Vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, method, device, storage medium, program product and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system and method, equipment, a storage medium, a program product, a vehicle and a vehicle system. The vehicle-mounted satellite communication system comprises an antenna group, a radio frequency change-over switch and a processing module, the antenna group comprises a plurality of antenna units, and beam ranges of different antenna units are different; the radio frequency change-over switch is connected with the antenna group and is controlled to switch radio frequency connection states of different antenna units in the antenna group; and the processing module is used for collecting the signal strength received by different antenna units, determining a target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength, and controlling the radio frequency change-over switch to be connected with the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication. The vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided by the embodiment of the invention is simple in structure, good in satellite communication effect and suitable for being carried on a common passenger vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle-mounted communication technology, and in particular to a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, method, device, storage medium, program product and vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Satellite communication refers to users using various handheld, vehicle-mounted, ship-mounted, and aircraft-mounted terminals to connect to the communication network and the Internet through satellites and ground stations to achieve functions such as text messages, calls, and data. It can supplement the blind spots of ground cellular network coverage and is an important part of the future mobile communication network. For example, vehicle-mounted terminals can be used for vehicles to communicate with the outside world in blind spots of cellular network coverage such as in the wild and desert, to achieve communication in emergency situations, and to improve vehicle safety.

[0003] However, satellite communications require that the vehicle always remain connected to the satellite while driving. Currently common on-board satellite terminals, such as the on-board mobile satellite ground station communication system, use a servo mechanism to mechanically adjust the antenna pointing to achieve satellite operation. However, this system has a large cross-section and is not easy to integrate with the vehicle body structure, so it is not suitable for ordinary passenger cars. Summary of the invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, method, device, storage medium, program product and vehicle to at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, comprising: an antenna group, a radio frequency switching switch and a processing module;

[0006] The antenna group includes a plurality of antenna units, and different antenna units have different beam ranges;

[0007] The radio frequency switching switch is connected to the antenna group and is controlled to switch the radio frequency connection states of different antenna units in the antenna group;

[0008] The processing module is used to collect the signal strengths received by different antenna units, determine the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strengths, and control the radio frequency switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit to achieve satellite communication.

[0009] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the step of the processing module determining the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength specifically includes:

[0010] The processing module is used to compare the signal strengths received by different antenna units and determine a first candidate antenna unit with the highest signal strength; and

[0011] When the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the first candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

[0012] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the processing module is also used to obtain the signal strength received by the target antenna unit, and when the signal strength is less than a preset signal strength threshold, control the RF switching switch to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group.

[0013] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the processing module is further used to output a prompt message when the polling frequency of the radio frequency switching switch reaches a preset frequency threshold, wherein the prompt message is used to indicate that the satellite communication signal is poor.

[0014] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the processing module is further used to determine a second candidate antenna unit from the antenna units according to the orientation information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle, the posture information of the vehicle, and the beam ranges of different antenna units; wherein the target satellite is within the beam range of the second candidate antenna unit; and

[0015] When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the second candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

[0016] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the processing module is also used to control the RF switching switch to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group and execute the step of collecting the signal strengths received by different antenna units when the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is less than a preset signal strength threshold.

[0017] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the beam ranges of all antenna units in the antenna group are superimposed to cover at least an elevation angle range of 30° to 150° of the vehicle.

[0018] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the antenna group is composed of a plurality of low-profile patch antenna unit arrays, and the beam ranges of adjacent antenna units overlap at least at -5db.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle-mounted satellite communication method is provided, which is run in a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, wherein the system includes an antenna group, a radio frequency switch, and a processing module; the antenna group includes a plurality of antenna units, and different antenna units have different beam ranges;

[0020] The method comprises:

[0021] When the radio frequency switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group respectively, the signal strength received by the different antenna units is collected;

[0022] Determine a target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength;

[0023] The radio frequency switching switch is controlled to connect with the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication.

[0024] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, determining the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength includes:

[0025] Compare the signal strengths received by different antenna units and determine the first candidate antenna unit with the highest signal strength;

[0026] When the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the first candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

[0027] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the method further includes:

[0028] Obtaining the signal strength received by the target antenna unit;

[0029] When the signal strength is less than a preset signal strength threshold, the radio frequency switch is controlled to poll to connect to other antenna units in the antenna group.

[0030] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the method further includes:

[0031] When the polling frequency of the radio frequency switch reaches a preset frequency threshold, a prompt message is output, where the prompt message is used to indicate that the satellite communication signal is poor.

[0032] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the method further includes:

[0033] Determine a second candidate antenna unit from the antenna units according to the orientation information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle, the posture information of the vehicle, and the beam ranges of different antenna units; wherein the target satellite is within the beam range of the second candidate antenna unit;

[0034] When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the second candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

[0035] Optionally, as another embodiment of the present application, the method further includes:

[0036] When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is less than a preset signal strength threshold, the radio frequency switch is controlled to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group, and the step of collecting the signal strengths received by different antenna units is performed.

