A wireless communication device, an antenna detection method, and a user equipment.

Abstract

This invention provides a wireless communication device, an antenna detection method, and a user equipment, belonging to the field of communication technology. An embodiment of this invention provides a wireless communication device comprising a radio frequency (RF) circuit, a detection circuit, and an analysis circuit. The RF circuit includes multiple antennas for receiving or transmitting RF signals. The detection circuit sequentially detects the multiple antennas and sends the detection signals of each antenna to the analysis circuit. The analysis circuit determines the antenna among the multiple antennas used for transmitting RF signals based on the detection signals of each antenna. Because the wireless communication device provided by this invention includes a detection circuit, if the RF circuit needs to transmit RF signals, the detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna in the RF circuit and determines the antenna among the multiple antennas used for transmitting RF signals based on the detection signals of each antenna. This allows for the determination of the optimal antenna for transmitting RF signals, thereby optimizing the communication quality of wireless communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a wireless communication device, an antenna detection method, and a user equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication devices are widely used in various fields. Typical wireless communication systems employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide common protocols that allow different wireless devices to communicate at the city, national, regional, and even global levels. Examples of such multiple access technologies include Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems. An example of emerging telecommunications standards is New Radio (NR), such as 5th-generation (5G) radio access.

[0003] In related technologies, user equipment conducts wireless communication through antennas. Typically, the number of radio frequency signals that a user equipment can receive simultaneously is greater than the number of radio frequency signals that it can transmit simultaneously. Therefore, it is necessary to select an antenna for transmitting radio frequency signals, or, if the current antenna for transmitting radio frequency signals is not transmitting well, it is necessary to switch to another antenna as the antenna for transmitting radio frequency signals. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a wireless communication device, comprising:

[0005] A radio frequency circuit, which includes multiple antennas for receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals;

[0006] A detection circuit, connected to multiple antennas, is used to sequentially detect the multiple antennas and send the detection signals of the antennas to an analysis circuit;

[0007] An analysis circuit, connected to the detection circuit, is used to determine, based on the detection signals of each of the antennas, which of the plurality of antennas is used to transmit radio frequency signals.

[0008] Optionally, the radio frequency circuit further includes a front-end circuit connected to the plurality of antennas, wherein the front-end circuit receives the radio frequency signal and transmits the radio frequency signal to each of the antennas in sequence;

[0009] The detection circuit is connected between the front-end terminal circuit and the plurality of antennas. The detection circuit receives the radio frequency signal transmitted by the front-end terminal circuit to the corresponding antenna and obtains the detection signal of the antenna based on the radio frequency signal.

[0010] Optionally, the detection circuit includes a directional coupler, which includes a first end, a second end, a third end, and a fourth end. The first end is connected to the front-end terminal circuit to receive the radio frequency signal, the second end is connected to a plurality of antennas, and the third end and the fourth end are respectively connected to the analysis circuit.

[0011] The detection signal includes a first detection signal and a second detection signal. The third terminal outputs the first detection signal, and the fourth terminal outputs the second detection signal. The analysis circuit determines the reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and determines the antenna used to transmit radio frequency signals based on the reflection coefficient.

[0012] Optionally, the detection circuit includes a directional coupler and a frequency modulation sub-circuit;

[0013] The detection circuit includes a directional coupler, which includes a first end, a second end, a third end, and a fourth end. The first end is connected to the front-end terminal circuit to receive the radio frequency signal. The second end is connected to multiple antennas. The third end and the fourth end are respectively connected to the analysis circuit.

[0014] The detection signal includes a first detection signal and a second detection signal. The third terminal outputs the first detection signal, and the fourth terminal outputs the second detection signal. The analysis circuit determines the reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and determines the antenna used to transmit radio frequency signals based on the reflection coefficient.

[0015] The frequency modulation sub-circuit is connected between the directional coupler and the analysis circuit. The frequency modulation sub-circuit is used to modulate the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal to ensure that the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal do not exceed a preset frequency range.

