Method and apparatus for beamforming, terminal and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a beamforming method, apparatus, terminal, and storage medium. The beamforming method includes: determining first relative position information between a terminal and a serving base station; obtaining target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information; N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2; and controlling the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a beamforming method and apparatus, a terminal, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Antenna beamforming technology is often applied to fields such as military radars and satellite antennas that have specific requirements for antenna radiation patterns. And its combination with algorithms is the current research frontier direction and an important future trend. In the related art, in a millimeter-wave communication chip, an antenna array based on phase scanning is integrated and applied to millimeter-wave communication, where the phase change is a conventional equal-phase periodic scan and the radiation pattern is fixed. And the antenna is packaged in the chip instead of being directly designed in the terminal.

[0003] Thus, in the trend of terminal thinning and structural complexity, packaging such an antenna array into the terminal will cause interference to the layout of other components of the terminal; or it is difficult to achieve the thinning of the terminal. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a beamforming method and apparatus, a terminal, and a storage medium.

[0005] In a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a beamforming method is provided, and the method includes:

[0006] Determine first relative position information between the terminal and the serving base station;

[0007] Obtain target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information; N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2;

[0008] Control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters.

[0009] Based on the above solution, the obtaining of the target array element parameters of the N antennas in the terminal includes:

[0010] Query a preset correspondence between the relative position information between the terminal and the base station and the array element parameters of the N antennas according to the first relative position information, and obtain the target array element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; where the preset correspondence is generated by performing beamforming fitting in advance based on the far-field data of the N antennas.

[0011] Based on the above solution, the obtaining of the target array element parameters of the N antennas in the terminal further includes:

[0012] Determine the beam direction to be shaped according to the first relative position information, and determine the target beam for beamforming according to the beam direction;

[0013] Based on the far-field data of the N antennas, superimpose the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters to obtain a superimposed beam;

[0014] Determine the alternative array element parameters corresponding to the superimposed beam that meets the preset similarity condition with the target beam as the target array element parameters.

[0015] Based on the above solution, the step of superimposing the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superimposed beam includes:

[0016] According to the far-field data of the N antennas, superimpose the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative array element parameter to obtain the m-th superimposed beam;

[0017] Determine the m-th similarity between the m-th superimposed beam and the target beam;

[0018] When the m-th similarity does not meet the preset condition, continue to determine the m + 1-th alternative array element parameter of the target array element parameter according to the magnitude between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity; the (m - 1)-th similarity is: the similarity between the superimposed beam obtained by superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative array element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0019] Based on the above solution, the step of superimposing the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superimposed beam includes:

[0020] Based on the far-field data of the N antennas, use a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm or a particle swarm algorithm to determine the alternative array element parameters for forming the superimposed beam.

[0021] Based on the above solution, the target array element parameters include: the amplitude of the antenna; and / or, the phase of the antenna,

[0022] Based on the above solution, the N antennas include at least one of the following:

[0023] Pattern-type planar antennas;

[0024] Metal middle frame antennas.

[0025] Based on the above solution, the step of controlling the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters includes:

[0026] Control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming of a cosecant-squared beam according to the target array element parameters.

[0027] A second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a beamforming device, the device includes:

[0028] A determination module, configured to determine first relative position information between a terminal and a serving base station;

[0029] An acquisition module, configured to acquire target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are: determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information; the N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2;

[0030] A beamforming module, configured to control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters.

[0031] Based on the above solution, the acquisition module is configured to query a preset correspondence between relative position information between the terminal and the base station and array element parameters of the N antennas according to the first relative position information, and obtain the target array element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; where the preset correspondence is: generated by performing beamforming fitting in advance based on far-field data of the N antennas.

[0032] Based on the above solution, the acquisition module includes:

[0033] A first determination unit, configured to determine a beam direction to be beamformed according to the first relative position information and determine a target beam for performing beamforming according to the beam direction;

[0034] A superposition unit, configured to superpose far-field patterns corresponding to alternative array element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superposed beam;

[0035] A second determination unit, configured to determine the alternative array element parameters corresponding to the superposed beam that satisfy a preset similarity condition with the target beam as the target array element parameters.

[0036] Based on the above solution, the superposition unit is specifically configured to, according to the far-field data of the N antennas, superpose the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative array element parameter to obtain the m-th superposed beam; determine the m-th similarity between the m-th superposed beam and the target beam; when the m-th similarity does not meet the preset condition, continue to determine the (m + 1)-th alternative array element parameter of the target array element parameter according to the magnitude relationship between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity; the (m - 1)-th similarity is: the similarity between the superposed beam obtained by superposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative array element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0037] Based on the above solution, the superposition unit is specifically configured to determine the alternative array element parameter for forming the superposed beam based on the far-field data of the N antennas by using a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm, or a particle swarm algorithm.

