of Y categories among the X categories, where Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; The second information and the fourth information are used to update the second data collection status information. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15 is characterized in that the first information includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16 is characterized in that the first information is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17 is characterized in that the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that before sending the first information, the method further comprises: Receive request information for requesting collection of the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information. The method according to claim 19 is characterized in that the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information. A first communication device, characterized by comprising a transceiver unit; The transceiver unit is configured to receive first information, wherein the first information is configured to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein a first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; Second information is sent, where the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P. The device according to claim 21 is characterized in that the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first indication information includes at least one of the following: The amount of data collected in the P categories, the proportion of data collected in the P categories, the amount of data not collected in the P categories, the proportion of data not collected in the P categories, the total amount of data collected in the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete. The device according to claim 21 is characterized in that the first collection status is determined by first data collection status information, and the first data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of N categories of data, where the N categories include the P categories, and N is a positive integer. The device according to claim 24 is characterized in that the second information is used to update the first data collection status information. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 25 is characterized in that the first information includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 26 is characterized in that the first information is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 27 is characterized in that the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 28, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to send request information for requesting collection of the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information. The device according to claim 29 is characterized in that the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information. A second communication device, characterized by comprising a transceiver unit; The transceiver unit is configured to send first information, where the first information is configured to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein a first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; Second information is received, where the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P. The device according to claim 31 is characterized in that the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the first indication information includes at least one of the following: The amount of data collected in the P categories, the proportion of data collected in the P categories, the amount of data not collected in the P categories, the proportion of data not collected in the P categories, the total amount of data collected in the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 33 is characterized in that the first collection status is determined by second data collection status information, and the second data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of K categories of data, where the K categories include the P categories, and K is a positive integer. The device according to claim 34, wherein the second information comes from the first communication device; The transceiver unit is further configured to send third information to the third communication device, wherein the third information is configured to indicate data collection of X categories of data, where X is a positive integer; wherein the collection status of the X categories of data is incomplete; receiving fourth information from the third communication device, the fourth information including data of Y categories among the X categories, where Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; The second information and the fourth information are used to update the second data collection status information. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 35 is characterized in that the first information includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 36 is characterized in that the first information is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 37 is characterized in that the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 38, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to receive request information for requesting collection of the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information. The device according to claim 39 is characterized in that the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information. A first communication device, characterized by comprising a communication port; The communication port is configured to receive first information, wherein the first information is configured to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein a first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; Second information is sent, where the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P. The device according to claim 41 is characterized in that the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the first indication information includes at least one of the following: The amount of data collected in the P categories, the proportion of data collected in the P categories, the amount of data not collected in the P categories, the proportion of data not collected in the P categories, the total amount of data collected in the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete. The device according to claim 41 is characterized in that the first collection status is determined by first data collection status information, and the first data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of N categories of data, where the N categories include the P categories, and N is a positive integer. The device according to claim 44 is characterized in that the second information is used to update the first data collection status information. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 45 is characterized in that the first information includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 46 is characterized in that the first information is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 47 is characterized in that the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 48, characterized in that The communication port is further used to send request information for requesting to collect the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information. The device according to claim 49 is characterized in that the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 50 is characterized in that the device is a chip or a chip system. A second communication device, characterized by comprising a communication port; The communication port is configured to send first information, wherein the first information is configured to indicate data collection of P categories of data, where P is a positive integer; wherein a first collection status of the P categories of data is incomplete; Second information is received, where the second information includes data of Q categories among the P categories, where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P. The device according to claim 52 is characterized in that the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first collection status. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the first indication information includes at least one of the following: The amount of data collected in the P categories, the proportion of data collected in the P categories, the amount of data not collected in the P categories, the proportion of data not collected in the P categories, the total amount of data collected in the P categories, or an indication that the data collection status of the P categories is incomplete. The device according to any one of claims 52 to 54 is characterized in that the first collection status is determined by second data collection status information, and the second data collection status information is used to indicate the collection status of K categories of data, where the K categories include the P categories, and K is a positive integer. The device according to claim 55, wherein the second information comes from the first communication device; The communication port is further configured to send third information to a third communication device, wherein the third information is configured to indicate data collection of X categories of data, where X is a positive integer; wherein the collection status of the X categories of data is incomplete; receiving fourth information from the third communication device, the fourth information including data of Y categories among the X categories, where Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; The second information and the fourth information are used to update the second data collection status information. The device according to any one of claims 52 to 56 is characterized in that the first information includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the P categories. The device according to any one of claims 52 to 57 is characterized in that the first information is also used to indicate data collection of at least one category of data, and the collection status of the at least one category of data is completed. The device according to any one of claims 52 to 58 is characterized in that the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second collection status of the Q categories of data, and the second collection status is determined based on the Q categories of data. The device according to any one of claims 52 to 59, characterized in that The communication port is further used to receive request information for requesting to collect the P categories of data; wherein the request information is used to determine the first information. The device according to claim 60 is characterized in that the request information includes one or more of location information, channel information, and computing resource information. The device according to any one of claims 52 to 61 is characterized in that the device is a chip or a chip system. A readable storage medium, characterized in that a computer program or instruction is stored in the storage medium, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 is implemented. A computer program product, characterized by comprising instructions, which, when the instructions are executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.