A correction device and a correction method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202210764022.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-25
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-06-30
Smart Images
Figure CN117375673B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a calibration device and calibration method. Background Technology
[0002] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems are a common type of wireless communication system. To improve the performance of MIMO systems, the transmitter needs to be calibrated to ensure that the phase, amplitude, and delay of the multiple end-to-end processes in the MIMO system are as consistent as possible.
[0003] Currently, common calibration methods can be divided into hard calibration and soft calibration. Hard calibration refers to the calibration achieved by constructing a measurement loop through hardware connections within the network device; while soft calibration generally requires the construction of a measurement loop through air interface channel measurements and feedback to achieve calibration. The specific transmission path from baseband to antenna in current network devices is as follows: baseband ~ RF unit ~ feeder ~ antenna. In the hard calibration method, a switch is set between the feeder and the antenna. By controlling the closing or opening of this switch, the signal coupled back from the antenna cannot interfere with the calibration signal.
[0004] The applicant's research revealed that the phase, amplitude, and delay within the radio frequency (RF) unit change rapidly, while those changes more slowly in the antenna section outside the RF unit. To correct the RF unit, frequent switching on and off is required. However, during the switch's open state, the corresponding RF channel cannot transmit service data, thus reducing the network device's data throughput and performance. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application propose a calibration device, which is applied to a network device, and the calibration device includes:
[0006] The device includes an antenna, at least two radio frequency (RF) units, a coupling plate, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna via the RF units. Each RF unit includes an RF channel, which corresponds to and is connected to the antenna.
[0007] The coupling board includes a radio frequency channel port and a coupling port, wherein the radio frequency channel port is connected to the radio frequency channel, and the coupling port is connected to the radio frequency channel;
[0008] Any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit constitutes an internal correction loop, and the period for transmitting the correction signal in the internal correction loop is a first period.
[0009] The at least two radio frequency units include a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency channel, and the second radio frequency unit includes a second radio frequency channel. The first radio frequency channel, the second radio frequency channel, and the coupling plate constitute an external correction circuit. The period for transmitting the correction signal in the external correction circuit is a second period, which is greater than the first period.
[0010] This application proposes a calibration device. For the internal components of the radio frequency (RF) unit, an internal calibration with a calibration period of one cycle is designed. For the external components extending from the RF unit to the antenna, an external calibration with a calibration period of two cycles is designed, where the second cycle is longer than the first cycle. Different calibration periods are designed for different parts of the network device to adapt to variations in phase, amplitude, and delay. This improves data transmission efficiency and overall performance of the network device while ensuring calibration performance.
[0011] In one possible implementation, in the at least two radio frequency (RF) units, the antennas connected to the RF channels within the same RF unit belong to the same polarization type. Using this method, the same polarization type antenna and its corresponding RF channel can be calibrated within the same RF unit via an internal calibration loop. This avoids the need for external calibration loops between multiple RF units to correct antennas of different polarization types, which could cause phase errors. While ensuring calibration effectiveness, a second cycle of the external calibration loop is further added to reduce the impact of the external calibration loop on network equipment.
[0012] In one possible implementation, the coupling board further includes a coupling switch, which is connected to both the coupling port and the RF channel. The coupling switch controls the connection between the coupling port and the RF channel. This method ensures that the RF channel connected to the coupling port is used solely for receiving correction signals. Other RF channels used for transmitting correction signals are connected to the RF channel port under the control of the coupling switch. This ensures isolation between the coupling port and the RF channel port, preventing interference.
[0013] In one possible implementation, when the coupling switch is in a first state, it controls the coupling port to connect to the radio frequency channel, and the radio frequency channel port to disconnect from the radio frequency channel; when the coupling switch is in a second state, it controls the coupling port to disconnect from the radio frequency channel, and the radio frequency channel port to disconnect from the radio frequency channel.
[0014] In one possible implementation, when the external correction loop transmits the correction signal, it includes:
[0015] The first radio frequency channel in the external calibration circuit is used to transmit the calibration signal, and the second radio frequency channel in the external calibration circuit is used to receive the calibration signal. The calibration signal is transmitted through the coupling plate.