[0038] Based on the above solution, the target array element parameter includes: the amplitude of the antenna; and / or, the phase of the antenna.

[0039] Based on the above solution, the N antennas include at least one of the following:

[0040] Pattern-like planar antennas;

[0041] Metal frame antennas.

[0042] Based on the above solution, the shaping module is configured to control the N antennas to jointly perform beam shaping of a cosecant squared beam according to the target array element parameter.

[0043] The third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a mobile terminal, including:

[0044] A memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

[0045] A processor connected to the memory;

[0046] Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the beam shaping method or the model training method provided by any of the foregoing technical solutions.

[0047] The fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-executable instructions are stored, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the beam shaping method or the model training method provided by any of the foregoing technical solutions is implemented.

[0048] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include the following beneficial effects:

[0049] Before beamforming is performed, the first relative position information between terminals is determined, and based on the first phase position information, the target array element parameters of N antennas participating in beamforming are determined. By controlling each of the N antennas to work according to the determined target array element parameters, beamforming can be achieved. With this beamforming method, it is not required that the N antennas be arranged in an array; moreover, these antennas can be antennas of the same or different types distributed at arbitrary relative positions within the terminal. Therefore, by implementing beamforming based on the first relative position information and obtaining the target array element parameters from the far-field data of the N antennas, the limitation and rigidity of the antenna array on the terminal layout can be broken, facilitating the realization of the thin and light design of the terminal. Moreover, compared with the related art where the antenna array performs periodic scanning and determines beamforming based on the scanning results, by using the method of the present disclosure embodiment, only the relative position relationship between the terminal and the serving base station needs to be known to perform beamforming, without the need for periodic scanning, thereby reducing the terminal power consumption generated by periodic scanning.

[0050] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of this specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 1 It is a schematic flowchart of a beamforming method shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 2A It is a schematic diagram of the beam effect of a single omnidirectional antenna communicating with a base station shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 2B It is a schematic diagram of the beam effect of multiple omnidirectional antennas communicating with a base station shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 3A It is a schematic diagram of the effect of the shaped beam of a phased array antenna shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Figure 3B It is a schematic diagram of the effect of the shaped beam of multiple non-arrayed antennas shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 4 It is a schematic flowchart of a process for determining target array element parameters shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] Figure 5A It is a schematic diagram of the effect of a target beam shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 5B It is a schematic diagram showing the effect of a superimposed beam shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing the effect of a cosecant-squared beam shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a beamforming device shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a mobile terminal shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0063] Here, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, and examples are shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementation manners described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementation manners consistent with the present invention. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0064] As Figure 1 shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a beamforming method, and the method includes:

[0065] S110: Determine the first relative position information between the terminal and the serving base station;

[0066] S120: Obtain the target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are determined based on the far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information; where N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2;

[0067] S130: Control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters.

[0068] This method is applied to various terminals with cellular mobile communication functions.

[0069] The terminal provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following electronic devices: mobile phone, tablet computer, wearable device, smart home device, smart office device, vehicle-mounted device, or Internet of Things device.

[0070] S110 may include: sensors in the terminal detect its own motion state, obtain its own motion state, and based on the position information of the serving base station determined at the previous moment, it is possible to simply and quickly know the phase position of the terminal relative to the serving base station at present, so as to obtain the first relative position information.

[0071] In one embodiment, the sensor includes, but is not limited to, various acceleration sensors such as gyroscopes, etc.

[0072] In another embodiment, the sensor further includes: an attitude sensor for detecting the attitude of the terminal relative to the serving base station. For example, the terminal includes: a display surface provided with a display screen and the back surface of the display screen. When the attitude of the terminal is different, the relative position between the antenna in the terminal and the serving base station is different.

[0073] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first relative position information between the terminal and the serving base station can be used to determine the arrival angle of the wireless signal when wireless communication is performed between the terminal and the serving base station.

[0074] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the serving base station can be: the base station where the mobile terminal resides or the base station of the serving cell accessed by the mobile terminal.

[0075] If there is only a single antenna in the terminal, generally as Figure 2A shown, a single antenna is an omnidirectional antenna and the beam has no directivity. Figure 2B As shown by the 2 omnidirectional antennas, the terminal includes omnidirectional antennas and the beam has no directivity.

[0076] Figure 3A As shown, it includes a phased array; a directive phased array beam is formed through the cooperation between antennas. Communication can be performed between the base station and the terminal through the phased array beam.

[0077] Figure 3B What is shown can be a schematic diagram of the effect of beam fitting based on N antennas of the present application. Figure 3B Among them, the 4 antennas do not need to be arranged in an array and can directly fit a directive shaped beam, and this shaped beam can be used for communication with the base station.