[0037] According to a third aspect of the present application, there is also provided an electronic device, comprising a memory and a processor; the memory stores codes, the processor is configured to execute the codes, and when the codes are executed, the device executes any one of the methods described above.

[0038] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a computer storage medium is further provided, wherein the computer storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements any of the methods described above.

[0039] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, a computer program product is also provided, wherein the computer program product stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements any one of the methods described above.

[0040] According to a sixth aspect of the present application, a vehicle is also provided, on which is provided a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system as described in any one of the above items, and the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system is used to execute any one of the methods described in any one of the above items.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, an antenna group, a radio frequency switching switch and a processing module are provided, wherein the antenna group includes a plurality of antenna units and different antenna units have different beam ranges, so that when the radio frequency switching switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group, the processing module determines the target antenna unit from the determined antenna group according to the signal strengths received by the different antenna units, and controls the radio frequency switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication. The vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application has a simple structure and good satellite communication effect, and is suitable for being mounted on ordinary passenger cars.

[0042] Other features and advantages of the present application will be described in detail in the subsequent specific implementation section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative work.

[0044] In order to more completely understand the present application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same figure numbers represent the same parts in the following description.

[0045] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 1b A schematic diagram of the structure of another vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2 A vehicle-mounted satellite communication method running in a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the steps of another vehicle-mounted satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of the steps of a method for maintaining vehicle-mounted satellite communications provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 5a A hardware schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system that realizes satellite communication by combining two antenna units with signal strength according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 5b A hardware schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system that realizes satellite communication by combining two antenna units with signal strength according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0054] In order to facilitate the understanding of the implementation scheme provided in the embodiments of the present application, the relevant background of the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system is first explained. Specifically, satellite communication refers to the use of various handheld, vehicle-mounted, ship-mounted, airborne and other terminals by users to connect to the communication network and the Internet through satellites and ground stations, thereby realizing functions such as text messages, calls, and data. For example, it is more common to carry a mobile communication (a satellite ground station communication system on the move) to achieve satellite connection. However, since the mobile communication uses a servo mechanism to mechanically adjust the direction of the antenna to achieve satellite operation, it usually has a larger system profile and is not easy to integrate with the vehicle body structure, so it is difficult to adapt to ordinary passenger cars.

[0055] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, method, and device suitable for ordinary passenger cars, by setting an antenna group including multiple antenna units whose beam patterns do not overlap or partially overlap with each other, and switching through a radio frequency switching switch, and when the radio frequency switching switch is controlled to connect to different antenna units in the antenna group, the signal strength received by different antenna units is collected to determine the target antenna unit in the antenna group, thereby controlling the radio frequency switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit to achieve satellite communication. The above-mentioned simple-structured vehicle-mounted satellite communication system can ensure a good satellite communication effect, which is particularly suitable for being carried on ordinary passenger cars.

[0056] For details, please refer to Figure 1a , Figure 1a The schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application specifically includes an antenna group 100, a radio frequency switch 110 and a processing module 120, wherein the antenna group includes multiple antenna units, and different antenna units have different beam ranges, and the radio frequency switch 110 is connected to the antenna group 100 to controllably switch the radio frequency connection status of different antenna units in the antenna group. Figure 1a Taking the schematic diagram of the system structure shown as an example, the antenna group 100 includes a first antenna unit 101 and a second antenna unit 102, and it can be seen that the beam patterns of the first antenna unit 101 and the second antenna unit 102 partially overlap, such as the cross-overlap at -5dB shown in the figure. Of course, in specific application scenarios, the antenna group in the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system can also include more antenna units, such as a third antenna unit, a fourth antenna unit, etc., and the beam patterns of these antenna units do not overlap with each other or there is partial overlap, such as Figure 1a It is shown in FIG. 1 that different antenna units have cross-overlap at -5 dB. The embodiments of the present application are not described in detail here.

[0057] In addition, as a further feasible embodiment of the present application, in order to meet the requirements of satellite communication, the beam ranges of all antenna units in the antenna group are superimposed to cover at least the elevation angle range of 30° to 150° of the vehicle.

[0058] In addition, the antenna group can also be generally composed of multiple low-profile patch antenna unit arrays, and the beam patterns of adjacent antenna units overlap at least at -5db, thereby avoiding coverage blind spots that affect satellite communication effects.

[0059] Furthermore, the antenna unit in the antenna group can be a transparent unit or a non-transparent antenna unit. The transparent antenna unit can be arranged in the skylight, etc., so as not to affect the field of view in the car and the beam direction points to the airspace above, while the non-transparent antenna can also be arranged on the roof to avoid the body structure from blocking the satellite signal. Of course, the above is only a feasible antenna arrangement method provided, and other antenna arrangements that do not affect signal propagation are also within the scope of use of this application.

