A method and apparatus for direction of arrival estimation, a terminal device and a storage medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of signal detection, and proposes a direction of arrival estimation method and device, a terminal device and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring an incident signal received through an antenna array; constructing a self-correlation matrix corresponding to the incident signal according to the number of channels of the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal; setting at least one element in the real part of the self-correlation matrix to a specified value to obtain an updated self-correlation matrix; and using a direction of arrival estimation algorithm to operate the updated self-correlation matrix to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal. In the above process, by setting part of the elements in the real part of the self-correlation matrix to a specified value, for example, to 0, the calculation amount when the direction of arrival estimation algorithm is used to operate the self-correlation matrix can be reduced, thereby reducing the performance requirement of the back-end processor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of signal detection technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium for estimating direction of arrival. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the application of electronic toll collection systems, when it is necessary to locate and track vehicle-mounted electronic tags, the following method is usually adopted: multiple receiving channels with front-end positioning antennas are integrated into the receiving unit of the roadside unit. The direction of arrival (DOA) estimation principle is used to calculate the incident angle of the vehicle-mounted unit's signal relative to the roadside unit. Then, using the installation location information of the roadside unit, the position information of the vehicle-mounted unit is obtained by solving the problem through a three-dimensional coordinate system.

[0003] According to the principle of DOA positioning, the more channels there are, the higher the resolution of the antenna array and the higher the positioning accuracy. Therefore, increasing the number of antenna elements and back-end channels can improve positioning accuracy and thus improve the long-range positioning effect. However, this approach significantly increases the computational load of calculating the signal incident angle using the DOA algorithm, placing high demands on the performance of the back-end processor. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method, apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium, which can reduce the computational load of calculating the signal incident angle using the DOA algorithm and reduce the performance requirements of the back-end processor.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a direction-of-arrival estimation method, including:

[0006] Acquire the incident signal received through the antenna array;

[0007] Based on the number of channels in the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal, the autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal is constructed.

[0008] At least one element of the real part of the autocorrelation matrix is ​​set to a specified value to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix;

[0009] The updated autocorrelation matrix is ​​calculated using a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal.

[0010] In this embodiment, the incident signal received by the antenna array is first acquired. Based on the number of channels in the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal, an autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal is constructed. Then, at least one element in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix is ​​set to a specified value to obtain an updated autocorrelation matrix. Finally, a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm is used to calculate the updated autocorrelation matrix to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal. In the above process, by setting some elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to specified values, such as 0, the computational load when calculating the autocorrelation matrix using the DOA estimation algorithm can be reduced, thereby reducing the performance requirements of the backend processor.

[0011] In one implementation of this application, setting at least one element of the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to a specified value to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix may include:

[0012] Multiple channel combinations are selected from the channels of the antenna array;

[0013] Set the elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix, except for the elements corresponding to the multiple channel combinations, to the specified values.

[0014] Furthermore, selecting multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array may include:

[0015] Multiple initial groups are divided from the channels of the antenna array; wherein each initial group contains at least one channel group, each channel group contains at least two channels, and the channels contained in each channel group belonging to the same initial group are equally spaced;

[0016] For each initial group, select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in that initial group;

[0017] Each of the initial groups selects a channel group as the multiple channel combinations.

[0018] Furthermore, the step of dividing the antenna array into multiple initial groups may include:

[0019] Traverse all channels of the antenna array and determine all channel groups with a spacing of N between them; where M-1≥N≥1, and M is the number of channels in the antenna array;

[0020] All the channel groups with a spacing of N between them are determined as the initial group corresponding to the spacing N.

[0021] Optionally, selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group may include:

[0022] For each initial group, a channel group is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group, such that the channels contained in all the selected channel groups cover all the channels of the antenna array.

[0023] Optionally, each channel of the antenna array is assigned a weight value; the step of selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group may include:

[0024] For each initial group, the weight score of each channel group contained in the initial group is calculated, and the channel group with the highest weight score is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein, the weight score of any channel group is equal to the sum of the weight values ​​of all channels contained in the channel group.

[0025] Optionally, selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group may include:

[0026] The signal strength acquired by each channel of the antenna array is detected separately.

[0027] For each initial group, the signal strength value of each channel group contained in the initial group is calculated, and the channel group with the highest signal strength value is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein, the signal strength value of any channel group is equal to the sum of the signal strengths collected by all the channels contained in the channel group.