[0016] The coupling switch controls the second radio frequency channel to connect to the coupling port, so that the second radio frequency channel receives the correction signal through the coupling port;
[0017] The coupling switch controls other radio frequency channels in the network device to disconnect from the coupling port.
[0018] In one possible implementation, the internal correction loop includes:
[0019] An internal calibration transmit channel and an internal calibration receive channel, wherein the internal calibration transmit channel is any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit, and the internal calibration receive channel is a calibration loop.
[0020] In one possible implementation, the correction loop is another radio frequency channel in the radio frequency unit that is inconsistent with the internal correction transmit channel; or, the correction loop is a data channel in the radio frequency unit that is independent of the radio frequency channel.
[0021] In one possible implementation, the calibration device further includes an antenna switch and an antenna port; the antenna port is connected to the antenna via the antenna switch; the antenna switch is used to control the connection between the antenna port and the antenna; the antenna port is connected to the radio frequency channel.
[0022] When the RF channel is used as a channel for transmitting correction signals in the external correction loop, the antenna switch corresponding to the RF channel is in a closed state, so that the RF channel is connected to the antenna through the antenna port and the antenna switch; when the RF channel is used as a channel for receiving correction signals in the external correction loop, the antenna switch corresponding to the RF channel is in an open state, so that the RF channel is disconnected from the antenna through the antenna port and the antenna switch to avoid interference.
[0023] Secondly, this application provides a calibration method applied to a calibration device applied to a network device. The calibration device includes an antenna, at least two radio frequency units, a coupling plate, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna through the radio frequency units. The radio frequency units include radio frequency channels, wherein the radio frequency channels correspond to the antenna and are connected to the antenna.
[0024] The coupling plate includes a radio frequency channel port and a coupling port. The antenna port is connected to the antenna through the antenna switch. The antenna switch is used to control the connection between the antenna port and the antenna. The radio frequency channel port is connected to the radio frequency channel. The radio frequency channel is connected to the antenna port through the radio frequency channel port. The coupling port is connected to the radio frequency channel.
[0025] Any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit constitutes an internal correction loop, and the period for transmitting the correction signal in the internal correction loop is a first period.
[0026] The at least two radio frequency units include a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency channel, and the second radio frequency unit includes a second radio frequency channel. The first radio frequency channel, the second radio frequency channel, and the coupling plate constitute an external correction circuit. The period for transmitting the correction signal in the external correction circuit is a second period, which is greater than the first period.
[0027] The method includes:
[0028] At each interval of the first cycle, the baseband input signal to the radio frequency unit is corrected according to the correction signal transmitted by the plurality of internal correction loops in the radio frequency unit;
[0029] At each interval of the second cycle, the signal input from the baseband to the radio frequency unit is corrected according to the correction signal transmitted by the plurality of external correction loops.
[0030] This application proposes a correction method. For the internal components of the radio frequency (RF) unit, an internal correction with a correction period of one cycle is designed. For the external portion from the RF unit to the antenna, an external correction with a correction period of two cycles is designed, where the second cycle is longer than the first cycle. Different correction cycles are designed for different parts of the network device to adapt to variations in phase, amplitude, and delay. This improves data transmission efficiency and overall performance of the network device while ensuring correction performance.
[0031] In one possible implementation, the correction device is as described in any one of the preceding first aspects.
[0032] Thirdly, embodiments of this application propose a correction device, characterized in that the correction device includes a processing module and a transceiver module;
[0033] The transceiver module is used to transmit and receive correction signals;
[0034] The processing module is used to correct the baseband input signal to the radio frequency unit according to the correction signal transmitted by multiple internal correction loops in the radio frequency unit at each first cycle interval;
[0035] The processing module is also used to correct the baseband input signal to the radio frequency unit every second cycle based on the correction signal transmitted from multiple external correction loops.
[0036] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a calibration device, characterized in that the calibration device comprises:
[0037] Memory, including instructions;
[0038] The processor, when executing the instructions, causes the correction device to implement the method described in the second aspect above.