[0078] The N antennas can be all the antennas in the terminal or part of the antennas in the terminal. However, N is not greater than the total number of antennas included in the terminal.

[0079] The array element parameters of the N antennas include: the amplitude and / or phase of the antenna array elements included in the antenna. If a terminal is manufactured, generally the positions of the antenna array elements of the antenna are relatively fixed, and the adjustable parameters of the antenna array elements can include at least one of the amplitude and the phase.

[0080] The antenna array element includes an antenna oscillator. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the types of the antenna oscillators of the N antennas can be the same or different. For example, slot antennas, monopole antennas, dipole antennas, microstrip antennas of various shapes, such as F-shaped microstrip antennas and T-shaped microstrip antennas, etc.

[0081] If the N antennas include adjustable parameters of the antenna elements, the element parameters may further include the length and / or position of the antenna oscillator, etc.

[0082] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the target element parameters may be the element parameters of any one of the above antenna elements, and specifically may at least include phase and / or amplitude.

[0083] The differences in the phases of the N antennas, based on the superposition of radio waves in wireless communication, can enable the radio signals jointly radiated by the N antennas to form a beam with a main lobe. The amplitude of the radio wave is involved in the superposition process of the radio waves. For example, the superposition of radio waves with the same phase will enhance each other to obtain a radio wave with a larger amplitude; if the radio waves with opposite phases are superposed, the amplitudes will cancel each other out, and a radio signal with an amplitude smaller than both radio waves will be obtained. Therefore, beamforming can be achieved by adjusting the adjustable element parameters such as the amplitude and / or phase of the N antennas.

[0084] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to ensure that the communication beam obtained by beamforming can well achieve communication with the serving base station, the target element parameters of the N antennas will be obtained based on the first relative position information and combined with the far-field data of the N antennas.

[0085] The test data of the antenna includes the near-field data obtained by measuring the near field of the antenna and the far-field data obtained by measuring the far field of the antenna.

[0086] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, these N antennas are the antennas that need to communicate with the serving base station, so they belong to the antennas for far-field communication. Therefore, the far-field data obtained based on the far-field test of the N antennas is combined with the first relative position information to obtain the target element parameters of the N antennas.

[0087] Then, controlling the beam radiation and reception of the N antennas according to the determined target element parameters will achieve beamforming based on the superposition of radio waves. Using this kind of beamforming does not require the N antennas to be arranged in an array; and these antennas can be the same or different types of antennas distributed at arbitrary relative positions within the terminal. Therefore, achieving beamforming based on the first relative position information and the far-field data of the N antennas can break the limitations and rigidity of the antenna array on the terminal layout and facilitate the realization of the thin and light of the terminal. And compared with the related art, the antenna array determines beamforming by periodic scanning. Using the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure, only the relative position relationship between the terminal and the serving base station needs to be known to perform beamforming, without periodic scanning, thereby reducing the terminal power consumption generated by periodic scanning.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the frequency of the radio wave for beamforming may be located within any frequency band of cellular radio communication. For example, the radio wave for beamforming includes, but is not limited to, millimeter waves.

[0089] In one embodiment, S120 may include:

[0090] According to the first relative position information, query the preset correspondence between the relative position information between the terminal and the base station and the array element parameters of N antennas, and obtain the target array element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; wherein, the preset correspondence is: generated by beamforming fitting based on the far-field data of the N antennas in advance.

[0091] In one embodiment, the correspondence is pre-stored in the terminal. This correspondence may be built into the terminal before leaving the factory, or received from the server after the terminal is put into use; it may also be: the terminal generates it by itself based on its own historical beamforming records.

[0092] In short, due to the correspondence pre-stored in the terminal, after detecting the first relative position information between the terminal and the serving base station, the preset relationship can be queried based on the first relative position information, so that the target array element parameters can be quickly determined.

[0093] For example, the first relative position information indicates: the relative angle between the terminal and the serving base station. If the array element parameters of beamforming corresponding to different relative angles between the base station and the terminal are also pre-established in the correspondence, then using the angle value of the current relative angle as the query index to query the above correspondence, the target array element parameters can be easily obtained.

[0094] For example, taking the terminal as the origin of the spherical coordinate system, a correspondence between the angle value of the relative angle and the target array element parameters is established for each preset angle value. In this way, according to the relative angle between the current terminal and the serving base station, the preset angle value with the smallest difference from this corresponding angle can be found, and the array element parameters corresponding to this preset angle value are set as the target array element parameters of the current N antennas.

[0095] Adopting this method of determining the target array element parameters based on the preset correspondence has the characteristics of simple determination of the target array element parameters and small computational complexity.

[0096] In one embodiment, the terminal can also temporarily and dynamically calculate the target array element parameters of the N antennas in combination with the first relative position information, and then perform beamforming based on the dynamically determined target array element parameters.