[0016] Optionally, the frequency modulation sub-circuit includes a power divider, a first mixer, and a second mixer; wherein,

[0017] The power divider connects the first mixer and the second mixer, and the power divider receives the radio frequency signal, divides the radio frequency signal into a first frequency modulation signal and a second frequency modulation signal, and transmits the first frequency modulation signal to the first mixer and the second frequency modulation signal to the second mixer.

[0018] The first mixer is connected to the third terminal. The first mixer receives the first detection signal, mixes the first detection signal and the first frequency modulation signal, and then inputs the mixture into the analysis circuit.

[0019] The second mixer is connected to the fourth terminal. The second mixer receives the second detection signal, mixes the second detection signal and the second frequency modulation signal, and then inputs the mixture into the analysis circuit.

[0020] Optionally, the power divider is a half-power divider.

[0021] Optionally, the detection circuit further includes a first filter and a second filter; wherein,

[0022] The first filter is connected between the third terminal and the analysis circuit; the second filter is connected between the fourth terminal and the analysis circuit.

[0023] Optionally, the front-end terminal circuit includes at least one transmitter and multiple switching sub-circuits, with each of the multiple switching sub-circuits connected to a corresponding antenna. The transmitter sequentially selects each of the antennas through the switching sub-circuits and sends the radio frequency signal to the corresponding antenna.

[0024] Optionally, the radio frequency circuit is a radio frequency circuit for detecting a reference signal.

[0025] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide an antenna detection method, comprising:

[0026] The detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna in the radio frequency circuit, obtains the detection signal of each antenna, and sends the detection signal to the analysis circuit.

[0027] The analysis circuit compares the detection signals of each antenna to determine which antenna among multiple antennas is used to transmit radio frequency signals.

[0028] Optionally, the analysis circuit compares the detection signals of each antenna to determine which antenna among the multiple antennas is used to transmit radio frequency signals, specifically including:

[0029] The analysis circuit calculates the reflection coefficient of each antenna based on the detection signal of each antenna, and determines the antenna used to transmit radio frequency signals among multiple antennas based on the reflection coefficient.

[0030] Optionally, the radio frequency circuit is a radio frequency circuit for detecting a reference signal; the detection circuit detects each antenna sequentially when the radio frequency circuit sends the reference signal.

[0031] or,

[0032] The detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna at preset time intervals.

[0033] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a user equipment, including the wireless communication device described above.

[0034] The wireless communication device provided in this embodiment of the invention, due to the inclusion of a detection circuit, allows the detection circuit to sequentially detect each antenna in the RF circuit when the RF circuit needs to transmit RF signals. The detection circuit then sends the detection signals of each antenna to an analysis circuit. Based on the detection signals of each antenna, the analysis circuit determines the antenna among multiple antennas used for transmitting RF signals, thereby determining the optimal antenna for transmitting RF signals and optimizing the communication quality of wireless communication. This embodiment of the invention also provides an antenna detection method, which can determine the optimal antenna for transmitting RF signals through detection when the RF circuit needs to transmit RF signals. This embodiment of the invention further provides a user equipment, including the aforementioned wireless communication device, which can determine the antenna among multiple antennas used for transmitting RF signals through a detection circuit, thereby ensuring the communication quality of wireless communication. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the wireless communication device provided in this invention.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the wireless communication device provided in this invention.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the wireless communication device provided in this invention.

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency circuit (PA) in a wireless communication device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the radio frequency circuit in the wireless communication device provided in this invention (two PAs).

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the radio frequency circuit in the wireless communication device provided in this invention (four PAs).

[0041] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of one embodiment of the antenna detection method provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0043] The shapes and sizes of the components in the accompanying drawings do not reflect actual proportions and are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0045] In the following description, the use of suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" to denote elements is solely for the purpose of illustrative purposes and has no inherent meaning. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0046] Firstly, such as Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a wireless communication device, which includes a radio frequency circuit 1, a detection circuit 2, and an analysis circuit 3.

