Clock Information Verification Method, Apparatus and System

Abstract

The present application provides a clock information verification method, apparatus and system, belonging to the field of communication technologies. In the present application, the baseband unit obtains information provided by the radio frequency unit to assist in determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available, thereby avoiding service interference caused by using inaccurate clock information and facilitating improving the reliability of system clock synchronization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and particularly to a method, apparatus, and system for verifying clock information. Background Art

[0002] Currently, timing units are provided in many communication systems. The timing unit is used to provide clock information based on received satellite signals, so that the communication system can perform clock synchronization according to the clock information.

[0003] Affected by interference sources such as pseudolites, the information determined by the timing unit based on the received signal may not be accurate. Therefore, it is necessary to verify whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available to avoid inaccurate clock information affecting services. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a method, apparatus, and system for verifying clock information, which helps to avoid inaccurate clock information affecting services. The technical solutions are as follows.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for verifying clock information is provided. The method includes: obtaining first information through a timing unit of a communication system; obtaining information of at least one radio frequency unit of the communication system; and determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information.

[0006] In the above method, the baseband unit obtains the information provided by the radio frequency unit to assist in determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available, thereby avoiding service interference caused by using inaccurate clock information, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of system clock synchronization.

[0007] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit; the first information is the geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on the signal received by the timing unit.

[0008] In the above optional manner, the location where the radio frequency unit is located is equivalent to a known reference location. If the timing unit is interfered with and the location determined by the timing unit is inaccurate, then the location determined by the timing unit will deviate too much from the known reference location. Therefore, determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the geographical location provided by the radio frequency unit and the geographical location provided by the timing unit helps to improve the accuracy of the determination result.

[0009] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit; the first information is the clock information obtained by the timing unit based on the signal received by the timing unit.

[0010] In the above optional methods, the clock of the timing unit is equivalent to a trusted clock. If the timing unit is interfered with and the determined position of the timing unit is inaccurate, then the time determined by the timing unit will deviate greatly from the trusted clock. Therefore, judging whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the clock provided by the radio frequency unit and the clock provided by the timing unit helps to improve the accuracy of the judgment result.

[0011] Optionally, the clock information of the radio frequency unit or the clock information provided by the timing unit includes at least one of time information, frequency information, or phase information.

[0012] The above optional methods help to support various scenarios such as time synchronization, frequency synchronization, and phase synchronization, improving flexibility.

[0013] Optionally, judging whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information includes: obtaining at least one deviation based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information; and judging whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the at least one deviation and a threshold.

[0014] Optionally, judging whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on each deviation in the at least one deviation being greater than the threshold; or, determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on one of the at least one deviation being greater than the threshold; or, determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on the deviations greater than the threshold in the at least one deviation reaching a set proportion; or, determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on the number of deviations greater than the threshold in the at least one deviation reaching a set quantity.

[0015] In the above optional methods, by comprehensively considering the information provided by multiple radio frequency units, even if the information provided by individual radio frequency units is incorrect, the accuracy of the judgment result can be ensured through the information provided by other radio frequency units. Therefore, the fault tolerance ability is increased.

[0016] Optionally, the deviation includes at least one of spatial distance, time difference, frequency deviation, or phase deviation.

[0017] In the above optional methods, by making judgments by combining multiple dimensions such as space, time, frequency, and phase, the information for reference in the judgment is more rich and comprehensive, which helps to improve the accuracy of the judgment result.

[0018] Optionally, obtaining the first information through the timing unit in the communication system includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: receiving the first information output by the timing unit, or determining the first information according to the information output by the timing unit.

[0019] Optionally, obtaining information of at least one radio frequency unit of the communication system includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: receiving the information of the at least one radio frequency unit from the at least one radio frequency unit; or receiving the information of the at least one radio frequency unit from a network management device.

[0020] Optionally, after determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information, the method further includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: if the clock information is available, using the clock information provided by the timing unit; or if the clock information is not available, using the clock information provided by other components outside the timing unit; or if the clock information is not available, entering a clock hold mode.

[0021] In the above optional methods, by using other components as the clock source or entering the clock hold mode when it is determined that the clock information of the timing unit is not available, interference to services caused by tracking inaccurate clock sources can be avoided.

[0022] Optionally, the radio frequency unit and the timing unit are deployed in the same base station.

[0023] The above optional methods support scenarios where the baseband unit determines the availability of the local timing unit using the information provided by the radio frequency unit of the local site.

[0024] Optionally, the radio frequency unit and the timing unit are deployed in different base stations.

[0025] The above optional methods support scenarios where the baseband unit determines the availability of the local timing unit using the information provided by the radio frequency unit of an adjacent site or a remote site, with a richer application scenario.

[0026] Optionally, the timing unit is deployed in the baseband unit; or the timing unit is deployed in one of the at least one radio frequency units.

[0027] In the above optional methods, scenarios where the baseband unit determines the availability of the local timing unit and scenarios where the baseband unit determines the availability of the timing unit on the radio frequency unit are supported, with a richer application scenario.

[0028] Optionally, the method is executed by the baseband unit, or the method is executed by one of the at least one radio frequency units.

[0029] In a second aspect, a clock information verification method is provided, which is executed by a radio frequency unit in a communication system. The method includes: obtaining information of the radio frequency unit; sending the information of the radio frequency unit to a baseband unit in the communication system, where the information of the radio frequency unit is used for the baseband unit to determine whether the clock information provided by a first timing unit in the communication system is available.

[0030] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit.

[0031] Optionally, obtaining the information of the radio frequency unit includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: obtaining the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit pre-stored on the radio frequency unit, or obtaining the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through a second timing unit, or receiving the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit from a network management device, or obtaining the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through a positioning unit.

[0032] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit.

[0033] Optionally, obtaining the information of the radio frequency unit includes: obtaining the clock information of the radio frequency unit through a second timing unit.

[0034] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes:

[0035] An obtaining module, configured to obtain first information through a timing unit of a communication system;

[0036] The obtaining module is further configured to obtain information of at least one radio frequency unit of the communication system;

[0037] A judging module, configured to judge whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information.

[0038] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit;

[0039] The first information is the geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on the signal received by the timing unit.

[0040] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit;

[0041] The first information is the clock information obtained by the timing unit based on the signal received by the timing unit.

[0042] Optionally, the clock information of the radio frequency unit or the clock information provided by the timing unit includes at least one of time information, frequency information, or phase information.

[0043] Optionally, the determining module is configured to:

[0044] Obtain at least one deviation based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information;

[0045] Determine whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the at least one deviation and a threshold.

[0046] Optionally, the determining module is configured to perform any one of the following and combinations thereof:

[0047] Determine that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on each deviation in the at least one deviation being greater than the threshold; or,

[0048] Determine that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on one of the at least one deviation being greater than the threshold; or,

[0049] Determine that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on the deviations greater than the threshold in the at least one deviation reaching a set proportion; or,

[0050] Determine that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on the number of deviations greater than the threshold in the at least one deviation reaching a set quantity.

[0051] Optionally, the deviation includes at least one of spatial distance, time difference, frequency deviation, or phase deviation.

[0052] Optionally, the obtaining module is configured to perform any one of the following and combinations thereof:

[0053] Receive the first information output by the timing unit, or,

[0054] Determine the first information according to the information output by the timing unit.

[0055] Optionally, the obtaining module is configured to perform any one of the following and combinations thereof:

[0056] Receive the information of the at least one radio frequency unit from the at least one radio frequency unit; or,

[0057] Receive the information of the at least one radio frequency unit from a network management device.

[0058] Optionally, the apparatus further includes a processing module, and the processing module is configured to perform any one of the following and combinations thereof:

[0059] If the clock information is available, use the clock information provided by the timing unit; or,

[0060] If the clock information is not available, use the clock information provided by other components outside the timing unit; or,

[0061] If the clock information is not available, enter the clock hold mode.

[0062] In some embodiments, the units in the communication device are implemented by software, and the units in the communication device are program modules. In other embodiments, the units in the communication device are implemented by hardware or firmware. For the specific details of the communication device provided in the third aspect, reference may be made to the above first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0063] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device is disposed in a radio frequency unit, and the device includes:

[0064] An acquisition module, configured to acquire information of the radio frequency unit;

[0065] A sending module, configured to send the information of the radio frequency unit to a baseband unit in the communication system, where the information of the radio frequency unit is used for the baseband unit to determine whether the clock information provided by a first timing unit in the communication system is available.

[0066] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit.

[0067] Optionally, the acquisition module is configured to perform any one of the following and combinations thereof:

[0068] Acquire the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit pre-stored on the radio frequency unit, or,

[0069] Acquire the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through a second timing unit, or,

[0070] Receive the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit from a network management device, or,

[0071] Acquire the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through a positioning unit.

[0072] Optionally, the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit.

[0073] Optionally, the acquisition module is configured to acquire the clock information of the radio frequency unit through a second timing unit.

[0074] In some embodiments, the units in the communication device are implemented by software and are program modules. In other embodiments, the units in the communication device are implemented by hardware or firmware. For the specific details of the communication device provided in the fourth aspect, reference may be made to the second aspect or any optional manner of the second aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0075] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory. At least one computer program instruction is stored in the memory and is loaded and executed by the processor to enable the communication device to implement the method provided in the first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect. For the specific details of the communication device provided in the fifth aspect, reference may be made to the first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0076] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory. At least one computer program instruction is stored in the memory and is loaded and executed by the processor to enable the communication device to implement the method provided in the second aspect or any optional manner of the second aspect. For the specific details of the communication device provided in the sixth aspect, reference may be made to the second aspect or any optional manner of the second aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0077] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. At least one instruction is stored in the storage medium. When the instruction runs on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in the first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect.

[0078] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. At least one instruction is stored in the storage medium. When the instruction runs on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in the second aspect or any optional manner of the second aspect.

[0079] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes one or more computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in the first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect.

[0080] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes one or more computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in the second aspect or any optional manner of the second aspect.

[0081] In the eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and is used to implement the method provided in the first aspect or any optional implementation manner of the first aspect when the chip runs.

[0082] In the twelfth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and is used to implement the method provided in the second aspect or any optional implementation manner of the second aspect when the chip runs.

[0083] In the thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the communication device described in the third aspect and the communication device described in the fourth aspect above; alternatively, the communication system includes the communication device described in the fifth aspect and the communication device described in the sixth aspect above. Description of the Drawings

[0084] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a fronthaul network in a distributed base station provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system 10 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of a clock information verification method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the influence of mutual interference between base stations provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0093] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of a BBU performing clock processing provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0094] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of writing longitude and latitude information during the deployment of an AAU provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0095] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of a BBU obtaining the longitude and latitude information of an AAU from the AAU provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0096] Figure 13 It is a schematic diagram of an AAU deploying a GNSS receiver to obtain location information provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0097] Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram of a BBU obtaining the longitude and latitude information of an AAU from the AAU provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0098] Figure 15 It is a schematic diagram of a BBU obtaining the longitude and latitude information of an AAU from the AAU provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0099] Figure 16 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 300 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0100] Figure 17 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 400 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0101] Figure 18 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 500 provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0102] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the following will further describe in detail the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0103] The following explains some term concepts related to the embodiments of the present application.

