阅读说明：本技术 通信系统和通信方法 (Communication system and communication method ) 是由 黄腾飞 俞泉 朱松 范保民 申云鹏 吴松 于 2020-04-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请提供一种通信系统和通信方法。在该通信系统中,控制电路用于在发射通道发送第一信号,且发送信号时天线的辐射功率受限的情况下,发送第一控制信号,以及在接收通道接收第二信号的情况下,发送第二控制信号。天线单元用于根据第一控制信号选择天线单元中的至少一个低增益天线与发射通道连接,以发送第一信号；以及用于根据第二控制信号选择天线单元中的至少一个高增益天线与接收通道连接,以接收所述第二信号。因此,本申请能够在天线的辐射功率受限的情况下,使得天线的TX覆盖范围相对于使用高增益天线而言更大。同时,在接收信号时,使得天线的RX覆盖范围相对于使用低增益天线而言更大,并获得较高的RX增益和抗干扰性能。(The application provides a communication system and a communication method. In the communication system, the control circuit is configured to transmit a first control signal in a case where the transmission channel transmits a first signal and radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting the signal, and to transmit a second control signal in a case where the reception channel receives a second signal. The antenna unit is used for selecting at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the first control signal so as to send a first signal; and the antenna unit is used for selecting at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with a receiving channel according to a second control signal so as to receive the second signal. Therefore, the present application can make the TX coverage of the antenna larger relative to using a high gain antenna, in case the radiation power of the antenna is limited. Meanwhile, when receiving signals, the RX coverage range of the antenna is larger than that of a low-gain antenna, and higher RX gain and anti-interference performance are obtained.)

1. A communication system is characterized by comprising a control circuit, a radio frequency front end and an antenna unit, wherein the control circuit is connected with the radio frequency front end and the antenna unit, and the radio frequency front end is connected with the antenna unit;

the radio frequency front end comprises a transmitting channel and a receiving channel, wherein the transmitting channel is used for transmitting a first signal, and the receiving channel is used for receiving a second signal;

the control circuit is used for sending a first control signal under the condition that the transmitting channel sends the first signal and the radiation power of an antenna is limited during signal sending, and sending a second control signal under the condition that the receiving channel receives the second signal;

the antenna unit is used for selecting at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the first control signal so as to send the first signal; and

and the antenna unit is used for selecting at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the second control signal so as to receive the second signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit a third control signal if a third signal is transmitted through the transmission channel and the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the signal is transmitted;

the antenna unit is further configured to select at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the third control signal, so as to send the third signal.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit a fourth control signal if a training frame for beam training is transmitted through the transmission channel and the radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting the signal;

the antenna unit is further configured to select at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the fourth control signal, so as to send the training frame.

4. The system of any of claims 1-3, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit a fifth control signal if a fourth signal is received over the receive channel prior to beam training;

the antenna unit is further configured to select at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect to the receiving channel according to the fifth control signal, so as to receive the fourth signal.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a first RF switch for selecting the transmit channel to be open and the receive path to be closed when transmitting a signal, and for selecting the receive channel to be open and the transmit path to be closed when receiving a signal.

6. The system according to any of claims 1-5, further comprising a second RF switch for selecting said at least one low gain antenna to connect to said transmit channel based on said first control signal or selecting said at least one high gain antenna to connect to said receive channel based on said second control signal.

7. The system according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the antenna unit is a reconfigurable antenna.

8. The system according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the radiated power transmits an Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) and/or a radiated Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the first signal.

9. The system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the control circuit is specifically configured to determine whether the radiation power of the antenna is limited when the first signal is transmitted according to at least one of software version information, hardware version identification information, General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) status, country code, network protocol (IP) address, and geographic location of the system.

10. A communication method, applied to a communication system, the communication system including a control circuit, a radio frequency front end and an antenna unit, wherein the control circuit is connected to the radio frequency front end and the antenna unit, the radio frequency front end is connected to the antenna unit, and the radio frequency front end includes a transmitting channel and a receiving channel, the method comprising:

the control circuit sends a first control signal under the condition that the transmitting channel sends a first signal and the radiation power of an antenna is limited during signal sending;

the antenna unit selects at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the first control signal so as to send the first signal;

the control circuit sends a second control signal when the receiving channel receives a second signal;

and the antenna unit selects at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the second control signal so as to receive the second signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the control circuit sends a third control signal under the condition that a third signal is sent through the transmitting channel and the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the signal is sent;

and the antenna unit selects at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the third control signal so as to send the third signal.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, further comprising:

under the condition that a training frame for beam training is sent through the transmitting channel and the radiation power of an antenna is limited during signal sending, the control circuit sends a fourth control signal;

and the antenna unit selects at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the fourth control signal so as to send the training frame.

13. The method of any one of claims 10-12, further comprising:

in the case of receiving a fourth signal through the receive channel prior to beam training, the control circuit transmits a fifth control signal;

and the antenna unit selects at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the fifth control signal so as to receive the fourth signal.