[0047] Specifically, the radio frequency circuit 1 includes multiple antennas (e.g. Figure 1The first antenna (11) to the fourth antenna (14) are used to receive or transmit radio frequency (RF) signals. A detection circuit 2 connects to multiple antennas in the RF circuit 1. The detection circuit 2 sequentially detects the multiple antennas, obtains the detection signals of each antenna, and sends the detection signals to the analysis circuit 3. The analysis circuit 3 is connected to the detection circuit 2. The analysis circuit 3 determines the antenna (hereinafter referred to as the transmitting antenna) among the multiple antennas to transmit RF signals based on the detection signals transmitted by the detection circuit 2. The user equipment (UE) is equipped with a wireless communication device. Typically, the wireless communication device has different capabilities for receiving and transmitting RF signals. That is, the number of channels that can simultaneously receive RF signals is less than the number of channels that can simultaneously transmit RF signals. Usually, the number of channels for receiving RF signals is the same as the number of antennas in the RF circuit 1, while the number of channels for transmitting RF signals is less than the number of antennas in the RF circuit 1. Therefore, when transmitting RF signals, the detection circuit 2 can sequentially detect each antenna to determine the optimal antenna for transmitting RF signals. Then, the RF signal transmitting channel is connected to the RF signal transmitting antenna in different transmission time slots, and the RF signal is transmitted through this antenna, thereby optimizing the communication quality of the wireless communication. Furthermore, if it is determined that the transmitting antenna is operating in the state of transmitting radio frequency signals (i.e., uplink), the detection circuit 2 can continuously detect the transmitting antenna and transmit the detection signal of the transmitting antenna to the analysis circuit 3. If the operating state of the transmitting antenna deteriorates, for example, if the antenna is blocked, the detection signal obtained by the detection circuit 2 will change, thereby the analysis circuit 3 will switch to a new antenna as the antenna for transmitting radio frequency signals, thereby further ensuring the communication quality of wireless communication.

[0048] It should be noted that the radio frequency circuit 1 may include any number of antennas, which can be designed according to needs. The following description will use the example of radio frequency circuit 1 including four antennas (first antenna 11 to fourth antenna 14).

[0049] Furthermore, such as Figure 1As shown, the radio frequency (RF) circuit 1 includes multiple antennas and a front-end circuit 01 connected to the multiple antennas. The front-end circuit 01 receives RF signals and sequentially transmits the RF signals to each antenna. A detection circuit 2 is connected between the front-end circuit 01 and the multiple antennas. When the front-end circuit 01 activates a corresponding antenna and sends an RF signal to that antenna, the RF signal first flows into the detection circuit 2. The detection circuit 2 obtains the detection signal of that antenna based on the RF signal and sends the detection signal to the analysis circuit 3. The front-end circuit 01 sequentially activates each antenna to transmit RF signals, and the detection circuit 2 sequentially receives the RF signals corresponding to each antenna, obtains the detection signal of each antenna based on the RF signal, and sends the detection signal of each antenna to the analysis circuit 3. The analysis circuit 3 compares the detection signals of each antenna and determines the antenna used to transmit the RF signal.

[0050] Optionally, such as Figure 1As shown, the detection circuit 2 may include a directional coupler 21. The directional coupler includes four ports, namely, a first port A, a second port B, a third port C, and a fourth port D. The first port A can be the input port of the directional coupler 21, the second port B can be the output port of the directional coupler 21, the third port C can be the coupling port of the directional coupler 21, and the fourth port D can be the isolation port of the directional coupler 21. Hereinafter, the first port to the fourth port are referred to as the input port, the output port, the coupling port, and the isolation port, respectively. The input terminal A of the directional coupler 21 is connected to the front-end terminal circuit 01, and receives the radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted by the front-end terminal circuit 01. The output terminal B of the directional coupler 21 is connected to multiple antennas, that is, the output terminal B of the directional coupler 21 connects multiple antennas in series. When the front-end terminal circuit 01 conducts an antenna, the output terminal B of the directional coupler 21 can be regarded as correspondingly connected to that antenna (the antenna conducted by the front-end terminal circuit can be called the antenna under test). The coupling terminal C of the directional coupler 21 is connected to the analysis circuit 3, and the isolation terminal D of the directional coupler 21 is also connected to the analysis circuit 3. When the front-end terminal circuit 01 conducts each antenna in sequence, the directional coupler 21 receives the RF signal of each antenna through the input terminal A, and couples and distributes the RF signal into a first detection signal and a second detection signal. The first detection signal and the second detection signal are the antenna signals. The corresponding detection signals are as follows: the coupling terminal C outputs the first detection signal, which is then transmitted to the analysis circuit 3; the isolation terminal D outputs the second detection signal, which is also transmitted to the analysis circuit 3. According to the principle of the directional coupler, the first detection signal is the incident wave U+ (the main signal of the directional coupler), and the second detection signal is the reflected wave U- (the branch signal of the directional coupler). Thus, the analysis circuit 3 can determine the reflection coefficient Γ of the antenna based on the ratio coefficient of the incident wave U+ and the reflected wave U- transmitted from the directional coupler 21, where Γ = U- / U+. After calculating the reflection coefficient of each antenna, the analysis circuit 3 can further calculate the impedance matching and insertion loss parameters of each antenna based on the reflection coefficient, thereby comparing each antenna and determining the optimal antenna for transmitting radio frequency signals.