[0104] (1) Base station

[0105] A base station refers to a wireless communication site installed at a fixed position in a cellular mobile communication network. The main function of a base station is to provide wireless coverage and support communication between a terminal and a core network. Base stations include, but are not limited to, evolutional Node B (eNB or e-NodeB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE) and base stations (gNodeB, gNB) in 5G (the fifth generation) networks such as New Radio (NR). The physical structure of a base station mainly includes a Baseband Unit (BBU) and a Radio Unit (RU).

[0106] (2) Baseband unit

[0107] The BU refers to a module or device with baseband signal processing functions and / or functions for managing the RU. Baseband signal processing includes, for example, channel coding, multiplexing, modulation, spreading, limiting the power of the carrier, canceling the power limit, etc. Exemplarily, the BU is an indoor baseband processing unit (Building Baseband Unit, BBU), a centralized unit (Centralized Unit, CU), a distributed unit (Distributed Unit, DU), etc.

[0108] (3) Radio frequency unit

[0109] The RU refers to a module or device with intermediate frequency signal, radio frequency signal or intermediate radio frequency signal processing functions. For example, the RU is a remote radio unit (Remote Radio Unit, RRU) or an active antenna unit (Active Antenna Unit, AAU), etc.

[0110] (4) Distributed Base Station (DBS)

[0111] A distributed base station refers to a base station in which the baseband unit and the radio frequency unit are deployed separately. The core concept of a distributed base station is to divide the traditional macro base station equipment into two functional modules according to functions. Among them, functions such as the baseband, main control, transmission, and clock of the base station are integrated on a module of a baseband unit (usually called BBU). The baseband unit is small in size and very flexible in installation location; functions such as transceivers and power amplifiers for intermediate radio frequency are integrated on another radio frequency unit (usually called RRU), and the radio frequency unit is installed at the antenna end. The radio frequency unit and the baseband unit are connected by optical fibers to form a distributed base station.

[0112] (5) CU and DU

[0113] In the 5G network, the BBU evolves into two entities, CU and DU. The CU is mainly used to undertake non-real-time functions, such as the processing of high-layer protocol stacks, for example, the processing of the packet data convergence protocol (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, PDCP) layer and the radio resource control (Radio Resource Control, RRC) layer. Optionally, the CU is also used to undertake some core network functions and edge application services. The DU is mainly used to undertake the real-time functions in the BBU, such as the functions of the media access control (MediaAccess Control, MAC) layer and the radio link control protocol (Radio Link Control, RLC) layer.

[0114] (6) AAU

[0115] In the 5G network, the RRU and the passive antenna are integrated to form the AAU. The AAU is used to implement the functions of the RRU and the antenna. Optionally, the AAU is also used to implement some of the functions of the physical layer in the BBU.

[0116] (7) Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI)

[0117] CPRI is an interface standard between the BBU and the RRU, used to replace the traditional coaxial cable connection. The CPRI protocol provides the communication interface specification between Radio Equipment Control (REC) and Radio Equipment (RE) in the cellular radio network. A typical instance of REC is the BBU, and a typical instance of RE is the RRU. CPRI is an interface standard based on direct cable connection, which uses the TDM method to implement data multiplexing, requires exclusive transmission bandwidth, and defines three types of data streams: user, control and management, and synchronization. Among them, the user plane data stream is used to transmit the IQ modulation (I is in-phase, q is quadrature) signals of the RRU antenna after quantization.

[0118] (8) enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI)

[0119] eCPRI is an interface standard evolved from CPRI. The eCPRI protocol defines the specifications for connecting eCPRI REC (eREC) and eCPRI RE (eRE) through the fronthaul network. Typical examples of eREC are BBU, and typical examples of eRE are AAU or RRU. Different from CPRI, eCPRI is a packet-based interface standard that does not stipulate the network implementation form and can be implemented relying on any network, such as Ethernet, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), optical transport network (OTN), etc. Based on the BBU-RRU splitting method defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), eCPRI proposes several reference forms of division, which are realized by splitting some or all of the physical layer functions into the RRU, so that the data transmitted between the BBU and the RRU changes from the IQ signal on the antenna to the modulation symbol (IID), the coded bit sequence (ID), and even the original data bit (D). Compared with CPRI, eCPRI helps to reduce the transmission bandwidth between the baseband unit and the radio frequency unit, thus meeting the bandwidth resource requirements of large-bandwidth and multi-antenna services such as Massive multiple-in multiple out (Massive MIMO).

[0120] The eCPRI interface includes a User plane (U-plane, also known as the data plane) interface, a Synchronization plane (S-plane) interface, and a Control & Management plane (C&M-plane or C-plane) interface. The User plane interface is used to transmit IQ data, that is, the sampled data after Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. The Synchronization plane is used for the BBU to transmit clock synchronization signals to the RRU. The Control & Management plane interface is used to transmit the Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) operation, maintenance, and management data of the BBU to the RRU.

[0121] (9) Fronthaul interface and fronthaul network

[0122] The fronthaul interface refers to the communication interface between the baseband unit and the radio frequency unit. The fronthaul interface includes but is not limited to CPRI or eCPRI. Of course, the fronthaul interface may also be other interfaces evolved from CPRI or eCPRI. The fronthaul network is the connection switching network between the baseband unit and the radio frequency unit. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the fronthaul network in the distributed base station defined by the eCPRI protocol, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fronthaul network is the network between eREC (i.e., baseband units such as BBU) and eRE (i.e., radio frequency units such as AAU and RRU).

[0123] (10) Timing unit

[0124] The timing unit is a module or device for providing time information based on the received signal. The timing unit includes but is not limited to a satellite timing unit, a network timing unit based on the Network Time Protocol (NTP), a ground radio wave timing unit, a television network timing unit, etc. A satellite timing unit, also known as a satellite clock source, refers to a unit that receives satellite signals and determines time information based on satellite signals, such as a GNSS receiver. An NTP-based network timing unit refers to a unit that determines time information by exchanging messages with an NTP server over the network, such as a 1588v2 clock processing unit or an NTP client.

[0125] (11) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

[0126] GNSS is a satellite system that uses space positioning and allows a receiver to determine its location and time based on satellite signals. GNSS includes the four major global satellite systems: the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States (consisting of 24 satellites in total), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) of Russia, the BeiDou satellite navigation System (BDS) of China, and the Galileo satellite navigation system of the European Union. In addition, it also includes regional systems and augmentation systems. Regional systems include, for example, the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) of Japan and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) of India. Augmentation systems include, for example, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) of the United States.

[0127] The system architecture of GNSS is mainly divided into three parts: the space segment, the ground segment, and the user segment. The space segment mainly consists of multiple satellites. The ground segment mainly includes control stations and monitoring stations. The user segment mainly includes GNSS receivers.

[0128] (12) GNSS Receiver

[0129] A GNSS receiver is also called a GNSS timing receiver. The function of a GNSS receiver is to receive signals from GNSS satellites and calculate the position and time using the satellite signals. The hardware structure of a GNSS receiver includes an antenna, a processor, a memory, an input / output (I / O) interface, a frequency converter, signal channels, etc. The uses of a GNSS receiver include navigation, positioning, timing, geodesy, etc. Two typical uses of a GNSS receiver in a base station are timing and positioning.

[0130] The basic principle of using a GNSS receiver for timing in a base station is that there is a GNSS receiver in the base station. The GNSS receiver receives the radio frequency signal from the GNSS antenna, then performs signal processing such as frequency conversion and demodulation, and provides timing information to the base station so that the base station can use the timing information provided by the GNSS receiver for clock synchronization.

[0131] (13) Clock Synchronization

[0132] Clock synchronization is a concept in computer science and engineering that aims to coordinate multiple independent clocks. In reality, even if the times of multiple clocks have been adjusted to be the same, after a period of time, they will still show different times due to clock drift because the timing rates of different clocks will vary slightly. The differences in clock timing rates can cause various problems, so it is necessary to calibrate by referring to a reference clock source to ensure that the clock timing rates and time deviations of different clocks can be kept within an appropriate range.

[0133] (14) Time Division Duplex (TDD)

[0134] (In a mobile communication) system, the uplink and downlink use the same frequency band, and the uplink and downlink links are transmitted in different time slots. The time occupied by the uplink and downlink within a frequency band can be adjusted as needed, and generally, the time occupied by the uplink and downlink is divided into several time periods at fixed intervals, which are called time slots. The TDD system requires the base station to support time synchronization.

[0135] (15) Clock hold mode

[0136] The clock hold mode is an operating mode that can be adopted in the case of an abnormal tracked clock source. The basic principle of the clock hold mode is that when an abnormal clock source is detected, the last frequency information stored before the clock source abnormality is used as the timing reference to work. This operating mode can provide relatively high clock accuracy but cannot be maintained for a long time.

[0137] Taking the application in the base station as an example, the clock hold mode is an operating mode that the base station system clock can adopt when it recognizes an abnormal reference clock. In the clock hold mode, the base station can normally provide services during the hold duration, but the hold duration depends on the hold ability of the clock device and the system algorithm ability, such as 24 hours. When the hold duration is exceeded, the base station system clock will not be able to meet the service requirements, and service interference may occur.

[0138] (16) Pulse Per Second (PPS)

[0139] 1PPS refers to one pulse signal per second, which is used to indicate the whole second moment, and this moment is usually represented by the rising edge of the second pulse.

[0140] (17) Primary Reference Clock (PRC)

[0141] PRC is a national reference clock containing a cesium atomic clock that complies with the G.811 standard.

[0142] (18) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1588 protocol

[0143] The IEEE 1588 protocol is short for the Precision Timing Protocol (PTP). Its full name is "IEEE 1588 Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol Standard for Network Measurement and Control Systems". The basic principle of its operation is to send synchronization data frames between the master and slave nodes, record the transmission time and reception time information of the data frames, and add this time information to the data frames. The slave node obtains this time information, calculates the time deviation between the local clock of the slave node and the master clock, and the transmission delay between network nodes, and corrects the local clock to synchronize it with the master node clock. There are two versions of IEEE 1588, namely IEEE 1588v1 and IEEE 1588v2. The v1 version was developed for industrial automation measurement and control systems and is applicable to industrial local area network applications. The v2 version is an improvement specifically for communication networks based on the v1 version.

[0144] (19) Synchronization Ethernet (SyncE)

[0145] SyncE is a technology that uses the Ethernet link code stream to recover the clock. SyncE recovers the clock of the sending end from the serial data code stream through the Ethernet physical layer chip, thereby achieving network clock synchronization.

[0146] The system architecture of the communication system provided by the embodiments of the present application will be exemplified below.

[0147] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system 10 provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0148] The communication system 10 is any system that communicates based on wireless communication technology, such as a cellular mobile network system, a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, or a communication network that integrates WLAN and cellular mobile networks, etc.

[0149] Optionally, the communication system 10 is a 5G network system such as NR, or a system in the next-generation communication technology evolved from 5G, or the communication system 10 is a 4G system such as an LTE system, etc. The network mode of the communication system 10 is not limited in this embodiment.

[0150] The following description Figure 2 the functions of each device in the illustrated communication system and the connection relationships between different devices. For more details about each device in the communication system, reference can be made to the descriptions related to the base station, baseband unit, radio frequency unit, and timing unit in the above term concept explanation. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the communication system 10 includes a baseband unit 101, at least one radio frequency unit 102, and a timing unit 103.

[0151] As Figure 2 shown, the communication system 10 includes a baseband unit 101, at least one radio frequency unit 102, and a timing unit 103.