[0097] For example, the far-field data of the N antennas includes: the far-field pattern of the N antennas. Figure 4As shown, S120 may include:

[0098] S121: Determine the beam direction to be shaped according to the first relative position information, and determine the target beam for beamforming according to the beam direction;

[0099] S122: Based on the far-field data of the N antennas, superimpose the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters to obtain a superimposed beam;

[0100] S123: Determine the alternative array element parameters corresponding to the superimposed beam that meets the preset similarity condition with the target beam as the target array element parameters.

[0101] According to the first relative position information, it is equivalent to knowing the orientation of the beam for communication between the terminal and the serving base station, that is, the beam direction. This beam direction can be the main lobe direction of the radio signal formed by beamforming of N antennas.

[0102] In one embodiment, after the beam direction is determined, combining the beam shape of the fitting beam and / or the power requirement (or gain requirement) of beam communication, the beam curve of the target beam to be fitted can be constructed.

[0103] In another embodiment, the shape and basic beam parameters of the target beam to be fitted are known in advance. The preset beam with the preset direction as the beam direction is translated on the coordinate axis by the beam direction to obtain the target beam to be fitted. At this time, based on the beam direction, simply modifying individual parameter values of the function of the preset beam can obtain the fitted superimposed beam.

[0104] Figure 4 S120 shown may be in the form of a preset correspondence, but the way to establish the preset correspondence is not limited to Figure 4 the way shown.

[0105] Such as Figure 5A shown is the shape of a target beam to be fitted, and the basic power, the maximum power of the main lobe, and the main lobe shape of the preset beam with the preset direction as the beam direction are determined, and in Figure 5A shown, the direction corresponding to the main lobe is from -5° to 58°. And corresponding to Figure 5A shown, the function of the target beam is as follows:

[0106] Base-level = 015

[0107] Ang-start = -5°

[0108] Zero-level = 0.8

[0109] shape-start = 0.95

[0110]

[0111] The preset beam can be fitted with a piecewise function. The ordinate can be the gain of the antenna. θ is the abscissa, corresponding to the relative angle between the base station and the terminal. Generally, the greater the gain of the antenna, the greater the transmission power of the antenna.

[0112] According to the first position information, the direction of the main lobe can be determined. This direction can be converted into the angle corresponding to the terminal, and the Base-level is the basic level. Both Zero-level and shape-start are the intersection points of the gain values of different segments when performing piecewise fitting on the target beam.

[0113] Figure 5B It is the waveform diagram of the superimposed beam obtained when using the target array element parameters with N antennas. The vibration element parameters of at least one antenna are different between any two alternative array element parameters. In this way, the far-field patterns of the N antennas under the corresponding alternative array element parameters are superimposed to obtain the superimposed beam of the wireless signal that can be fitted; by comparing the target beam and the superimposed beam, the similarity between the target beam and the superimposed beam can be obtained; if the similarity is higher than the similarity threshold, it can be considered that the preset similarity condition is satisfied.

[0114] When determining the similarity between the superimposed beam and the target beam, it can be comprehensively considered from one or more of the following aspects;

[0115] The similarity of the direction angle of the main lobe;

[0116] The similarity of the shape of the main lobe;

[0117] The similarity of the peak power of the main lobe. In one embodiment, based on the far-field data of the N antennas, superimposing the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters to obtain the superimposed beam includes:

[0118] According to the far-field data of the N antennas, superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative array element parameter to obtain the m-th superimposed beam;

[0119] Determining the m-th similarity between the m-th superimposed beam and the target beam;

[0120] When the m-th similarity does not meet the preset condition, according to the magnitude relationship between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity, continue to determine the (m + 1)-th alternative array element parameter of the target array element parameter; the (m - 1)-th similarity is: the similarity between the superimposed beam obtained by superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative array element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0121] The first set of alternative element parameters can be randomly selected element parameters; starting from the second set of alternative element parameters, the current set of alternative element parameters can be obtained based on the similarity between the superposition beam formed by superimposing the far-field patterns of the previous set of alternative element parameters and the target beam. By using this method, the superposition beam with a similarity to the target beam that meets the preset similarity condition can be quickly found, thereby determining the target element parameters and reducing the computational complexity of determining the target element parameters.

[0122] In one embodiment, determining the (m + 1)-th set of alternative element parameters of the target element parameters based on the magnitude relationship between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity includes:

[0123] If the (m - 1)-th similarity is greater than the m-th similarity, it indicates that the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters is closer to the target element parameters than the m-th set of alternative element parameters. If the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters is adjusted to the m-th set of alternative element parameters by adjusting the element parameter value in the m-th direction, then adjust the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters or the m-th set of alternative element parameters in the opposite direction of the m-th direction to obtain the (m + 1)-th set of alternative element parameters;

[0124] And / or,

[0125] If the (m - 1)-th similarity is less than the m-th similarity, it indicates that the m-th set of alternative element parameters is closer to the target element parameters than the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters. If the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters is adjusted to the m-th set of alternative element parameters by adjusting the element parameter value in the m-th direction, then continue to adjust the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters or the m-th set of alternative element parameters in the m-th direction to obtain the (m + 1)-th set of alternative element parameters.

