Apparatus for communication using wireless local area network and signal processing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for communication by using a wireless local area network and a signal processing method. The radio frequency chip is used for receiving and processing signals received by the antenna. The antenna tuner is electrically connected to the antenna for adjusting an antenna efficiency of the antenna. The antenna tuner comprises a control switch and at least two matching paths, the at least two matching paths are connected in parallel between an antenna and a ground voltage, and the control switch controls the on-off state between the at least two matching paths and the antenna, so that the antenna tuner has a plurality of working states. And a plurality of different on-off state combinations respectively corresponding to the at least two matching paths. The plurality of working states comprise a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and the antenna tuner is enabled to be in the first type of working state under the condition that the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received by the antenna is higher than a first threshold value. Therefore, signal blocking of the radio frequency chip can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a device and a signal processing method for communicating using a wireless local area network. Background Art

[0002] With the popularization of smart phones, especially the rise of video calls, high-definition videos, short videos, and live video in the 4G (the Fourth Generation mobile communication technology) and 5G (the Fifth Generation mobile communication technology) eras, people need to use more and more data traffic in their daily lives.

[0003] Since mobile phones do not have network cable interfaces, the use of mobile phone traffic relies on two methods. The first is to use mobile phone traffic to access the Internet through the mobile operator's WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) network. The second is to access the WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) network by connecting to a wireless router, and then accessing the wired network through optical fiber or network cables. The first method is limited by factors such as the distribution of the operator's base stations and channel fading. The signal is not necessarily stable, and the traffic charges are relatively high. The second method is to connect through a fixed router, which is generally used indoors, and can be used by multiple users after a one-time payment, regardless of the traffic quota. According to statistics, more than 70% of the current mobile phone data traffic is generated through the WLAN network.

[0004] In the past, wireless routers tended to have low power and low antenna gain, so the signal strength of Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) signals reaching mobile phones was not very strong, and the signals were generally weak. However, with the advancement of technology and the development of the times, indoor Wi-Fi is widely used, and the signal strength of Wi-Fi signals reaching mobile phones is relatively strong. For example, in some scenarios, the signal can reach -10dBm or stronger. However, the dynamic range of mobile phone Wi-Fi chips is limited. For example, they are currently designed according to the maximum receiving level of -20dBm (decibel relative to one milliwatt), resulting in LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) ​​blocking under strong signals. At this time, even with full signal, it is impossible to access the Internet normally. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a device and a signal processing method for communicating using a wireless local area network.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a device for communicating using a wireless local area network is provided, comprising: an antenna; a radio frequency chip, for receiving and processing a signal received by the antenna; and an antenna tuner, electrically connected to the antenna, for adjusting the antenna efficiency of the antenna, wherein the antenna tuner comprises a control switch and at least two matching paths, the at least two matching paths being connected in parallel between the antenna and a ground voltage, the control switch controlling an on / off state between each of the at least two matching paths and the antenna, so that the antenna tuner has a plurality of working states, corresponding to a plurality of different on / off state combinations of the at least two matching paths, the plurality of working states comprising a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and when the signal strength of a Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than a first threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in the first type of working state, and the first threshold is related to the blocking of the radio frequency chip.

[0007] Optionally, when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than the first threshold, there is a possibility that signal blocking occurs in the radio frequency chip.

[0008] Optionally, the RF chip includes a first low-noise amplifier for amplifying the signal received by the RF chip from the antenna. When the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than the first threshold, the first low-noise amplifier may cause signal blocking in the RF chip.

[0009] Optionally, the multiple working states also include a second type of working state capable of enhancing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than a second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in the second type of working state; and / or the multiple working states also include a third type of working state capable of maintaining the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than the first threshold and higher than the second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in the third type of working state.

[0010] Optionally, the radio frequency chip is further used to provide the antenna with a Wi-Fi signal to be sent externally, and when the Wi-Fi signal is sent externally via the antenna, the antenna tuner is placed in the second type of working state.