[0152] The baseband unit 101 is used to control the communication system for clock synchronization. For example, the baseband unit 101 uses the timing unit 103 as a reference source for clock synchronization of the communication system 10. The baseband unit 101 distributes the clock information provided by the timing unit 103 to each radio frequency unit 102, and each radio frequency unit 102 corrects its local clock according to the clock information sent by the baseband unit 101, thereby achieving clock synchronization of the entire system.

[0153] The timing unit 103 is used to determine clock information based on the received signal and provide the clock information to the baseband unit 101. There are many specific implementation methods for the timing unit 103. Examples will be given below in combination with Implementation Method 1 to Implementation Method 3.

[0154] Implementation Method 1: The timing unit 103 and the baseband unit 101 are implemented in an integrated manner. That is, the timing unit 103 and the baseband unit 101 are integrated into one hardware device. For example, the timing unit 103 is set in the baseband unit 101, and the timing unit 103 is a functional unit of the baseband unit 101.

[0155] Implementation Method 2: The timing unit 103 and the baseband unit 101 are separately set. For example, the timing unit 103 and the baseband unit 101 are connected by a feeder, optical fiber, or network, and the timing unit 103 and the baseband unit communicate through an interface.

[0156] Implementation Method 3: A part of the components of the timing unit 103 are integrated with the baseband unit 101, while another part of the components are separately set from the baseband unit 101. For example, the timing unit 103 includes an antenna and a processor. The antenna of the timing unit 103 is set outside the baseband unit 101, and the processor of the timing unit 103 is set in the baseband unit 101. For example, the processor of the timing unit 103 is integrated on the processor of the baseband unit 101.

[0157] The radio frequency unit 102 serves as a data source for reference when determining whether the timing unit 103 is trustworthy. Specifically, the radio frequency unit 102 is used to provide information to the baseband unit 101 so that the baseband unit 101 can determine whether the clock information provided by the timing unit 103 is available based on the information provided by the radio frequency unit 102.

[0158] The baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected through the fronthaul network. The fronthaul network generally refers to the network between the baseband unit 101 and the radio frequency unit 102.

[0159] The baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected. There are various implementation manners for the connection between the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102. For example, the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected through a wired network. Optionally, the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected through an optical fiber. Alternatively, the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected through a Passive Optical Network (PON) network. Alternatively, the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected through a feeder.

[0160] Optionally, the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are directly physically connected. Alternatively, the baseband unit 101 and at least one radio frequency unit 102 are connected through one or more forwarding devices (such as a switch or a router).

[0161] Figure 2 The described timing unit being deployed in the baseband unit is an optional case. In this case, the baseband unit optionally uses the local timing unit as a reference source for system clock synchronization. In some other embodiments, the timing unit is deployed in the radio frequency unit. At this time, the baseband unit optionally uses the timing unit on the radio frequency unit as a reference source for system clock synchronization. In addition, in the case where the timing unit is deployed in the radio frequency unit, the timing unit and the radio frequency unit are optionally separately arranged or integrated together, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0162] The method flow provided by the embodiments of the present application will be illustrated below.

[0163] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of a clock information verification method provided by the embodiments of the present application. Figure 3 The interaction entities of the method shown include a baseband unit, a radio frequency unit, and a timing unit. Figure 3 The method shown includes the following steps S201 to step S207.

[0164] Figure 3 The network deployment scenario on which the method shown is based is optionally as described above Figure 2 shown. For example, in combination with Figure 2 viewed, Figure 3 the baseband unit in the method shown is Figure 2 the baseband unit 101 in Figure 3 the radio frequency unit in the method shown is Figure 2the radio frequency unit 102 therein. Figure 3 the timing unit in the method shown is Figure 2 the timing unit 103 therein.

[0165] Figure 3 The method shown involves the information provided by the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit and the information provided by the timing unit to the baseband unit. To distinguish information from different sources, the information provided by the timing unit is described as "first information".

[0166] Figure 3 The method shown describes the process by taking the case where the baseband unit and the timing unit are separately provided as an example. The timing unit executes S204 to S205, and the baseband unit executes S206 to S207. When the baseband unit and the timing unit are integrated, S204 to S205 and S206 to S207 are both executed by the device integrated with the baseband unit and the timing unit. For example, when the timing unit is integrated in the baseband unit, the following S204 to S205 and S206 to S207 are all executed inside the baseband unit.

[0167] Figure 3 The method shown is described by taking the example of first executing S201 to S203 and then executing S204 to S206. In some other embodiments, S204 to S206 are executed first, and then S201 to S203; in still some other embodiments, S201 to S203 and S204 to S206 are executed in parallel. This embodiment does not limit the order between S201 to S203 and S204 to S206.

[0168] Figure 3 The method shown is described by taking the example of the baseband unit executing S206 to S207. In some other embodiments, S206 to S207 are executed by the radio frequency unit. For example, when the timing unit is deployed in the radio frequency unit, the timing unit provides the first information to the radio frequency unit. After receiving the first information sent by the timing unit, optionally, the radio frequency unit sends the first information and its own information to the baseband unit, and the baseband unit determines whether the clock information of the timing unit is available based on the two types of information provided by the radio frequency unit. Alternatively, the radio frequency unit determines whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the first information and its own information, and sends the determination result to the baseband unit.

[0169] Optionally, Figure 3 The method shown is applied inside a base station. For example, the baseband unit of a base station uses the information provided by the radio frequency unit of the same site to determine whether the local timing unit is available. In this scenario, Figure 3 In the method shown, the baseband unit, the radio frequency unit, and the timing unit are components of the same base station in a communication system. Alternatively, Figure 3The interaction shown is performed by different base stations. For example, the baseband unit of one base station uses the information provided by the radio frequency unit of an adjacent site or a remote site to determine whether the local timing unit is available. In this scenario, Figure 3 In the method shown, the baseband unit and the radio frequency unit are components of different base stations. For example, in a communication system, there are a first base station and a second base station. The baseband unit and the timing unit are components included in the first base station, while the radio frequency unit is a component included in the second base station.

[0170] S201. The radio frequency unit obtains information of the radio frequency unit.

[0171] The information obtained by the radio frequency unit includes but is not limited to the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit and / or the clock information of the radio frequency unit. The types of information obtained by the radio frequency unit and the specific implementation manners of obtaining the information are illustrated by examples below, as detailed in (A) and (B) below.

[0172] (A) Geographical location information of the radio frequency unit

[0173] From the perspective of the function of the information, the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit is used to indicate the geographical location where the radio frequency unit is located.

[0174] From the perspective of the form of the information, optionally, the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit includes the longitude of the location where the radio frequency unit is located and the latitude of the location where the radio frequency unit is located, and the longitude and latitude indicate the position where the radio frequency unit is located in the earth coordinate system. Optionally, the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit further includes the altitude of the radio frequency unit.

[0175] Alternatively, the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit is information other than longitude and latitude that can characterize the geographical location of the radio frequency unit. For example, the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit is the three-dimensional point coordinates of the radio frequency unit, such as the three-dimensional point coordinates of the radio frequency unit in various three-dimensional coordinate systems such as the geographical coordinate system, the navigation coordinate system, the carrier coordinate system, and the earth coordinate system. Another example is that the three-dimensional space is divided into many spatial grids, and the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit is the identifier of the spatial grid where the radio frequency unit is located.

[0176] There are various implementation manners for how the radio frequency unit obtains the geographical location information. Below, in combination with Implementation Manner 1 to Implementation Manner 5, examples of the implementation manners that may be adopted when the radio frequency unit obtains the geographical location information are illustrated.

[0177] Implementation Manner 1. The radio frequency unit pre-stores the geographical location information during the base station construction phase. Optionally, the geographical location information is obtained by network administrators using surveying instruments during the site survey.

[0178] Implementation Method 2: The radio frequency unit includes a positioning component, and the radio frequency unit obtains the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through the positioning component. The positioning component is used to determine its own geographical location. The positioning component in the radio frequency unit is, for example, a GNSS receiver, or various wireless positioning components, such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Bluetooth module, etc.

[0179] Implementation Method 3: The network management device obtains the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit, and the network management device sends the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit to the radio frequency unit. The radio frequency unit receives the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit sent by the network management device.

[0180] Implementation Method 4: The radio frequency unit measures and obtains its own geographical location information. For example, one or more designated network elements with known locations send positioning reference signals to the radio frequency unit. After receiving the positioning reference signals, the radio frequency unit determines the distance between the radio frequency unit and the designated network element according to the transmission delay of the positioning reference signals, and then determines the geographical location of the radio frequency unit according to the distance and the location of the designated network element.

[0181] Implementation Method 5: The radio frequency unit calls the communication interface provided by the positioning server and requests the positioning server to determine its own geographical location. In response to the request of the radio frequency unit, the positioning server obtains and sends the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit to the radio frequency unit.

[0182] (B) Clock Information of the Radio Frequency Unit

[0183] The clock information of the radio frequency unit includes, but is not limited to, at least one of time information, frequency information, or phase information. There are many forms of the clock information of the radio frequency unit. Below, in combination with (B-1) to (B-3), examples of the forms of the clock information of the radio frequency unit are given.

[0184] (B-1) The clock information of the radio frequency unit is a periodic pulse signal.

[0185] Optionally, the clock information of the radio frequency unit is a rectangular square wave signal, such as a 1PPS signal. The position of the rising edge or the falling edge in the pulse signal represents a time point. The number of pulses in one time period of the pulse signal represents the frequency.

[0186] (B-2) The clock information of the radio frequency unit includes specific values of time, frequency, or phase.

[0187] For example, the time information of the radio frequency unit is the specific value of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, such as 18:20:10 on December 20, 2021. Optionally, the unit of the time information of the radio frequency unit is seconds. Again, for example, the frequency information of the radio frequency unit is the specific value of the frequency. The unit of the frequency information of the radio frequency unit is, for example, megahertz, kilohertz, or gigahertz, etc.

[0188] (B-3) The time information of the radio frequency unit is an identifier of the time in the radio frame, such as the frame number, sub-frame number, etc.

[0189] S202. The radio frequency unit sends the information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit in the communication system.

[0190] In an exemplary embodiment, the radio frequency unit invokes the fronthaul interface and sends the information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit through the fronthaul interface.

[0191] There are various implementation methods for the type of fronthaul interface used when transmitting the above-described information of the radio frequency unit between the radio frequency unit and the baseband unit. Below, in combination with implementation method a to implementation method d, examples of the type of fronthaul interface that may be used when transmitting the information of the radio frequency unit between the radio frequency unit and the baseband unit are given.

[0192] Implementation method a: The radio frequency unit sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit through the fronthaul interface of the synchronization plane. The baseband unit receives the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit through the fronthaul interface of the synchronization plane.

[0193] Implementation method b: The radio frequency unit sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit through the fronthaul interface of the management plane. The baseband unit receives the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit through the fronthaul interface of the management plane.

[0194] Implementation method c: The radio frequency unit sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit through the fronthaul interface of the control plane. The baseband unit receives the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit through the fronthaul interface of the control plane.

[0195] Implementation method d: The radio frequency unit sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit through the fronthaul interface of the user plane. The baseband unit receives the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit through the fronthaul interface of the user plane.

[0196] Regarding the specific implementation method for the radio frequency unit to send information through the fronthaul interface, the technical details are described below taking the fronthaul interface as eCPRI as an example.