[0126] For example, when adjusting the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters to the m-th set of alternative element parameters, the amplitude of a certain antenna is increased on the (m - 1)-th set of alternative element parameters, and it is found that the superposition beam obtained after adjustment is more similar to the target beam. Then, the amplitude of this antenna can be continuously increased until the amplitude of this antenna reaches its limit; assuming that the superposition beam obtained after adjustment is more similar to the target beam, then the amplitude of this antenna can be decreased, and the similarity between the superposition beam corresponding to the adjusted alternative element parameters and the target beam can be continuously compared.

[0127] The above is one implementation method for accelerating the determination of the target element parameters, and the specific implementation is not limited to the above examples.

[0128] In one embodiment, S121 may include:

[0129] Based on the far-field data of the N antennas, use a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm, or a particle swarm algorithm to determine the alternative element parameters for forming the superposition beam.

[0130] The use of genetic algorithm, simulated annealing algorithm or particle swarm algorithm can all be iterative approximation algorithms. Taking the target beam as the reference target and using the similarity between the superimposed beam obtained from the far-field pattern corresponding to different alternative array element parameters and the target beam as the basis for modifying the alternative array element parameters, the target array element parameters can be quickly solved through iterative approximation.

[0131] Using the above genetic algorithm, simulated annealing algorithm or particle swarm algorithm can quickly find the target array element parameters that can fit a beam similar enough to the target beam.

[0132] In one embodiment, the target array element parameters include: the amplitude of the antenna; the phase of the antenna.

[0133] That the target array element parameters include the amplitude of the antenna and the phase of the antenna is only an example, and the specific implementation is not limited thereto.

[0134] In one embodiment, a set of the target array element parameters may include: N amplitudes and N phases corresponding to N antennas.

[0135] In one embodiment, the N antennas include at least one of the following:

[0136] Pattern-like planar antennas;

[0137] Metal middle frame antennas.

[0138] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the pattern-like planar antennas may include, but are not limited to, planar antennas disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB), and may also include planar antennas disposed on the back shell of the terminal.

[0139] The terminal includes a metal middle frame. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the N antennas may further include: antennas located on the metal middle frame.

[0140] In still some embodiments, the antennas of the terminal may also be disposed on the metal frame, or disposed on both the metal frame and the metal back shell at the same time.

[0141] When beamforming is performed using the method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the relative positions and antenna types between the antennas participating in beamforming are not limited.

[0142] In some embodiments, S130 may include:

[0143] According to the target array element parameters, control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming of a cosecant squared beam.

[0144] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, beamforming is performed according to the main cosecant-squared beam, and the fitted beam includes: a main lobe with a very high peak power and side lobes located on both sides of the main lobe respectively. Usually, the power of the side lobes is much lower than that of the main lobe.

[0145] The cosecant-squared beam is suitable for ground propagation, which can enable the terminal to concentrate the transmission power in the direction of the serving base station for transmission, thereby improving the communication quality between the terminal and the serving base station and reducing the communication interference to other terminals. In another embodiment, the beam shape of the beamforming can also be a square wave, a trapezoidal wave, etc.

[0146] Figure 6 Shown is a waveform schematic diagram of the cosecant-squared beam.

[0147] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, N antennas are arranged in a co-polarized manner and fit the directional beam required for communication between the terminal and the base station through the adjustment of their own phases and / or amplitudes.

[0148] Currently, millimeter-wave chip modules are too large and it is difficult to adapt to the limited space of terminals such as mobile phones and watches. Ordinary phased array antennas require a completely identical antenna period arrangement, with rigid design and requirements for space, and basically cannot be applied to mobile phones. After using the algorithm, only the far-field data of antennas at different positions or even different forms need to be exported, and the amplitude and phase corresponding to each antenna element are calculated based on the algorithm, and beamforming can be achieved.

[0149] The antennas in the terminal are usually considered as omnidirectional antennas without directionality. The passive performance indicators of the terminal antennas focus on the omnidirectional radiation efficiency, and the active performance indicators focus on the omnidirectional TRP and TIS performance. After beamforming of the MIMO array antenna, its radiation pattern can be changed to directional radiation. At this time, if the main lobe direction (the maximum radiation direction) of the antenna radiation pattern faces the nearest base station, the communication performance can be significantly improved. The embodiments of the present disclosure use the beamforming algorithm to realize the shaping of a directional beam with a specific direction through the beam superposition of multiple antennas of the omnidirectional antenna that emits an omnidirectional beam at the terminal.