[0011] Optionally, the at least two matching paths respectively include an impedance circuit, and the impedance circuit includes a series and / or parallel circuit of one or at least two of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

[0012] Optionally, the device also includes: a tuning controller connected to the control end of the control switch, used to send a control signal to the control end of the control switch, and the antenna tuner switches and controls the on-off state between each of the at least two matching paths and the antenna according to the control signal received by the control end.

[0013] Optionally, the device also includes: a power coupler, which is used to feed back the signal received from the antenna to the power coupling port of the RF chip, the RF chip determines the signal strength of the signal received from the antenna according to the feedback signal from the power coupler, determines the working state to which the antenna tuner should be adjusted according to the signal strength, and sends a notification signal to the tuning controller so that the tuning controller sends the control signal to the control end of the control switch so that the antenna tuner is adjusted to the determined working state, or the RF chip determines the signal strength of the signal received from the antenna according to the feedback signal from the power coupler, sends the signal strength to an application processor in the device, and the application processor determines the working state to which the antenna tuner should be adjusted according to the signal strength, and sends a notification signal to the tuning controller so that the tuning controller sends the control signal to the control end of the control switch so that the antenna tuner is adjusted to the determined working state.

[0014] Optionally, the device also includes: a signal sending branch, used to process the signal from the RF chip so as to transmit it to the antenna and send it to the outside via the antenna; a signal receiving branch, used to process the signal received from the antenna and transmit it to the RF chip; a switching switch, used to switch between the signal sending branch and the signal receiving branch so as to connect one of them to the antenna; and a filter, used to filter the signal received from the antenna and / or the signal to be sent from the antenna to the outside.

[0015] Optionally, the signal receiving branch includes: a second low-noise amplifier, used to amplify the signal from the antenna; and a switch, connected in parallel with the second low-noise amplifier, when the switch is disconnected, the second low-noise amplifier works, and when the switch is turned on, the second low-noise amplifier is short-circuited and does not work, wherein when the signal strength received via the antenna is higher than a third threshold, the switch is turned on, and when the signal strength received via the antenna is lower than the third threshold, the switch is disconnected, and / or the signal sending branch includes a power amplifier, used to power amplify the signal from the RF chip.

[0016] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a signal processing method is provided, which is applied to a device that uses a wireless local area network for communication, the device including an antenna, a radio frequency chip, and an antenna tuner, the antenna tuner including at least two matching paths, the method including: obtaining a signal strength of a Wi-Fi signal received by the antenna; and controlling an on-off state between each of the at least two matching paths and the antenna according to the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal, wherein when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than a first threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and the first threshold is related to the blocking of the radio frequency chip.

[0017] Optionally, when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than a second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a second type of working state, and the second type of working state can enhance the antenna efficiency of the antenna; and / or when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than the first threshold and higher than the second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a third type of working state, and the third type of working state can maintain the antenna efficiency of the antenna.

[0018] Optionally, the device also includes a signal sending branch and a signal receiving branch, and the method also includes: switching between the signal sending branch and the signal receiving branch to connect one of them to the antenna; filtering the signal received from the antenna and / or the signal to be sent from the antenna to the outside.

[0019] Optionally, the signal receiving branch includes a second low-noise amplifier and a switch, and the method further includes: when the signal strength received via the antenna is higher than a third threshold, turning on the switch and the second low-noise amplifier is short-circuited and does not work; when the signal strength received via the antenna is lower than the third threshold, turning off the switch and the second low-noise amplifier works, and / or the signal sending branch includes a power amplifier for performing power amplification processing on the signal from the RF chip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally represent like components in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 1 The schematic diagram exemplarily shows the structure of a device for communicating using a wireless local area network according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of an antenna tuner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily shown.

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a signal processing method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0025] Those skilled in the art should understand that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the present disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects, rather than to describe a specific order or sequence, and have no additional limiting effect.