[0051] Secondly, such as Figure 2 As shown, the wireless communication device includes a radio frequency circuit 1, a detection circuit 2, and an analysis circuit 3. The detection circuit 2 may include a directional coupler 21 and a frequency modulation sub-circuit 22, the frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 being used to modulate the frequency of the detection signal output by the directional coupler 21.

[0052] Specifically, the input terminal A of the directional coupler 21 is connected to the front-end terminal circuit 01, and the input terminal A receives the radio frequency signal transmitted by the front-end terminal circuit 01. The output terminal B of the directional coupler 21 is connected to multiple antennas, that is, the output terminal B of the directional coupler 21 connects multiple antennas in series. When the front-end terminal circuit 01 conducts an antenna, the output terminal B of the directional coupler 21 can be regarded as correspondingly connected to that antenna (the antenna conducted by the front-end terminal circuit can be called the antenna under test). The coupling terminal C of the directional coupler 21 is connected to the analysis circuit 3, and the isolation terminal D of the directional coupler 21 is also connected to the analysis circuit 3. When the front-end terminal circuit 01 conducts each antenna in sequence, the directional coupler 21 receives the radio frequency signal of each antenna through the input terminal A, and distributes the radio frequency signal into a first detection signal and a second detection signal after coupling. The first detection signal and the second detection signal are the detection signals corresponding to the antennas. The coupling terminal C outputs the first detection signal, and the isolation terminal D outputs the second detection signal. The frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 is connected between the directional coupler 21 and the analysis circuit 3. The frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 is used to modulate the frequency of the detection signals (i.e., the first detection signal and the second detection signal). In some embodiments, the frequency of the radio frequency signal input to the directional coupler 21 by the front-end terminal circuit 01 is relatively high, so the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal coupled out by the directional coupler 21 are also relatively high. Therefore, the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal may exceed the frequency range that the analysis circuit 3 can process. Therefore, the frequency range of the signal can be preset according to the processing capability of the analysis circuit 3, and then the frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 is set between the directional coupler 21 and the analysis circuit 3. The first detection signal and the second detection signal output by the directional coupler 21 can be frequency-modulated by the frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 before being input to the analysis circuit 3, thereby ensuring that the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal do not exceed the preset frequency range. According to the principle of directional couplers, the first detection signal is the incident wave U+ (the main signal of the directional coupler), and the second detection signal is the reflected wave U- (the branch signal of the directional coupler). After the incident wave U+ and the reflected wave U- are frequency-modulated by the frequency modulation sub-circuit 22, they are input to the analysis circuit 3. The ratio coefficient of the incident wave U+ and the reflected wave U- input to the analysis circuit 3 can determine the reflection coefficient Γ of the antenna, where Γ = U- / U+. After the analysis circuit 3 calculates the reflection coefficient of each antenna, it can further calculate the impedance matching and insertion loss parameters of each antenna based on the reflection coefficient, thereby comparing each antenna and determining the best antenna for transmitting radio frequency signals.