14. The method according to any of claims 10-13, wherein the communication system further comprises a first rf switch for selecting the transmit channel to be open and the receive path to be closed when transmitting a signal, and for selecting the receive channel to be open and the transmit path to be closed when receiving a signal.

15. The method according to any of claims 10-14, wherein the communication system further comprises a second rf switch for selecting the at least one low gain antenna to be connected to the transmit channel based on the first control signal or selecting the at least one high gain antenna to be connected to the receive channel based on the second control signal.

16. The method according to any of claims 10-15, wherein the antenna unit is a reconfigurable antenna.

17. The method according to any of claims 10-16, wherein the radiated power transmits an effective isotropic radiated power EIRP and/or a radiated power spectral density PSD of the first signal.

18. The method according to any of claims 10-17, wherein the control circuit is specifically configured to determine whether the radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting the first signal based on at least one of software version information, hardware version identification information, general purpose input output, GPIO, status, country code, network protocol, IP, and geographic location of the system.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a communication system and a communication method.

Background

A typical radio frequency communication system is composed of a radio frequency chip, a radio frequency front end, an antenna, and other key parts. The radio frequency chip is responsible for the functions of signal modulation and demodulation, signal up-conversion, signal down-conversion and the like, and meanwhile, the radio frequency chip also performs some control coordination on the work of the radio frequency front end. The radio frequency front end includes a Transmit (TX) channel and a Receive (RX) channel. In transmitting the signal, the TX channel converts the binary signal into a radio electromagnetic wave signal of high frequency. In the process of receiving signals, the RX channel converts the received electromagnetic wave signals into binary digital signals. An antenna is a device for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves.

In a current scheme of the antenna, both the TX channel and the RX channel use fixed high-gain antennas, so that both the TX channel and the RX channel have better coverage. However, in order to reduce mutual interference between transmission signals, relevant regulations have upper limit requirements on Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP), or radiated Power Spectral Density (PSD). The EIRP or the radiation PSD is related to the conducted power and the antenna gain, and in the case that the EIRP or the radiation PSD has an upper limit requirement, the conducted power of the antenna is returned as the antenna gain is increased, which results in the coverage of the TX channel being reduced and a coverage blind area being generated.

Therefore, how to design an antenna in a radio frequency communication system is an urgent problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a communication system and a communication method, which can enable the TX coverage range of an antenna to be larger relative to the use of a high-gain antenna by selecting at least one low-gain antenna in an antenna unit to transmit signals under the condition that the radiation power of the antenna is limited.

In a first aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a control circuit, a radio frequency front end and an antenna unit, wherein the control circuit is connected to the radio frequency front end and the antenna unit, and the radio frequency front end is connected to the antenna unit.

The radio frequency front end comprises a transmitting channel and a receiving channel, wherein the transmitting channel is used for transmitting a first signal, and the receiving channel is used for receiving a second signal;

the control circuit is used for sending a first control signal under the condition that the transmitting channel sends the first signal and the radiation power of an antenna is limited during signal sending, and sending a second control signal under the condition that the receiving channel receives the second signal;

the antenna unit is used for selecting at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the first control signal so as to send the first signal; and

and the antenna unit is used for selecting at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the second control signal so as to receive the second signal.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the radiation power of the antenna is limited, at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit is selected to transmit a signal when transmitting a signal, so that the TX coverage of the antenna is larger than that when using a high-gain antenna, and at the same time, at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit is selected to receive a signal when receiving a signal, so that the RX coverage of the antenna is larger than that when using a low-gain antenna, and at the same time, a higher RX gain and interference rejection performance can be obtained when receiving a signal.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is further configured to send a third control signal when the third signal is sent through the transmission channel and the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the signal is sent;

the antenna unit is further configured to select at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the third control signal, so as to send the third signal.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the application, at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit can be selected to transmit signals when the signals are transmitted under the condition that the radiation power of the antenna is not limited, so that a larger TX coverage area can be obtained, and a system can obtain higher TX gain and anti-interference performance when the signals are transmitted.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is further configured to send a fourth control signal when a training frame for beam training is sent through the transmission channel and the radiation power of the antenna is limited when sending the signal;

the antenna unit is further configured to select at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the fourth control signal, so as to send the training frame.

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the application, when the transmission channel is used for transmitting the beam training frame, at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit is selected to transmit the signal, so as to transmit the training frame with different transmission beam directions, and further determine the optimal transmission beam direction and the optimal receiving beam direction.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is further configured to transmit a fifth control signal in a case that a fourth signal is received through the reception channel before beam training;

the antenna unit is further configured to select at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect to the receiving channel according to the fifth control signal, so as to receive the fourth signal.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present application selects at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the receiving channel before performing the beam training, and performs the omnidirectional receiving by using the low-gain antenna. At this time, upon receiving a data frame of a certain communication device, the communication system according to the embodiment of the present application may confirm the communication device and its direction, perform beam training with it, and receive the data frame using an optimal high-gain antenna in a targeted manner according to the beam training result.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the apparatus further includes a first radio frequency switch, where the first radio frequency switch is configured to select the transmit channel to be opened and the receive path to be closed when the signal is transmitted, and is configured to select the receive channel to be opened and the transmit path to be closed when the signal is received. Therefore, the embodiment of the application can select to send the signal to the antenna unit through the transmitting channel when the signal is transmitted, and receive the signal received by the antenna unit through the received signal when the signal is received.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementation manners of the first aspect, the apparatus further includes a second radio frequency switch, where the second radio frequency switch is configured to select the at least one low-gain antenna to be connected to the transmission channel according to the first control signal, or select the at least one high-gain antenna to be connected to the reception channel according to the second control signal.