[0039] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method described in the second aspect above.
[0040] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, characterized in that it includes a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the second aspect above.
[0041] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a network device, characterized in that the network device includes a calibration device, the calibration device being the calibration device described in any one of the preceding first aspects.
[0042] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, characterized in that the communication system includes a network device, the network device being the network device described in any one of the preceding seventh aspects. Attached Figure Description
[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this application;
[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a calibration device in this application;
[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the calibration device in this application;
[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the calibration device in this application;
[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario in the embodiments of this application;
[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the correction device 600 in this application. Detailed Implementation
[0049] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0050] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not necessarily limited to those steps or modules explicitly listed, but may include other steps or modules not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices. The division of modules appearing in this application is a logical division; in practical applications, other division methods may be used, such as multiple modules being combined into or integrated into another system, or some features being omitted or not performed.
[0051] Furthermore, in this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," "set," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.
[0052] The calibration device provided in this application embodiment can be applied to multi-channel, multi-antenna system equipment such as communication base stations, wireless backhaul, satellite communication, and detection radar.
[0053] It should be understood that the aforementioned network equipment corresponds to different devices in different communication systems. For example, in the second generation mobile communication technology (2G) system, it corresponds to the base station and base station controller; in the third generation mobile communication technology (3G) system, it corresponds to the base station and radio network controller (RNC); in the fourth generation mobile communication technology (4G) system, it corresponds to the evolved node B (eNB); and in the 5G system, it corresponds to the access network equipment (such as the next generation node B (gNB)) in the new radio (NR) system.
[0054] Currently, common calibration methods can be divided into hard calibration and soft calibration. Hard calibration refers to the calibration achieved by constructing a measurement loop through hardware connections within the network device; while soft calibration generally requires the construction of a measurement loop through air interface channel measurements and feedback to achieve calibration. The specific transmission path from baseband to antenna in current network devices is as follows: baseband ~ RF unit ~ feeder ~ antenna. In the hard calibration method, a switch is set between the feeder and the antenna. By controlling the closing or opening of this switch, the signal coupled back from the antenna cannot interfere with the calibration signal.
[0055] The applicant's research revealed that the phase, amplitude, and delay within the radio frequency (RF) unit change rapidly, while those changes more slowly in the antenna section outside the RF unit. To correct the RF unit, frequent switching on and off is required. However, during the switch's open state, the corresponding RF channel cannot transmit service data, thus reducing the network device's data transmission efficiency and performance.
[0056] Based on this, this application proposes a correction device. For the internal portion of the radio frequency (RF) unit, an internal correction with a correction period of one cycle is designed; for the portion extending from the RF unit to the antenna, an external correction with a correction period of two cycles is designed, where the second cycle is longer than the first cycle. Different correction periods are designed for different parts of the network device to adapt to variations in phase, amplitude, and delay. This improves data transmission efficiency and overall performance of the network device while ensuring correction performance.
[0057] Please see Figure 1 . Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this application. The network device may include: an antenna, a coupling plate, a radio frequency unit, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna through the radio frequency unit and the coupling plate. The correction device proposed in this embodiment can be applied to a network device. It is understood that the correction device proposed in this embodiment can also be applied to other communication devices, such as stations (STAs) or terminal devices.
[0058] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a calibration device according to this application. The calibration device includes:
[0059] The device includes an antenna, at least two radio frequency (RF) units, a coupling plate, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna via the RF units. Each RF unit includes an RF channel, which corresponds to and is connected to the antenna.
[0060] The coupling board includes a radio frequency channel port and a coupling port, wherein the radio frequency channel port is connected to the radio frequency channel, and the coupling port is connected to the radio frequency channel;
[0061] Any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit constitutes an internal correction loop, and the period for transmitting the correction signal in the internal correction loop is a first period.
[0062] The at least two radio frequency units include a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency channel, and the second radio frequency unit includes a second radio frequency channel. The first radio frequency channel, the second radio frequency channel, and the coupling plate constitute an external correction circuit. The period for transmitting the correction signal in the external correction circuit is a second period, which is greater than the first period.