[0053] Optionally, such as Figure 2As shown, the frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 may include a power divider 221, a first mixer 222, and a second mixer 223. The power divider 221 has three ports: its first port is connected to the first mixer 222, its second port is connected to the second mixer 223, and its third port is connected to the front-end circuit 01. Therefore, the power divider 221 also receives the radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the front-end circuit 01 through its third port. It should be noted that the RF signal received by the power divider 221 is the same RF signal as the RF signal received by the directional coupler 21. The power divider 221 divides the RF signal into a first frequency modulation (FM) signal and a second FM signal. It outputs the first FM signal through its first port and transmits it to the first mixer 222, and outputs the second FM signal through its second port and transmits it to the second mixer 223. The first mixer 222 includes three ports. The first port of the first mixer 222 is connected to the coupling terminal C of the directional coupler 21 and receives the first detection signal output from the coupling terminal C of the directional coupler 21. The second port of the first mixer 222 is connected to the first port of the power divider 221 and receives the first frequency modulation signal output from the first port of the power divider 221. The third port of the first mixer 222 is connected to the analysis circuit 3. The first mixer 222 mixes the first detection signal and the first frequency modulation signal (that is, reduces the frequency of the first detection signal) and then inputs the mixture to the analysis circuit 3 through its third port. The second mixer 223 includes three ports. The first port of the second mixer 223 is connected to the isolation terminal D of the directional coupler 21 and receives the second detection signal output from the isolation terminal D of the directional coupler 21. The second port of the second mixer 223 is connected to the second port of the power divider 221 and receives the second frequency modulation signal output from the second port of the power divider 221. The third port of the second mixer 223 is connected to the analysis circuit 3. The second mixer 223 mixes the second detection signal and the second frequency modulation signal (that is, reduces the frequency of the second detection signal) and then inputs it to the analysis circuit 3 through its third port to ensure that the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal do not exceed the preset frequency range.

[0054] Optionally, the power divider 221 in the frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 can be a half power divider, that is, the power divider 221 can divide the received radio frequency signal into two signals (i.e., the first frequency modulation signal and the second frequency modulation signal), that is, the power of the first frequency modulation signal and the second frequency modulation signal is equal.

[0055] Optionally, such as Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, the detection circuit 2 may further include a first filter 23 and a second filter 24. The first filter 23 is connected between the coupling terminal C of the directional coupler 21 and the analysis circuit 3, filtering the first detection signal output from the coupling terminal C of the directional coupler 21 before inputting it into the analysis circuit 3. The second filter 24 is connected between the isolation terminal D of the directional coupler 21 and the analysis circuit 3, filtering the second detection signal output from the isolation terminal D of the directional coupler 21 before inputting it into the analysis circuit 3, thereby ensuring the stability of the first and second detection signals received by the analysis circuit 3. Figure 2 Taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, the detection circuit 2 includes a directional coupler 21 and a frequency modulation sub-circuit 22. The frequency modulation sub-circuit 22 includes a power divider 221, a first mixer 222, and a second mixer 223. A first filter 23 is connected between the first mixer 222 and the analysis circuit 3 to filter the frequency-adjusted first detection signal before it is input to the analysis circuit 3. A second filter 24 is connected between the second mixer 223 and the analysis circuit 3 to filter the frequency-adjusted second detection signal before it is input to the analysis circuit 3.

[0056] Optionally, the first filter 23 and the second filter 24 can be low-pass filters. Since the frequencies of the first detection signal and the second detection signal are low, low-pass filters are used to filter them.

[0057] It should be noted that, in the wireless communication device provided in the embodiments of the present invention, for example... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 In the described embodiments, the directional coupler 21 can also be replaced by a power divider. If the RF circuit 1 includes an antenna, the antenna can simply be connected to the power divider. If the RF circuit 1 includes multiple antennas, the multiple antennas can simply be connected in series at the matching terminal of the power divider. The power divider can also distribute the RF signal into incident and reflected waves and input them into the analysis circuit 3 so that the analysis circuit 3 can calculate the reflection coefficient of the antenna.

[0058] Optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, the radio frequency circuit 1 can be a radio frequency circuit for a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The SRS is a reference signal transmitted by the UE in the uplink direction, and can be used by the base station (e.g., gNB or eNB) to estimate the uplink channel quality. The base station (BS) can use this information to schedule uplink frequency resources for the UE. The SRS can be transmitted by the UE via different antennas and using one or more transmit chains of the UE. In this embodiment, the radio frequency circuit 1 for transmitting or receiving radio frequency signals can be shared with the radio frequency circuit for transmitting SRS, i.e., wireless communication is performed through the SRS radio frequency circuit.