In some possible implementations, the second radio frequency switch may include at least two radio frequency switches in one-to-one correspondence with at least two antennas in the antenna unit. Wherein, by controlling the on or off of the at least two radio frequency switches, the selection of the antenna connected to the transmission channel or the reception channel from the at least two antennas can be realized.

In some embodiments, the second radio frequency switch may be included in an antenna unit. Or in other embodiments, the second rf switch may be independent from the outside of the antenna unit, which is not limited in this application.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can select a high gain antenna or a low gain antenna for transmitting a signal when transmitting a signal or select a high gain antenna or a low gain antenna for receiving a signal when receiving a signal by controlling the second radio frequency switch (for example, controlling each of the second radio frequency switches) to be turned on or off by a control signal.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the antenna unit is a reconfigurable antenna. The reconfigurable antenna can comprise a radio frequency switch, and the state of an antenna radiator or an antenna reference body can be changed by switching the radio frequency switch, so that the antenna radiation pattern is changed.

Therefore, the radio frequency switch in the reconfigurable antenna is controlled to be turned on or turned off through the control signal, so that the high-gain antenna or the low-gain antenna used for transmitting the signal can be selected when the signal is transmitted, or the high-gain antenna or the low-gain antenna used for receiving the signal can be selected when the signal is received.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the radiated power transmits an effective isotropic radiated power EIRP and/or a radiated power spectral density PSD of the first signal.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementation manners of the first aspect, the control circuit is specifically configured to determine whether radiation power of the antenna is limited when the first signal is transmitted according to at least one of software version information, hardware version identification information, general purpose input output GPIO status, country code, network protocol IP address, and geographic location of the system.

In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, where the communication method is applied to a communication system that includes a control circuit, a radio frequency front end and an antenna unit, where the control circuit is connected to the radio frequency front end and the antenna unit, the radio frequency front end is connected to the antenna unit, and the radio frequency front end includes a transmit channel and a receive channel.

In the method, a control circuit sends a first control signal under the condition that a first signal is sent by a transmitting channel and the radiation power of an antenna is limited when the signal is sent; the antenna unit may select at least one low gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the first control signal to transmit the first signal.

In addition, the control circuit sends a second control signal when the receiving channel receives the second signal; the antenna unit selects at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the second control signal so as to receive the second signal.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes:

the control circuit sends a third control signal under the condition that a third signal is sent through the transmitting channel and the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the signal is sent;

and the antenna unit selects at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the third control signal so as to send the third signal.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes:

under the condition that a training frame for beam training is sent through the transmitting channel and the radiation power of an antenna is limited during signal sending, the control circuit sends a fourth control signal;

and the antenna unit selects at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the transmitting channel according to the fourth control signal so as to send the training frame.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes:

in the case of receiving a fourth signal through the receive channel prior to beam training, the control circuit transmits a fifth control signal;

and the antenna unit selects at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the fifth control signal so as to receive the fourth signal.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the communication system further includes a first radio frequency switch for selecting the transmit channel to be open and the receive path to be closed when transmitting a signal, and for selecting the receive channel to be open and the transmit path to be closed when receiving a signal.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the communication system further includes a second radio frequency switch, and the second radio frequency switch is configured to select the at least one low-gain antenna to be connected to the transmission channel according to the first control signal, or select the at least one high-gain antenna to be connected to the reception channel according to the second control signal.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the antenna unit is a reconfigurable antenna.

With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the radiated power transmits an effective isotropic radiated power EIRP and/or a radiated power spectral density PSD of the first signal.

With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the control circuit is specifically configured to determine whether the radiation power of the antenna is limited when the first signal is transmitted according to at least one of software version information, hardware version identification information, general purpose input output GPIO status, country code, network protocol IP address, and geographic location of the system.

It should be understood that the second aspect of the present application is consistent with the technical solution of the first aspect of the present application, and the beneficial effects obtained by the second aspect and the corresponding possible implementation manners are similar and will not be described again.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows an example of a WLAN system.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic architecture diagram of a wireless communication system.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 shows a specific example of the radiation range of the antenna when transmitting a signal.

Fig. 5 shows a specific example of the coverage of the antenna when receiving a signal.

Fig. 6 shows an example of TX and RX coverage of an antenna.

Fig. 7 shows another example of a wireless communication system.

Fig. 8 shows another example of a wireless communication system.