[0063] It is understood that the radio frequency unit in the embodiments of this application can be an RRU (Radio Remote Unit), or other physical units with the function of receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.
[0064] Specifically, the internal calibration loop includes an internal calibration transmit channel and an internal calibration receive channel, wherein the internal calibration transmit channel is any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit, and the internal calibration receive channel is a calibration loop.
[0065] Specifically, the correction loop is another RF channel in the RF unit that is inconsistent with the internal correction transmit channel; or, the correction loop is a data channel in the RF unit that is independent of the RF channel. For example, in the internal correction loop, the correction loop can be another RF channel in the RF unit, such as... Figure 2 Channel #1 serves as the internal calibration transmit channel, and channel #4 serves as the internal calibration receive channel (i.e., the calibration loop). Alternatively, a separate data channel can be configured within the RF unit for use as the calibration loop. Figure 2 (Not shown in the image).
[0066] Specifically, the calibration device further includes an antenna switch and an antenna port; the antenna port is connected to the antenna via the antenna switch; the antenna switch is used to control the connection between the antenna port and the antenna; the antenna port is connected to the radio frequency channel.
[0067] When the RF channel is used as a channel for transmitting correction signals in the external correction loop, the antenna switch corresponding to the RF channel is in a closed state, so that the RF channel is connected to the antenna through the antenna port and the antenna switch; when the RF channel is used as a channel for receiving correction signals in the external correction loop, the antenna switch corresponding to the RF channel is in an open state, so that the RF channel is disconnected from the antenna through the antenna port and the antenna switch to avoid interference.
[0068] In another possible implementation, the antenna switch is connected to the antenna via an antenna port and is also connected to the radio frequency unit; the antenna switch is used to control the connection between the antenna port and the radio frequency unit (the radio frequency channel in the radio frequency unit) and the antenna.
[0069] Because the temperature inside the RF unit changes rapidly, these temperature variations can easily cause changes in the RF characteristics. Therefore, this embodiment of the application designs an internal correction loop to correct the RF unit, performing correction according to a first cycle to adapt to the rapid changes in the RF characteristics of the RF unit and ensure the communication quality of the RF unit. For example, if the first cycle is 1 minute, then the RF unit performs correction based on the internal correction loop once every 1 minute.
[0070] For example, taking RF unit #1 as an example, this describes how the internal calibration loop performs calibration. First, channel #1 in RF unit #1 is selected as the transmitting channel of the internal calibration loop, and channel #4 in RF unit #1 is selected as the receiving channel of the internal calibration loop. Channel #1 transmits a calibration signal, which is transmitted within RF unit #1 and then received through channel #4. In other words, channel #1 serves as the internal calibration transmitting channel, and channel #2 serves as the internal calibration receiving channel.
[0071] Each RF unit is responsible for the calibration of multiple RF channels within that RF unit. For example, RF unit #1 is responsible for the calibration of channels #1 to #4; RF unit #2 is responsible for the calibration of channels #5 to #8.
[0072] Since the RF characteristics of the section from the RF unit's exterior to the feeder and antenna are less susceptible to changes due to temperature variations, this application embodiment relates to an external calibration loop for calibrating the RF unit's exterior to antenna section. This external calibration loop performs calibration according to a second cycle. Because the calibration process of the external calibration loop affects the normal data transmission and reception of the RF channel, the second cycle is longer than the first cycle. This ensures the calibration effect while avoiding frequent external calibrations that could impact the data transmission efficiency of the network device. For ease of description, the calibration performed based on the external calibration loop is referred to as external calibration, and the RF unit's exterior to the feeder and antenna section is referred to as an end-to-end path. The portion of each RF channel connected to its corresponding antenna via the feeder is considered an end-to-end path.