[0026] The RF chip usually contains a low noise amplifier (LNA). The LNA is mainly responsible for amplifying the signal received by the antenna while minimizing the introduction of noise. When the LNA receives a signal stronger than its designed processing capability, these strong signals will interfere with or suppress the LNA's amplification and processing capabilities for weak useful signals, causing the LNA to enter a nonlinear working area and produce nonlinear effects such as intermodulation distortion. These nonlinear distortion products may fall into the frequency band of the useful signal, causing interference to the useful signal, which is called LNA blocking. LNA blocking can cause the sensitivity of the RF chip to decrease, the signal-to-noise ratio to decrease, and may even cause communication interruption. In extreme cases, even if the signal strength indicator is full, the device where the RF chip is located cannot communicate normally due to the LNA blocking effect.

[0027] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes a device for communicating using a wireless local area network, which can actively attenuate the signal by reducing the antenna efficiency when the signal received via the antenna is too strong, thereby avoiding signal blocking.

[0028] The embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to any device that can communicate using a wireless local area network, such as but not limited to mobile phones, tablet computers, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) devices, laptop computers, ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPC), netbooks, personal digital assistants (PDA), Internet of Things devices, smart TVs and other terminal devices. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on the specific types of terminal devices.

[0029] For example, the terminal device can be a station (STATION, ST) in a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a personal digital processing (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a computer, a laptop computer, a handheld communication device, a handheld computing device, and / or other devices for communicating on a wireless system and a next-generation communication system, such as a mobile terminal in a 5G network, a mobile terminal in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), or a mobile terminal in a future evolved non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0030] As an example but not limitation, when the terminal device is a wearable device, the wearable device can also be a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as gloves and watches equipped with near-field communication modules. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. It is attached to the user and performs payment, authentication and other operations through a pre-bound electronic card. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also powerful functions achieved through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various types of smart watches and smart bracelets with display screens.

[0031] Figure 1 The schematic diagram exemplarily shows the structure of a device for communicating using a wireless local area network according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] See also Figure 1 The device includes an antenna 8, a radio frequency chip 1, and an antenna tuner 10.

[0033] The radio frequency chip 1 is used to receive and process the signal received by the antenna 8. The radio frequency chip 1 refers to a chip that can process radio frequency signals. The radio frequency chip 1 can specifically be, but is not limited to, a wireless connection network (Wireless Connectivity Network, WCN) chip such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS (Global Positioning System), NFC (Near Field Communication), UWB (Ultra Wide Band), etc. The WCN chip can also be called a short-range chip. Therefore, the signal received by the antenna can be, but is not limited to, wireless signals such as Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth signals, GPS signals, NFC signals, and UWB signals.

[0034] The antenna tuner 10 is electrically connected to the antenna 8 and is used to adjust the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8. The antenna efficiency refers to the ratio of the radiation power of the antenna to the input power.

[0035] The antenna tuner 10 includes a control switch and at least two matching paths. The at least two matching paths are connected in parallel between the antenna 8 and the ground voltage. The control switch controls the on-off state between the at least two matching paths and the antenna, so that the antenna tuner 10 has multiple working states, corresponding to multiple different on-off state combinations of the at least two matching paths.

[0036] The multiple working states include a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8, and when the signal strength of the signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) received via the antenna 8 is higher than a first threshold, the antenna tuner 10 is placed in the first type of working state. The first type of working state may include one or more first working states, and different first working states may reduce the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 to different degrees.

[0037] The first threshold is related to the blocking of the RF chip 1. When the signal strength of the signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna is higher than the first threshold, there is a possibility that signal blocking occurs in the RF chip 1. That is, the first threshold may be the upper limit of the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1, which may cause signal blocking in the RF chip 1. The specific value of the first threshold can be determined based on the maximum receiving level of the RF chip 1. For example, the first threshold may be equal to the maximum receiving level of the RF chip 1. The RF chip 1 may include a first low noise amplifier. The first low noise amplifier is used to amplify the signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) received from the antenna. When the signal strength of the signal received via the antenna is higher than the first threshold, there is a possibility that the first low noise amplifier causes signal blocking in the RF chip.