[0150] When the design of each MIMO antenna in the terminal is completed, the radiation pattern of each antenna at the working communication frequency is measured in advance, and the far-field data is exported;

[0151] The antenna elements and the antenna can be located at any position in the terminal and can be a graphic (pattern) type planar antenna or a metal middle frame antenna;

[0152] The target of the beamforming of the antenna is a directional beam with a certain directivity, such as a cosecant-squared beam, etc.;

[0153] The principle of beamforming for the antenna pattern is the pattern superposition theorem. The specific implementation algorithms for beamforming include genetic algorithms, simulated annealing algorithms, particle swarm algorithms, etc. Calculate the optimal amplitude and phase distributions of each antenna at each angle of the terminal and preset them into the terminal;

[0154] The above-mentioned optimal pattern means: using sensors to determine the angle and posture of the mobile phone during use, and the pattern with the highest gain pointing to the base station is the optimal pattern for the posture of this mobile phone; the optimal pattern here can correspond to one of the aforementioned target beams.

[0155] Locate the direction of arrival (DoA) of adjacent base stations relative to the mobile phone, and call the preset pattern scheme. The main lobe direction (maximum radiation direction) of this pattern points to the base station, which can effectively improve the signal connection strength with the target base station;

[0156] For terminals with complex scenarios and indoor base stations or indoor WIFI signal sources, MIMO antennas can be preset to perform phase scanning with a certain step to find the optimal phase point to achieve the strongest communication signal for beamforming. Applying this technology in the terminal makes the mobile phone antenna pattern change from non-directional to directional, which can effectively improve the signal when connecting to the base station.

[0157] The antenna designed in the mobile phone is more feasible compared to traditional phased arrays. There are no requirements for the antenna array elements. Both pattern type antennas and metal frame antennas are acceptable, and the antenna can be designed at any position in the mobile phone.

[0158] After antenna beamforming, the pattern can be customized according to the algorithm. For example, a cosecant-squared beam antenna is more conducive to propagation and reception.

[0159] In the example, a beamforming scheme for a group of MIMO antennas to achieve a cosecant-squared beam is implemented using Matlab programming genetic algorithms. This pattern scheme can be preset into the mobile phone so that the superimposed beams of multiple antennas can be as Figure 5B shown. And Figure 5A shown is the target beam; the target beam can be represented by the following functional relationship:

[0160] Base-level=015

[0161] Ang-start=-5°

[0162] Zero-level=0.8

[0163] shape-start=0.95

[0164]

[0165] As Figure 7As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a beamforming device, characterized in that the device includes:

[0166] A determination module 110, configured to determine first relative position information between a terminal and a serving base station;

[0167] An acquisition module 120, configured to acquire target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information; N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2;

[0168] A beamforming module 130, configured to control the N antennas to perform beamforming together according to the target array element parameters.

[0169] In one embodiment, the determination module 110, the acquisition module 120, and the beamforming module 130 may all be program modules; after being executed by a processor, the program modules can implement the above functions.

[0170] In another embodiment, the determination module 110, the acquisition module 120, and the beamforming module 130 may all be software-hardware combined modules; the software-hardware combined modules include, but are not limited to: various programmable arrays. The programmable arrays include, but are not limited to: complex programmable arrays and / or field programmable arrays.

[0171] In still another embodiment, the determination module 110, the acquisition module 120, and the beamforming module 130 may all be pure hardware modules; the pure hardware modules include, but are not limited to: application specific integrated circuits.

[0172] In some embodiments, the acquisition module 120 is configured to query a preset correspondence between relative position information between the terminal and the base station and array element parameters of N antennas according to the first relative position information, and obtain the target array element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; where the preset correspondence is generated by performing beamforming fitting in advance based on far-field data of the N antennas.

[0173] In some embodiments, the acquisition module 120 includes:

[0174] A first determination unit, configured to determine a beam direction to be beamformed according to the first relative position information and determine a target beam for beamforming according to the beam direction;

[0175] A superposition unit, configured to superpose far-field patterns corresponding to alternative array element parameters based on far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superposed beam;

[0176] A second determination unit, configured to determine, as the target array element parameter, the alternative array element parameter corresponding to the superimposed beam that satisfies a preset similarity condition with the target beam.

[0177] In some embodiments, the superimposing unit is specifically configured to: according to the far-field data of the N antennas, superimpose the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative array element parameter to obtain an m-th superimposed beam; determine an m-th similarity between the m-th superimposed beam and the target beam; when the m-th similarity does not satisfy the preset condition, continue to determine an (m + 1)-th alternative array element parameter of the target array element parameter according to a magnitude relationship between an (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity; the (m - 1)-th similarity is: a similarity between a superimposed beam obtained by superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative array element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0178] In some embodiments, the superimposing unit is specifically configured to determine, based on the far-field data of the N antennas, the alternative array element parameter for forming the superimposed beam by using a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm, or a particle swarm algorithm.