[0073] Specifically, the purpose of external calibration is to achieve phase, amplitude, and / or time delay correction and alignment between multiple end-to-end paths. For example, channel #4 and channel #8 are used to illustrate how the external calibration loop performs calibration. Channel #4 is selected as the receiving channel of the external calibration loop, and channel #8 as the transmitting channel. First, the RF channel port corresponding to channel #8 is connected to the antenna port, and the antenna switch corresponding to channel #8 is connected to the antenna corresponding to channel #8, allowing the calibration signal transmitted by channel #8 to be transmitted to the antenna corresponding to channel #8. The coupling port corresponding to channel #4 is connected to channel #4, and the antenna switch corresponding to channel #4 is disconnected, disconnecting channel #4 from the antenna corresponding to channel #4 and preventing channel #4 from being affected by the antenna. With the above settings, the calibration signal transmitted by channel #8 can reach channel #4 through the coupling plate, realizing the calibration of the external calibration loop.
[0074] Optionally, in the at least two radio frequency units, the antennas connected to the radio frequency channels within the same radio frequency unit belong to the same polarization. Using the above method, the same polarization type antenna and its corresponding radio frequency channel can be calibrated within the same radio frequency unit through an internal calibration loop. This avoids the need for external calibration loops between multiple radio frequency units to correct antennas of different polarization types, which could cause phase errors. While ensuring the calibration effect, a second cycle of the external calibration loop is further increased to reduce the impact of the external calibration loop on network equipment.
[0075] For example, with Figure 3 For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the calibration device in this application. Figure 3The antenna connected to RF unit #1 is of type I polarization (+45°), and the antenna connected to RF unit #2 is of type II polarization (-45°). In this case, the phase correction requirement for antennas of the same polarization can be ensured through the internal correction loop. This, in turn, ensures beamforming for antennas of the same polarization.
[0076] Optional, such as Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the calibration device in this application. The coupling plate further includes a coupling switch, which is connected to both the coupling port and the radio frequency channel. The coupling switch is used to control the connection between the coupling port and the radio frequency channel. Specifically, when performing calibration based on an external calibration loop, the radio frequency channel needs to perform different functions at different times. For example, radio frequency channel #1 transmits the calibration signal at time #1 and receives the calibration signal at time #2. Multiple radio frequency channels are fixedly connected to the coupling port. The calibration signal transmitted in the coupling port will interfere with other radio frequency channels connected to that coupling port, affecting the calibration result.
[0077] Therefore, to isolate the aforementioned interference, a coupling switch is added to the coupling board. The coupling switch is connected to both the coupling port and the RF channel, and is used to control the connection between the coupling port and the RF channel. When the coupling switch is in a first state, it controls the coupling port to connect to the RF channel, and the RF channel port to disconnect from the RF channel; when the coupling switch is in a second state, it controls the coupling port to disconnect from the RF channel, and the RF channel port to disconnect from the RF channel.
[0078] This application proposes a calibration device. For the internal components of the radio frequency (RF) unit, an internal calibration with a calibration period of one cycle is designed. For the external components extending from the RF unit to the antenna, an external calibration with a calibration period of two cycles is designed, where the second cycle is longer than the first cycle. Different calibration periods are designed for different parts of the network device to adapt to variations in phase, amplitude, and delay. This improves data transmission efficiency and overall performance of the network device while ensuring calibration performance.
[0079] Based on the foregoing embodiments, an application scenario proposed in this application is described below. Figure 2 This application describes the calibration process performed by the calibration device based on an external calibration loop in the embodiments of this application. The calibration of the external calibration loop is performed once every second cycle, which can be 24 hours, 12 hours, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.
[0080] Step 1: Select channels #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, and #8 as the transmit channels of the external calibration loop. Channels #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, and #8 transmit calibration signals. These calibration signals are transmitted to channel #4 via a coupling plate, which serves as the receive loop of the external calibration loop. The baseband receives the calibration signals through channel #4 and calculates the received phase of the calibration signals from different channels. Based on the received phases corresponding to different channels, the phase difference that needs to be compensated for in that RF channel is determined, thus completing the calibration.