[0038] When the signal strength of the signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is higher than the first threshold, the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 can be reduced by putting the antenna tuner 10 into the first type of working state, thereby reducing the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8, thereby avoiding signal blocking due to excessively strong received signals in the RF chip 1.

[0039] The at least two matching paths included in the antenna tuner 10 may include impedance circuits respectively, and the impedance circuits may include a series and / or parallel circuit of one or at least two of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor. The impedance circuits of different matching paths may or may not have common circuit elements.

[0040] Impedance matching refers to the degree of matching between the antenna input impedance and the characteristic impedance of the feeder or receiver. When the impedances of the two are well matched, the reflection loss encountered by the signal during transmission will be very small. Reflection loss is the reflection and attenuation of signal energy on the transmission line due to impedance mismatch, which will lead to signal energy loss and reduced transmission efficiency.

[0041] Antenna efficiency refers to the ability of an antenna to convert received electromagnetic wave energy into a usable electrical signal. When the antenna impedance is well matched to the feeder or receiver, the antenna efficiency will increase because less energy will be reflected or lost during transmission. Conversely, if the impedance match becomes worse, the reflection loss will also increase, and the antenna efficiency will naturally decrease.

[0042] Therefore, in the first type of working state, the impedance matching of the antenna can be deteriorated by means of the matching path currently connected to the antenna (such as the impedance circuit included in the matching path) to increase the reflection loss, thereby reducing the antenna efficiency and preventing the RF chip (such as the WCN chip) from being blocked. It is understandable that in the conventional design of matching paths in this field, the best match is often pursued to minimize the reflection loss. The present disclosure goes the other way and uses the mismatching state that the technicians in this field tried to avoid, that is, the first type of working state, to solve the RF chip blocking problem. This design is beneficial to prevent the RF chip from being blocked without increasing the hardware cost of the device.

[0043] In some embodiments, the multiple working states may further include a second type of working state capable of enhancing the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8. The second type of working state may include one or more second working states, and different second working states may enhance the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 to different degrees. When the signal strength of the signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is lower than the second threshold, the antenna tuner 10 may be placed in the second type of working state. The second threshold may be related to the minimum receiving level of the RF chip 1. For example, the second threshold may be equal to the minimum receiving level. In this way, in the process of the RF chip 1 receiving a signal, when the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is lower than the minimum receiving level of the RF chip 1, the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 may be enhanced by switching the antenna tuner 10 to the second type of working state, so that the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 may be higher than the minimum receiving level, thereby enabling the signal to be processed by the RF chip 1. Among them, the second type of working state may improve the impedance matching of the antenna 8 by means of the matching path currently connected to the antenna (such as the impedance circuit included in the matching path) to reduce the reflection loss and achieve the purpose of enhancing the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8.

[0044] In some embodiments, the multiple working states may also include a third type of working state capable of maintaining the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8. When the signal strength of the signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna is lower than the first threshold and higher than the second threshold, the antenna tuner may be placed in the third type of working state. When the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna is lower than the first threshold and higher than the second threshold, it can be considered that the signal can be processed normally by the RF chip 1, so there is no need to change the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8. The third type of working state may be obtained by disconnecting all matching paths.

[0045] The reduction of antenna efficiency, enhancement of antenna efficiency, and maintenance of antenna efficiency mentioned above are all relative to the original antenna efficiency. That is, the original antenna efficiency is reduced, enhanced, or maintained. Among them, maintaining the antenna efficiency means not changing the original antenna efficiency.

[0046] Typically, the dynamic range of the RF chip 1 is limited. The dynamic range refers to the range between the weakest signal (i.e., the lowest reception level) and the strongest signal (i.e., the highest reception level) that the RF chip 1 can process. If the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is within the dynamic range, it can be processed normally. On the contrary, if the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is outside the dynamic range, it cannot be processed normally.