Fig. 9 shows another example of a wireless communication system.

Fig. 10 shows an example of a comparison of TX and RX coverage under different schemes.

Fig. 11 shows a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

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

The embodiment of the application can be applied to a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system and can also be applied to other wireless communication systems with the same test scene. Fig. 1 shows an example of a WLAN system. As shown in fig. 1, a WLAN system may include an Access Point (AP) and one or more Stations (STAs) associated with the AP, such as STA1, STA2, and STA 3.

Illustratively, the AP may be configured to communicate with the access terminal via a wireless local area network, and transmit data of the access terminal to the network side, or transmit data from the network side to the access terminal. An access terminal may be a STA in a WLAN and may also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, access terminal, mobile station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, user device, or User Equipment (UE). The STA may be a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a session initiation protocol (S1P) telephone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device having wireless local area network (e.g., Wi-Fi) communication capabilities, a computing device, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic architecture diagram of a wireless communication system 100. The system 100 may be applied to a wireless local area network WLAN, such as an AP or STA in a WLAN. As shown in fig. 2, the wireless communication system 100 includes an rf chip 110 (which may also be referred to as a master chip), an rf front end 120 and an antenna 130. The rf chip 110 can be configured to send a control signal to the rf front end 120 to control the rf front end 120 to be in a transmitting state or a receiving state.

The radio frequency front end 120 includes a TX channel and an RX channel. Illustratively, the rf front end 120 may include a filter (filter), a Power Amplifier (PA), a radio frequency switch (switch), a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), an antenna tuner, and the like. When the rf front end 120 is in a transmit state, the rf switch may control the RX path to be turned off and the TX path to be turned on, and the LNA is in an off state, and a signal transmitted from a transceiver (transceiver) is amplified by the PA, optionally filtered by a filter to remove noise, and then connected to the TX path through the switch, and the signal is transmitted through the antenna 130. When the rf front end 120 is in a receiving state, the rf switch may control the RX channel to be turned on and the TX channel to be turned off, at this time, the PA is turned off, and the signal received from the antenna is transmitted to the LNA through the switch to be amplified, and then transmitted to the transceiver to perform signal processing after being amplified, thereby completing signal reception.

The antenna 130 refers to an electronic device for transmitting or receiving an electromagnetic wave, and includes a low gain antenna and a high gain antenna. The gain of the antenna refers to the ratio of the power density of signals generated by the actual antenna and an ideal radiating element at the same point in space under the condition that the input power is equal. The gain of an antenna, which quantitatively describes the degree to which an antenna radiates input power collectively, is one of the most important parameters for selecting a base station antenna, which is used to measure the ability of the antenna to transmit and receive signals in a particular direction. That is, the gain of the antenna only describes the parameters of the spatially strongest radiation direction. Since the antenna is a secondary distribution process of energy, generally the higher the gain, the closer the antenna is to a directional antenna, and the lower the gain, the closer the antenna is to an omni-directional antenna.

Generally, an antenna is required to obtain high gain and tends to have strong directivity, and therefore, the high gain antenna may also be referred to as a directional antenna. In addition, the antenna may have omni-directionality and may have relatively low gain, and therefore, the low-gain antenna may also be referred to as an omni-directional antenna.

Illustratively, a low-gain antenna refers to an antenna having a gain of less than or equal to 2.5dBi, and a high-gain antenna refers to an antenna having a gain of greater than 2.5dBi, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication system 200 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The system 200 may be applied to a wireless local area network WLAN, such as an AP or STA in a WLAN. As shown in fig. 3, the wireless communication system 200 includes a control circuit 210, a radio frequency front end 220, and an antenna unit 230. The control circuit 210 may be connected to the rf front end 220 and the antenna unit 230, respectively, and the rf front end 220 may be connected to the antenna unit 230. The control circuit 210 may be integrated in the rf chip or the main chip, or may be a circuit independent from the rf chip or the main chip, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application. The antenna unit 230 may include at least one high gain antenna and at least one low gain antenna.

The rf front end 220 includes a TX channel and an RX channel, wherein the TX channel is used for transmitting a TX signal, and the RX channel is used for receiving an RX signal. Illustratively, the control circuit 210 may send control signals to the rf front end 220 to control the sending of TX signals over the TX channel or the receiving of RX signals over the RX channel. For example, the rf front end 220 may be a specific example of the rf front end 120 in fig. 2, and the TX channel and the RX channel may refer to the description in fig. 2 and are not described herein again.

The control circuit 210 is configured to transmit a first control signal to the antenna unit 230 when the TX channel transmits a TX signal and the radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting the signal, and to transmit a second control signal to the antenna unit 230 when the RX channel receives an RX signal.

Illustratively, the TX signal may be a first signal, such as a data signal that the wireless communication system needs to transmit to another wireless communication system, or a control signal. For example, the RX signal may be a second signal, such as a data signal received by the wireless communication system from another wireless communication system, or a control signal, which is not limited in this embodiment.