[0059] Optionally, the front-end terminal circuit 01 includes at least one transmitter (PA) and multiple switching sub-circuits. Each switching sub-circuit is connected to a corresponding antenna. The transmitter sequentially selects each antenna through the switching sub-circuits, transmitting the radio frequency signal to the corresponding antenna. Specifically, refer to... Figures 4-6 Taking radio frequency circuit 1, which includes four antennas, as an example, Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 Different circuits of RF circuit 1 with one, two, or four PAs are shown respectively. For example... Figure 4As shown, the front-end circuit 01 includes a PA021 and is configured with a first switching sub-circuit 011 to allow the radio frequency signal transmitted by PA021 to couple to one of the antennas: a first antenna 11, a second antenna 12, a third antenna 13, and a fourth antenna 14. The second antenna 12 is connected to the second switching sub-circuit 012, the third antenna 13 is connected to the third switching sub-circuit 013, and the fourth antenna 14 is connected to the fourth switching sub-circuit 014. The first switching sub-circuit 011 is the main switch. Furthermore, the first switching sub-circuit 011 corresponding to the first antenna 11 is also connected to a first low-noise amplifier (LNA) 031; the second switching sub-circuit 012 corresponding to the second switch 12 is also connected to a second LNA 032; the third switching sub-circuit 013 corresponding to the third switch 13 is also connected to a third LNA 033; and the fourth switching sub-circuit 014 corresponding to the fourth switch 14 is also connected to a fourth LNA 034. During reception, each antenna couples the received signal to its corresponding LNA. The first antenna 11 can be designated for both uplink and downlink (hereinafter referred to as transmit (TX) antennas), and therefore can be adjacent to PA 021, which is used to amplify the signal used for transmission. However, the second antenna 12, the third antenna 13, and the fourth antenna 14 can be designated as receive (Rx) antennas for downlink communication, and therefore can be not adjacent to any PA (e.g., PA 021). As shown, PA 021 can be used to turn on any one of the second switch sub-circuit 012 corresponding to the second antenna 12, the third switch sub-circuit 013 corresponding to the third antenna 13, and the fourth switch sub-circuit 014 corresponding to the fourth antenna 14, so that the second antenna 12, the third antenna 13, and the fourth antenna 14 can be used to transmit radio frequency signals (e.g., SRS). When PA 021 needs to transmit an RF signal to the antenna, the detection circuit 2 sequentially detects the first antenna 11 to the fourth antenna 14, and inputs the detection signals corresponding to the four antennas into the analysis circuit 3. The analysis circuit 3 determines the reflection coefficients of the first antenna 11 to the fourth antenna 14 based on the detection signals, and then compares the four antennas to determine the optimal antenna for transmitting the RF signal. The signal for selecting the transmitting antenna is then input into a switch (not shown in the figure) for selecting the antenna. The switch selects the corresponding antenna based on the signal from the analysis circuit 3, coupling the output of PA 021 to that antenna, making that antenna the antenna for transmitting the RF signal. Figure 4 As shown, the radio frequency circuit 1 in this embodiment allows radio frequency signals to be transmitted by one of the four antennas at any given time.

[0060] Optionally, see Figure 5In this embodiment, the front-end circuit 01 in the RF circuit 1 includes two first PAs 021 and second PAs 022. In this case, the first antenna 11 and the third antenna 13 can be antennas for transmitting RF signals, and the second antenna 12 and the fourth antenna 14 can be antennas for receiving RF signals. The first PA 021 can be used for SRS transmission using the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 12, and the second PA 022 can be used for SRS transmission using the third antenna 13 and the fourth antenna 14. For example, the first PA 021 can be coupled to a first switching sub-circuit 011 to allow the output of the first PA 021 to be coupled to one of the first antennas 11 and the second antenna 12 via the second switching sub-circuit 012. The first switching sub-circuit 011 and the second switching sub-circuit 012 can be configured to connect a corresponding antenna of the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 12 to a corresponding LNA of the first LNA 031 and the third LNA 033 during reception. Figure 5 As shown, the radio frequency circuit 1 in this embodiment allows radio frequency signals to be transmitted by two of the four antennas at any given time.