[0028] In one implementation of this application, the antenna array can be an equally spaced array or a non-equally spaced array.

[0029] A second aspect of this application provides a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation apparatus, comprising:

[0030] An incident signal acquisition module is used to acquire the incident signal received by the antenna array;

[0031] The autocorrelation matrix construction module is used to construct the autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal based on the number of channels of the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal.

[0032] The autocorrelation matrix update module is used to set at least one element in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to a specified value to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix;

[0033] The direction-of-arrival estimation module is used to perform calculations on the updated autocorrelation matrix using a direction-of-arrival estimation algorithm to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal.

[0034] A third aspect of this application provides a terminal device including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the direction-of-arrival estimation method as provided in the first aspect of this application.

[0035] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the direction-of-arrival estimation method as provided in the first aspect of this application.

[0036] The fifth aspect of this application provides a computer program product that, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to execute the direction-of-arrival estimation method provided in the first aspect of this application.

[0037] It is understood that the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the computational principle of the direction-of-arrival estimation method.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a structural block diagram of a direction-of-arrival estimation system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a direction-of-arrival estimation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a direction of arrival estimation device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application can also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Furthermore, in the description of this application and the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] Currently, in the application of ETC systems, the Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimation principle is usually used to calculate the incident angle of the on-board unit's signal relative to the roadside unit, and then the location information of the on-board unit is obtained by combining the installation position of the roadside unit.

[0045] like Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates the computational principle of the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method. Figure 1 In the context of an antenna array, the phase difference between the incident signals received by adjacent antennas is... Then the incident angle of the incident signal The angular resolution of the incident angle is Where d represents the spacing between antennas, λ represents the signal wavelength, and N represents the number of antenna channels contained in the antenna array.

[0046] It can be seen that the more antenna channels there are, the higher the resolution of the antenna array and the higher the positioning accuracy. Therefore, increasing the number of antenna elements and back-end channels can improve positioning accuracy and thus improve the long-range positioning effect. However, this approach significantly increases the computational load of calculating the signal incident angle using the DOA algorithm, which puts enormous pressure on hardware costs, structure, and back-end data processing. In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a direction-of-arrival estimation method, apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium that can reduce the computational load of calculating the signal incident angle using the DOA algorithm and reduce the performance requirements of the back-end processor. For more specific technical implementation details of the embodiments of this application, please refer to the various embodiments described below.

[0047] Please see Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a structural block diagram of a direction-of-arrival estimation system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2The system shown comprises, in sequence, an antenna array, a down-conversion processing unit, a signal acquisition unit, and a signal processing unit. Each antenna element in the antenna array independently receives microwave signals, which are then processed by the down-conversion processing unit to obtain an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. Next, the signal acquisition unit converts this IF signal (analog signal) into a digital signal. Finally, digital down-conversion processing is performed on this digital signal to obtain the in-phase and quadrature components of the signal. These components form a complex input signal, and the correlation matrix is ​​calculated. An algorithm is then used to solve for the incident angle (i.e., the incidence angle). The number of antenna elements in the antenna array can be flexibly selected according to actual needs.

[0048] It should be understood that the execution subject of the various method embodiments of this application can be various types of terminal devices or servers, such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) devices, laptops, ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs), netbooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), large-screen TVs, etc. The embodiments of this application do not impose any restrictions on the specific type of terminal device and server.

[0049] Please see Figure 3 This illustrates a direction-of-arrival estimation method provided in an embodiment of this application, comprising:

[0050] 301. Acquire the incident signal received through the antenna array;

[0051] First, the incident signal received by the antenna array is acquired. This incident signal is the signal whose azimuth angle (i.e., incident angle) needs to be estimated. The antenna array, which has a certain number of antenna elements and receiving channels, is designed to receive this incident signal.

[0052] In one implementation of this application, the antenna array can be an equally spaced array or a non-equally spaced array.

[0053] In this application embodiment, the type of antenna array and the arrangement of antenna elements are not limited. For example, the direction of arrival estimation method provided in this application embodiment is applicable to both conventional antenna arrays with equal spacing (i.e., the spacing between each antenna element is equal) and special antenna arrays with non-equal spacing (i.e., the spacing between each antenna element can be different).

[0054] 302. Based on the number of channels in the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal, construct the autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal;

[0055] After obtaining the incident signal, an autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal can be constructed based on the number of channels in the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal.