[0081] Step 2: Since channel #4, as the receiving channel of the external calibration loop, was not calibrated in Step 1, it also needs to participate in the calibration as the transmitting channel of the external calibration loop. Choose any two channels from the channels #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, and #8 that were calibrated in Step 1, for example, channel #1 and channel #5. Select channel #1 as the transmitting channel of the external calibration loop and channel #5 as the receiving channel. First, channels #1 and #4 transmit calibration signals, which are received by channel #5 through the coupling plate. The baseband uses the calibration signal received by channel #5 to calculate the received phase of the calibration signals from channels #4 and #1. Based on the received phase, determine the phase difference that channel #4 needs to compensate for relative to channel #1, thus completing the calibration of channel #4. The calibration of channels #1 to #8 is achieved using the above method.
[0082] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, another application scenario proposed in this application is described below. Please refer to... Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario in an embodiment of this application. When the coupling plate also includes a coupling switch, the correction process based on the external correction loop is performed as follows:
[0083] Specifically, RF channel #8 is used as the first RF channel of the external calibration circuit, that is, RF channel #8 is used to send calibration signals; RF channel #4 is used as the second RF channel of the external calibration circuit, that is, RF channel #4 is used to receive calibration signals transmitted through the coupling plate.
[0084] Figure 5 In the process, radio frequency channel #8 needs to transmit a correction signal, and the antenna switch #8 corresponding to radio frequency channel #8 is closed; the coupling switch #8 is in the second state, that is, the coupling switch #8 controls the radio frequency channel #8 to connect with the radio frequency channel port #8, and the radio frequency channel #8 to disconnect from the coupling port #8.
[0085] RF channel #4 needs to receive a correction signal. The antenna switch #4 corresponding to RF channel #4 is open to avoid the influence of the correction signal coupled by antenna #4 on RF channel #4. The coupling switch #4 is in the first state, that is, the coupling switch #4 controls the connection of RF channel #4 to coupling port #4, and RF channel #4 is connected to RF channel port #4.
[0086] When the function of the RF channel in the external calibration loop changes, for example: RF channel #4 becomes the first RF channel of the external calibration loop, that is, RF channel #4 is used to send calibration signals; RF channel #8 becomes the second RF channel of the external calibration loop, that is, RF channel #8 is used to receive calibration signals transmitted through the coupling plate.
[0087] Specifically, the following applies: Radio frequency channel #4 needs to transmit a correction signal, so the antenna switch #4 corresponding to radio frequency channel #4 is closed; the coupling switch #4 is in the second state, that is, the coupling switch #4 controls the connection between radio frequency channel #4 and radio frequency channel port #4, and the disconnection between radio frequency channel #4 and coupling port #4.
[0088] RF channel #8 needs to receive a correction signal. The antenna switch #8 corresponding to RF channel #8 is open to avoid the RF channel #8 being affected by the correction signal coupled by antenna #8. The coupling switch #8 is in the first state, that is, the coupling switch #8 controls the RF channel #8 to connect with the coupling port #8, and the RF channel #8 is connected with the RF channel port #8.
[0089] The above method ensures that the RF channel connected to the coupling port is used solely for receiving correction signals. Other RF channels used for transmitting correction signals are connected to the RF channel port under the control of the coupling switch. This ensures isolation between the coupling port and the RF channel port, preventing interference.
[0090] Understandable Figure 5 The antenna switches (antenna switch #4 and antenna switch #8) shown in the diagram can correspond to the same physical antenna switch; the antenna ports (antenna port #4 and antenna port #8) can correspond to the same physical antenna port; the radio frequency channel ports (radio frequency channel port #4 and radio frequency channel port #8) can correspond to the same physical radio frequency channel port; the coupling switches (coupling switch #4 and coupling switch #8) can correspond to the same physical coupling switch, and this application embodiment does not limit this.
[0091] This application also proposes a calibration method, which is applied to a calibration device, which is applied to a network device. The calibration device includes: an antenna, at least two radio frequency units, a coupling plate, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna through the radio frequency units. The radio frequency units include radio frequency channels, wherein the radio frequency channels correspond to the antenna and are connected to the antenna.