[0061] Optionally, see Figure 6 The front-end circuit 011 in the RF circuit 1 includes a first PA 021, a second PA 022, a third PA 023, and a fourth PA 024. Each PA is coupled to a corresponding antenna among the first antenna 11, second antenna 12, third antenna 13, and fourth antenna 14 via a corresponding switching sub-circuit among the first switching sub-circuit 011, second switching sub-circuit 012, third switching sub-circuit 013, and fourth switching sub-circuit 014. As shown in the figure, the first switching sub-circuit 011, second switching sub-circuit 012, third switching sub-circuit 013, and fourth switching sub-circuit 014 can also be configured to couple a corresponding antenna among the first antenna 11, second antenna 12, third antenna 13, and fourth antenna 14 to a corresponding LNA among the first LNA 031, second LNA 032, third LNA 033, and fourth LNA 034 during reception. Figure 6 As shown, the radio frequency circuit 1 in this embodiment can allow radio frequency signals to be transmitted by the four antennas at any point in time.

[0062] It should be noted that the radio frequency circuit 1 may also include more antennas, and correspondingly, the front-end terminal circuit 011 may include more PAs and switching sub-circuits. This is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the present invention.

[0063] Accordingly, such as Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a method for detecting an antenna, including:

[0064] S1. The detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna in the radio frequency circuit, obtains the detection signal of each antenna, and sends the detection signal to the analysis circuit.

[0065] Specifically, the radio frequency circuit includes a front-end circuit and multiple antennas. The detection circuit is connected between the front-end circuit and the multiple antennas. The detection circuit receives the radio frequency signal that the front-end circuit wants to transmit to the corresponding antenna, couples the radio frequency signal into a first detection signal (e.g., incident wave U+) and a second detection signal (e.g., reflected wave U-) and then transmits it to the analysis circuit.

[0066] Optionally, taking an RF circuit with SRS as an example, the detection circuit can sequentially detect each antenna when the RF circuit transmits SRS, that is, when using SRS as a reference signal for communication. Alternatively, the detection circuit can use a polling method to detect each antenna, that is, the detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna at preset time intervals.

[0067] S2. The analysis circuit compares the detection signals of each antenna to determine which antenna among the multiple antennas is used to transmit radio frequency signals.

[0068] Specifically, the analysis circuit receives the first detection signal (e.g., incident wave U+) and the second detection signal (e.g., reflected wave U-) of each antenna transmitted by the detection circuit. Based on the incident wave U+ and the reflected wave U-, the reflection coefficient Γ of each antenna is determined, where Γ = U- / U+. The impedance matching and insertion loss of each antenna are calculated based on the reflection coefficient. After comparing each antenna with the impedance matching and insertion loss, the antenna used to transmit radio frequency signals among the multiple antennas is determined.

[0069] Accordingly, this embodiment of the invention also provides a user equipment including the wireless communication device described above. The wireless communication device in the user equipment can determine the antenna used to transmit radio frequency signals among multiple antennas through the detection circuit 2 in the wireless communication device, thereby ensuring the communication quality of wireless communication.