[0060] Furthermore, the antenna unit can be an integrated transmitter and receiver or a separate transmitter and receiver. Of course, in order to reduce the area of ​​the antenna and the RF switch, the antenna unit selects an integrated transmitter and receiver antenna. Among them, the polarization mode of the antenna can be linear polarization, circular polarization, elliptical polarization, etc. Of course, in order to reduce antenna loss, the antenna unit can use a linear polarization antenna.

[0061] Further, in order to meet the connection between the RF switch and different antenna units, the RF switch can adopt a single-to-multiple switch, and the number of front-end switch ports depends on the number of antenna units in the antenna group and the transceiver form. Exemplarily, for a four-unit transceiver integrated antenna, the RF switch can adopt an SP4T (Single Pole 4Throws) switch, wherein the P (pole) end of the RF switch is connected to the rear module, and the other end T (Throw) end is respectively connected to 4 different antenna units, at this time, the RF switch can be connected to the processing module through two GPIO (General-Purpose Input / Output) interfaces, wherein when the two GPIO interfaces receive a high level or low level signal from the processing module respectively, the RF switch will be directed to the corresponding antenna unit according to the preset configuration rules. Similarly, for a two-unit transceiver separated antenna, the RF switch can also adopt an SP4T switch, but at this time, it can be controlled to connect to the processing module through a GPIO interface, that is, according to the GPIO interface, according to the received high level or low level signal, the RF switch is directed to the corresponding antenna unit. For example, the following table shows a correspondence table between the level and the switch direction in a radio frequency switching switch:

[0062]

[0063] It should be noted that the correspondence table between the level and the switch direction in the RF switching switch provided above is only a feasible implementation scheme and is not intended to limit the technical scheme of the present application. The specific correspondence may be based on the number of antenna units included in the antenna group and the specific settings of the GPIO interface of the RF switching switch. The embodiments of the present application will not be elaborated here.

[0064] In addition, the RF switch can be placed closely connected to the antenna unit to reduce insertion loss, or placed in the same single board with the RF baseband circuit and connected to the antenna unit through a feeder, so that it is more suitable for embedding in the vehicle body structure, and the specific actual wiring method can be dynamically adjusted according to the vehicle body structure design requirements and communication system gain indicators. Of course, considering that the introduction of the RF switch usually causes the system insertion loss to increase by 0.5 to 1 dB, the loss can be further compensated by increasing the antenna gain and other methods.

[0065] Of course, the above is only a simplified structural diagram of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system. In fact, in order to realize satellite communication, the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system is usually equipped with other functional modules for realizing satellite communication, for example, Figure 1b , Figure 1b A schematic diagram of another vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 1a Compared with the present invention, the processing module 120 also includes a radio frequency chip (radio frequency transceiver chip) 130 and a baseband chip 140. Specifically, the functions of the radio frequency chip and the baseband chip in the communication process are not described in detail in this application. In addition, based on actual needs, the processing module 120 can further communicate with more peripheral devices, such as a Bluetooth module, a microphone, a speaker, etc. The embodiments of this application are not described in detail here.

[0066] Specifically, in the aforementioned Figure 1a or Figure 1b On the basis of the provided vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, in order to realize a complete satellite communication process, when the RF switch is controlled to connect to different antenna units in the antenna group respectively to switch the RF connection status of different antenna units in the antenna group, the processing module can be used to collect the signal strength received by different antenna units. Figure 1bThe vehicle-mounted satellite communication system shown, after the antenna connected to the RF switch receives the downlink satellite pilot signal, will process it in sequence through the RF chip and the baseband chip through the communication link to obtain the signal strength, and report it to the processing module. After the processing module determines the most suitable target antenna unit through the signal strength, it will control the RF switching switch through the several GPIO interfaces mentioned above, so that the RF switching switch is connected to the target antenna unit, thereby completing the subsequent satellite communication process.

[0067] For details, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 An on-vehicle satellite communication method running in an on-vehicle satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application specifically includes steps S210 to S230:

[0068] S210, when the radio frequency switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group respectively, collecting signal strengths received by different antenna units.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, the RF switching switch can be controlled by the high / low level signal sent by the processing module through the GPIO interface to switch the connection with different antenna units in the antenna group. When the RF switching switch is connected to an antenna unit in the antenna group, the antenna unit connected at this time will receive the downlink satellite pilot signal, which will be processed by the RF chip and the baseband chip to obtain the signal strength and report it to the processing module. In this way, when the processor controls the RF switching switch to connect with different antenna units in the antenna group in turn through several GPIO interfaces, the processing module can collect the signal strengths received by different antenna units processed by the RF chip and the baseband chip respectively.