For example, the radiation power of the antenna when the TX signal is transmitted may include an EIRP and/or a radiation PSD of the antenna, which is not limited in this embodiment. In some possible embodiments, relevant regulations may impose upper limit requirements on the EIRP and/or PSD of the antenna when transmitting the TX signal, for example, the EIRP of the antenna when transmitting the TX signal should be less than the upper limit of the EIRP regulated by the regulations, and/or the radiation PSD of the antenna when transmitting the TX signal should be less than the upper limit of the radiation PSD regulated by the regulations.

The EIRP of the antenna represents the equivalent omnidirectional radiation power of the signal bandwidth, and is determined according to the conducted power of the antenna and the antenna gain, for example, the sum of the conducted power of the antenna and the antenna gain. Illustratively, the signal bandwidth is, for example, 20M, 40M, or others, and is not limited herein. The radiation PSD of the antenna is used to represent the power spectral density per megahertz (MHz) and is also determined from the conducted power of the antenna and the antenna gain, which may be, for example, the sum of the conducted power spectral density of the antenna and the antenna gain.

In some possible embodiments, the control circuit 210 may determine whether the power of the antenna is limited when a signal (e.g., the first signal) is transmitted according to at least one of software version information, hardware version identification information, General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) status, country code, Internet Protocol (IP) address, and geographical location of the communication system.

For example, the software version, hardware version, GPIO state, etc. of some systems may require that the radiation power/radiation power spectral density of the antenna is limited when the system signals, and it may be determined whether the radiation power of the antenna is limited when the signal is transmitted according to the software version information, hardware version, GPIO state, etc. of the communication system. Or, according to a country code, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a geographical location, and the like of the communication system, it is determined whether a country or a region in which the communication system is located requires that power/power spectral density of the antenna be limited when transmitting a signal.

As an implementation manner, the communication system may determine whether the radiation power/radiation power spectral density of the antenna is limited according to at least one of software version information, a general purpose input/output (GPIO) state, a country code, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a geographic location of the communication system, and then automatically adapt whether to send the first control signal. For example, when the control circuit 210 determines that the signal is transmitted, the first control signal may be transmitted if the radiation power of the antenna is limited, and the first control signal may not be transmitted if the radiation power of the antenna is not limited.

As another implementation manner, for a device in a certain area, since it can be directly determined that the radiation power/radiation power spectral density of the antenna is limited according to the regulations in the area, the first control signal may be transmitted when the TX signal is transmitted in a factory.

In some embodiments, when the control circuit 210 is disposed in a control circuit external to the rf chip or the main chip, the rf chip or the main chip may transmit a signal to the control circuit 210 at the same time as controlling the rf front-end 220 to transmit a signal, indicating that the rf front-end 220 is transmitting a signal. Accordingly, the control circuit 210, upon receiving the signal, may determine that the rf front end 220 is (or is about to) transmit a signal.

In addition, the rf chip or the main chip may also send a signal to the control circuit 210 while controlling the rf front end to receive a signal, so as to indicate that the rf front end 220 is receiving the signal. Accordingly, the control circuit 210, upon receiving the signal, may determine that the rf front end 220 is (or is about to) receive the signal.

An antenna unit 230, configured to select at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit 230 to connect with a transmission channel in the rf front end 220 according to the first control signal, so as to transmit the TX signal, for example, the first signal. Here, the first control signal is used to control the antenna unit 230 to select at least one low gain antenna to be connected to the transmission path. That is, the transmit path is now connected to at least one low gain antenna in the antenna unit 230 and radiates the TX signal through the at least one low gain antenna.

In particular, since the radiation power of the antenna can be expressed as the sum of the conducted power of the antenna and the antenna gain, when the radiation power of the antenna is limited, if a high gain antenna is used, the conducted power of the antenna will be backed off. On the contrary, if a low-gain antenna is used, a higher conducted power of the antenna can be obtained, and thus a larger TX coverage can be obtained.

Fig. 4 shows a specific example of the radiation range of the antenna when transmitting a signal. As shown in (a) of fig. 4, when a high-gain antenna is used to transmit TX signals, the antenna radiation power (e.g., EIRP or radiation PSD) in the strongest spatial direction reaches the regulatory limit, and the conducted power of the antenna is backed off, and the gain of the antenna is only increased in one or some directions, which may result in a decrease in the coverage of TX, for example, a coverage hole in an area in other directions than the strongest spatial radiation direction, which is not favorable for a network device, such as an AP, requiring omnidirectional coverage.

As shown in (b) of fig. 4, when a TX signal is transmitted by using a low-gain antenna, since the gain of the antenna is low, the maximum conducted power can be achieved in all directions (360 °), i.e., the maximum antenna radiation power can be achieved in all directions (i.e., the antenna is good in all directions), which helps to achieve the maximum TX coverage of the antenna, i.e., the minimum coverage hole, even no coverage hole.

Therefore, in the case that the radiation power of the antenna is limited, the embodiments of the present application have a larger TX coverage than the related art that uses a high-gain antenna to transmit the TX signal.