[0197] In a possible implementation, the radio frequency unit generates an eCPRI message based on the information of the radio frequency unit and sends the eCPRI message to the baseband unit. The eCPRI message includes the information of the radio frequency unit.

[0198] Regarding the carrying position of the radio frequency unit information in the eCPRI message, in a possible implementation, a new type of Type Length Value (TLV) is extended in the eCPRI message to carry the radio frequency unit information. The TLV includes a type field, a length field, and a value field. The type field is used to carry the type information of the TLV, and this type information indicates that the TLV carries the radio frequency unit information. The length field is used to carry the length information of the TLV, and this length information indicates the byte length of the radio frequency unit information in the TLV. The value field carries the radio frequency unit information.

[0199] The following, in combination with Method 1 to Method 4, gives examples of the protocol message types carrying the above-mentioned geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit.

[0200] Method 1: Use a 1588 protocol message (such as an IEEE 1588v2 message) to carry this eCPRI message containing the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit.

[0201] For example, the radio frequency unit generates and sends an IEEE 1588v2 message to the baseband unit, and the payload field of the IEEE 1588v2 message contains the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information.

[0202] Method 2: Use a SyncE protocol message, a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message, a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message, or an HTTP over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS) message to carry this eCPRI message containing the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit.

[0203] Method 3: Use a protocol message dedicated to carrying the eCPRI message to carry this eCPRI message containing the information of the radio frequency unit.

[0204] Method 4: Skip the TCP / IP protocol stack and use a MAC Ethernet frame to carry this eCPRI message containing the information of the radio frequency unit.

[0205] It is optional for the radio frequency unit described above to use the eCPRI as the fronthaul interface to send information. In some other embodiments, the radio frequency unit uses a fronthaul interface other than eCPRI to send information, such as CPRI, or an interface evolved from eCPRI, or uses other interfaces between the radio frequency unit and the baseband unit to send information. This embodiment does not limit which specific fronthaul interface is used by the radio frequency unit to send information to the radio frequency unit. In addition, the specific implementation manner of sending information using a fronthaul interface other than eCPRI can refer to the description of sending information using eCPRI above.

[0206] There are various situations for the timing of the radio frequency unit to report information to the baseband unit. The timing of the radio frequency unit to report information to the baseband unit is exemplified below in combination with Situation 1 to Situation 3.

[0207] Situation 1: The radio frequency unit periodically sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit.

[0208] For example, every other time period, the radio frequency unit obtains its own geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information, and sends the obtained information to the baseband unit. The length of this time period is set according to requirements, for example, it is a Transmission Time Interval (TTI).

[0209] Situation 2: When the radio frequency unit receives a signaling from the baseband unit, it sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit.

[0210] For example, when the baseband unit needs to determine whether the clock information is available, the baseband unit generates and sends a signaling to the radio frequency unit, and this signaling instructs the radio frequency unit to report its own geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information. When the radio frequency unit receives the signaling from the baseband unit, the radio frequency unit obtains its own geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information, and sends the obtained information to the baseband unit.

[0211] Situation 3: The radio frequency unit sends the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit when transmitting service data.

[0212] For example, when the radio frequency unit sends service data to the baseband unit, it encapsulates the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit and the service data into the same packet, and sends the packet containing the service data and the information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit.

[0213] S203: The baseband unit receives the information of the radio frequency unit from the radio frequency unit.

[0214] The above S201 to S203 describe the interaction process between the baseband unit and one radio frequency unit. In a scenario with multiple radio frequency units, optionally, the baseband unit executes a process similar to S201 to S203 with each radio frequency unit among the multiple radio frequency units, so that the baseband unit obtains information of the multiple radio frequency units.

[0215] The above S201 to S203 describe that the baseband unit interacts with the radio frequency unit to obtain information of the radio frequency unit. Alternatively, the baseband unit obtains information of the radio frequency unit from other devices or network elements outside the radio frequency unit. Examples are given below in combination with Method 1 to Method 3.

[0216] Method 1: The network management device obtains the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit, and sends the information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit. The baseband unit receives the information of the radio frequency unit from the network management device.

[0217] Method 2: The control plane device or the core network obtains the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit, and sends the information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit. The baseband unit receives the information of the radio frequency unit from the control plane device or the core network.

[0218] Method 3: The network administrator configures the geographical location information, clock information, and / or other information of the radio frequency unit onto the baseband unit through means such as command line, web interface, etc.

[0219] S204: The timing unit determines the first information based on the received signal.

[0220] The signals received by the timing unit include the wireless signals emitted by satellites and / or the wireless signals emitted by interference sources. For example, the timing unit is a GPS receiver. In the absence of interference, the signals received by the GPS receiver are the wireless signals emitted by GPS satellites. In the presence of interference, the signals received by the GPS receiver include the wireless signals emitted by GPS satellites and the wireless signals emitted by interference sources. In cases of severe interference and poor channel quality, etc., the GPS receiver may not be able to receive the wireless signals emitted by GPS satellites, but instead receives the wireless signals emitted by interference sources. Schematically, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 which shows a scenario where both a satellite and an interference source exist. While the satellite emits wireless signals, the interference source also emits wireless signals. Therefore, the timing unit receives not only the wireless signals emitted by the satellite but also the wireless signals emitted by the interference source. The first information refers to any information that can be determined based on the signals received by the timing unit.

[0221] Optionally, the first information is the geographical location information of the timing unit determined by the timing unit based on the signals received by the timing unit. The following explains the geographical location information determined by the timing unit.

[0222] From the perspective of the function of the information, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit is used to indicate the geographical location where the timing unit is located. In other words, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit is the geographical location information of the timing unit itself. For example, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit is used to indicate the geographical location where the antenna of the timing unit is located. Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 where the GNSS receiver in is an example of the timing unit, Figure 4 and point P in is an example of the position of the GNSS receiver antenna. The geographical location information determined by the timing unit represents, for example, the position of point P.

[0223] From the perspective of the form of the information, optionally, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit includes the longitude of the location where the timing unit is located and the latitude of the location where the timing unit is located. The longitude and latitude indicate the position of the timing unit in the earth coordinate system. Optionally, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit further includes the altitude of the timing unit.

[0224] Alternatively, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit is information other than longitude and latitude that can characterize the geographical location of the timing unit. For example, the geographical location information determined by the timing unit is the three-dimensional point coordinates of the timing unit, such as the three-dimensional point coordinates of the timing unit in various three-dimensional coordinate systems such as the geographical coordinate system, the navigation coordinate system, the vehicle coordinate system, and the earth coordinate system.

[0225] Optionally, the first information is the clock information determined by the timing unit based on the signals received by the timing unit. The clock information determined by the timing unit includes, but is not limited to, at least one of time information, frequency information, or phase information. From the perspective of the form of the information, optionally, the clock information determined by the timing unit is a periodic pulse signal (such as 1PPS). Also, for example, the clock information determined by the timing unit includes the specific values of time, frequency, or phase.

[0226] The above-introduced two types of information, geographical location information and clock information, have a logical relationship of AND / OR. Optionally, the timing unit simultaneously determines the geographical location information and the clock information based on the received signals, and provides both the determined geographical location information and the clock information to the baseband unit. For example, the timing unit includes multiple IO interfaces. While one IO interface outputs a pulse signal containing clock information, another IO interface outputs the geographical location information. Also, for example, the timing unit determines and provides one of the geographical location information and the clock information.

[0227] S205. The timing unit provides the first information to the baseband unit.

[0228] S206. The baseband unit obtains the first information through the timing unit.

[0229] There are various implementation manners for how the timing unit provides the first information to the baseband unit. Some possible implementation manners for the timing unit to provide the first information to the baseband unit are illustrated below in combination with Manner A to Manner C.

[0230] Manner A: The timing unit includes an IO interface, and the timing unit outputs the first information through the IO interface. The baseband unit receives the first information output by the timing unit from the IO interface.

[0231] Manner B: The timing unit includes a network interface. The timing unit encapsulates the first information into a message, and the destination address of the message is the address of the baseband unit. The timing unit sends the message carrying the first information to the baseband unit through the network interface of the timing unit. The baseband unit receives the message carrying the first information through the network interface of the baseband unit.

[0232] Manner C: The timing unit saves the first information into a specified memory built in the timing unit, and provides the storage address of the first information to the baseband unit. The baseband unit accesses the specified memory on the timing unit based on the storage address of the first information, so as to obtain the first information.

[0233] The situation where the timing unit determines and outputs the first information described above is an optional manner. In some other embodiments, after the timing unit outputs information, the baseband unit determines the first information according to the information output by the timing unit.

[0234] The information output by the timing unit refers to the information output by the timing unit through an IO interface or a network interface, etc. For example, the information output by the timing unit may have different attributes, dimensions or formats from the information provided by the radio frequency unit. The baseband unit first converts the information output by the timing unit to obtain the first information, and then executes subsequent steps according to the calculated first information. For example, the information output by the timing unit is clock information, and the information provided by the radio frequency unit is geographical location information. After the baseband unit receives the clock information output by the timing unit, the baseband unit calculates the geographical location information of the timing unit according to the clock information output by the timing unit, and then determines whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available according to the calculated geographical location information and the geographical location information provided by the radio frequency unit.

[0235] S207. The baseband unit determines whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of at least one radio frequency unit and the first information.

[0236] Exemplarily, the baseband unit uses the information provided by the radio frequency unit as reference information. The baseband unit determines whether the information provided by the timing unit is credible based on the information provided by the radio frequency unit, so as to determine whether to use the clock information provided by the timing unit for clock synchronization.

[0237] In some embodiments, the specific process for the baseband unit to determine whether the clock information is available includes: The baseband unit determines whether to use the clock information provided by the timing unit according to the deviation between the information provided by the timing unit and the information provided by the radio frequency unit. Specifically, the baseband unit obtains at least one deviation based on the information of at least one radio frequency unit and the first information provided by the timing unit; the baseband unit determines whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on at least one deviation and a threshold.

[0238] The above deviation is the deviation of the first information provided by the timing unit to the baseband unit relative to the information provided by the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit. The above threshold is a parameter for determining whether the deviation is within a reasonable range. Optionally, the above threshold is pre-stored in the baseband unit. Below, in combination with Case 1 and Case 2, specific forms of the deviation determined by the baseband unit and the threshold adopted are illustrated by examples.

[0239] Case 1: The information provided by the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit, and the first information provided by the timing unit to the baseband unit is the geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal. The above deviation refers to the deviation of the geographical location of the timing unit relative to the geographical location of the radio frequency unit, that is, the spatial distance between the radio frequency unit and the timing unit. The above threshold is the spatial distance threshold. Optionally, the above threshold is the sum of the distance between the radio frequency unit and the baseband unit and the maximum error allowed for the timing unit to appear. For example, the radio frequency unit is deployed at a position 1000 meters away from the baseband unit, and the timing unit is allowed to have a maximum error of 100 meters when outputting the position, then the above threshold is 1100 meters.

[0240] Case 2: The information provided by the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit, and the first information provided by the timing unit to the baseband unit is the clock information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal. The above deviation refers to the deviation of the clock of the timing unit relative to the clock of the radio frequency unit, and the above deviation includes at least one of time difference, frequency deviation or phase deviation. The above threshold includes at least one of spatial distance threshold, time difference threshold, frequency deviation threshold or phase deviation threshold. The time difference is the difference between the time of the timing unit and the time of the radio frequency unit. The frequency deviation is the difference between the frequency of the timing unit and the frequency of the radio frequency unit. The phase deviation is the difference between the phase of the timing unit and the phase of the radio frequency unit.