[0179] In some embodiments, the target array element parameter includes:

[0180] the amplitude of the antenna; and / or, the phase of the antenna.

[0181] In some embodiments, the N antennas include at least one of the following:

[0182] patterned planar antennas;

[0183] metal middle frame antennas.

[0184] In some embodiments, the beam shaping module 130 is configured to control the N antennas to jointly perform beam shaping of a cosecant-squared beam according to the target array element parameter.

[0185] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal 800 shown according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the mobile terminal 800 may be a mobile phone, a mobile computer, etc.

[0186] Referring to Figure 8 , the mobile terminal 800 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 802, a memory 804, a power component 806, a multimedia component 808, an audio component 810, an input / output (I / O) interface 812, a sensor component 814, and a communication component 816.

[0187] The processing component 802 generally controls the overall operations of the mobile terminal 800, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the above methods. In addition, the processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate the interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

[0188] The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support the operations of the device 800. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the mobile terminal 800, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 804 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0189] The power component 806 provides power to various components of the mobile terminal 800. The power component 806 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the mobile terminal 800.

[0190] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the mobile terminal 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors can not only sense the boundaries of touch or swipe actions but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operations. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 800 is in an operating state, such as a shooting state or a video state, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each of the front camera and the rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0191] The audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC). When the mobile terminal 800 is in an operating state, such as a call state, a recording state, and a voice recognition state, the microphone is configured to receive external audio signals. The received audio signals can be further stored in the memory 804 or sent via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0192] The I / O interface 812 provides an interface between the processing component 802 and a peripheral interface module, and the peripheral interface module can be a keyboard, a click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons can include but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[0193] The sensor component 814 includes one or more sensors for providing status assessments of various aspects of the mobile terminal 800. For example, the sensor component 814 can detect the on / off state of the device 800, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the mobile terminal 800. The sensor component 814 can also detect a change in the position of the mobile terminal 800 or a component of the mobile terminal 800, the presence or absence of user contact with the mobile terminal 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal 800, and the temperature change of the mobile terminal 800. The sensor component 814 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor component 814 can also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 814 can further include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0194] The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate communication between the mobile terminal 800 and other devices in a wired or wireless manner. The mobile terminal 800 can access a wireless network based on communication standards, such as Wi-Fi, 2G, or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 further includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0195] In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile terminal 800 may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components for performing the above method.

[0196] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 804 including instructions, and the above instructions can be executed by a processor 820 of the mobile terminal 800 to complete the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0197] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the instructions in the storage medium are executed by a processor of a UE, the UE can perform the beamforming method provided in any of the foregoing embodiments and can perform at least one of the methods shown in Figure 1 Figure 2, Figures 3 to 5.

[0198] For example, when the processor executes the instructions of the non-non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, it can at least implement the following method: determining first relative position information between the terminal and the serving base station; obtaining target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information; N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2; and controlling the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters.

[0199] It can be understood that obtaining the target array element parameters of N antennas in the terminal includes:

[0200] Querying a preset correspondence between the relative position information between the terminal and the base station and the array element parameters of the N antennas according to the first relative position information to obtain the target array element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; where the preset correspondence is generated by performing beamforming fitting based on far-field data of the N antennas in advance.

[0201] Understandably, obtaining the target array element parameters of the N antennas in the terminal further includes: determining the beam direction to be shaped according to the first relative position information, and determining the target beam for beamforming according to the beam direction; based on the far-field data of the N antennas, superimposing the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters to obtain a superimposed beam; determining the alternative array element parameters corresponding to the superimposed beam that meets the preset similarity condition with the target beam as the target array element parameters.

[0202] Understandably, the step of superimposing the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superimposed beam includes: according to the far-field data of the N antennas, superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative array element parameter to obtain the m-th superimposed beam; determining the m-th similarity between the m-th superimposed beam and the target beam; when the m-th similarity does not meet the preset condition, continuing to determine the (m + 1)-th alternative array element parameter of the target array element parameter according to the magnitude relationship between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity; the (m - 1)-th similarity is the similarity between the superimposed beam obtained by superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative array element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0203] Understandably, the step of superimposing the far-field patterns corresponding to the alternative array element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superimposed beam includes: based on the far-field data of the N antennas, using a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm, or a particle swarm algorithm to determine the alternative array element parameters for forming the superimposed beam.

[0204] Understandably, the target array element parameters include: the amplitude of the antenna; and / or the phase of the antenna.

[0205] Understandably, the N antennas include at least one of the following: a pattern-type planar antenna; a metal middle frame antenna.

[0206] Understandably, the step of controlling the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters includes: controlling the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming of a cosecant-squared beam according to the target array element parameters.