The antenna unit 230 is further configured to select at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit 230 to connect with a receiving channel in the rf front end 220 according to the second control signal, so as to receive the RX signal, for example, the second signal. Here, the second control signal is used to control the antenna unit 230 to select at least one high gain antenna to be connected to the reception path. That is, at this time, the RX signal will be received through the at least one high gain antenna and transmitted to the reception channel.

Fig. 5 shows a specific example of the coverage of the antenna when receiving a signal. In fig. 5, (a) illustrates an example of the RX coverage of the antenna when receiving an RX signal using a low-gain antenna, and (b) illustrates an example of the RX coverage of the antenna when receiving an RX signal using a high-gain antenna. Since the radiation range of the antenna is not limited when receiving signals, a superior RX coverage can be obtained when using a high gain antenna.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present application has a larger RX coverage area than the related art that uses a low-gain antenna to receive an RX signal. Meanwhile, because the high-gain antenna is used when receiving signals, the system can obtain higher RX gain and anti-interference performance when receiving signals.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the radiation power of the antenna is limited, at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit is selected to transmit a signal when transmitting a signal, so that the TX coverage of the antenna is larger than that when using a high-gain antenna, and at the same time, at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit is selected to receive a signal when receiving a signal, so that the RX coverage of the antenna is larger than that when using a low-gain antenna, and at the same time, a higher RX gain and interference rejection performance can be obtained when receiving a signal.

In some optional embodiments, the control circuit 210 is further configured to send a third control signal to the antenna unit 230 when the TX signal is sent through a transmission channel in the rf front end 220 and the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the TX signal is sent.

For example, the TX signal may be a third signal, such as a data signal or a control signal that the wireless communication system needs to transmit to another wireless communication system, which is not limited in this embodiment.

Illustratively, the third control signal may be transmitted when the control circuit 210 determines that the power of the antenna is not limited when the signal (e.g., the third signal) is being transmitted and the signal is determined to be transmitted based on at least one of software version information, hardware version information, GPIO status, country code, IP address, and geographic location of the communication system.

The antenna unit 230 is further configured to select a high gain antenna in the antenna unit 230 to connect to the transmission channel according to the third control signal, so as to transmit a TX signal, for example, a third signal. Here, the third control signal is used to control the antenna unit 230 to select at least one high gain antenna to be connected to the transmission path. That is, the transmission channel is connected to at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit 230 and radiates the TX signal through the at least one high gain antenna.

Fig. 6 shows an example of TX and RX coverage of an antenna without limitation of the radiation power of the antenna. Fig. 6 (a) illustrates an example of a TX coverage, and (b) illustrates an example of an RX coverage. It can be seen that since the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the system transmits signals, the conducted power of the antenna does not need to be reduced, so that a larger TX coverage can be obtained when transmitting signals, such as a TX coverage comparable to the RX coverage when using a high-gain antenna. And furthermore, due to the use of the high-gain antenna, the system can obtain higher TX gain and anti-interference performance when transmitting signals.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the application, at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit can be selected to transmit signals when the signals are transmitted under the condition that the radiation power of the antenna is not limited, so that a larger TX coverage area can be obtained, and a system can obtain higher TX gain and anti-interference performance when the signals are transmitted.

In some optional embodiments, the control circuit 210 is further configured to send a fourth control signal to the antenna unit 230 in a case where a training frame for beam training is sent through a transmission channel in the radio frequency front end 220 and the radiation power of the antenna is limited when sending the signal.

The antenna unit 230 is further configured to select at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit 230 to connect with the transmission channel according to the fourth control signal, so as to send the training frame. Here, the fourth control signal is used to control the antenna unit 230 to select at least one high gain antenna to be connected to the transmission path. That is, the transmission channel is connected to at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit 230, and radiates the training frame through the at least one high gain antenna.

Taking the AP in the WLAN system as an example, the AP may communicate with multiple STAs at the same time, such as the scenario shown in fig. 1. In this case, the AP needs to perform beam training with the communicating STA in order to acquire an appropriate reception beam direction of the STA.

For example, in performing beam training, the AP may transmit multiple training frames with different transmit beam directions using different high gain antennas (e.g., antenna a, antenna B, antenna C, etc.), respectively. At this time, because the radiation power of the antenna is limited, the conduction power of the antenna needs to be reduced to ensure that the indexes such as the radiation power of the antenna meet the requirements of the regulations. After receiving each training frame, the STA feeds back relevant parameters of the received training frame, such as signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, PER, and the like, to the AP. The AP determines the best high gain antenna corresponding to the STA, i.e. the best transmit beam direction corresponding to the STA, based on receiving the feedback of the STA for the received training frame. Then, the AP may determine the best receiving beam direction corresponding to the STA by the AP according to the best transmitting beam direction, for example, according to channel reciprocity, and further may determine a high-gain antenna used when receiving data of the STA, that is, a correspondence relationship between the high-gain antenna used when the AP receives a signal and the opposite-end STA.