[0056] For example, assuming the incident signal is a DSRC signal sent by the on-board unit, the waveform characteristics of the DSRC signal received by the roadside unit can be expressed as follows:

[0057]

[0058] Where m represents the number of channels in the antenna array of the roadside unit, and n is the number of sampling points for the DSRC signal for each channel.

[0059] By performing correlation operations on the signal Xr, the following autocorrelation matrix Rxx can be obtained. r :

[0060]

[0061] Where a represents each real element and b represents each imaginary element.

[0062] 303. Set at least one element of the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to a specified value to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix;

[0063] After constructing the autocorrelation matrix, to reduce the computational cost when performing operations on the autocorrelation matrix using the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm, some real-part elements of the autocorrelation matrix can be set to specified values, such as 0. This simplifies the calculation expression and reduces the computational cost. Conventional DOA estimation algorithms require correlation operations on signals from all antenna channels, resulting in high computational complexity. This embodiment, by setting some real-part elements of the autocorrelation matrix to 0 or other specified values, effectively selects signals from a subset of antenna channels (with corresponding non-zero real-part elements) for correlation operations, thus reducing the computational cost to some extent. The specific method of selecting elements can be random selection according to a set quantity, selection according to the antenna channel numbering order, or other selection methods described below; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this method.

[0064] In one implementation of this application, setting at least one element of the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to a specified value to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix may include:

[0065] (1) Select multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array;

[0066] (2) Set the elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix other than the elements corresponding to the multiple channel combinations to the specified values.

[0067] In practice, multiple channel combinations can be selected from the antenna array channels according to predefined rules. Then, all elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix, except those corresponding to the selected channel combination, are set to the specified value. For example, assuming the antenna array has four channels (channel 1, channel 2, channel 3, and channel 4), and the selected channel combinations are {channel 1, channel 2} and {channel 3, channel 4}, the matrix element corresponding to the channel combination {channel 1, channel 2} is a. 12 The matrix element corresponding to the channel combination {channel 3, channel 4} is a. 34 Then we can divide a from the real part of the autocorrelation matrix. 12 and a 34 All other elements are set to 0.

[0068] Furthermore, selecting multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array may include:

[0069] (1) Divide the antenna array into multiple initial groups; wherein each initial group contains at least one channel group, each channel group contains at least two channels, and the channels contained in each channel group belonging to the same initial group are equally spaced;

[0070] (2) For each initial group, select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in the initial group;

[0071] (3) The channel group selected by each initial group is determined as the multiple channel combinations.

[0072] This is a method of grouping channels based on their spacing. When dividing the initial groups, each initial group contains at least one channel group, and each channel group contains at least two channels. The spacing between channels within each channel group in the same initial group is equal. Assuming the antenna array has four channels, numbered sequentially as channel 1, channel 2, channel 3, and channel 4, it can be divided into initial groups with a spacing of 1, 2, and 3. Specifically, for an initial group with a spacing of 1, the channel groups it contains could be {channel 1, channel 2}, {channel 2, channel 3}, and {channel 3, channel 4}, etc.; for an initial group with a spacing of 2, the channel groups it contains could be {channel 1, channel 3} and {channel 2, channel 4}, etc.; and for an initial group with a spacing of 3, the channel groups it contains could be {channel 1, channel 4}, etc. Next, for each initial group, one channel group is selected from all the channel groups it contains, resulting in the final selected combination of multiple channels. For example, if the initial group with a spacing of 1 selects channel group {channel1, channel2}, the initial group with a spacing of 2 selects channel group {channel2, channel4}, and the initial group with a spacing of 3 selects channel group {channel1, channel4}, then the final selected channel combinations are {channel1, channel2}, {channel2, channel4}, and {channel1, channel4}.

[0073] Furthermore, the step of dividing the antenna array into multiple initial groups may include:

[0074] (1) Traverse all channels of the antenna array and determine all channel groups with a spacing of N between the channels; where M-1≥N≥1, and M is the number of channels of the antenna array;

[0075] (2) Determine all the channel groups with a spacing of N between them as the initial group corresponding to the spacing N.

[0076] When dividing the initial groups, we can traverse all channels of the antenna array to find all possible channel groups with a spacing of N, and use these as the initial groups corresponding to spacing N. For example, assuming the antenna array has 4 channels, for an initial group with a spacing of 2, traversing all possible combinations will yield channel groups {channel 1, channel 3} and {channel 2, channel 4}.