[0241] Below, the principle of discrimination based on geographical location information is described.

[0242] The position where the radio frequency unit is located is equivalent to a known reference position. If the timing unit is interfered with and the position determined by the timing unit is inaccurate, then the deviation between the position determined by the timing unit and the known reference position will become larger. Therefore, whether the deviation between the position determined by the timing unit and the position of the radio frequency unit is greater than the threshold can accurately determine whether the timing unit is credible.

[0243] In the case of deploying multiple radio frequency units, optionally, the baseband unit obtains the deviations between the information provided by each radio frequency unit among the multiple radio frequency units and the first information, and obtains multiple deviations. The baseband unit determines whether the timing unit is available based on the multiple deviations. There are various ways for the baseband unit to specifically use the multiple deviations for judgment. Below, in combination with Method 1 to Method 4, examples will be given on how the baseband unit specifically uses the multiple deviations to determine whether the timing unit is available.

[0244] Method 1: The baseband unit determines whether each of the multiple deviations is greater than the threshold. If each deviation is greater than the threshold, the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable. If one of the deviations is less than or equal to the threshold, the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is available. In other words, if the information provided by all radio frequency units indicates that the information provided by the timing unit is unreasonable, then it is determined that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable.

[0245] Method 2: The baseband unit determines whether each of the multiple deviations is greater than the threshold. If one of the multiple deviations is greater than the threshold, the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable. If each deviation is less than or equal to the threshold, the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is available. In other words, if the information provided by one radio frequency unit indicates that the information provided by the timing unit is unreasonable, it is determined that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable.

[0246] Method 3: The baseband unit determines whether each of the multiple deviations is greater than the threshold. The baseband unit determines the proportion of the deviations greater than the threshold among the multiple deviations. If the deviations greater than the threshold reach the set proportion, the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable.

[0247] Method 4: The baseband unit determines whether each of the multiple deviations is greater than the threshold. The baseband unit determines the number of deviations greater than the threshold. If the number of deviations greater than the threshold reaches the set number, the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable.

[0248] In some embodiments, after the baseband unit determines whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available, the baseband unit performs different processing actions according to different judgment results. The following describes, in combination with Modes a to c, examples of the processing actions that the baseband unit may perform after determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available.

[0249] Mode a: If the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by a timing unit is available, the baseband unit uses the clock information provided by the timing unit for clock synchronization. If the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by a timing unit is unavailable, the baseband unit stops using this timing unit as the clock reference source, that is, stops performing clock synchronization based on the clock information provided by this timing unit.

[0250] Mode b: There are multiple candidate timing units in the communication system, and each timing unit provides clock information to the baseband unit. If the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by one of the timing units is unavailable using the above method, the baseband unit determines the other timing units except this timing unit as the clock reference source and uses the clock information provided by the other timing units for clock synchronization.

[0251] Mode c: If the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable, the baseband unit enters the clock hold mode. For example, if there is only one timing unit in the communication system and the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by this timing unit is unavailable using the above method, the baseband unit enters the clock hold mode. Another example is that there are multiple candidate timing units in the communication system, and the baseband unit determines that the clock information provided by each timing unit is unavailable using the above method, then the baseband unit enters the clock hold mode.

[0252] In the method provided in this embodiment, the baseband unit obtains the information provided by the radio frequency unit to assist in determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available, thereby avoiding service interference caused by using inaccurate clock information and being beneficial to improving the reliability of system clock synchronization.

[0253] The following describes with reference to the application scenario of a distributed base station and some specific examples Figure 3 the illustrated embodiments.

[0254] The distributed base station in the following examples is an illustration of the communication system in the Figure 3 illustrated method, and the GNSS receiver in the following examples is an illustration of the timing unit in the Figure 3 illustrated method. The BBU in the following examples is an illustration of the baseband unit in the Figure 3 illustrated method. The AAU in the following examples is an illustration of the radio frequency unit in the Figure 3 illustrated method. The longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU in the following examples isFigure 3 Example illustration of the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit in the method shown. In the following example, the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU is for Figure 3 Example illustration of the first information in the method shown. In the following example, the straight-line distance L is for Figure 3 Example illustration of the deviation in the method shown.

[0255] The GNSS clock synchronization method is commonly used in base stations, also known as base station GNSS timing. When a distributed base station supports GNSS clock synchronization, a GNSS receiver is usually deployed on the BBU side. Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a base station supporting GNSS clock synchronization provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 4 shown, the antenna of the GNSS receiver is set outside the BBU, the main body of the GNSS receiver is integrated inside the BBU, and the antenna of the GNSS receiver is connected to the main body of the GNSS receiver through a feeder. The antenna of the GNSS receiver is used to receive satellite signals transmitted by four or more satellites, such as Figure 4 the signal transmitted by satellite A, the signal transmitted by satellite B, the signal transmitted by satellite C, and the signal transmitted by satellite D shown. The GNSS receiver outputs clock information and position information to the BBU according to the satellite signals received by the antenna, and the BBU uses the clock information output by the GNSS receiver as the PRTC of the base station.

[0256] However, since satellite signals are in open space and not encrypted, GNSS receivers are vulnerable to spoofing by satellite signals emitted by devices such as pseudolites that are inconsistent with the current GNSS satellite system. Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a base station GNSS clock synchronization being interfered by pseudolites provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 5 shown, while the GNSS receiver receives satellite signals of the GNSS satellite system, it also receives interference signals sent by pseudolites.

[0257] The spoofing interference on the GNSS receiver stems from the principle of navigation and positioning. Since the time delay of the interference signals generated by interference sources such as pseudolites reaching the GNSS receiver is inconsistent with the time delay of the real GNSS satellite signals in the sky reaching the GNSS receiver, the detected distance (this distance is called "pseudorange" in satellite navigation) by the GNSS receiver changes, and the position information output from the GNSS receiver will be inconsistent with the real position information. More importantly, once the base station GNSS receiver is spoofed, the system time of the base station will be inconsistent with the system times of other surrounding base stations, introducing a large clock phase deviation between base stations, also known as clock out-of-step. For TDD-mode wireless networks, clock out-of-step will lead to service interference. Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of base station service interference provided by an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 6As shown, the faulty base station is affected by the interference signal, causing the downlink signal of the faulty base station to be sent out in the uplink time slot of the normal base station, causing serious interference to the base station's services.

[0258] It can be seen that satellite spoofing interference is very harmful to base stations. Spoofing interference uses signals similar to those of satellite navigation in the sky to interfere, so that the GNSS receiver obtains false position information and false time information. If the base station can recognize that the position information output by the GNSS receiver is false, it can switch to other clock reference sources outside the GNSS receiver, such as the network clock reference source, or enter the hold mode when there is no other available reference source, and then track the GNSS reference source after eliminating the interference, so as to avoid affecting the service.

[0259] However, if there is a spoofing signal when the base station is turned on or restarted, it is difficult for the base station to identify whether the GNSS receiver is interfered with by spoofing, resulting in service interference as soon as the base station is turned on. In addition, during the operation of the base station, due to the loss of the reference source or the GNSS receiver being interfered with by spoofing or other reasons, the base station enters the clock holding mode. In the clock holding mode, it is also difficult for the base station to identify whether the GNSS receiver is interfered with by spoofing.

[0260] In summary, the reason why the base station cannot identify spoofing signals when it is turned on, restarted, or in clock hold mode is that the base station cannot identify whether the current position obtained by the GNSS receiver is accurate. In other words, the base station GNSS receiver lacks an accurate reference position, so it cannot identify whether the received signal is a spoofing interference signal or a normal signal.

[0261] In the following example, in a distributed base station, the BBU integrates a GNSS receiver, and the AAU reports its accurate position to the BBU through the fronthaul network. The BBU uses the accurate position of the AAU to determine the distance and changes between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the accurate position of the AAU, thereby determining whether the GNSS is deceived.

[0262] The following describes the system architecture of the following example application.

[0263] The following example is applied in a distributed base station architecture, where the BBU deploys a GNSS receiver for base station clock synchronization. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 7 As shown, AAU 1, AAU 2, AAU 3 and BBU are connected via a fronthaul network.

[0264] The fronthaul network generally refers to the connection between the BBU and AAU or RRU, such as a direct connection between the BBU and AAU. Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of direct optical fiber connection between a BBU and an AAU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 8 shown, the BBU is directly connected to AAU 1 through an optical fiber, and the BBU is directly connected to AAU 2 through an optical fiber, and the BBU is directly connected to AAU 3 through an optical fiber.

[0265] It is also applicable that the BBU and the AAU are respectively connected to different network management systems. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 9 shown, the BBU is connected to the network management device A, and AAU 1, AAU 2, and AAU 3 are connected to the network management device B. Figure 9 The solid lines in [[ ]] represent physical connections, and the dashed lines represent logical connections.

[0266] The following describes the specific details of clock processing inside the BBU.

[0267] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of clock processing by a BBU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 10 shown, the BBU includes a GNSS receiver, a 1588v2 clock processing unit, a base station clock processing unit, and a base station local clock.

[0268] The GNSS receiver is used to provide a satellite clock reference source. As Figure 10 shown, the main body of the GNSS receiver is integrated inside the BBU, and the main body of the GNSS receiver is connected to the GNSS antenna through a feeder. The output data of the GNSS receiver includes a 1pps pulse signal, which is used to provide frequency and phase information. In addition, the serial port of the GNSS receiver will output data messages, which include information such as year, month, day, hour, minute, second, longitude, and latitude.

[0269] The 1588v2 clock processing unit is used to provide a network clock reference source. As Figure 10 shown, the 1588v2 clock processing unit is connected to a clock server through a backhaul network. The clock server periodically sends 1588v2 packets to the 1588v2 clock processing unit. After the 1588v2 clock processing unit receives the 1588v2 packets through the backhaul network, it outputs a SyncE clock and packets according to the timestamps carried in the 1588v2 packets.

[0270] The base station clock processing unit is used to obtain the satellite clock reference source from the GNSS receiver, obtain the network clock reference source from the 1588v2 clock processing unit, and detect the status of these two clock reference sources. If both the satellite clock reference source and the network clock reference source are available, the clock processing unit selects and uses the specified reference source according to user configuration; if both the satellite clock reference source and the network clock reference source are unavailable, the clock processing unit enters the hold mode.

[0271] The following uses several specific examples to illustrate how to verify the clock information provided by the GNSS receiver on the BBU in the distributed base station scenario. See Examples 1 to 3 below.

[0272] Example 1

[0273] In a distributed base station, a GNSS receiver is deployed on the BBU for clock synchronization. When the AAU is installed or before the AAU is installed, the accurate longitude and latitude information of the AAU is entered through the local maintenance interface of the AAU, and this longitude and latitude information is obtained from the site survey. Figure 11 The schematic diagram of writing longitude and latitude information when the AAU is deployed is shown. As Figure 11 shown, the maintenance terminal stores the longitude and latitude information of the AAU obtained from the survey. The maintenance terminal sends the longitude and latitude information of the AAU to the maintenance interface of the AAU, and the AAU receives the longitude and latitude information of the AAU through the maintenance interface.