[0092] The coupling board includes a radio frequency channel port and a coupling port, wherein the radio frequency channel port is connected to the radio frequency channel, and the coupling port is connected to the radio frequency channel;
[0093] Any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit constitutes an internal correction loop, and the period for transmitting the correction signal in the internal correction loop is a first period.
[0094] The at least two radio frequency units include a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency channel, and the second radio frequency unit includes a second radio frequency channel. The first radio frequency channel, the second radio frequency channel, and the coupling plate constitute an external correction circuit. The period for transmitting the correction signal in the external correction circuit is a second period, which is greater than the first period.
[0095] The method includes:
[0096] At each interval of the first cycle, the baseband input signal to the radio frequency unit is corrected according to the correction signal transmitted by the plurality of internal correction loops in the radio frequency unit;
[0097] At each interval of the second cycle, the signal input from the baseband to the radio frequency unit is corrected according to the correction signal transmitted by the plurality of external correction loops.
[0098] Furthermore, the correction device used in this correction method is the same as the correction device in the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be described again here.
[0099] This application embodiment can divide the correction device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.
[0100] The correction device in this application is described in detail below. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the correction device 600 in this application.
[0101] In one possible implementation, the correction device 600 includes:
[0102] The correction device 600 includes a processing module 601 and a transceiver module 602;
[0103] The transceiver module 602 is used to transmit and receive correction signals;
[0104] The processing module 601 is used to correct the baseband input signal to the radio frequency unit according to the correction signal transmitted by multiple internal correction loops in the radio frequency unit at each first cycle interval;
[0105] The processing module 601 is also used to correct the signal input from the baseband to the radio frequency unit according to the correction signal transmitted by the multiple external correction loops every second cycle.
[0106] This application also provides a calibration device, which includes: a memory including instructions; and a processor, which, when the processor executes the instructions, causes the calibration device to implement the calibration method proposed in the foregoing embodiments.
[0107] This application also provides a network device that includes the correction device proposed in the foregoing embodiments.
[0108] This application also provides a communication system that includes the network device described in the foregoing embodiments. The network device includes a correction device for executing any of the implementations shown in the foregoing embodiments.
[0109] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute any of the implementation methods shown in the foregoing method embodiments.
[0110] This application also provides a chip system, including a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that the chip performs any of the implementation methods shown in the foregoing method embodiments.
[0111] This application also provides a chip system including a processor, which is used to call and run a computer program, causing the chip to execute any of the implementation methods shown in the foregoing method embodiments.
[0112] It should also be noted that the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and 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 modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. In addition, in the accompanying drawings of the device embodiments provided in this application, the connection relationship between modules indicates that they have a communication connection, which can be implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines.
[0113] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware, and of course, it can also be implemented by special-purpose hardware including application-specific integrated circuits, special-purpose CPUs, special-purpose memory, special-purpose components, etc. Generally, any function performed by a computer program can be easily implemented by corresponding hardware, and the specific hardware structure used to implement the same function can also be diverse, such as analog circuits, digital circuits, or special-purpose circuits. However, for this application, software program implementation is more often a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, such as a computer floppy disk, USB flash drive, mobile hard disk, ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device to execute the methods of the various embodiments of this application.
[0114] In the above embodiments, the implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product.
[0115] A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, network device, computing device, or data center to another website, computer, network device, computing device, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can store or a data storage device such as a network device or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).
[0116] It should be understood that the phrase "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to the embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of this application. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of the above-described processes does not imply a sequential 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.
[0117] 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, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. 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 implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.
[0118] 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.
[0119] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of 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 through some interfaces, or indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.
[0120] 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 this embodiment according to actual needs.
[0121] 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.
[0122] 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, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application.