[0207] Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention, which follow the general principles of the present invention and include known common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed in this disclosure. The specification and examples are only regarded as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present invention are pointed out by the following claims.

[0208] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A beamforming method, characterized in that, Executed by a terminal, the method includes: Determine first relative position information between the terminal and a serving base station; Obtain target element parameters of N antennas non-arrayedly distributed in the terminal, where the target element parameters are determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information, and the N antennas are distributed in the terminal at arbitrary relative positions; N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2; According to the target element parameters, control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The obtaining of the target element parameters of the N antennas non-arrayedly distributed in the terminal includes: According to the first relative position information, query a preset correspondence between the relative position information between the terminal and the base station and the element parameters of the N antennas, and obtain the target element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; where the preset correspondence is generated by beamforming fitting based on the far-field data of the N antennas in advance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The obtaining of the target element parameters of the N antennas non-arrayedly distributed in the terminal further includes: According to the first relative position information, determine a beam direction to be beamformed and determine a target beam for beamforming according to the beam direction; Based on the far-field data of the N antennas, superimpose far-field patterns corresponding to alternative element parameters to obtain a superimposed beam; Determine the alternative element parameters corresponding to the superimposed beam that satisfies a preset similarity condition with the target beam as the target element parameters.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The superimposing far-field patterns corresponding to alternative element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superimposed beam includes: According to the far-field data of the N antennas, superimpose the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative element parameter to obtain the m-th superimposed beam; Determine the m-th similarity between the m-th superimposed beam and the target beam; When the m-th similarity does not satisfy the preset similarity condition, continue to determine the (m + 1)-th alternative element parameter of the target element parameters according to the magnitude relationship between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity; the (m - 1)-th similarity is the similarity between the superimposed beam obtained by superimposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The superimposing far-field patterns corresponding to alternative element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superimposed beam includes: Based on the far-field data of the N antennas, use a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm, or a particle swarm algorithm to determine the alternative element parameters for forming the superimposed beam.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The target element parameters include: The amplitude of the antenna; and / or the phase of the antenna.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The N antennas include at least one of the following: Pattern-like planar antennas; Metal middle frame antennas.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The controlling the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target element parameters includes: According to the target element parameters, control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming of a cosecant-squared beam.

9. A beamforming device, characterized in that The apparatus corresponds to a terminal and includes: A determination module for determining first relative position information between the terminal and a serving base station; An acquisition module, configured to acquire target array element parameters of N antennas distributed non-arraywise in the terminal, where the target array element parameters are determined based on far-field data of the N antennas and the first relative position information, and the N antennas are distributed in the terminal at arbitrary relative positions; N is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2; A beamforming module, configured to control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming according to the target array element parameters.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The acquisition module is configured to query a preset correspondence between the relative position information between the terminal and the base station and the array element parameters of the N antennas according to the first relative position information, and obtain the target array element parameters of the N antennas corresponding to the first relative position information; where the preset correspondence is generated by pre-performing beamforming fitting based on the far-field data of the N antennas.

11. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The acquisition module includes: A first determination unit, configured to determine a beam direction to be beamformed according to the first relative position information and determine a target beam for beamforming according to the beam direction; A superposition unit, configured to superpose far-field patterns corresponding to alternative array element parameters based on the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain a superposed beam; A second determination unit, configured to determine the alternative array element parameters corresponding to the superposed beam that satisfies a preset similarity condition with the target beam as the target array element parameters.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that, Specifically, the superposition unit is configured to superpose the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the m-th alternative array element parameter according to the far-field data of the N antennas to obtain the m-th superposed beam; Determine the m-th similarity between the m-th superposed beam and the target beam; when the m-th similarity does not satisfy the preset similarity condition, continue to determine the (m + 1)-th alternative array element parameter of the target array element parameters according to the magnitude relationship between the (m - 1)-th similarity and the m-th similarity; the (m - 1)-th similarity is the similarity between the superposed beam obtained by superposing the far-field patterns of the N antennas when using the (m - 1)-th alternative array element parameter and the target beam, and m is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1.

13. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that, Specifically, the superposition unit is configured to determine the alternative array element parameters for forming the superposed beam based on the far-field data of the N antennas by using a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing algorithm, or a particle swarm algorithm.

14. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that, The target array element parameters include: The amplitude of the antenna; and / or the phase of the antenna.

15. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that The N antennas include at least one of the following: Pattern-like planar antennas; Metal middle frame antennas.

16. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that, The beamforming module is configured to control the N antennas to jointly perform beamforming of a cosecant-squared beam according to the target array element parameters.

17. A mobile terminal, characterized in that, It includes: A memory for storing processor-executable instructions; A processor connected to the memory; Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the method provided in any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Computer-executable instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the method provided in any one of claims 1 to 8 above is implemented.

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