[0274] The AAU is deployed near the BBU. For example, the distance between the antenna positions of the AAU and the GNSS receiver of the BBU is within 1 km. The BBU and the AAU are directly connected by optical fiber.

[0275] When the station is opened, the BBU and the AAU establish a communication link through the fronthaul interface (eCPRI interface or CPRI interface). The BBU obtains the longitude and latitude information of the AAU from the AAU. For example, as Figure 12 shown, the BBU selects AAU 1 as the data source for reference when judging whether the GNSS receiver is credible from AAU 1, AAU 2, and AAU 3. The AAU sends the stored longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) to the BBU through the fronthaul interface, and the BBU obtains the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU.

[0276] Optionally, the AAU sends the longitude and latitude information to the BBU through the management message of the 1588 protocol in the synchronization plane. Exemplarily, if the management message (for example, the management message in the 1588 protocol) is used to send the longitude and latitude information of the AAU, the longitude and latitude information of the AAU and other information obtained by the GNSS receiver are optionally encapsulated in the same management message. For example, the format of the management message carrying the longitude and latitude information of the AAU and other information obtained by the GNSS receiver is shown in Table 1 below.

[0277] Table 1

[0278]

[0279] If the foregoing information is carried by other messages other than the management message between the AAU and the BBU, the format of the message carrying the information may not be limited to the fields listed in Table 1 above.

[0280] The BBU compares the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU it obtains with the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) obtained by the GNSS receiver integrated with the BBU itself. Then, the BBU calculates the straight-line distance L between the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) and the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2). The distance L represents the distance between the accurate geographical location where the AAU1 is located and the geographical location where the GNSS receiver is determined to be located by the GNSS receiver.

[0281] If the GNSS receiver is spoofed by a false satellite, resulting in a large deviation in the position information output by the GNSS receiver, at this time, the distance L will be greater than a reasonable distance (such as 1 km). Through this judgment, the BBU considers that the data output by the GNSS receiver is not credible, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc., so as to avoid interference to the service.

[0282] In another possible implementation, the BBU comprehensively judges the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU. If the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU are not within a reasonable range, or the distances between the surveyed positions of most AAUs and the positions obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU are not within a reasonable range, then the BBU considers that the data output by the GNSS receiver is not credible, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc., so as to avoid interference to the service.

[0283] For example, the BBU obtains the longitude and latitude information 1 reported by AAU 1, the longitude and latitude information 2 reported by AAU 2, the longitude and latitude information 3 reported by AAU 3, and the longitude and latitude information 4 output by the GNSS receiver. Then, the BBU obtains the distance a between the longitude and latitude information 1 and the longitude and latitude information 4, the distance b between the longitude and latitude information 2 and the longitude and latitude information 4, and the distance c between the longitude and latitude information 3 and the longitude and latitude information 4. Then the BBU respectively judges whether the distance a is greater than the threshold, whether the distance b is greater than the threshold, and whether the distance c is greater than the threshold. If 2 of the distances a, b, and c are greater than the threshold, then the BBU determines that the GNSS receiver is interfered by the longitude and latitude information. By comprehensively considering the positions reported by multiple AAUs, even if the position entered by an individual AAU is incorrect, the accuracy of the discrimination can be ensured by the positions provided by other AAUs. Therefore, the error in the position entry of a certain AAU is excluded, increasing the fault tolerance ability.

[0284] After the base station operates normally, the BBU verifies the distance L between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the position information of the AAU. If the distance L jumps, for example, if the distance L exceeds 1 km, then the BBU considers the data output by the GNSS receiver to be untrustworthy, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources other than the GNSS receiver. If there is no other reference source, then the base station enters the clock hold mode to avoid interference to services. Or, after the base station operates normally, the BBU comprehensively verifies the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions obtained by the BBU's GNSS receiver. If all distances are not within a reasonable range, or most distances are not within a reasonable range, then the BBU considers the data output by the GNSS receiver to be untrustworthy, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, thereby avoiding interference to services.

[0285] When the GNSS spoofing interference event disappears in the clock hold mode of the base station, the BBU verifies the distance L between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the position information of the selected AAU. If the distance L is within a reasonable range, then the BBU considers the data output by the GNSS receiver to be normal, and the BBU resumes tracking the GNSS receiver as the clock reference source, thereby avoiding out-of-step interference caused by exceeding the hold capability.

[0286] In another possible implementation, when the GNSS spoofing interference event disappears in the clock hold mode of the base station, the BBU comprehensively verifies the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions obtained by the BBU's GNSS receiver. If all distances are within a reasonable range, or most distances are within a reasonable range, then the BBU considers the data output by the GNSS receiver to be normal, and the BBU resumes tracking the GNSS receiver as the clock reference source, thereby avoiding out-of-step interference caused by exceeding the hold capability.

[0287] The technical effects of Example 1 are introduced below.

[0288] In the above Example 1, the BBU uses the accurate position information of the AAU to assist in discriminating the position spoofing interference event of the GNSS receiver. When the base station is powered on or restarted, the BBU can identify that the GNSS receiver is spoofed in terms of position through the method of Example 1. The BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, thereby avoiding interference to services. When the base station is in the clock hold mode, the BBU can identify the disappearance of the GNSS receiver position spoofing through the method of Example 1. The BBU avoids service interference after exceeding the hold duration by resuming tracking the clock provided by the GNSS receiver.

[0289] Example 2

[0290] In a distributed base station, a GNSS receiver is deployed in the BBU for clock synchronization. When the AAU is deployed, a GNSS receiver is deployed along with the AAU to obtain the location information of the AAU. In an exemplary scenario, in order to enable the AAU to generate a beam pointing in the direction of the terminal, a GNSS receiver is integrated in the AAU. The AAU uses the GNSS receiver to obtain the accurate location of the AAU, and uses beamforming technology to generate a beam based on the accurate location of the AAU. In this scenario, not only the location provided by the GNSS receiver on the AAU is used to assist the AAU in beamforming, but also the location provided by the GNSS receiver on the AAU is used to assist the BBU in discriminating GNSS spoofing interference.

[0291] Figure 13 The schematic diagram shows that the AAU deploys a GNSS receiver to obtain location information.

[0292] The AAU is deployed near the BBU. For example, the distance between the antenna of the GNSS receiver of the AAU and the antenna of the GNSS receiver of the BBU is within 1 km. The BBU and the AAU are directly connected by optical fiber.

[0293] During the station opening, the BBU and the AAU establish a communication link through the fronthaul interface (eCPRI interface or CPRI interface). The AAU obtains the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU from the GNSS receiver attached to the AAU. The BBU obtains the longitude and latitude information of the AAU from the AAU. For example, the BBU selects a certain AAU from AAU 1, AAU 2, and AAU 3. The AAU obtains the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) through its own GNSS receiver, and sends the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) to the BBU through the fronthaul interface. The BBU obtains the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU.

[0294] The BBU compares the obtained longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU with the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) obtained by the GNSS receiver integrated in itself, and then the BBU calculates the straight-line distance L between the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) and the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2). For example, in combination with Figure 14 Look, the BBU selects Figure 14The AAU 3 therein serves as the data source for reference when determining whether the GNSS receiver is reliable. The GNSS receiver A in the AAU 3 determines the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) where the GNSS receiver A is located. The longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) represents the accurate geographical location where the GNSS receiver A is located, which is equivalent to the accurate geographical location where the AAU 3 is located. The AAU 3 sends the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) provided by the GNSS receiver A to the BBU. The GNSS receiver B integrated in the BBU determines the longitude and latitude (x2, y2) information where the GNSS receiver B is located. The longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) represents the accurate geographical location where the GNSS receiver A is located. The BBU calculates the straight-line distance L between the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) and the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2). The distance L represents the distance between the geographical location of the GNSS receiver A and the geographical location of the GNSS receiver B.

[0295] If the GNSS receiver is spoofed by a pseudolite, resulting in a large deviation in the position information output by the GNSS receiver, at this time, the distance L will be greater than a reasonable distance (such as 1 km). Through this judgment, the BBU believes that the position information output by the GNSS receiver is not reliable, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources or other means, thereby avoiding interference to the service. In another possible implementation, the BBU comprehensively judges the distances between the position information output by the GNSS receivers attached to all AAUs and the positions obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU. If all the distances are not within the reasonable range or most of the distances of the AAUs are not within the reasonable range, the BBU believes that the position information output by the GNSS receiver is not reliable, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources or other means, thereby avoiding interference to the service.

[0296] After the base station operates normally, the BBU verifies the distance L between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the position information output by the GNSS receiver attached to the AAU. If the distance L changes suddenly, such as the distance L exceeds 1 km, then the BBU believes that the position information output by the GNSS receiver is not reliable, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources outside the GNSS receiver or other means. If there is no other reference source, then the BBU enters the clock hold mode, thereby avoiding interference to the service. In another possible implementation, the BBU comprehensively verifies the distances between the position information output by the GNSS receivers attached to all AAUs and the position information obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU. If all the distances are not within the reasonable range, or most of the distances of the AAUs are not within the reasonable range, the BBU believes that the position information output by the GNSS receiver is not reliable, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources outside the GNSS receiver or other means, thereby avoiding interference to the service.

[0297] In the clock hold mode, after the GNSS spoofing interference event disappears, the BBU verifies the distance L between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the position information output by the GNSS receiver attached to the AAU. If the distance L is within a reasonable range, the BBU considers that the output of the GNSS receiver is normal, and the BBU resumes tracking this clock reference source of the GNSS receiver, thereby avoiding the occurrence of out-of-step interference after exceeding the hold capacity.

[0298] In another possible implementation, in the clock hold mode, after the GNSS spoofing interference event disappears, the BBU comprehensively verifies the distances between the position information output by all the GNSS receivers attached to the AAUs and the position information obtained by the GNSS receiver of the BBU. If all the distances are within a reasonable range or most of the distances of the AAUs are within a reasonable range, the BBU considers that the output data of the GNSS receiver is normal, and the BBU resumes tracking this clock reference source of the GNSS receiver, thereby avoiding the occurrence of out-of-step interference after exceeding the hold capacity.

[0299] The technical effects of Example 2 are introduced below.

[0300] In the above Example 2, the BBU uses the position information output by the GNSS receiver attached to the AAU to assist in discriminating the position spoofing interference event of the GNSS receiver. This solution can accurately discriminate whether the GNSS receiver deployed by the BBU is interfered when the GNSS receiver deployed by the BBU is interfered while the GNSS receiver deployed by the AAU is not interfered. Since the deployment position of the BBU is lower than that of the AAU, the GNSS receiver of the BBU is more likely to be interfered compared to the GNSS receivers deployed on the tower or the roof of the building by the AAU. Therefore, this solution can effectively discriminate whether the GNSS receiver deployed by the BBU is interfered in practical applications.

[0301] When the base station is powered on or restarted, the BBU can identify that the GNSS receiver is spoofed by using the method of Example 2. The BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc., thereby avoiding interference to services.

[0302] In the clock hold mode, the BBU can identify the disappearance of the GNSS receiver position spoofing by using the method of Example 2, and the BBU resumes tracking the clock provided by the GNSS receiver, thereby avoiding service interference after exceeding the hold duration.

[0303] Example 3

[0304] Example 3 shows a scenario where the fronthaul network and the backhaul network are connected to different network management devices. In Example 3, optionally, the network administrator enters the location information of the AAU into the network management device of the fronthaul network, and then the network management device sends the location information of the AAU to the AAU, rather than necessarily entering the location information of the AAU into the AAU on-site. The BBU obtains the location information of the AAU from the AAU through the fronthaul network.

