Data transmission method, apparatus, and system

A joint transmission (JT) method, comprising:

• receiving, by a network device of a coordinated neighboring cell, a JT user equipment request from a network device of a serving cell and selecting an accepted JT user equipment, wherein information indicated by the JT user equipment request comprises at least a serving cell identifier and a JT user equipment identifier;
• receiving, by the network device of the coordinated neighboring cell, scheduling information of the JT user equipment from the network device of the serving cell;
• and
• sending, by the network device of the coordinated neighboring cell, a reference signal to the JT user equipment and sending data to the JT user equipment according to the scheduling information, wherein the reference signal sent to the JT user equipment by the network device of the coordinated neighboring cell is the same as a reference signal sent by the network device of the serving cell of the JT user equipment to the JT user equipment.

A network device of a serving cell, comprising:

• a communication interface;
• a transmitter;
• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions to:
• select a joint transmission (JT) user equipment and a coordinated neighboring cell of the JT user equipment for the serving cell;
• cause the communication interface to send a JT user equipment request to a network device of the coordinated neighboring cell, wherein information indicated by the JT user equipment request comprises at least a serving cell identifier and a JT user equipment identifier;
• schedule the JT user equipment;
• cause the communication interface to send scheduling information to the network device of the coordinated neighboring cell;
• and
• cause the transmitter to send a reference signal to the JT user equipment, and to send data to the JT user equipment according to the scheduling information, wherein the reference signal is the same as a reference signal sent by the network device of the coordinated neighboring cell of the JT user equipment to the JT user equipment.