[0047] When the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 exceeds the upper limit of the dynamic range (i.e., higher than the highest receiving level), the antenna tuner 9 can be switched to the first type of working state to reduce the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8, so that the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is within the dynamic range. When the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is lower than the lower limit of the dynamic range (i.e., lower than the lowest receiving level), the antenna tuner 9 can be switched to the second type of working state to enhance the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8, so that the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna is within the dynamic range. When the signal strength of the signal received by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 is within the dynamic range, the antenna tuner 9 can be switched to the third type of working state to keep the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 unchanged.

[0048] In some embodiments, the RF chip 1 is also used to provide the antenna 8 with a signal to be sent to the outside (such as a Wi-Fi signal). When the RF chip 1 sends a signal (such as a Wi-Fi signal) to the outside via the antenna 8, the antenna tuner 10 can be placed in the second type of working state. In this way, the signal strength of the signal sent by the RF chip 1 via the antenna 8 can be improved by enhancing the antenna efficiency.

[0049] Combine the following Figure 1 The functional modules that the device may also include and the circuit structure between the RF chip 1 and the antenna 8 are exemplified. Figure 1 As shown, the device may further include a tuning controller 10. The tuning controller may be a modem chip. The tuning controller 10 may be connected to a control end of a control switch in the antenna tuner 9, and is used to send a control signal to the control end of the control switch. The antenna tuner 9 may switch the on / off state between the at least two matching paths and the antenna according to the control signal received by the control end. The control end is a port of the control switch for receiving the control signal sent by the tuning controller 10.

[0050] Figure 2 The structure diagram of the antenna tuner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily shown. Figure 2, the antenna tuner 9 may include a control switch, and four parallel matching paths, RF1, RF2, RF3, and RF4. The control switch can independently control the on and off of each matching path. The control switch can determine the on and off state of these matching paths according to the quality of the ambient Wi-Fi signal to adaptively adjust the antenna efficiency of the antenna, so that the antenna efficiency after adjustment matches the working state of the RF chip. The antenna efficiency after adjustment matches the working state of the RF chip, which means that the signal strength of the signal received by the final RF chip via the antenna or the signal strength of the signal sent to the outside via the antenna can be within a reasonable range by adjusting the antenna efficiency. Exemplarily, the antenna tuner 9 may include a single-pole four-throw switch (Single Pole 4Throw, SP4T), and the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 may decrease in sequence when the four matching paths RF1, RF2, RF3, and RF4 are turned on respectively. That is, the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 is the best when RF1 is turned on, and the antenna efficiency of the antenna 8 is the worst when RF4 is turned on. The antenna tuner 9 may also include four switches, which are respectively connected in series with RF1-4. The four switches can independently control the conduction of the corresponding matching paths, so that one or more of the four matching paths can be turned on at the same time, thereby realizing more optional matching impedances.

[0051] To highlight the key points Figure 1 Only three ports, TX_OUT, RX_IN, and CPLR, of the RF chip 1 are shown. It should be known that in actual applications, the RF chip also includes other ports, wherein TX_OUT is a signal transmission port, RX_IN is a signal receiving port, and CPLR is a power coupling port.

[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, a signal transmission branch and a signal receiving branch are also provided between the RF chip 1 and the antenna 8. The switch 3 can be a single pole double throw switch (SPDT). The switch 3 is used to switch between the signal transmission branch and the signal receiving branch so as to connect one of them to the antenna.

[0053] The signal transmission branch includes a power amplifier 2 (Power Amplifier, PA). The PA is used to perform power amplification processing on the signal from the RF chip 1. The signal transmission branch is used to process the signal from the RF chip so as to transmit it to the antenna 8 and transmit it to the outside via the antenna 8. A power amplifier is an electronic device whose main function is to convert a weak input electrical signal into a larger output electrical signal, and the power of the output electrical signal is greater than the power of the input electrical signal.

[0054] The signal receiving branch includes a second noise amplifier 4 (Low Noise Amplifier, LNA) and a switch 5. The switch 5 is a single pole single throw switch (Single Pole Single Throw, SPST). The signal receiving branch is used to process the signal received from the antenna 8 and transmit it to the RF chip 1. The switch 5 is connected in parallel with the second low noise amplifier 4. When the switch 5 is disconnected, the second low noise amplifier 4 works. When the switch 5 is turned on, the second low noise amplifier 4 is short-circuited and does not work. When the signal strength received via the antenna 8 is higher than the third threshold, the switch 5 is turned on. And, when the signal strength received via the antenna 8 is lower than the third threshold, the switch 5 is turned off.