[0305] In a distributed base station, the BBU deploys a GNSS receiver for clock synchronization. The BBU is connected to network management device A. The AAU is connected to the fronthaul network respectively and is also connected to network management device B. Figure 15 It shows a schematic diagram of the BBU and the AAU being connected to different network management devices respectively. As Figure 15 shown, each of the AAU 1, AAU 2, and AAU 3 is connected to network management device B, and each of the AAU 1, AAU 2, and AAU 3 is connected to the fronthaul network.

[0306] When the AAU is installed and deployed, the accurate longitude and latitude information of the AAU is entered into the AAU through network management device B. The accurate longitude and latitude information of the AAU is obtained through a site survey. For example, as Figure 15 shown, network management device B sends the longitude and latitude information of AAU 1 to AAU 1, sends the longitude and latitude information of AAU 2 to AAU 2, and sends the longitude and latitude information of AAU 3 to AAU 3.

[0307] The AAU is deployed near the BBU. For example, the distance between the location of the AAU and the location of the antenna of the GNSS receiver of the BBU is within 1 km. When the BBU obtains the location information of the AAU, the AAU sends the location information previously sent by the network management device to the BBU through the fronthaul network. For example, as Figure 15 shown, AAU 1 sends the longitude and latitude information of AAU 1 to the BBU through the fronthaul network, AAU 2 sends the longitude and latitude information of AAU 2 to the BBU through the fronthaul network, and AAU 3 sends the longitude and latitude information of AAU 3 to the BBU through the fronthaul network.

[0308] During the site opening, the BBU and the AAU establish a communication link through a fronthaul interface (such as an eCPRI interface). The BBU obtains the longitude and latitude information of the AAU from the AAU. For example, the BBU selects a certain AAU from AAU 1, AAU 2, and AAU 3, and the longitude and latitude information of this AAU is (x1, y1).

[0309] The BBU compares the latitude and longitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU it obtains with the latitude and longitude information (x2, y2) obtained by its integrated GNSS receiver. Then, the BBU calculates the straight-line distance L between the latitude and longitude information (x1, y1) and the latitude and longitude information (x2, y2). If the GNSS receiver is spoofed by a pseudolite, resulting in a large deviation in the position information output by the GNSS receiver, at this time, the distance L will be greater than a reasonable distance (such as 1 km). Through this judgment, the BBU believes that the data output by the GNSS receiver is not credible, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc., so as to avoid interference to the service.

[0310] In another possible implementation, the BBU comprehensively judges the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions obtained by the BBU's GNSS receiver. If all the distances are not within the reasonable range or most of the distances of the AAUs are not within the reasonable range, then the BBU believes that the data output by the GNSS receiver is not credible, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc., so as to avoid interference to the service.

[0311] After the base station operates normally, the BBU verifies the distance L between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the position information of the AAU. If the distance L jumps, such as the distance L exceeding 1 km, then the BBU believes that the output of the GNSS receiver is not credible, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc. If there is no other reference source, then the BBU will enter the clock hold mode, so as to avoid interference to the service.

[0312] In another possible implementation, the BBU comprehensively verifies the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions obtained by the BBU's GNSS receiver. If all the distances are not within the reasonable range or most of the distances of the AAUs are not within the reasonable range, then the BBU believes that the data output by the GNSS receiver is not credible, and the BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, etc., so as to avoid interference to the service.

[0313] When the GNSS spoofing interference event disappears in the clock hold mode of the base station, the BBU verifies the distance L between the position information output by the GNSS receiver and the position information of the AAU. If the distance L is within the reasonable range, then the BBU believes that the data output by the GNSS receiver is normal, and the BBU resumes tracking this clock reference source of the GNSS receiver to avoid out-of-step interference after exceeding the hold ability.

[0314] In another possible implementation, when the base station is in clock hold mode and the GNSS spoofing interference event disappears, the BBU comprehensively checks the distances between the surveyed positions of all AAUs and the positions acquired by the BBU's GNSS receiver. If all distances are within a reasonable range or the distances of most AAUs are within a reasonable range, the BBU considers that the GNSS receiver output data is normal, and the BBU resumes tracking the GNSS receiver as the clock reference source, thereby avoiding out-of-sync interference caused by exceeding the hold capability.

[0315] The technical effects of Example 3 are introduced below.

[0316] In the above Example 3, the BBU uses the accurate location information of the AAU to assist in identifying the location spoofing interference event of the GNSS receiver. When the base station is turned on or restarted, the BBU can identify that the GNSS receiver is subject to location spoofing through the method of Example 3. The BBU avoids tracking the wrong reference source by selecting other reference sources, thereby avoiding interference with the service.

[0317] When the base station is in clock hold mode, the BBU can identify that the GNSS receiver position spoofing disappears through the method of Example 3. The BBU recovers and tracks the clock provided by the GNSS receiver to avoid service interference after the hold time is exceeded.

[0318] To summarize the methods provided in Examples 1 to 3 above, in the above examples, the BBU integrates a GNSS receiver in a distributed base station, and the AAU reports the exact position of the AAU to the BBU through the fronthaul network. The BBU calculates the distance between the output position of the BBU integrated GNSS receiver and the position reported by the AAU, and based on whether the distance is within a reasonable range or the distance jumps, assists in determining whether the GNSS receiver integrated in the BBU is subject to location deception, thereby avoiding interference with base station services.

[0319] The above example provides a technical solution to use the location information of the AAU to assist in determining whether the GNSS receiver of the BBU is subject to location spoofing, in order to solve the problem that the GNSS receiver used for clock synchronization on the BBU side of the distributed base station lacks an accurate reference position and cannot identify whether the received signal is a spoofing interference signal or a normal signal. The base station can use this technical solution to accurately determine whether the GNSS receiver used for BBU timing is subject to location spoofing, thereby avoiding interference with the service and improving the reliability of base station clock synchronization.

[0320] The above example is described by taking the scenario of obtaining AAU location information through the fronthaul network inside a distributed base station to assist in identifying location spoofing interference of the BBU's GNSS receiver as an example. Other similar scenarios can refer to the above example.

[0321] The above example is described by taking the deployment of a GNSS receiver for supporting the clock synchronization of a distributed base station on the BBU side as an example. In some other embodiments, the GNSS receiver for supporting the clock synchronization of the distributed base station is deployed on the AAU side, and the BBU uses the GNSS receiver on the AAU as the clock synchronization reference source.

[0322] Exemplarily, the AAU deploys a GNSS receiver, and the AAU locally stores the accurate location information of the AAU. The AAU obtains the location information output by the GNSS receiver and the location information pre-stored by the AAU, so as to obtain two location information. In a possible implementation, the AAU sends the two location information to the BBU. The BBU receives the two location information from the AAU, the BBU calculates the distance between the two location information, and the BBU determines whether the timing information provided by the GNSS receiver on the AAU is available according to whether the distance is greater than a threshold. In another possible implementation, the AAU calculates the distance between the two location information, and the AAU sends the distance to the BBU. The BBU receives the distance from the AAU, and the BBU determines whether the timing information provided by the GNSS receiver on the AAU is available according to whether the distance is greater than a threshold. In still another possible implementation, the AAU calculates the distance between the two location information, and the AAU determines whether the timing information provided by the GNSS receiver on the AAU is available according to whether the distance is greater than a threshold. Optionally, when the AAU determines that the timing information provided by the GNSS receiver on the AAU is unavailable, the AAU generates and sends a notification message to the BBU, and the notification message is used to indicate that the timing information provided by the timing receiver on the AAU is unavailable. The BBU receives the notification message from the AAU and stops using the timing information provided by the timing receiver on the AAU for clock synchronization based on the notification message.

[0323] The above-listed are all possible implementation manners that this embodiment may adopt. This embodiment does not limit whether the GNSS receiver is deployed on the BBU or the AAU in the distributed base station, nor does it limit whether each step in the process of obtaining the location to determining whether the timing information is available is executed by the BBU or the AAU.

[0324] The above example is described by taking the GNSS receiver sending geographical location information such as longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) to the BBU as an example. In some other embodiments, the GNSS receiver sends clock information to the BBU, the BBU calculates the longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) according to the clock information, and determines the distance L according to the calculated longitude and latitude information (x2, y2) and the longitude and latitude information (x1, y1) of the AAU.

[0325] The above example is described by taking the GNSS receiver used for clock synchronization in the base station as integrated inside the BBU. In some other embodiments, the GNSS receiver and the BBU are separately arranged, and the GNSS receiver and the BBU perform information interaction through a network and corresponding communication interfaces.

[0326] The above example is described by taking the BBU obtaining location information from the AAU to determine whether the GNSS receiver is trustworthy. In some other embodiments, the BBU obtains time information from the AAU to determine whether the GNSS receiver is trustworthy. For example, each AAU integrates a GNSS receiver respectively, each AAU obtains time information from its own GNSS receiver respectively, and sends the time information to the BBU through the fronthaul network. The BBU performs a majority decision on the time information output by the GNSS receiver in the BBU according to the time information provided by multiple AAUs. If the time information output by the GNSS receiver in the BBU is different from the time information of two or more AAUs, the BBU determines that the GNSS receiver in the BBU is untrustworthy. The format for transmitting time information between the AAU and the BBU may refer to the format for transmitting location information above.

[0327] Appendix Figure 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 300 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 300 includes an acquisition module 301 and a judgment module 302.

[0328] Optionally, in combination with the application scenario shown in Appendix Figure 2 the communication device 300 shown in Appendix Figure 16 is arranged in the baseband unit 101 shown in Appendix Figure 2 .

[0329] Optionally, in combination with Appendix Figure 3 the communication device 300 shown in Appendix Figure 16 is arranged in the baseband unit shown in Appendix Figure 3 . The communication device 300 shown in Appendix Figure 16 is used to support the baseband unit to execute the steps in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3 . The acquisition module 301 is used to support the communication device 300 to execute S203 and S206. The judgment module 302 is used to support the communication device 300 to execute S207.

[0330] Optionally, in combination with Appendix Figure 4 the communication device 300 shown in Appendix Figure 16 is arranged in the BBU shown in Appendix Figure 4 .

[0331] Optionally, in combination with Appendix Figure 5 the communication device 300 shown in Appendix Figure 16 is arranged in the BBU shown in Appendix Figure 5 .

[0332] Optionally, with reference to Figure 7 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 7 .

[0333] Optionally, with reference to Figure 8 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 8 .

[0334] Optionally, with reference to Figure 9 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 9 .

[0335] Optionally, with reference to Figure 10 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 10 , for example, disposed in the base station clock processing unit in Figure 10 .

[0336] Optionally, with reference to Figure 12 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 12 .

[0337] Optionally, with reference to Figure 14 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 14 .

[0338] Optionally, with reference to Figure 15 the attached Figure 16 the communication device 300 shown is disposed in the BBU in Figure 15 .

[0339] The attached Figure 16 The device embodiments described are merely illustrative. For example, the above module division is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In each embodiment of the present application, the functional modules can be integrated in a processing module, or each module can exist physically alone, or two or more modules can be integrated in one module.