[0077] Optionally, selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group may include:

[0078] For each initial group, a channel group is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group, such that the channels contained in all the selected channel groups cover all the channels of the antenna array.

[0079] When selecting a channel group from each initial group as the final selected channel combination, one implementation is to ensure that all channels in the final selected channel groups cover all channels of the antenna array. This arrangement comprehensively considers the impact of signals from all channels of the antenna array on azimuth estimation, improving the accuracy of azimuth estimation to some extent. For example, assuming the antenna array has 4 channels, the initial group with a spacing of 1 contains channel groups {channel 1, channel 2}, {channel 2, channel 3}, and {channel 3, channel 4}; the initial group with a spacing of 2 contains channel groups {channel 1, channel 3} and {channel 2, channel 4}; and the initial group with a spacing of 3 contains channel group {channel 1, channel 4}. If the initial group with a spacing of 3 selects channel group {channel 1, channel 4}, and the initial group with a spacing of 2 selects channel group {channel 1, channel 3}, then to cover all channels of the antenna array (channel 2 is not yet covered), the initial group with a spacing of 1 could select channel group {channel 1, channel 2} or {channel 2, channel 3}.

[0080] Optionally, each channel of the antenna array is assigned a weight value; the step of selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group may include:

[0081] For each initial group, the weight score of each channel group contained in the initial group is calculated, and the channel group with the highest weight score is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein, the weight score of any channel group is equal to the sum of the weight values ​​of all channels contained in the channel group.

[0082] When selecting a channel group from each initial group as the final channel combination, another approach is to select the channel group with the highest possible weight score. In practice, a corresponding weight value can be pre-assigned to each channel based on its condition and characteristics in the antenna array. For example, if a channel has excellent performance, a higher weight value can be assigned to it, while if a channel has poor performance, a lower weight value can be assigned to it. For each initial group, the weight score of each channel group within that initial group is calculated. This weight score is equal to the sum of the weight values ​​of all channels within the channel group. Finally, the channel group with the highest weight score can be selected from each initial group. This setting takes into account the impact of the signal received by the high-performance channel in the antenna array on the azimuth estimation, which helps improve the accuracy of the azimuth estimation. For example, suppose an initial group with a spacing of 2 contains channel groups {channel 1, channel 3} and {channel 2, channel 4}, where the weight value of channel 1 is w1, the weight value of channel 2 is w2, the weight value of channel 3 is w3, and the weight value of channel 4 is w4. The weight score of the channel group {Channel 1, Channel 3} is w1+w3, and the weight score of the channel group {Channel 2, Channel 4} is w2+w4. If w1+w3>w2+w4, then the channel group selected for the initial group with a spacing of 2 is {Channel 1, Channel 3}.

[0083] Optionally, selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group may include:

[0084] (1) Detect the signal strength acquired by each channel of the antenna array respectively;

[0085] (2) For each initial group, calculate the signal strength value of each channel group contained in the initial group, and select the channel group with the highest signal strength value from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein, the signal strength value of any channel group is equal to the sum of the signal strengths collected by all the channels contained in the channel group.

[0086] Another approach to selecting a channel group from each initial group as the final channel combination is to prioritize the channel group with the highest possible signal strength. First, the signal strength acquired by each channel of the antenna array is detected. For each initial group, the signal strength value of each channel group within that initial group is calculated. This signal strength value is equal to the sum of the signal strengths acquired by all channels within the channel group. Finally, the channel group with the highest signal strength value can be selected from each initial group. This setup maximizes the consideration of the influence of channels with higher signal strength acquired by the antenna array on azimuth estimation, thus improving the accuracy of azimuth estimation. For example, suppose an initial group with a spacing of 2 contains channel groups {channel 1, channel 3} and {channel 2, channel 4}, where the signal strength of channel 1 is p1, the signal strength of channel 2 is p2, the signal strength of channel 3 is p3, and the signal strength of channel 4 is p4. The signal strength value of channel group {channel 1, channel 3} is p1+p3, and the signal strength value of channel group {channel 2, channel 4} is p2+p4. If p1+p3>p2+p4, then the channel group selected for the initial group with a spacing of 2 is {channel 1, channel 3}.