[0123] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A calibration device, characterized in that, The device is applied to network equipment, and the calibration device includes: The device includes an antenna, at least two radio frequency (RF) units, a coupling plate, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna via the RF units. Each RF unit includes an RF channel, which corresponds to and is connected to the antenna. The coupling board includes a radio frequency channel port and a coupling port, wherein the radio frequency channel port is connected to the radio frequency channel, and the coupling port is connected to the radio frequency channel; The two radio frequency channels included in any one of the at least two radio frequency units constitute an internal correction loop, and the period for transmitting the correction signal in the internal correction loop is a first period. The at least two radio frequency units include a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency channel, and the second radio frequency unit includes a second radio frequency channel. The first radio frequency channel, the second radio frequency channel, and the coupling plate constitute an external correction circuit. The period for transmitting the correction signal in the external correction circuit is a second period, which is greater than the first period.
2. The calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the at least two radio frequency units, the antennas connected to the radio frequency channels of the same radio frequency unit belong to the same polarization.
3. The calibration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The coupling plate further includes a coupling switch, wherein the coupling switch is connected to the coupling port and the radio frequency channel respectively, and the coupling switch is used to control the connection between the coupling port and the radio frequency channel.
4. The calibration device according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the coupling switch is in the first state, it controls the coupling port to connect to the radio frequency channel, and the radio frequency channel port to disconnect from the radio frequency channel; When the coupling switch is in the second state, it controls the coupling port to disconnect from the radio frequency channel, and the radio frequency channel port to connect to the radio frequency channel.
5. The calibration device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, When the external calibration circuit transmits the calibration signal, it includes: The first radio frequency channel in the external calibration circuit is used to transmit the calibration signal, and the second radio frequency channel in the external calibration circuit is used to receive the calibration signal. The calibration signal is transmitted through the coupling plate. The coupling switch controls the second radio frequency channel to connect to the coupling port, so that the second radio frequency channel receives the correction signal through the coupling port; The coupling switch controls other radio frequency channels in the network device to disconnect from the coupling port.
6. The calibration device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The internal correction circuit includes: An internal calibration transmit channel and an internal calibration receive channel, wherein the internal calibration transmit channel is any one of the radio frequency channels in the radio frequency unit, and the internal calibration receive channel is a calibration loop.
7. The calibration device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The correction loop is another radio frequency channel in the radio frequency unit that is inconsistent with the internal correction transmission channel; Alternatively, the correction circuit may be a data channel in the radio frequency unit that is independent of the radio frequency channel.
8. The calibration device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The calibration device also includes an antenna switch and an antenna port; The antenna port is connected to the antenna via the antenna switch; The antenna switch is used to control the connection between the antenna port and the antenna; The antenna port is connected to the radio frequency channel.
9. A calibration method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a calibration device, which is applied to a network device. The calibration device includes: an antenna, at least two radio frequency units, a coupling plate, and a baseband. The baseband is connected to the antenna through the radio frequency units. The radio frequency units include radio frequency channels, wherein the radio frequency channels correspond to the antenna and are connected to the antenna. The coupling board includes a radio frequency channel port and a coupling port, wherein the radio frequency channel port is connected to the radio frequency channel, and the coupling port is connected to the radio frequency channel; The two radio frequency channels included in any one of the at least two radio frequency units constitute an internal correction loop, and the period for transmitting the correction signal in the internal correction loop is a first period. The at least two radio frequency units include a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency channel, and the second radio frequency unit includes a second radio frequency channel. The first radio frequency channel, the second radio frequency channel, and the coupling plate constitute an external correction circuit. The period for transmitting the correction signal in the external correction circuit is a second period, which is greater than the first period. The method includes: At each interval of the first cycle, the baseband input signal to the radio frequency unit is corrected according to the correction signal transmitted by the plurality of internal correction loops in the radio frequency unit; At each interval of the second cycle, the signal input from the baseband to the radio frequency unit is corrected according to the correction signal transmitted by the plurality of external correction loops.
10. The correction method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The correction device is the correction device as described in any one of claims 1-8.
11. A calibration device, characterized in that, The correction device includes: Memory, including instructions; A processor, when executing the instructions, causes the correction device to implement the method of any one of claims 9 to 10.
12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 10.
13. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 10.
14. A network device, characterized in that, The network device includes a calibration device, which is the calibration device as described in any one of claims 1-8.
15. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a network device, which is the network device described in claim 14.