[0070] S220: Determine a target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present application, in order to better realize the satellite, that is, to ensure that the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system can be in a better communication state with the satellite, the processing module can determine the target antenna unit from the antenna group according to the model strength of the different antenna units collected. For example, as a common feasible embodiment, the signal strengths received by different antenna units can be compared, and the antenna unit with the highest signal strength can be selected as the target antenna unit to ensure the quality of satellite communication. Of course, considering that in some cases, the communication effect between the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system and the satellite is not ideal due to environmental or other factors, that is, when the signal strength received by the antenna unit with the highest signal strength is also low, in order to remind the user to pay attention, "poor signal quality" can be output, and prompts can be given through screen display, signal indicator light, etc. That is to say, at this time, the step of determining the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength specifically includes:

[0072] Compare the signal strengths received by different antenna units and determine the first candidate antenna unit with the highest signal strength;

[0073] When the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the first candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

[0074] That is, the signal strengths received by different antenna units are compared first, and the first candidate antenna unit with the highest signal strength is determined. Only when the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is greater than the preset signal strength threshold, the first candidate antenna unit will be determined as the target antenna unit. When the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is less than the preset signal strength threshold, a prompt message can be output, and the prompt message is used to indicate that the satellite communication signal is poor.

[0075] Of course, the satellite communication method provided above needs to rely on the RF switching switch to repeatedly switch the RF connection status of different antenna units in the antenna group in order to select the target antenna unit from the antenna group to complete the satellite communication, resulting in a longer process for starting satellite communication. In order to further improve the startup efficiency of satellite communication, as a further feasible implementation scheme of this application, the processing module can also be connected to the vehicle's positioning system, vehicle posture sensor, etc., and calculate the target position of the satellite relative to the vehicle in real time to better recommend the antenna unit to be connected. For details, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of another vehicle-mounted satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, specifically, comprising steps S310 to S320:

[0076] S310, determining a second candidate antenna unit from the antenna units according to the orientation information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle, the posture information of the vehicle, and the beam ranges of different antenna units.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present application, the position information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle can be determined based on the real-time positioning information of the vehicle and the position information of the satellite. Specifically, the real-time positioning information of the vehicle can be determined by a vehicle-mounted positioning system, such as the Beidou system or the GPS (Global Positioning System), and the position information of the satellite can be obtained by calling a preset interface to read the satellite's ephemeris (used to describe the precise position or trajectory table of the satellite's operation over time). After determining the real-time positioning information of the vehicle and the position information of the satellite, the position information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle can be determined by transforming to the same spatial coordinate system. At this time, the second candidate antenna unit can be further determined from the antenna unit according to the position information, and the real-time posture information of the vehicle determined by the vehicle attitude sensor, such as the accelerometer, and the beam range of different antenna units under the given real-time posture information, wherein the target satellite is within the beam range of the second candidate antenna unit, wherein, since the beam ranges of different antenna units may overlap with each other, the second candidate antenna unit here may include multiple, but no matter how many the number of the second candidate antenna units is, it will not affect the implementation of the vehicle-mounted satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0078] S320: When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, determine the second candidate antenna unit as a target antenna unit.

[0079] After the second candidate antenna unit that determines that the target satellite is within the beam range is determined above, the processing module can directly control the RF switch through the high / low level signal sent by the GPIO interface to connect the RF switch to the second candidate antenna unit and further collect the signal strength received by the second candidate antenna unit. Specifically, when the signal strength received by the second candidate antenna unit is greater than the preset signal strength threshold, it can be considered that satellite communication can be well achieved through the second candidate antenna unit. At this time, the second candidate antenna unit can be determined as the target antenna unit, and the connection state between the RF switch and the antenna unit is maintained to achieve subsequent satellite communication processes.

[0080] Of course, when there are multiple second candidate antenna units, the processing module will also control the RF switching switch to connect to each second candidate antenna unit in turn, and collect the signal strength received by each second candidate antenna unit in turn, and when the signal strength of a second candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the second candidate antenna unit will be determined as the target antenna unit, and the RF switching switch will be kept connected to the antenna unit.

[0081] Furthermore, when the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is greater than the preset signal strength threshold, it is considered that the communication quality of the candidate antenna unit does not meet the requirements, and the RF switching switch can be further controlled to connect with other antenna units in the antenna group to collect the signal strength received by other antenna units to further identify the target antenna unit to complete satellite communication.

[0082] S230, controlling the radio frequency switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication.

[0083] After determining the target antenna unit whose signal strength meets the requirements from the antenna group through the aforementioned startup process, the processing module can control the RF switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit through the high / low level signal sent by the GPIO interface to realize the subsequent satellite communication process.