[0087] 304. The updated autocorrelation matrix is ​​calculated using the direction-of-arrival estimation algorithm to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal.

[0088] After obtaining the updated autocorrelation matrix, the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm can be used to calculate the incident angle of the incident signal. The specific steps for calculating the autocorrelation matrix using the DOA estimation algorithm can be found in existing techniques and will not be elaborated here.

[0089] In this embodiment, the incident signal received by the antenna array is first acquired. Based on the number of channels in the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal, an autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal is constructed. Then, at least one element in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix is ​​set to a specified value to obtain an updated autocorrelation matrix. Finally, a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm is used to calculate the updated autocorrelation matrix to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal. In the above process, by setting some elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to specified values, such as 0, the computational load when calculating the autocorrelation matrix using the DOA estimation algorithm can be reduced, thereby reducing the performance requirements of the backend processor.

[0090] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0091] The above mainly describes a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method. The following will describe a DOA estimation device.

[0092] Please see Figure 4 One embodiment of a direction-of-arrival estimation device in this application includes:

[0093] Incident signal acquisition module 401 is used to acquire the incident signal received by the antenna array;

[0094] The autocorrelation matrix construction module 402 is used to construct the autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal based on the number of channels of the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal.

[0095] The autocorrelation matrix update module 403 is used to set at least one element in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix to a specified value to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix;

[0096] The direction-of-arrival estimation module 404 is used to perform calculations on the updated autocorrelation matrix using a direction-of-arrival estimation algorithm to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal.

[0097] In one implementation of this application, the autocorrelation matrix update module may include:

[0098] The channel combination selection unit is used to select multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array;

[0099] The matrix element setting unit is used to set the elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix, excluding the elements corresponding to the multiple channel combinations, to the specified values.

[0100] Furthermore, the channel combination selection unit may include:

[0101] An initial grouping subunit is used to divide multiple initial groups from the channels of the antenna array; wherein each initial group contains at least one channel group, each channel group contains at least two channels, and the channels contained in each channel group belonging to the same initial group are equally spaced;

[0102] The channel group selection subunit is used to select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group;

[0103] The channel combination determination subunit is used to determine the channel group selected by each of the initial groups as the multiple channel combinations.

[0104] Furthermore, the initial grouping subunit may include:

[0105] The channel traversal subunit is used to traverse all channels of the antenna array and determine all channel groups with a spacing of N between them; where M-1≥N≥1, and M is the number of channels of the antenna array;

[0106] An initial grouping determination subunit is used to determine all the channel groups with a spacing of N between them as the initial grouping corresponding to the spacing N.

[0107] Optionally, the channel grouping selection subunit may include:

[0108] The first channel group selection subunit is used to select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group, such that the channels contained in all the selected channel groups cover all the channels of the antenna array.

[0109] Optionally, each channel of the antenna array is assigned a weight value; the channel grouping selection subunit may include:

[0110] The second channel group selection subunit is used to calculate the weight score of each channel group contained in each initial group, and select the channel group with the highest weight score from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein, the weight score of any channel group is equal to the sum of the weight values ​​of all channels contained in the channel group.

[0111] Optionally, the channel grouping selection subunit may include:

[0112] The signal strength detection subunit is used to detect the signal strength collected by each channel of the antenna array.

[0113] The third channel group selection subunit is used to calculate the signal strength value of each channel group contained in each initial group, and select the channel group with the highest signal strength value from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein the signal strength value of any channel group is equal to the sum of the signal strengths collected by all the channels contained in the channel group.

[0114] In one implementation of this application, the antenna array is either an equally spaced array or a non-equally spaced array.

[0115] This application embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements... Figure 3 This represents any method for estimating the direction of arrival.

[0116] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform actions such as... Figure 3 This represents any method for estimating the direction of arrival.

[0117] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the terminal device 5 in this embodiment includes: a processor 50, a memory 51, and a computer program 52 stored in the memory 51 and executable on the processor 50. When the processor 50 executes the computer program 52, it implements the steps in the embodiments of the various direction-of-arrival estimation methods described above, for example... Figure 3 Steps 301 to 304 are shown. Alternatively, when the processor 50 executes the computer program 52, it implements the functions of each module / unit in the above-described device embodiments, for example... Figure 4 The functions of modules 401 to 404 are shown.