[0055] The power coupler 6 and the filter 7 are circuit elements shared by the signal sending branch and the signal receiving branch.

[0056] A power coupler is a radio frequency device that is often used to distribute, combine, and split RF power. It has the following main functions: Power splitting: A power coupler can evenly split the input RF power to two or more output ports. This is very useful when a signal needs to be sent to multiple receivers at the same time. Power combining: In contrast to power splitting, a power coupler can also combine the RF power from multiple input ports to one output port. This is very useful when multiple signals need to be combined into a stronger signal. Signal separation: A power coupler can also be used to separate multiple signals that are mixed together. For example, it can separate a signal containing multiple different frequencies into multiple single-frequency signals. Measurement: A power coupler usually has a special output port called a "coupled port" that can be used to measure the power of the input signal without affecting the operation of the entire system. Therefore, power couplers are widely used in fields such as wireless communications, radar, and RF test equipment.

[0057] In the signal receiving branch, the power coupler 6 can feed back the signal received from the antenna 8 to the power coupling port of the RF chip 1. In some embodiments, the RF chip 1 can determine the signal strength of the signal received from the antenna 8 according to the feedback signal from the power coupler 6, determine which working state the antenna tuner 9 should be adjusted to according to the signal strength, and send a notification signal to the tuning controller 10, so that the tuning controller 10 sends a control signal to the control end of the control switch in the antenna tuner 9, so that the antenna tuner 9 is adjusted to the determined working state. In other embodiments, the RF chip 1 can determine the signal strength of the signal received from the antenna 8 according to the feedback signal from the power coupler 6, and send the determined signal strength to the application processor (AP) in the device, and the application processor determines which working state the antenna tuner 9 should be adjusted to according to the signal strength, and sends a notification signal to the tuning controller 10, so that the tuning controller 10 sends a control signal to the control end of the control switch in the antenna tuner 9, so that the antenna tuner 9 is adjusted to the determined working state.

[0058] The filter 7 may perform filtering processing on a signal received from the antenna and / or a signal to be transmitted from the antenna to the outside.

[0059] When the RF chip 1 uses an external FEM, the power amplifier 2, the switching switch 3, the second noise amplifier 4, the switch 5, and the power coupler 6 can form an external RF front-end module (Front-End Modules, FEM). In addition, the power amplifier 2, the switching switch 3, the second noise amplifier 4, the switch 5, and the power coupler 6 can also form a chip with a built-in PA (such as a Wi-Fi chip) together with the RF chip 1.

[0060] When the RF chip 1 is in the transmitting state, the antenna tuner 9 can work in the second working state to enhance the antenna efficiency. As mentioned above, the second working state can include multiple second working states, where the antenna tuner 9 can be operated in the second working state with the largest antenna efficiency enhancement, so that the antenna efficiency is in the best logical state, that is, the antenna efficiency is the highest. At this time, the switch 3 switches to the TX path (i.e., the signal sending branch), and the signal passes through the power coupler 6 and the filter 7, and then is transmitted into the air through the antenna 8.

[0061] When the signal received via the antenna 8 is lower than a certain signal strength (such as -40dBm), the switch 5 is disconnected, and the signal is amplified by the second low noise amplifier 4 and then enters the RF chip 1 (such as the WCN chip) for processing. At the same time, the antenna tuner 9 can work in the second working state to enhance the antenna efficiency. For example, the antenna tuner 9 can be made to work in the second working state with the greatest enhancement of the antenna efficiency, so that the antenna efficiency is also at the best performance, that is, the antenna efficiency is the highest.