[0084] Furthermore, in the process of maintaining communication with the satellite by the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, the processing module will also collect the signal strength received by the target antenna unit in real time, and control the RF switch to poll in certain situations to connect to other antenna units in the antenna group to ensure that the required communication quality is met. For details, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of a method for maintaining vehicle-mounted satellite communication provided in an embodiment of the present application, specifically, comprising steps S410 to S430:

[0085] S410: Obtain the signal strength received by the target antenna unit.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present application, when the RF switching switch and the target antenna unit of the antenna group are connected, at this time, the target antenna unit receives the downlink satellite pilot signal, which will be processed by the RF chip and the baseband chip to obtain the signal strength, and report it to the processing module at a certain frequency. Specifically, the frequency here can be set based on the design requirements. For example, it is more common to choose to report once every 1 second. At this time, the processing module will choose to compare the signal strength uploaded by the baseband chip with the preset signal strength threshold. Specifically. The signal strength threshold here can usually be the same as the signal strength threshold used to determine the target antenna unit in the aforementioned process, and the embodiment of the present application will not be repeated here.

[0087] S420: When the signal strength is less than a preset signal strength threshold, control the radio frequency switch to poll to connect to other antenna units in the antenna group.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present application, when the signal strength received by the target antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, it can be considered that the current satellite communication quality is sufficient. At this time, the RF switching switch can continue to be connected to the current target antenna unit unchanged. When the signal strength is less than the preset signal strength threshold, it can be considered that the current satellite communication quality does not meet the requirements. At this time, the RF switching switch can be controlled to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group, and continue to confirm the signal strength received by other antenna units to reselect the antenna unit. For example, if there is an antenna unit among the other antenna units that receives the maximum signal strength and is higher than the signal strength threshold, the antenna unit is selected as the new target antenna unit and remains connected. If not, the second and third polling will continue to be started in sequence until there is an antenna unit in a certain polling that receives the maximum signal strength and is higher than the threshold value.

[0089] S430: When the polling frequency of the radio frequency switch reaches a preset frequency threshold, output a prompt message.

[0090] If after multiple pollings, that is, when the polling frequency of the RF switching switch reaches the preset frequency threshold, for example, after 3 pollings, if the maximum value of the signal strength received by the antenna unit in the antenna group is finally less than the signal strength threshold, the polling will be stopped and a prompt message such as "poor signal quality" will be output to indicate that the satellite communication signal is poor, where the prompt methods include but are not limited to: screen display, signal indicator light, etc.

[0091] Through the method provided in the above embodiment, by setting an antenna group, a radio frequency switching switch and a processing module, wherein the antenna group includes multiple antenna units and different antenna units have different beam ranges, so that when the radio frequency switching switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group, the processing module determines the target antenna unit from the determined antenna group according to the signal strength received by the different antenna units, and controls the radio frequency switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication. The vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in the above embodiment has a simple structure and good satellite communication effect, and is suitable for being mounted on ordinary passenger cars.

[0092] Based on the embodiments provided in the foregoing embodiments, in order to further understand the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided in the embodiments of the present application, the following will provide a specific hardware structure diagram of the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system in combination with the specific content. For details, please refer to Figure 5a , Figure 5a A hardware schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system for realizing satellite communication by combining two antenna units with signal strength provided in an embodiment of the present application is described in detail as follows.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, the antenna is a dual antenna 501, which is connected to a duplexer 503 through a SPDT (Single Pole Double Throws) switch 502. The duplexer 503 is connected to a PA (Power Amplification) 505 and an LNA (Low Noise Amplification) 504, and then connected to a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) filter 506. The filter 506 is connected to a radio frequency chip 507, which is mainly used for up-conversion / down-conversion of signals, ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) / DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), etc. The radio frequency chip is connected to a baseband chip 508 to encode and decode data. The front end of the baseband chip is connected to modules such as a memory 509, a PMU (Power Management Unit) 510, and a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card 511. It is also connected to the application processor 512 to exchange data through interfaces such as UART, GPIO, and PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). As the core of the entire system, the application processor 512 not only runs the system, software, and various algorithms, but is also connected to Bluetooth 513, speakers 515, microphones 514, etc. to implement functions including voice input and output. In addition, the baseband chip and the RF chip are integrated into the same chip, which can perform functions such as analog encoding and decoding and modulation and demodulation. The front end of the chip is directly connected to devices such as filters, power amplifiers, and low noise amplifiers.

[0094] At this time, during the operation of the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, the application processor controls the RF switch to switch, and polls and records the signal strength of the two antenna units reported by the baseband chip, and compares and selects the antenna beam with a relatively stronger signal. For example, by polling the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit A A and the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit B B and with the preset signal strength threshold RSRP m The comparison may produce the following results:

[0095] 1) If RSRP A >RSRP B , and RSRP A ≥RSRP m , then control the RF switch to switch to antenna unit A;

[0096] 2) If RSRPA <RSRP B , and RSRP B ≥RSRP m , then control the RF switch to switch to antenna unit B;

[0097] 3) If RSRP A =RSRP B , and RSRP A ≥RSRP m , then control the RF switch to remain unchanged;

[0098] 4) If Max(RSRP A ,RSRP B ) <RSRP m , then re-detect the signal strength values ​​received by antenna unit A and antenna unit B, and the number of polling times shall not exceed 3 times. If Max(RSRP A , RSRP B ) <RSRP m , it is judged that the current "signal quality is poor" and a prompt is given through screen display, signal indicator light, etc.