[0118] The computer program 52 can be divided into one or more modules / units, which are stored in the memory 51 and executed by the processor 50 to complete this application. The one or more modules / units can be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of performing specific functions, which describe the execution process of the computer program 52 in the terminal device 5.

[0119] The processor 50 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0120] The memory 51 can be an internal storage unit of the terminal device 5, such as a hard disk or memory of the terminal device 5. The memory 51 can also be an external storage device of the terminal device 5, such as a plug-in hard disk, Smart Media Card (SMC), Secure Digital (SD) card, or Flash Card equipped on the terminal device 5. Furthermore, the memory 51 can include both internal and external storage units of the terminal device 5. The memory 51 is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal device. The memory 51 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0121] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0122] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0123] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0124] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0125] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0126] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs.

[0127] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0128] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, recording media, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, optical disks, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution media, etc. It should be noted that the content included in the computer-readable medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media do not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0129] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A direction-of-arrival estimation method, characterized in that, include: Acquire the incident signal received through the antenna array; Based on the number of channels in the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal, the autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal is constructed. Multiple channel combinations are selected from the channels of the antenna array; Set all elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix except those corresponding to the multiple channel combinations to 0 to obtain the updated autocorrelation matrix; The updated autocorrelation matrix is ​​calculated using a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal. The step of selecting multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array includes: Multiple initial groups are divided from the channels of the antenna array; wherein each initial group contains at least one channel group, each channel group contains at least two channels, and the channels contained in each channel group belonging to the same initial group are equally spaced; For each initial group, select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in that initial group; Each of the initial groups selects a channel group as a combination of the multiple channels; The step of selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group includes: For each initial group, select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in that initial group, such that the channels contained in all the selected channel groups cover all the channels of the antenna array; or, For each initial group, calculate the weight score of each channel group contained in that initial group, and select the channel group with the highest weight score from all the channel groups contained in that initial group, wherein the weight score of any channel group is equal to the sum of the weight values ​​of all channels contained in that channel group; or, For each initial group, the signal strength value of each channel group contained in the initial group is calculated, and the channel group with the highest signal strength value is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group, wherein the signal strength value of any channel group is equal to the sum of the signal strengths collected by all the channels contained in the channel group.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process of dividing the antenna array into multiple initial groups includes: Traverse all channels of the antenna array and determine all channel groups with a spacing of N between them; where M-1≥N≥1, and M is the number of channels in the antenna array; All the channel groups with a spacing of N between them are determined as the initial group corresponding to the spacing N.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The antenna array can be either an equally spaced array or an unequally spaced array.

4. A direction-of-arrival estimation device, characterized in that, include: An incident signal acquisition module is used to acquire the incident signal received by the antenna array; The autocorrelation matrix construction module is used to construct the autocorrelation matrix corresponding to the incident signal based on the number of channels of the antenna array and the waveform characteristics of the incident signal. The autocorrelation matrix update module selects multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array and sets all elements in the real part of the autocorrelation matrix except those corresponding to the multiple channel combinations to 0, thereby obtaining the updated autocorrelation matrix; the direction of arrival estimation module is used to calculate the updated autocorrelation matrix using a direction of arrival estimation algorithm to obtain the incident angle of the incident signal. The step of selecting multiple channel combinations from the channels of the antenna array includes: Multiple initial groups are divided from the channels of the antenna array; wherein each initial group contains at least one channel group, each channel group contains at least two channels, and the channels contained in each channel group belonging to the same initial group are equally spaced; For each initial group, select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in that initial group; Each of the initial groups selects a channel group as a combination of the multiple channels; The step of selecting a channel group from all the channel groups contained in each initial group includes: For each initial group, select one channel group from all the channel groups contained in that initial group, such that the channels contained in all the selected channel groups cover all the channels of the antenna array; or, For each initial group, calculate the weight score of each channel group contained in that initial group, and select the channel group with the highest weight score from all the channel groups contained in that initial group; wherein, the weight score of any channel group is equal to the sum of the weight values ​​of all channels contained in that channel group; or, For each initial group, the signal strength value of each channel group contained in the initial group is calculated, and the channel group with the highest signal strength value is selected from all the channel groups contained in the initial group; wherein, the signal strength value of any channel group is equal to the sum of the signal strengths collected by all the channels contained in the channel group.

5. A terminal device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the direction-of-arrival estimation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the direction-of-arrival estimation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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