[0340] Each module in the communication device 300 is implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0341] In the case of software implementation, for example, the above-mentioned determination module 302 is implemented by a software function module generated after a processor 501 in Figure 18 reads program code 510 stored in a memory 502. Figure 18

[0342] In the case of hardware implementation, for example, each of the above-mentioned modules in Figure 16 is implemented by different hardware. For example, the determination module 302 is implemented by a part of the processing resources in the processor 501 in Figure 18 (for example, one core or two cores in a multi-core processor), or the determination module 302 is implemented by a programmable device such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or a coprocessor. The acquisition module 301 is implemented by a network interface 503 and / or an input / output interface 506 in Figure 18 . Figure 16 Figure 18 Figure 18

[0343] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is used to support the radio frequency module to execute the steps in the above method embodiment. The communication device 400 includes an acquisition module 401 and a sending module 402. Figure 17

[0344] Optionally, in view of the application scenario shown in Figure 2 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the radio frequency module 102 in Figure 2 . Figure 2 Figure 17 Figure 2

[0345] Optionally, in view of Figure 3 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the radio frequency module in Figure 3 . The acquisition module 401 is used to support the communication device 400 to execute S201. The sending module 402 is used to support the communication device 400 to execute S202. Figure 3 Figure 17 Figure 3

[0346] Optionally, in view of Figure 5 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is AAU 1, AAU 2 or AAU 3 in Figure 5 . Figure 5 Figure 17 Figure 5

[0347] Optionally, in view of Figure 7 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is AAU 1, AAU 2 or AAU 3 in Figure 7 . Figure 7 Figure 17 Figure 7

[0348] Optionally, in view of Figure 8 , Figure 8 Figure 17The illustrated communication device 400 is the AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in Figure 8 .

[0349] Optionally, in combination with Figure 9 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in Figure 9 .

[0350] Optionally, in combination with Figure 11 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the AAU in Figure 11 .

[0351] Optionally, in combination with Figure 12 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in Figure 12 .

[0352] Optionally, in combination with Figure 13 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the AAU in Figure 13 .

[0353] Optionally, in combination with Figure 14 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in Figure 14 .

[0354] Optionally, in combination with Figure 15 , the communication device 400 shown in Figure 17 is the AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in Figure 15 .

[0355] The device embodiments described in Figure 17 are merely illustrative. For example, the above division of modules is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In each embodiment of the present application, each functional module can be integrated in one processing module, or each module can exist physically alone, or two or more modules can be integrated in one module.

[0356] Each module in the communication device 400 is implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0357] In the case of software implementation, for example, the above acquisition module 401 is implemented byFigure 18 After at least one processor 501 in it reads the program code stored in the memory 502, it is implemented by the generated software function module.

[0358] In the case of hardware implementation, for example, Figure 17 each of the above modules in it is implemented by different hardware. For example, the acquisition module 401 is implemented by Figure 18 a part of the processing resources in at least one processor 501 in it (for example, one core or two cores in a multi-core processor), or the acquisition module 401 is completed by a programmable device such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or a coprocessor, or the acquisition module 401 is implemented by the network interface 503 and / or the input / output interface 506. The sending module 402 is implemented by Figure 18 the network interface 503 and / or the input / output interface 506 in it.

[0359] Figure 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 500 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 500 includes at least one processor 501, a memory 502, and at least one network interface 503.

[0360] Optionally, in combination with the application scenario shown in Figure 2 Figure 18 the communication device 500 shown is the Figure 2 baseband unit 101 or the radio frequency unit 102 in

[0361] Optionally, in combination with Figure 3 Figure 18 the communication device 500 shown is the Figure 3 baseband unit in Figure 18 The communication device 500 shown is used to execute the steps executed by the baseband unit in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3

[0362] Or, Figure 18 the communication device 500 shown is the Figure 3 radio frequency unit in Figure 18 The communication device 500 shown is used to execute the steps executed by the radio frequency unit in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3 ​​​​​

[0363] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 4 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU in the attached Figure 4 figure.

[0364] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 5 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 5 figure.

[0365] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 7 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 7 figure.

[0366] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 8 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 8 figure.

[0367] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 9 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 9 figure.

[0368] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 10 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU in the attached Figure 10 figure, for example, the base station clock processing unit in the attached Figure 10 figure.

[0369] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 12 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 12 figure.

[0370] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 14 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 14 figure.

[0371] Optionally, in combination with the attached Figure 15 figure, the communication device 500 shown in the attached Figure 18 figure is the BBU, AAU 1, AAU 2, or AAU 3 in the attached Figure 15 figure.

[0372] The processor 501 is, for example, a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural-network processing unit (NPU), a data processing unit (DPU), a microprocessor, or one or more integrated circuits for implementing the solution of this application. For example, the processor 501 includes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD is, for example, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0373] The memory 502 is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, or a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. Optionally, the memory 502 exists independently and is connected to the processor 501 through an internal connection 504. Alternatively, optionally, the memory 502 and the processor 501 are integrated together.

[0374] The network interface 503 uses any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks. The network interface 503 includes, for example, at least one of a wired network interface or a wireless network interface. Among them, the wired network interface is, for example, an Ethernet interface. The Ethernet interface is, for example, an optical interface, an electrical interface, or a combination thereof. The wireless network interface is, for example, a wireless local area networks (WLAN) interface, a cellular network interface, or a combination thereof, etc.

[0375] In some embodiments, the processor 501 includes one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in the appendix. Figure 18 as shown.

[0376] In some embodiments, the communication device 500 optionally includes multiple processors, such as the processor 501 and the processor 505 shown in the appendix. Each of these processors is, for example, a single-core processor (single-CPU), or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, the processor optionally refers to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (such as computer program instructions). Figure 18 as shown.

[0377] In some embodiments, the communication device 500 further includes an internal connection 504. The processor 501, the memory 502, and at least one network interface 503 are connected through the internal connection 504. The internal connection 504 includes paths for transmitting information between the above components. Optionally, the internal connection 504 is a single board or a bus. Optionally, the internal connection 504 is divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0378] In some embodiments, the communication device 500 further includes an input / output interface 506. The input / output interface 506 is connected to the internal connection 504.

[0379] In some embodiments, the input / output interface 506 is used to connect to an input device to receive commands or data involved in the above method embodiments input by the user through the input device, such as the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit. The input device includes, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone, a mouse, or a sensing device, etc.

[0380] In some embodiments, the input / output interface 506 is further used to connect to an output device. The input / output interface 506 outputs the intermediate results and / or final results generated by the processor 301 executing the above method embodiments through the output device, such as whether the clock information is available. The output device includes, but is not limited to, a display, a printer, a projector, etc.

[0381] Optionally, the processor 501 implements the methods in the above embodiments by reading the program code 510 stored in the memory 502, or the processor 501 implements the methods in the above embodiments by the program code stored internally. When the processor 501 implements the methods in the above embodiments by reading the program code stored in the memory 502, the memory 502 stores the program code 510 for implementing the above method embodiments provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0382] For more details on how the processor 501 implements the above functions, please refer to the descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0383] The embodiments in this specification are all described in a progressive manner. Similar parts among the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments.

[0384] A referring to B means that A is the same as B or A is a simple variation of B.

[0385] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order of the objects, nor can they be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0386] In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality of" means two or more. For example, a plurality of radio frequency units means two or more radio frequency units.

[0387] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wire (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more integrated available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (such as a solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0388] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A clock information verification method, characterized in that, the method includes: obtaining first information through a timing unit of a communication system; obtaining information of at least one radio frequency unit of the communication system; wherein, the first information is geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on a received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is geographical location information of the radio frequency unit; or, the first information is clock information obtained by the timing unit based on a received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is clock information of the radio frequency unit; based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information, determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the clock information of the radio frequency unit or the clock information provided by the timing unit includes at least one of time information, frequency information or phase information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information includes: obtaining at least one deviation based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information; determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the at least one deviation and a threshold.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, the determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on each deviation in the at least one deviation being greater than the threshold; or, determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on one of the at least one deviation being greater than the threshold; or, determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on the deviations greater than the threshold in the at least one deviation reaching a set proportion; or, determining that the clock information provided by the timing unit is unavailable based on the number of deviations greater than the threshold in the at least one deviation reaching a set quantity.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, the deviation includes at least one of spatial distance, time difference, frequency deviation or phase deviation.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, the obtaining first information through the timing unit in the communication system includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: receiving the first information output by the timing unit, or, determining the first information according to the information output by the timing unit.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, the obtaining information of at least one radio frequency unit of the communication system includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: receiving the information of the at least one radio frequency unit from the at least one radio frequency unit; or, receiving the information of the at least one radio frequency unit from a network management device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, After determining whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information, the method further includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: If the clock information is available, use the clock information provided by the timing unit; Or, If the clock information is not available, use the clock information provided by other components outside the timing unit; Or, If the clock information is not available, enter the clock hold mode.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The radio frequency unit and the timing unit are deployed in the same base station.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The radio frequency unit and the timing unit are deployed in different base stations.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The timing unit is deployed in the baseband unit; or, The timing unit is deployed in one of the at least one radio frequency unit.

12. A method for verifying clock information, wherein, Executed by a radio frequency unit in a communication system, the method includes: Obtain the information of the radio frequency unit; Send the information of the radio frequency unit to the baseband unit in the communication system, and the information of the radio frequency unit is used for the baseband unit to determine whether the clock information provided by the first timing unit in the communication system is available; wherein, the baseband unit determines whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the radio frequency unit and the first information obtained through the first timing unit; the first information is the geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit; or, the first information is the clock information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The obtaining the information of the radio frequency unit includes any one of the following and combinations thereof: Obtain the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit pre-stored on the radio frequency unit, or, Obtain the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through a second timing unit, or, Receive the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit from a network management device, or, Obtain the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit through a positioning unit.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The obtaining the information of the radio frequency unit includes: Obtain the clock information of the radio frequency unit through a second timing unit.

15. A communication device, wherein, The device includes: An obtaining module, configured to obtain first information through a timing unit of a communication system; The obtaining module is further configured to obtain information of at least one radio frequency unit of the communication system; wherein, the first information is the geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit; or, the first information is the clock information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit. The judging module is configured to judge whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the at least one radio frequency unit and the first information.

16. A communication device Characterized in that The communication device is disposed in a radio frequency unit, and the device includes: An obtaining module, configured to obtain information of the radio frequency unit; A sending module, configured to send the information of the radio frequency unit to a baseband unit, where the information of the radio frequency unit is used for the baseband unit to judge whether the clock information provided by a first timing unit is available; wherein, the baseband unit judges whether the clock information provided by the timing unit is available based on the information of the radio frequency unit and the first information obtained through the first timing unit; the first information is the geographical location information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is the geographical location information of the radio frequency unit; or, the first information is the clock information obtained by the timing unit based on the received signal, and the information of the radio frequency unit is the clock information of the radio frequency unit.

17. A communication device Characterized in that The communication device includes: a processor, the processor is coupled with a memory, and at least one computer program instruction is stored in the memory, and the at least one computer program instruction is loaded and executed by the processor, so that the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1-11 or 12-14.

18. A communication system Characterized in that The system includes the communication device according to claim 15 and the communication device according to claim 16.

19. A computer-readable storage medium Characterized in that At least one instruction is stored in the storage medium, and when the instruction runs on a computer, the computer is made to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-11 or 12-14.

20. A computer program product Characterized in that The computer program product includes one or more computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are loaded and run by a computer, the computer is made to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-11 or 12-14.

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