[0062] When the signal strength of the signal received via the antenna 8 is higher than a certain signal strength (such as -20dBm), the switch 5 is turned on, and the working state of the antenna tuner 9 can be switched to the first working state to reduce the antenna efficiency. As described above, the first working state can include multiple first working states, where the antenna tuner 9 can be operated in the first working state with the largest reduction in antenna efficiency, so as to make the antenna efficiency the worst, that is, the antenna efficiency of the antenna is the lowest. In this way, the signal strength of the signal entering the RF chip for demodulation can meet the standard of the maximum receiving level of the RF chip (such as -20dBm), avoiding LNA blocking in the RF chip.

[0063] Based on the present disclosure, Wi-Fi devices can be used under stronger signals to avoid LNA blocking caused by overly strong signals and avoid Wi-Fi interruption under strong signals. The present disclosure can be applied to 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz WIFI networks. In addition, based on the present disclosure, Wi-Fi devices can also enhance or maintain antenna efficiency when the signal received via the antenna is too weak or normal, so that the device can maintain normal communication under different signal strengths.

[0064] In summary, the present disclosure can solve Wi-Fi connection problems under various signal strengths by improving the RF antenna architecture, avoid poor Wi-Fi performance or even network disconnection caused by Wi-Fi signals being too strong or too weak, so that Wi-Fi devices can still maintain better performance under various signal strengths, improve WLAN network stability, and enhance user experience.

[0065] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a signal processing method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily shown. Figure 3 The method shown can be applied to devices that communicate using a wireless local area network. Figure 3 The execution subject of the method shown can be a device, specifically a radio frequency chip in the device, or an application processor in the device, or a combination of a radio frequency chip and an application processor. Figure 3 Only the main steps that may be included in the method are exemplified. All relevant terms involved in the method can be found in the above description.

[0066] See also Figure 3 In step S310, the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received by the antenna is obtained.

[0067] For example, a radio frequency chip may be used to receive Wi-Fi signals received by an antenna.

[0068] In step S320, the on / off state between at least two matching paths and the antenna is controlled according to the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal, wherein when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than a first threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and the first threshold is related to the blocking of the RF chip. For the matching path, the first type of working state, and the first threshold, please refer to the relevant description above.

[0069] In some embodiments, the antenna tuner may further include a second type of working state and a third type of working state. For the second type of working state and the third type of working state, please refer to the relevant description above. When the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than the second threshold, the antenna tuner may be placed in the second type of working state. When the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than the first threshold and higher than the second threshold, the antenna tuner may be placed in the third type of working state.

[0070] In some implementations, the device may further include a signal transmission branch and a signal receiving branch. For details about the signal transmission branch and the signal receiving branch, please refer to the above related description. Figure 3 The method shown may also include: switching between the signal transmission branch and the signal reception branch so as to connect one of them to the antenna; filtering the signal received from the antenna and / or the signal to be sent from the antenna to the outside. The switching between the signal transmission branch and the signal reception branch may be performed by switching a switch. The signal received from the antenna and / or the signal to be sent from the antenna to the outside may be filtered using a filter.

[0071] In some implementations, the signal receiving branch includes a second low noise amplifier and a switch. Figure 3 The method shown may also include: when the signal strength received via the antenna is higher than a third threshold, turning on the switch so that the second low noise amplifier is short-circuited and does not work; when the signal strength received via the antenna is lower than the third threshold, turning off the switch so that the second low noise amplifier works.

[0072] In some implementations, the signal transmission branch may include a power amplifier for performing power amplification processing on the signal from the radio frequency chip.

[0073] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both.