[0099] Further, such as Figure 5b As shown, Figure 5b A hardware schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system for realizing satellite communication by combining two antenna units with signal strength provided in an embodiment of the present application is described in detail as follows.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, the satellite communication antenna is a four-antenna 522, which is connected to the duplexer and the back-end equipment through the SP4T switch 523. In this scheme, the positioning module and the vehicle attitude sensor 221 are further combined to determine the satellite alignment process in the satellite communication, and then the switch is used to switch to determine the antenna unit that is finally connected. The positioning module includes a positioning antenna 216, a positioning LNA (low noise amplifier) ​​217, a positioning SAW (surface acoustic wave filter) 218, and a positioning radio frequency transceiver chip 219. The positioning radio frequency transceiver chip 219 is connected to the baseband chip 208 and is connected to the application processor 212. In addition to connecting to modules such as the microphone 214 and the speaker 215, the application processor is also connected to the vehicle attitude sensor 221 through the MCU (MicroController Unit, micro control unit) 220. By integrating parameters such as the vehicle body attitude, vehicle positioning coordinates, satellite coordinates, and antenna gain distribution, the satellite alignment antenna and beam are preliminarily given, and then combined with the received signal strength information corresponding to the antenna beam, it is determined whether to select the antenna unit. In this system, two GPIO interfaces need to be brought out from the application processor to be connected to the RF switch so as to control the RF switch to switch between the four antenna units.

[0101] The process of the star alignment algorithm is as follows:

[0102] 1) Perform rough alignment based on positioning and vehicle body posture data, and the antenna unit initially selected after alignment is set as antenna A;

[0103] 2) Detect the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit A A and with the preset signal strength threshold RSRP m Compare, when the receiving antenna RSRP A ≥RSRP m When , the antenna is selected and the RF switch does not work;

[0104] 3) If RSRP A <RSRP m , indicating that antenna unit A does not meet the communication conditions, and the signal strength polling process is started, that is, the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit A is obtained in turn A , the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit B B , the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit C C , and the signal strength RSRP received by antenna unit D D ;

[0105] 4) After polling, if RSRP A =MAX(RSRP A , RSRP B , RSRP C , RSRP D ), the current “signal quality is poor” is judged, and a prompt is given through screen display, signal indicator light, etc.; if RSRP B =MAX(RSRP A , RSRP B , RSRP C , RSRP D ), and RSRP B ≥RSRPm, the RF switch is controlled to switch to antenna unit B; if RSRP B =MAX(RSRP A , RSRP B , RSRP C , RSRP D ), and RSRP B <RSRP m , then re-polling the four antennas and recording the signal strength received by the four antenna units again, the polling number shall not exceed 3 times. If still unable to search for a signal strength higher than the RSRP threshold m If the antenna unit is poor, it is judged that the current "signal quality is poor" and a prompt is given through the screen display, signal indicator light, etc.

[0106] In the above process, the algorithm that combines positioning, vehicle body posture and signal strength can shorten the first alignment time, increase the probability of first alignment success, and shorten the alignment time overall.

[0107] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an electronic device 600 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 600 may include: a processor 601, a memory 602. The electronic device 600 may also include one or more of a multimedia component 603, an input / output (I / O) component 604, and a communication component 605. In this embodiment, the electronic device 600 may be a device integrated with a vehicle to interact with the aforementioned vehicle-mounted satellite communication system to implement the vehicle-mounted satellite communication method provided in this embodiment. It should be understood that the electronic device 600 may also include some components in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted satellite communication system. For example, the antenna group, radio frequency switching switch, etc. in the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system can be partially integrated in the electronic device 600 or fully integrated in the electronic device 600.

[0108] The processor 601 is used to control the overall operation of the electronic device 600 to complete all or part of the steps in the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted satellite communication method. The memory 602 is used to store various types of data to support the operation of the electronic device 600, and these data may include instructions for any application or method used to operate on the electronic device 600, as well as application-related data, such as contact data, messages sent and received, pictures, audio, video, etc. The memory 602 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (Static Random Access Memory, referred to as SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, referred to as EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, referred to as EPROM), programmable read-only memory (Programmable Read Only Memory, referred to as PROM), read-only memory (Read Only Memory, referred to as ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk. The multimedia component 603 may include a screen and an audio component. The screen may be, for example, a touch screen, and the audio component is used to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component may include a microphone for receiving external audio signals. The received audio signal may be further stored in the memory 602 or sent through the communication component 605. The audio component also includes at least one speaker for outputting audio signals. The I / O component 604 provides an interface between the processor 601 and other interface modules, and the above-mentioned other interface modules may be keyboards, mice, buttons, etc. These buttons may be virtual buttons or physical buttons. The communication component 605 is used for wired or wireless communication between the electronic device 600 and other devices. Wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), 2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IOT, eMTC, or other 5G, etc., or a combination of one or more of them, is not limited here. Therefore, the corresponding communication component 605 may include: Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth module, NFC module, etc.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 600 can be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processors (DSP), digital signal processing devices (DSPD), programmable logic devices (PLD), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors or other electronic components to execute the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted satellite communication method.