[0070] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising: The application relates to a radio frequency circuit, which comprises a plurality of antennas for receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals; a detection circuit connected to the plurality of antennas for detecting the plurality of antennas in turn in a polling mode and sending detection signals of the antennas to an analysis circuit; and the analysis circuit connected to the detection circuit for calculating reflection coefficients of the antennas according to the detection signals of the antennas and determining the antennas for transmitting the radio frequency signals according to the reflection coefficients. The radio frequency circuit further comprises a front-end sub-circuit connected to the plurality of antennas, which receives the radio frequency signals and transmits the radio frequency signals to the antennas in turn. The detection circuit is connected between the front-end sub-circuit and the plurality of antennas, receives the radio frequency signals transmitted by the front-end sub-circuit to the corresponding antennas, and obtains detection signals of the antennas according to the radio frequency signals. The detection circuit comprises a directional coupler, which comprises a first end, a second end, a third end and a fourth end, the first end is connected to the front-end sub-circuit to receive the radio frequency signals, the second end is connected to the plurality of antennas, and the third end and the fourth end are connected to the analysis circuit respectively. The detection signals comprise first detection signals and second detection signals, the third end outputs the first detection signals, the fourth end outputs the second detection signals, the analysis circuit determines the reflection coefficients of the antennas according to the first detection signals and the second detection signals, and determines the antennas for transmitting the radio frequency signals according to the reflection coefficients. The detection circuit comprises a directional coupler and a frequency modulation sub-circuit. The detection circuit comprises a directional coupler, which comprises a first end, a second end, a third end and a fourth end, the first end is connected to the front-end sub-circuit to receive the radio frequency signals, the second end is connected to the plurality of antennas, and the third end and the fourth end are connected to the analysis circuit respectively. The detection signals comprise first detection signals and second detection signals, the third end outputs the first detection signals, the fourth end outputs the second detection signals, the analysis circuit determines the reflection coefficients of the antennas according to the first detection signals and the second detection signals, and determines the antennas for transmitting the radio frequency signals according to the reflection coefficients.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein The frequency modulation sub-circuit is connected between the directional coupler and the analysis circuit, and is used for modulating the frequencies of the first detection signals and the second detection signals to ensure that the frequencies of the first detection signals and the second detection signals do not exceed a preset frequency range. The frequency modulation sub-circuit comprises a power divider, a first frequency mixer and a second frequency mixer. The power divider is connected to the first frequency mixer and the second frequency mixer, receives the radio frequency signals, divides the radio frequency signals into first frequency modulation signals and second frequency modulation signals, transmits the first frequency modulation signals to the first frequency mixer, and transmits the second frequency modulation signals to the second frequency mixer. ​ 3. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein ​ ​ The first mixer is connected to the third end, and the first mixer receives the first detection signal and inputs the first detection signal mixed with the first frequency modulation signal to the analysis circuit; The second mixer is connected to the fourth end, and the second mixer receives the second detection signal and inputs the second detection signal mixed with the second frequency modulation signal to the analysis circuit.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein The power divider is a one-half power divider.

5. The wireless communication apparatus of any of claims 1 or 2, wherein The detection circuit further comprises a first filter and a second filter; wherein, The first filter is connected between the third end and the analysis circuit, and the second filter is connected between the fourth end and the analysis circuit.

6. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein The front-end sub-circuit comprises at least one transmitter and a plurality of switch sub-circuits, and the plurality of switch sub-circuits are respectively connected to corresponding antennas, and the transmitter sequentially selects each antenna through the switch sub-circuit to send the radio frequency signal to the corresponding antenna.

7. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein The radio frequency circuit is a sounding reference signal radio frequency circuit.

8. A method of detecting an antenna, characterized by, The wireless communication device comprises: The detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna in the radio frequency circuit in a polling manner, obtains a detection signal of each antenna, and sends the detection signal to the analysis circuit; The analysis circuit calculates a reflection coefficient corresponding to each antenna according to the detection signal of each antenna, and determines an antenna for sending a radio frequency signal from the plurality of antennas through the reflection coefficient; The radio frequency circuit comprises a front-end sub-circuit and a plurality of antennas, and the detection circuit is connected between the front-end sub-circuit and the plurality of antennas, receives a radio frequency signal to be transmitted by the front-end sub-circuit to a corresponding antenna, and transmits the radio frequency signal coupled into a first detection signal and a second detection signal to the analysis circuit; The analysis circuit receives the first detection signal and the second detection signal of each antenna transmitted by the detection circuit, determines the reflection coefficient of the antenna according to the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and determines the antenna for sending the radio frequency signal according to the reflection coefficient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The radio frequency circuit is a sounding reference signal radio frequency circuit; and the detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna when the radio frequency circuit sends a sounding reference signal. Alternatively, The detection circuit sequentially detects each antenna at intervals of a preset time length.

10. A user equipment, comprising: The wireless communication device comprises any one of claims 1-7.

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