[0074] The flow charts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings show the possible architecture, functions and operations of the system and method according to multiple embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of a code, and the module, a program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two consecutive boxes can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0075] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A device for communicating using a wireless local area network, comprising: antenna; A radio frequency chip, used for receiving and processing the signal received by the antenna; an antenna tuner, electrically connected to the antenna, for adjusting the antenna efficiency of the antenna, The antenna tuner comprises a control switch and at least two matching paths, wherein the at least two matching paths are connected in parallel between the antenna and a ground voltage, and the control switch controls the on-off state between each of the at least two matching paths and the antenna, so that the antenna tuner has a plurality of working states, which respectively correspond to a plurality of different on-off state combinations of the at least two matching paths. The multiple working states include a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than a first threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in the first type of working state, and the first threshold is related to the blocking of the radio frequency chip.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The multiple working states further include a second type of working state capable of enhancing antenna efficiency of the antenna, and when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than a second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in the second type of working state; and / or The multiple working states also include a third type of working state capable of maintaining the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and the antenna tuner is placed in the third type of working state when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than a first threshold and higher than a second threshold.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a tuning controller connected to the control end of the control switch and configured to send a control signal to the control end of the control switch, The antenna tuner switches and controls the on / off states between each of the at least two matching paths and the antenna according to the control signal received by the control end.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising: A power coupler, used to feed back the signal received from the antenna to the power coupling port of the radio frequency chip, wherein: The RF chip determines the signal strength of the signal received from the antenna according to the feedback signal from the power coupler, determines the working state to which the antenna tuner should be adjusted according to the signal strength, and sends a notification signal to the tuning controller so that the tuning controller sends the control signal to the control end of the control switch, so that the antenna tuner is adjusted to the determined working state, or The RF chip determines the signal strength of the signal received from the antenna based on the feedback signal from the power coupler, and sends the signal strength to the application processor in the device. The application processor determines the working state to which the antenna tuner should be adjusted based on the signal strength, and sends a notification signal to the tuning controller so that the tuning controller sends the control signal to the control end of the control switch, so that the antenna tuner is adjusted to the determined working state.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A signal transmission branch, used for processing the signal from the radio frequency chip so as to transmit it to the antenna and transmit it to the outside via the antenna; A signal receiving branch, used for processing the signal received from the antenna and transmitting it to the radio frequency chip; A switch, used for switching between the signal transmitting branch and the signal receiving branch, so as to connect one of them to the antenna; as well as The filter is used to filter the signal received from the antenna and / or the signal to be sent from the antenna to the outside.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The signal receiving branch comprises: A second low noise amplifier, configured to amplify the signal from the antenna; and A switch is connected in parallel with the second low noise amplifier, when the switch is turned off, the second low noise amplifier works, when the switch is turned on, the second low noise amplifier is short-circuited and does not work, When the signal strength received via the antenna is higher than a third threshold, the switch is turned on. and, when the signal strength received via the antenna is lower than the third threshold, turning off the switch; and / or The signal sending branch includes a power amplifier, which is used to perform power amplification processing on the signal from the radio frequency chip.

7. A signal processing method, applied to a device using a wireless local area network for communication, the device comprising an antenna, a radio frequency chip and an antenna tuner, the antenna tuner comprising at least two matching paths, the method comprising: Obtaining signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received by the antenna; The on / off state between each of the at least two matching paths and the antenna is controlled according to the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal, wherein when the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is higher than a first threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a first type of working state capable of reducing the antenna efficiency of the antenna, and the first threshold is related to the blocking of the radio frequency chip.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: When the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than a second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a second type of working state, wherein the second type of working state can enhance the antenna efficiency of the antenna; and / or When the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal received via the antenna is lower than a first threshold and higher than a second threshold, the antenna tuner is placed in a third type of working state, and the third type of working state can maintain the antenna efficiency of the antenna.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The device further includes a signal sending branch and a signal receiving branch, and the method further includes: Switching between the signal transmitting branch and the signal receiving branch so as to connect one of them to the antenna; A filtering process is performed on a signal received from the antenna and / or a signal to be transmitted from the antenna to the outside.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The signal receiving branch includes a second low noise amplifier and a switch, and the method further includes: When the strength of the signal received via the antenna is higher than a third threshold, the switch is turned on, and the second low noise amplifier is short-circuited and does not work; When the signal strength received via the antenna is lower than the third threshold, the switch is turned off and the second low noise amplifier is operated. and / or The signal sending branch includes a power amplifier, which is used to perform power amplification processing on the signal from the radio frequency chip.

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