It should be noted that the STA may also be based on a similar method, that is, connect with at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit through the transmit channel, and radiate the training frame through the at least one high-gain antenna to obtain the receive beam direction. And will not be described in detail herein for the sake of brevity.

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the application, when the transmission channel is used for transmitting the beam training frame, at least one high-gain antenna in the antenna unit is selected to transmit the signal, so as to transmit the training frame with different transmission beam directions, and further determine the optimal transmission beam direction and the optimal receiving beam direction.

Optionally, the AP may not know which users (i.e., STAs) are in which direction until the AP does not receive the data frame sent by the STA, and may use a low gain antenna for omni-directional (e.g., 360 °) range reception. That is, at this time, the control circuit 210 is also configured to transmit the fifth control signal in the case of receiving a signal through the reception channel. And the antenna unit is used for selecting at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to be connected with the receiving channel according to the fifth control signal so as to receive signals.

Once the AP receives the data frame of the STA, the STA and its direction may be identified and beam training may be performed with the STA. Thereafter, the AP may receive the data frame with a high-gain antenna optimized for the training result of the STA according to the beam training result.

In some optional embodiments, the wireless communication system 200 may further include a first rf switch 240, configured to select the transmit channel in the rf front end 220 to be open and the receive path to be closed when transmitting a signal, and to select the receive channel in the rf front end 220 to be open and the transmit path to be closed when receiving a signal. Therefore, the embodiment of the application can select to send the signal to the antenna unit through the transmitting channel when the signal is transmitted, and receive the signal received by the antenna unit through the received signal when the signal is received.

Referring to fig. 7, another example of a wireless communication system 200 is shown. The system 200 further includes a first rf switch 240. At this time, for example, the first rf switch 240 may be disposed in the rf front end 220. As shown in fig. 7, as a possible implementation manner, the second rf switch 240 may include two rf switches, for example, which may be labeled as S1 and S2, respectively. One of the rf switches (e.g., S1) is connected to the TX path, and the other rf switch (e.g., S2) is connected to the RX path. When the rf switch S1 is closed and the rf switch S2 is open, the TX path is connected to the antenna unit 230 and the rf front end 220 transmits signals to other wireless communication devices through the TX channel and the antenna unit 230. When the rf switch S1 is open and the rf switch S2 is closed, the RX path is connected to the antenna element 230, and receives from other wireless communication devices through the antenna element 230 and the RX channel.

In some possible descriptions, the signal between the antenna unit 230 and the first rf switch 240 may be referred to as a Transmit Receive (TRX) signal, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

Optionally, the wireless communication system may further include a second radio frequency switch, where the second radio frequency switch is configured to select the at least one low-gain antenna to be connected to the transmission channel according to the first control signal, or select the at least one high-gain antenna to be connected to the reception channel according to the second control signal.

In some possible embodiments, please refer to fig. 8, the wireless communication system further includes a second rf switch 232, and the second rf switch 232 includes at least two rf switches corresponding to the at least two antennas 231 in the antenna unit 230. Here, by controlling the closing or opening of the at least two radio frequency switches, it is possible to select an antenna connected to the transmission channel or the reception channel from the at least two antennas.

In some embodiments, the second rf switch 232 may be included in the antenna unit 230. Or in other embodiments, the second rf switch 231 may be independent of the outside of the antenna unit 230. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

As an example, as shown in fig. 8, the second rf switch 232 may receive a TRX signal from the rf front end 220 and a control signal from the control circuit 210. The control signal is, for example, the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal, the fourth control signal or the fifth control signal. Illustratively, when the second rf switch receives the first control signal, at least one low gain antenna of the antenna unit (e.g., the at least two antennas 231) may be selected to be connected to the transmit path. When the second rf switch receives the second control signal, at least one high gain antenna of the antenna unit (e.g., the at least two antennas 231) may be selected to be connected to the receive path. When the second rf switch receives the third control signal, the second rf switch is configured to select at least one high gain antenna of the antenna unit (e.g., the at least two antennas 231) to be connected to the transmission path. When the second rf switch receives the fourth control signal, the second rf switch is configured to select at least one high gain antenna of the antenna unit (e.g., the at least two antennas 231) to be connected to the transmission path. When the second rf switch receives the fifth control signal, the second rf switch is configured to select at least one low gain antenna of the antenna unit (e.g., the at least two antennas 231) to be connected to the receive path.

In other possible embodiments, the second rf switch 232 may receive a TX signal or an RX signal from the rf front end 220, which is not limited in this application.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can select a high gain antenna or a low gain antenna for transmitting a signal when transmitting a signal or select a high gain antenna or a low gain antenna for receiving a signal when receiving a signal by controlling the second rf switch 232 (for example, controlling each of the second rf switches 232) to be turned on or off by a control signal.

In some possible embodiments, in the wireless communication system 200, the antenna unit 230 may be a reconfigurable antenna, and a radio frequency switch may be included in the reconfigurable antenna, and switching of the radio frequency switch may change a state of an antenna radiator or an antenna reference body, so as to change an antenna radiation pattern.