[0110] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium including program instructions is also provided, and when the program instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted satellite communication method are implemented. For example, the computer-readable storage medium may be the above-mentioned memory 602 including program instructions, and the above-mentioned program instructions may be executed by the processor 601 of the electronic device 600 to complete the following steps:

[0111] When the radio frequency switching switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group, the signal strength received by the different antenna units is collected;

[0112] Determine a target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength;

[0113] The radio frequency switching switch is controlled to connect with the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication.

[0114] The present application also provides a computer program product, wherein the computer program product stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the instructions are executed to complete the following steps:

[0115] When the radio frequency switching switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group, the signal strength received by the different antenna units is collected;

[0116] Determine a target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength;

[0117] The radio frequency switching switch is controlled to connect with the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication.

[0118] The present application also provides a vehicle, on which is disposed the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system provided by any of the above-mentioned embodiments, and the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system is used to execute the vehicle-mounted satellite communication method provided by any of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0119] In one embodiment, the vehicle may be configured to be in a fully or partially automated driving mode. For example, the vehicle may control itself while in automated driving mode, and may determine the current state of the vehicle and its surroundings through human operation, determine the possible behavior of at least one other vehicle in the surroundings, and determine the confidence level corresponding to the possibility of the other vehicle performing the possible behavior, and control the vehicle based on the determined information. When the vehicle is in automated driving mode, the vehicle may be set to operate without human interaction.

[0120] The vehicle may also include various subsystems, such as a travel system, a sensor system control system, one or more peripheral devices, and a power supply, a computer system, and a user interface. Optionally, the vehicle may include more or fewer subsystems, and each subsystem may include multiple components, such as each subsystem includes multiple ECUs (electronic control units, computer control modules, i.e., driving computers).

[0121] In addition, each subsystem and component of the vehicle can be interconnected via wired or wireless connections.

[0122] The propulsion system may include components that provide powered movement for the vehicle. In one embodiment, the propulsion system may include an engine, an energy source, a transmission, and wheels / tires. The engine may be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an air compression engine, or other types of engine combinations, such as a hybrid engine consisting of a gasoline engine and an electric motor, or a hybrid engine consisting of an internal combustion engine and an air compression engine. The engine converts energy into mechanical energy.

[0123] Examples of energy sources include gasoline, diesel, other petroleum-based fuels, propane, other compressed gas-based fuels, ethanol, solar panels, batteries, and other sources of electricity. The energy source may also provide energy to other systems of the vehicle.

[0124] The transmission can transmit mechanical power from the engine to the wheels. The transmission can include a gearbox, a differential, and a drive shaft. In one embodiment, the transmission can also include other devices, such as a clutch. Among them, the drive shaft can include one or more shafts that can be coupled to one or more wheels.

[0125] The sensor system may include several sensors that sense information about the environment around the vehicle. For example, the sensor system may include a positioning system (the positioning system may be a GPS system, or a Beidou system or other positioning system), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a radar, a laser rangefinder, and a camera. The sensor system may also include sensors of the internal systems of the monitored vehicle (for example, an in-vehicle air quality monitor, a fuel gauge, an oil temperature gauge, etc.). Sensor data from one or more of these sensors can be used to detect objects and their corresponding characteristics (position, shape, direction, speed, etc.). This detection and recognition is a key function for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles.

[0126] The positioning system can be used to estimate the geographic location of the vehicle. The IMU is used to sense the position and orientation changes of the vehicle based on inertial acceleration. In one embodiment, the IMU can be a combination of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

[0127] Radar can utilize radio signals to sense objects in the surrounding environment of the vehicle. In some embodiments, in addition to sensing objects, radar can also be used to sense the speed and / or heading of the object.

[0128] A laser rangefinder may utilize laser light to sense objects in the environment that the vehicle is located in. In some embodiments, a laser rangefinder may include one or more laser sources, a laser scanner, and one or more processing modules, among other system components.

[0129] The camera can be used to capture multiple images of the vehicle's surroundings. The camera can be a still camera or a video camera.

[0130] The control system controls the operation of the vehicle and its components. The control system may include various elements, including the steering system, throttle, brake unit, computer vision system, path control system and obstacle avoidance system.

[0131] The steering system can be operated to adjust the forward direction of the vehicle. For example, it can be a steering wheel system in one embodiment.

