A reference signal indication method, applied to a network device side and comprising: determining a target reference signal pattern to be used for a terminal device in later transmission occasions following a current transmission occasion, wherein the target reference signal pattern is a reference signal pattern selected from multiple predefined reference signal patterns; and not transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device, in a case that the target reference signal pattern is same as a default reference signal pattern; or not transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device, in a case that the target reference signal pattern is same as a reference signal pattern indicated by a previous piece of reference signal indication information; wherein after the determining the target reference signal pattern to be used for the terminal device in the later transmission occasions following the current transmission occasion, the method further comprises: in a case that the target reference signal pattern satisfies a predefined condition, determining the reference signal indication information used for indicating the target reference signal pattern, wherein, the predefined condition is a condition that reference signal patterns other than the default reference signal pattern is to be used, or the predefined condition is a condition that a reference signal pattern different from a reference signal pattern indicated by the previous piece of reference signal indication information is to be used; transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device; wherein, the reference signal indication information comprises N bits, 2 N is smaller than or equal to the number of all reference signal patterns, and N is a positive integer; wherein a first value represented by the N bits is used for indicating that the target reference signal pattern is a K-th reference signal pattern used in previous M transmission occasions, K is smaller than or equal to 2 N; a second value represented by the N bits is used for indicating that the target reference signal pattern is not any of reference signal patterns used in the previous M transmission occasions. determining a target reference signal pattern to be used for a terminal device in later transmission occasions following a current transmission occasion, wherein the target reference signal pattern is a reference signal pattern selected from multiple predefined reference signal patterns; and not transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device, in a case that the target reference signal pattern is same as a default reference signal pattern; or not transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device, in a case that the target reference signal pattern is same as a reference signal pattern indicated by a previous piece of reference signal indication information; wherein after the determining the target reference signal pattern to be used for the terminal device in the later transmission occasions following the current transmission occasion, the method further comprises: in a case that the target reference signal pattern satisfies a predefined condition, determining the reference signal indication information used for indicating the target reference signal pattern, wherein, the predefined condition is a condition that reference signal patterns other than the default reference signal pattern is to be used, or the predefined condition is a condition that a reference signal pattern different from a reference signal pattern indicated by the previous piece of reference signal indication information is to be used; transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device; wherein, the reference signal indication information comprises N bits, 2 N is smaller than or equal to the number of all reference signal patterns, and N is a positive integer; wherein a first value represented by the N bits is used for indicating that the target reference signal pattern is a K-th reference signal pattern used in previous M transmission occasions, K is smaller than or equal to 2 N; a second value represented by the N bits is used for indicating that the target reference signal pattern is not any of reference signal patterns used in the previous M transmission occasions. in a case that the target reference signal pattern satisfies a predefined condition, determining the reference signal indication information used for indicating the target reference signal pattern, wherein, the predefined condition is a condition that reference signal patterns other than the default reference signal pattern is to be used, or the predefined condition is a condition that a reference signal pattern different from a reference signal pattern indicated by the previous piece of reference signal indication information is to be used; transmitting the reference signal indication information to the terminal device; wherein, the reference signal indication information comprises N bits, 2 N is smaller than or equal to the number of all reference signal patterns, and N is a positive integer; wherein a first value represented by the N bits is used for indicating that the target reference signal pattern is a K-th reference signal pattern used in previous M transmission occasions, K is smaller than or equal to 2 N; a second value represented by the N bits is used for indicating that the target reference signal pattern is not any of reference signal patterns used in the previous M transmission occasions.