As an example, as shown in fig. 9, the reconfigurable antenna may receive a TRX signal from the radio frequency front end 220 and a control signal from the control circuit 210. The control signal is, for example, the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal, the fourth control signal or the fifth control signal. In particular, reference may be made to the description in fig. 8. Alternatively, in other possible embodiments, the reconfigurable antenna may receive a TX signal or an RX signal from the rf front end 220, which is not limited in this application.

Therefore, the radio frequency switch in the reconfigurable antenna is controlled to be turned on or turned off through the control signal, so that the high-gain antenna or the low-gain antenna used for transmitting the signal can be selected when the signal is transmitted, or the high-gain antenna or the low-gain antenna used for receiving the signal can be selected when the signal is received.

It should be noted that there are two antenna usage schemes in general, one is a single antenna scheme, and the other is a multiple antenna (e.g. smart antenna) scheme. Fig. 10 shows an example of a comparison of TX and RX coverage under different schemes.

In the single antenna scheme (i.e., corresponding to the industry scheme 1 in fig. 10), a low gain antenna is fixedly used in both transmitting and receiving signals. At this time, as shown in (b) of fig. 10, since the overall gain of the antenna is low, the overall coverage of the radio signal (for example, TX coverage and RX coverage) is poor. Therefore, compared with a single-antenna scheme using a low-gain antenna, the present application has the advantage that in the case where the radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting signals, the TX coverage when transmitting signals is equivalent to that in scheme 1, and the RX coverage when receiving signals is larger than that in scheme 1.

In the multi-antenna scheme (i.e. corresponding to the industrial scheme 2 in fig. 10), high-gain antennas are used as much as possible in both the transmission signal and the reception signal, so as to obtain the antenna gain and the anti-interference benefits of the transmission signal and the reception signal. However, as shown in (c) of fig. 10, in this scheme, if the radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting a signal, a conducted power backoff when radiating a signal may be caused, thereby affecting the TX coverage. Therefore, in the present application, in comparison with a multi-antenna scheme in which high-gain antennas are used as much as possible both in transmitting signals and in receiving signals, when the radiation power of the antennas is limited in transmitting signals, the TX coverage in transmitting signals is larger than that in scheme 2, and the RX coverage in receiving signals is equivalent to that in scheme 1.

Fig. 11 shows a schematic flow chart of a communication method 1100 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method 1100 is applied to the wireless communication system in the above, which includes a control circuit, a radio frequency front end and an antenna unit, wherein the control circuit can be connected with the radio frequency front end and the antenna unit, the radio frequency front end can be connected with the antenna unit, and the radio frequency front end includes a transmitting channel and a receiving channel. Method 1100 includes steps 1110 through 1140.

1110, the control circuit sends the first control signal when the transmission channel sends the first signal and the radiation power of the antenna is limited when sending the signal.

1120, the antenna unit selects at least one low-gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the first control signal so as to send the first signal.

1130, the control circuit sends the second control signal if the receive channel receives the second signal.

1140, the antenna unit selects at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the receiving channel according to the second control signal, so as to receive the second signal.

In some possible implementations, the control circuit may further send a third control signal when the third signal is sent through the transmission channel and the radiation power of the antenna is not limited when the signal is sent.

The antenna unit may select at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the third control signal, so as to transmit the third signal.

In some possible implementations, in the case that a training frame for beam training is transmitted through the transmission channel and the radiation power of the antenna is limited when transmitting signals, the control circuit may further transmit a fourth control signal.

The antenna unit may select at least one high gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the transmission channel according to the fourth control signal, so as to send the training frame.

In some possible implementations, the control circuit may further send a fifth control signal in case a fourth signal is received through the receive channel before the beam training.

The antenna unit may select at least one low gain antenna in the antenna unit to connect with the receiving channel according to the fifth control signal to receive the fourth signal.

In some possible implementations, the communication system further includes a first radio frequency switch for selecting the transmit channel to be open and the receive path to be closed when transmitting a signal, and for selecting the receive channel to be open and the transmit path to be closed when receiving a signal.

In some possible implementations, the communication system further includes a second radio frequency switch, and the second radio frequency switch is configured to select the at least one low-gain antenna to be connected to the transmission channel according to the first control signal, or select the at least one high-gain antenna to be connected to the reception channel according to the second control signal.

In some possible implementations, the antenna unit is a reconfigurable antenna.

In some possible implementations, the radiated power transmits an effective isotropic radiated power EIRP and/or a radiated power spectral density PSD of the first signal.

In some possible implementations, the control circuit is specifically configured to determine whether the radiation power of the antenna is limited when the first signal is transmitted according to at least one of software version information, hardware version identification information, general purpose input output GPIO status, country code, network protocol IP address, and geographic location of the system.

It should be understood that the steps of the communication method 1100 in fig. 11 may be performed by the wireless communication apparatus in the embodiment of the present application, and specific processes may refer to the description above and are not described herein again.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

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

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

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

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

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

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