[0132] The throttle is used to control the operating speed of the engine and thus the speed of the vehicle.

[0133] Braking units are used to control vehicle deceleration. Braking units use friction to slow the wheels.

[0134] In other embodiments, the brake unit can convert the kinetic energy of the wheel into electric current. The brake unit can also take other forms to slow down the wheel speed and thus control the speed of the vehicle.

[0135] The computer vision system can be operated to process and analyze images captured by the camera in order to identify objects and / or features in the vehicle's surrounding environment. The objects and / or features may include traffic signs, road boundaries, and obstacles. The computer vision system may use object recognition algorithms, Structure from Motion (SFM) algorithms, video tracking, and other computer vision techniques. In some embodiments, the computer vision system may be used to map the environment, track objects, estimate the speed of objects, and the like.

[0136] The route control system is used to determine the driving route of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the route control system can combine data from GPS and one or more predetermined maps to determine the driving route for the vehicle.

[0137] Obstacle avoidance systems are used to identify, evaluate, and avoid or otherwise negotiate potential obstacles in the vehicle's environment.

[0138] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0139] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0140] The embodiments, implementation methods and related technical features of the present application can be combined and replaced with each other without conflict.

[0141] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not constitute any form of limitation to the present application. Although the descriptions of various embodiments in the embodiments of the present application have different focuses, for parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant embodiments of other embodiments. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present application without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present application are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, characterized in that: include: Antenna group, RF switching switch and processing module; The antenna group includes a plurality of antenna units, and different antenna units have different beam ranges; The radio frequency switching switch is connected to the antenna group and is controlled to switch the radio frequency connection states of different antenna units in the antenna group; The processing module is used to collect the signal strengths received by different antenna units, determine the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strengths, and control the radio frequency switching switch to connect to the target antenna unit to achieve satellite communication.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of determining, by the processing module, the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength specifically includes: The processing module is used to compare the signal strengths received by different antenna units and determine a first candidate antenna unit with the highest signal strength; and When the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the first candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The processing module is further used to obtain the signal strength received by the target antenna unit, and when the signal strength is less than a preset signal strength threshold, control the radio frequency switch to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to output a prompt message when the polling frequency of the radio frequency switch reaches a preset frequency threshold, wherein the prompt message is used to indicate that the satellite communication signal is poor.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing module is further used to determine a second candidate antenna unit from the antenna units according to the orientation information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle, the posture information of the vehicle, and the beam ranges of different antenna units; wherein the target satellite is within the beam range of the second candidate antenna unit; as well as When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the second candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The processing module is also used to control the RF switching switch to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group and execute the step of collecting the signal strengths received by different antenna units when the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is less than a preset signal strength threshold.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The beam ranges of all antenna units in the antenna group are superimposed to at least cover an elevation angle range of 30° to 150° of the vehicle.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The antenna group is composed of a plurality of low-profile patch antenna unit arrays, and the beam ranges of adjacent antenna units overlap at least at -5 db.

9. A vehicle-mounted satellite communication method, characterized in that: The system is operated in a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system, wherein the system comprises an antenna group, a radio frequency switch and a processing module; the antenna group comprises a plurality of antenna units, and the beam ranges of different antenna units are different; The method comprises: When the radio frequency switch is controlled to be connected to different antenna units in the antenna group respectively, the signal strength received by the different antenna units is collected; Determine a target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength; The radio frequency switching switch is controlled to connect with the target antenna unit to realize satellite communication.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The determining the target antenna unit in the antenna group according to the signal strength includes: Compare the signal strengths received by different antenna units and determine the first candidate antenna unit with the highest signal strength; When the signal strength of the first candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the first candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: Obtaining the signal strength received by the target antenna unit; When the signal strength is less than a preset signal strength threshold, the radio frequency switch is controlled to poll to connect to other antenna units in the antenna group.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the polling frequency of the radio frequency switch reaches a preset frequency threshold, a prompt message is output, where the prompt message is used to indicate that the satellite communication signal is poor.

13. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: Determine a second candidate antenna unit from the antenna units according to the orientation information of the target satellite relative to the vehicle, the posture information of the vehicle, and the beam ranges of different antenna units; wherein the target satellite is within the beam range of the second candidate antenna unit; When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the second candidate antenna unit is determined as a target antenna unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the signal strength of the second candidate antenna unit is less than a preset signal strength threshold, the radio frequency switch is controlled to poll to connect other antenna units in the antenna group, and the step of collecting the signal strengths received by different antenna units is performed.

15. An electronic device, characterized in that: The device comprises a memory and a processor; the memory stores codes, the processor is configured to execute the codes, and when the codes are executed, the device executes the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

16. A computer storage medium, characterized in that: The computer storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method of any one of claims 9 to 14.

17. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product stores instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

18. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle is provided with a vehicle-mounted satellite communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, and the vehicle-mounted satellite communication system is used to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14.

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